A Scoutmaster's Blog

I don’t know about you, but I take plenty of pictures when I am on an outing with the Boy Scouts. It was not too bad when I used a 35mm camera. If I filled one roll of 24 pictures on an outing I considered that a lot of pictures. Now that I have a digital camera I have been know to take a LOT more pictures per outing. Hundreds more. The boys dread seeing me coming with the camera these days. Yet, they always enjoy seeing the pictures.

I use an Apple Mac Pro computer at home so I use iPhoto to store, label, and sort my digital photographs. And there is a lot to sort. I have nearly 9000 photos of Scout and events. That does not include any family photographs. I will usually label the photos right away by event and date to make them a bit easier to find, but it can still take awhile to find that one picture I may be looking for to use in a project.

This week Apple came out with their new version of the iPhoto software. It has a couple of features that I am looking forward to using. The first is called Faces. It is a program that will recognize the faces of people in the photos. After applying names to those faces the program will label other pictures in which it finds that person and create an album for that person’s pictures. This feature could come in quite handy for preparing that Eagle court of honor presentation, or a family birthday or anniversary show.

The second new feature is called Locations. If you have a camera with a built in GPS feature (like some cel phones) information about the location of the place the photo was taken could be embedded in the photograph. The new Locations feature will group photographs taken at locations. Want to find all your pictures taken at Many Point Scout Camp or Philmont, just ask iPhoto to find them. I do not see myself using this feature as much as Faces, but it could come in handy.

I hope these new features work as well as Apple says they will. This could save me a lot of time when working on future projects. After all, it can be quite challenging finding that perfect picture when you have hundreds or thousands of pictures to scan through. My program arrived this week and I am looking forward to playing with it this weekend.

Those of you who follow this blog know that I produce a video podcast known as Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast (MSPP). I have recently been asked to produce an audio podcast based on the material found in those video podcasts. I really do not think transferring the four to seven minute video podcasts would make for a good audio podcast so I have been giving the matter some thought on how to expand it to a 15 to 30 minute audio podcast.

I do not want the new podcast to be about how to be a better Scout leader or how to improve your pack or troop program. There are already podcasts out there that do just that, including An Hour A Week, the Scoutmaster Minute, the Leader’s Campfire. The MSPP video podcast was designed to be entertainment for Scouts and their families from the start. I think the new audio podcast should be the same.

Before I begin creating a new audio podcast, I wanted to have a format to follow from episode to episode. After a couple weeks of thinking about it I think I have come up with a plan:
a) Opening music and intro
b) Monologue
c) Buttons’ Corner
d) Commercial (if anyone decides to sponsor the program.)
e) Around the Campfire
f) Buttons’ Shout Out
g) Scout Leader Minute
h) Closing theme/music

The Opening Monologue would be a short discussion between Buttons and myself about what is featured in that episode. I have already played around with the monologue for the first episode and discovered Buttons can be a hard person to talk to. (I am beginning to feel like I have multiple personalities.)

Buttons’ Corner would feature the audio from one of his videos, or his thoughts about Scouting in general. He could even answer a question or two sent in by a listener, which means I would have to set up an email address for him.

Around the Campfire would feature a song found in one of the videos, or maybe a campfire story. This part of the podcast could be as short as a couple minutes (if it is a song) or quite a bit longer (if it is a story). I have a few Scouting based novels from the 1910’s through the 1920’s that might make for a continuing storyline.

Buttons’ Shout Out will be moment for Buttons to recognize Scouts, packs, or troops that write to him or send him something special. I have received a couple requests for something like this. I think it could keep the show a little more interactive with the listening audience.

The Scout Leader’s Minute would end the episode with a short story or thought, similar to the Scoutmaster’s Minute at the end of a troop meeting.

I would like to know what you think about this format for a new podcast. I also need ideas for a name for it. Right now I am thinking about simply calling it the Melrose Scouting Audio Podcast, but I am open to suggestions. You can email me at stevejb68@yahoo.com

Twenty years ago the volunteers at Mel-TV, our local cable access television station, filmed a program in which five men who were Scout leaders were interviewed about their Scouting experiences. I took that old vhs tape and transferred it to a dvd. I thought to myself as I was transferring the program that many of the things being said by those gentlemen still apply to Scouting today. I thought I would break this show down into parts for the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast, each part featuring one of the interviews.

This podcast video features the third interview from The Leaders of Scouting. Mike H. began his adult Scouting career as a Webelos den leader when his son joined the den. He moved to the Boy Scout committee when his son graduated into the troop. When the current committee chairman stepped down, Mike agreed to take the position for one year. That one year stretched into more then five years. During this interview Mike talked about being on the troop committee, going along on various troop outings, the values found in the Scouting program, and his pride in seeing his son earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

You are invited to leave a comment here using the link below, at the iTunes Music Store, or at the PTC Media forums. Or drop me an email at webmaster@melrosetroop68.org. It really is great to hear what you think about the podcast videos.

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Check out other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

We have all heard of Murphy’s Law which states, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” Mark W. at ScoutingManiac has recently blogged about a list of Murphy’s Laws of Camping which he found at the Boy Scout Trail website. You have got to read these. A few of them really are too true. Here are a few of the forty laws listed on the site:

1. When reading the instructions of a pump-activated water filter, ‘hour’ should be substituted for ‘minute’ when reading the average quarts filtered per minute.
2. A backpack’s weight load migrates up and back the longer it is in motion.
3. All tree branches in a forest grow outward from their respective trunks at exactly the height of your nose. If you are male, tree branches will also grow at groin height.
4. Swiss Army Knife toothpicks and tweezers evaporate open contact with air.
5. Rain happens.
6. Waterproof clothing isn’t. (However, it is 100% effective at containing sweat).
7. Non-stick pans aren’t.
8. Waterproof matches aren’t.
9. One size fits all don’t.
10. Anything bug-proof isn’t.
11. A backpack’s weight is not affected by the amount of food eaten out of it.
12. The minimum temperature rating for any sleeping bag raises as the external temperature lowers.
13. Ropes holding bear bags stretch.
14. The loudness of an animal at night grows as the size of the animal shrinks.

Links:
http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/joke/murphys_laws_of_camping-1031.asp
http://scoutingmaniac.blogspot.com/2009/01/humor-dose-1.html

Twenty years ago, when I worked in a lumber yard in Melrose, a salesman came in to speak to one of the owners. I explained that she was busy at the moment but should be available in a minute or two. We started small talk and he began telling me about his kids and family. He asked me how many kids I had. Without hesitation I told him that I had twenty boys, and then walked away because the owner had arrived. After seeing the shocked look on his face she had to explain to him that I was single, had no children of my own, and that I was talking about the boys in my Boy Scout troop. It was a great moment.

Twenty years later, I am still single without any kids. Just like Lem Siddens in the movie Follow Me Boys I consider the Boy Scouts to be my boys. I like to joke with people that I have a great arrangement. “When I want some kids in the house I make a few phone calls. When I am tired of them I send them home.”

Once in a while, I find myself talking to someone new. When they find out I am a scoutmaster they will usually ask me, “How old are your boys?” When I tell them I do not have any, they give me a look that seems to say, “Are you crazy? Why are you a scoutmaster if you do not have any boys in the program?”

Sometimes I ask myself that very question. The simple answer is that I believe in the program. I always have. After nearly three decades of being a Scout leader I can honestly say that I have seen the good that come from Scouting. I wish more boys would try Scouting. I think they would find that they would enjoy the program and actually have fun learning new skills.

I also think that more parents should consider Scouting as a program for their sons and family. Many parents do not understand the benefits of the program, which really is a shame. I think it is encouraging that the National Office plans to increase the promotion of the Scouting programs.

There have been nearly 250 boys in my extended family over the decades. There have been a lot of movies watched, pizzas eaten, and Dungeons and Dragons games played. I have been to dozens of graduation parties, and even several weddings. I have seen the boys grow up, begin lives of their own, get married, and start their own families.

Yep, the Boy Scouts are my boys. And in most cases, they are also great friends.

Shortly after I started writing this blog I registered it with a site called Blog Patrol which had a nice little counter for the site and kept statistics for one week. It was fun watching the daily stats climb, but not so fun watching them drop. It was like watching a slow moving rollercoaster. Most days I would get around 150 visits or so. I smiled a little brighter each day I received over 200 visitors. It is nice when people find your blog something they enjoy reading.

This past week I have noticed more people coming to the blog. Today, something happened that has never happened before. This blog has received over 300 visitors! In one day! And the daily forecast shows that it could hit 340 visits. Wow.

Now I realize for many bloggers out there that this is no big deal. Some blogs receive thousands of hits per day, even tens of thousands. This is not one of those blogs. I realize that my blog topic fits a narrow range of people out there, and that is alright. I am not a writer for the Wallstreet Journal or anything like that. I just write about Scouting, something that has been a part of me for most of my life.

I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for coming to this site and checking out the blog. I really do appreciate it.

It will soon be time for the 2010 National Jamboree. Boy Scouts have begun making their plans to attend, and save money to make those payments. Adult leaders are in training to become the scoutmasters and assistants for this huge event. Councils across the country are trying to get plans finalized and transportation arranged for nearly 40,000 participants. The National Office is planning to make this a special event to celebrate the 100th year of the Boy Scouts of America.

In 2001, I attended the National Jamboree as a scoutmaster of one of two troops the Central Minnesota Council sent to the event. Nine youth members and one young assistant scoutmaster from Troop 68 went along to Fort A.P. Hill. We had a great time. (To read more of the experience click HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

I took a lot of pictures with my 35mm camera. My first assistant scoutmaster, Randy, had a new digital camera, and he took even more pictures then I did. A few weeks after we arrived home I began planning the video of the Jamboree. Using the pictures Randy and I took, and narration done by two of my Boy Scouts who participated in the event, I put together a 21 minute video for everyone to view. This video was also shown on our local access television station. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out.

With thousands of Boy Scouts and leaders planning to attend the 2010 National Jamboree I thought this would be a great time to add this video to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast. I believe this is the longest video I have ever added to the podcast so give it a little time to download. I am sure you will find it worth the wait.

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Check out other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

Eymard Orth, assistant scoutmaster of Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68, recently was recognized by Troop 68 for his twenty years of service. Eymard become an assistant scoutmaster when his son, Peter, was a member of the troop in 1988. Since then, Eymard has attended hundreds of troop meetings and weekend activities. He has not missed a week of summer camp in twenty years. Steve Borgerding, the troop scoutmaster, presented the plaque during a court of honor held on December 15, 2008. (Local Newspaper)

Eymard is quite an individual. He was never a Boy Scout himself, but when his youngest son joined Boy Scouting and he was asked to help out as an assistant scoutmaster he stepped up to the plate and (almost) never looked back. Even though he celebrates his 82nd birthday this year he still looks forward to going camping with the boys, something that other people his age think is crazy. But Eymard truely enjoys working with the boys and finds it to be quite rewarding. He has been a great leader of the troop and we look forward to the next twenty years of his tenure.

In addition to Scouting, Eymard is also very active in his local church, the MCCL, and the local Republican party. He and his wife tend a large garden during the summer months. They enjoy family outings which tend to be quite large with their ten children, and numorous grandchildren. Eymard recently wrote an auotbiography which has been quite popular locally.

Nearly two years ago, Eymard was interviewed by Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, during one of the troop’s outings. You can view that interview by clicking this THIS LINK.

UPDATE: The local papers have also picked up this story, the Melrose Beacon.