A Scoutmaster's Blog

I plan to see the new Star Trek movie this weekend. Although I am a fan of the series, I am not hardcore enough to be considered a Trekkie or a Trekker. I am more of a Star Wars kind of guy. You only need to see my family room to know that is true.

While the new movie is on everyone’s mind this weekend, I thought it might be a good time to revisit the Star Trekking skit that my troop came up with twenty years ago.

There are a few videos posted online of the Scouts and myself performing the skit. The original version of the skit can be seen on Youtube (click HERE). The Scouts and I performed it during a fundraiser at a local television station. And yes, that is me as Scotty.

Last summer, the Buckskin staff of Many Point Scout Camp talked me into joining them as they performed the skit during the Friday night closing campfire. It can be seen at the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast #47 (click HERE), or on our troop’s website video page.

Once the Star Trekking skit became popular we felt we had to take it to the next level and do a sequel, so we came up with Star Trekking: The Next Generation. It is #54 of the Melrose Scouting Production Podcast, and can also be seen on the troop’s website.

Live long and prosper, and laugh until it hurts.

The new Around The Scouting Campfire audio podcast has been up and running for nearly two months, and I have to say that I am both pleased and surprised by the response to it. To tell the truth, even though I had a couple people tell me that I should create an audio podcast I really had no idea what type of reception it would receive. I thought that each episode might receive a couple hundred hits and that would be it, but they have done much better than that.

The first episode was posted on March 7, 2009. It has already received over 1100 hits! Episode 4 was posted on April 12 and has been hit nearly 1400 times. The first four episodes have a combined total of over 4000 hits, which I think is outstanding.

I would like to thank all of you how listen to the podcast, and to PTC Media for making the show a part of its family of Scouting related podcasts. The response to the show has me fired up to create more episodes. In fact, the fifth show has recently been posted and outlines for four more shows have been made. I just need to find the time to create them, and also keep posting videos to the Melrose Scouting Productions video podcast.

I have a favor to ask all of you. Could you take a few minutes of your day to go to iTunes and give Around The Scouting Campfire a favorable rating? If you have an iTunes account you may also leave a comment. Your ratings and comments will help the podcast rise among the thousands of other podcasts found on iTunes. And while you are there, rate all the PTC Media shows. Wouldn’t it be great to see a Scouting related podcast or two find their way to the iTunes Top 100 list?

Those of us who make podcasts really do love to read your comments and emails. In many cases it is the only payment we receive for the hours of work we put into creating a show. You can leave comments through this blog, through iTunes, or at the PTC Media forums. If you have a blog I would appreciate you speading the word about the show.

Once again, I want to thank you for listening to Around The Scouting Campfire. I hope you enjoy the future episodes.

The fifth episode of Around The Scouting Campfire has been posted. That means it is time to join Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, for another 20 minutes of fun and reflection on Scouting.

This show begins with Steve and Buttons talking about feedback they have received. Steve speaks about using your local community television station as a way to promote Scouting in your area. Hopefully you are not driving a car as you listen to the song Vista because you might want to join in. During Buttons’ Corner we hear Buttons telling jokes to his friend Randall. As the show comes to an end Steve speaks about another type of compass used by Scouts and Scouters alike.

Steve and Buttons would like to thank everyone who have sent emails about how they have enjoyed the shows. Please rate the show and/or leave a comment at the iTunes store or at PTC Media forums.
You can contact Buttons at buttonst68@yahoo.com. You may contact Scoutmaster Steve at stevejb68@yahoo.com. We appreciate your emails and letters.

RSS Feed – http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MelroseScoutingAudioPodcast
Download episode – http://www.melrosetroop68.org/podcastaudio/MSAPE5.mp3

This podcast is found on iTunes at
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=307979159
and has joined the family of Scouting themed podcasts at PTC Media at
http://www.ptcmedia.net/

Show notes:
Scouting and Community Television – http://www.melrosetroop68.org/2006/07/boy-scouting-and-community-television.html

It looks like the Boy Scouts of America may be heading back t the Supreme Court of the USA. According to information found on the BSALegal.org website: Boy Scouts of America and San Diego-Imperial Council, Boy Scouts of America have filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States asking the Court to review the Ninth Circuit’s recent decisions about Scouting leases in San Diego. The case is Boy Scouts of America v. Barnes-Wallace, No. 08-1222.

All I know about the case is the few articles I have read online, and I may be a bit bias, but it seems to me like the BSA is being unfairly treated by the city of San Diego. The article also states:

The City of San Diego leases two park properties to San Diego-Imperial Council, Boy Scouts of America, which built a campground on one and a youth aquatic center on the other, each of which is open to the public. Boy Scouts have paid millions of dollars to provide these facilities and services to the public while San Diego taxpayers pay nothing.

and

The City has over 100 leases to community organizations on similar terms as the leases to Boy Scouts. The Girl Scouts, for example, lease property for youth camping on park property adjacent to Boy Scouts’ Camp Balboa.

The ACLU filed the Barnes-Wallace lawsuit against Boy Scouts and the City of San Diego in 2000, just two months after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale holding that Boy Scouts have a constitutional right to select their members. The ACLU tried to force the City to discriminate against Boy Scouts because of their constitutionally-protected membership policies.

The rest of the article can be read at: http://www.bsalegal.org/bsa-legal-blawg-200.asp?i=135

What do you think about this?