A Scoutmaster's Blog

Since the beginning of time, or at least since the early eighties, Boy Scout Troop 68 has held a Christmas party. It has become such a tradition that the Patrol Leader’s Council would never think of planning a year’s program without the party. Everyone enjoys it too much to drop it.

During those first years the party was held at someone’s house, usually a house with a basement recreation room. One family had one of those new fancy things called a video cassette player/recorder (vcr). It was a big odd looking box that played tapes of movies. That began the tradition of playing movies and watching them on the television, because soon almost every house had a vcr tape machine. These days we use dvd players.

The party would be held at one family’s house for a couple years and then move on to another family’s. When the troop’s membership grew to over thirty Boy Scouts we had a hard time finding a home to host the party. We finally moved to the city hall meeting rooms which gave us plenty of room. Our membership is down again so now the party is held at my home which makes it a lot easier for me. I do not have to haul stuff, like presents, to the party site anymore.

The party begins at 6:30 in the evening and ends about 11:00. We begin by watching one of the two movies. (Have you ever tried to find a movie that appeals to both 11 year olds and sixteen year olds? It is a challenge.) Then comes the pizza, snacks, and soda. A gift exchange is held for those who wish to participate, and wish to risk the roll of the dice. The evening raps up with the second movie, although some of the Scouts decide to play games instead of watching the film.

The party is a great “no pressure” troop activity. There is no knot tying, no advancement requirements, and no skill learning. Uniforms are not worn. It is just a time to have fun and be with friends. Everyone goes home with at least one present.

And sometime during the course of the evening we pause to remember the real reason for the season.

Buttons, that radical Boy Scout, has taken on a life of his own during the past year. He sure knows his Boy Scout stuff, although he has a thing or two to learn about Cub Scouting yet. He has shown us how to stay in shape, and how to know if we are a real Boy Scout. He has even got a bit opinionated at times.

Take this video, for example. He takes a tour of the scoutmaster’s basement recreation room, pointing out things of interest along the way. He talks about the book collection, the patch collection, and the mug collection. But then, he starts to make fun of the scoutmaster, even going so far as to call him a “white and nerdy” dude! Now I ask you, “Is this fair? Is this alright with those of you who watch these videos?” After all, what is wrong with playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons now and then? Who can deny that Star Wars is a great movie?

Watch it, meditate about it, and then leave a message as to what you think of it.

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Here is a little Christmas poem for you. I saw this on a Scout forum of which I am a member. I thought this was too good not to pass on to you all. Some of you may have seen this already since it was going around last year already. Enjoy.

*Twas the month before Christmas
*When all through our land,
*Not a Christian was praying
*Nor taking a stand.
*See the PC Police had taken away,
*The reason for Christmas – no one could say.
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
*It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say.
* December 25th is just a “Holiday “.

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
*Something was changing, something quite odd!
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
* At Lowe’s the word Christmas – was no where to be found.
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears
*You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith;
*Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
*So as you celebrate “Winter Break” under your “Dream Tree”
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

The folks at PTC Media (http://ptcmedia.net), the home of four Scouting-related podcasts, are conducting a contest that you can enter to win prizes. And it costs you nothing other then a few minutes of your time.

To enter the drawing you need to find the five sites of the PTC Media shows in the iTunes music store, and then leave a comment about the show(s). The shows are Akela’s Adventure, An Hour A Week, The Leader’s Campfire, and Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast (your favorite, I know.) The PTC Media also has its own site (click HERE) from which all four podcasts can be found. You will need an iTunes account to participate.

You may also enter the contest by leaving a comment on one of the feeds located at Digg.com.

PTC Media will take the names of people who leave a comment during the next few weeks, throw them into a hat, and draw out a name for the prizes. You can enter the contest up to five times by leaving a comment at each of the five sites on iTunes. There will be four drawings, each corresponding to the “feedback” show of The Leader’s Campfire.

I have donated two dvd-r’s to each of the contest prize packages. The first contains nearly twenty Scouting commercials and promotional videos about Scouting. The second is a dvd-r of several of the early Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, videos. The other podcasters will also be donating prizes to the winner’s package.

Do not wait too long to comment about the shows and register for the drawing. Time is running out! Do it today!

Since I was a youngster I have liked collecting things. I probably started with collecting rocks and bugs. As I entered my teen years I collected stamps and baseball cards. When a movie called Star Wars hit the theaters in 1977 I began collecting Star Wars toys. I no longer have the rocks and bugs. I still have the stamps and cards, although I have not done anything with them for years. I finally stopped collecting Star Wars toys this year when I finally ran out of room in the house.

It did not take long after becoming an adult leader in Boy Scouting that the various Scout-related collections began. I have already told you about the patch collection. This time I would like to tell you about a collection I really never intended to start – the coffee mugs.

First of all, let me state that I do not drink coffee. I do not care for the taste of it. I know that puts me in a minority among Scout leaders. I do not need that cup of java in the morning to get me going. So why do I collect coffee mugs when I have no intention of ever using them?

I do not remember how the first mugs arrived in my hands. Many of the early mugs were given to me as gifts. These gifts began to accumulate. And then, every once in a while when I was attending a Scout function, I saw a mug that grabbed my attention. Soon, I had a collection of the things.

Today, that collection includes over sixty coffee mugs. Some are from council events. Some are from fundraising projects. A few are from high adventure bases. A couple are general Scouting themed. Sixty mugs may be smaller then some leader’s collections, but I know it is larger then most people’s.

I still do not go out of my way to collect the mugs, but if I come across one that catches my attention it may find itself sitting on the shelf with the rest of them. The mugs take up a lot more room in the house then the patches do so I have to limit myself with what I buy. I have discovered that mugs do not flatten very well when you try to place them into notebooks.

The mugs are on display in my recreation room, which is also the “Scout” room. Every time I dust them (which is not as often as I should), I think to myself that I really should donate these to the local historical society. But after they are cleaned and repositioned I decide I will keep them a little longer.

The shelves are almost full now, which means the collection will have to come to an end. Unfortunately, knowing me as I do, once I start collecting the mugs I will find something else to begin collecting. (When I quit collecting the Star Wars toys I began collecting medieval weapons.)

I sit here after a great Thanksgiving dinner with my family. My belly is full, I am getting tired, and it is time to think about what I am thankful for. (Other then a full belly, which is a very good reason to be thankful.)

I am thankful for the boys who are a part of the Scout troop, and Scouting everywhere. They constantly remind me that we all need to keep a little of the youngster in us at all times, no matter how old we get. We need to remember how to have fun and live carefree, and how to use our imaginations to make this world a little better place.

I am thankful for my eighty year old assistant scoutmaster who still plans to go to summer camp next year. He may have gotten a little slower as the years go by, but he has no plans to stop Scouting anytime soon. He is great with the boys and the boys respect him, as do I. I am also thankful for my troop committee and the work they do each month to keep the troop going forward.

I am thankful for those few parents who can be counted on to help out when the help is needed. Without them I would have stepped down from being a scoutmaster a long time ago.

I am thankful for local newspapers who support Scouting and are willing to print the articles I give them about troop functions. I am thankful for two local television stations that look forward to airing the video shows produced by the troop. Through the newspapers and the stations we are able to keep Scouting in the public eye.

I am thankful for a district executive that is dedicated to the program and goes the extra mile to help a troop and pack. He puts in some long hours and many miles traveling around the council. Although we may not always see eye to eye, I know he always strives to do his best.

I am thankful for a new national executive who seems to be willing to look at making changes to the program while maintaining the traditions of Scouting. It is good to see some new work being done through the internet to reach Scouting age boys.

I am thankful for the friends I have made through Scouting over the years. Many of the Scouts have stayed in touch after they have entered college and started there own families. Those continuing friendships mean a lot to me.

I am thankful for my family who have understood the reasoning when I miss the occasionally family gathering in order to attend a Boy Scout function. They have seldom complained about it, although I think they sometimes wonder about my sanity.

As the Thanksgiving holiday comes to a close and another holiday season begins, what do you find yourself thank for?

The BSA has started a couple podcasts that may be of interest to you. One is called Cubcast and features audio podcasts with Cub Scouting interests. The second is called National Commissioner’s Podcast and is done by Don Belcher. The commissioner’s podcast can also be found on iTunes, but I cannot find the Cubcast listed in the music store’s podcast listings. I hope that they will start a Boy Scout and a Venture Scout podcast soon.

It looks like the national office is beginning to take the internet a little more seriously and starting to make use of it. I wonder if the BSA’s new leadership has anything to do with it?

Do not forget to check out the Scouting podcasts at PTC Media. There are three audio podcasts and one video podcast on this network. PTC Media can be found at http://www.ptcmedia.net/ and at the iTunes music store.

By the way, if anyone at the national office reads this blog, would you contact me? I have a few questions for you regarding your videos. Thanks.

The National BSA Website has a (new?) web page explaining the process of earning merit badges. It also includes a short video for Scouts to watch, pictures of all the merit badges, the requirements for each one, and a link to a guide for merit badge councilors. I know merit badge requirements have been listed on non-BSA websites for awhile already, but I think this is great that the national office has finally done this on their own site. I really like that they took the time to make a video about the process.

Here is an excerpt from the page:

Pick a Subject. Talk to your Scoutmaster about your interests. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you. Pick one to earn. Your Scoutmaster will give you the name of a person from a list of counselors. These counselors have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.

Scout Buddy System. You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister, a relative, or a friend.

Call the Counselor. Get a signed merit badge application from your Scoutmaster. Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and tell him or her that you want to earn the merit badge. The counselor may ask to meet you to explain what is expected of you and to start helping you meet the requirements.

When you know what is expected, start to learn and do the things required. Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject. Many troops and school or public libraries have them. (See the list here.)

Show Your Stuff. When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment to meet the requirements. When you go take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will ask you to do each requirement to make sure that you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required.

Get the Badge. When the counselor is satisfied that you have met each requirement, he or she will sign your application. Give the signed application to your Scoutmaster so that your merit badge emblem can be secured for you.

Requirements. You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated—no more and no less. You are expected to do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says “show or demonstrate,” that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn’t enough. The same thing holds true for such words as “make,” “list,” “in the field,” and “collect,” “identify,” and “label.”