A Scoutmaster's Blog

I found this article on a blog called Scouting Maniac (http://scoutingmaniac.blogspot.com/). They write about a site called BeliefNet which is sponsoring a contest called Most Inspiring Person of the Year 2008. Here is what is written:

This is not Friends of Scouting or asking for money, this is about honoring a group of scouts who gave selflessly to help those in need at Little Sioux Scout Ranch, where over this summer had a tornado tear through the camp. Belief Net which is a online website that offers a award called Most Inspiring Person of the Year, this award gives a large sum of money to the winners charity of choice. But in order for this to happen we need to get votes in on the website as soon as possible because voting ends this coming Friday. The website you must go to vote is that of:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Most-Inspiring-2008/index.aspx?loc=interstitialskip

Not much time left to vote on this, but I did. It is a close race at the moment. If the Boy Scouts receive more votes they could win this. Check it out and vote.

Update 12/6/08:
The Boy Scouts have made it to the list of three finalists. The site states, “Your top three picks are our most Inspiring finalists. As we do every year, the editors of Beliefnet will now make the final choice. Come back December 10 to see who won!” The final three include the Boy Scouts who survived the Iowa tornado, Randy Pausch, the computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman. I guess I will have to check back in few days to see who becomes the site’s Most Inspiring Person of the Year.

Last night I had fun with several Scout Leaders from around the country, and from the other side of the world. Cubmaster Chris and I were joined by three Scouters for a trivia game which was recorded for next week’s episode of The Leader’s Campfire podcast.

I am from Minnesota. Chris lives in Texas. Jerry is a scoutmaster in Oregon. Shawn is a unit commissioner in Wisconsin. The four of us are familiar with recording a podcast since we each have our own, or have guested on someone’s show.

The last member of last night’s group was Michael. Michael is a 21 year old Scout leader in New Zealand. My troop and I met him at Many Point Scout Camp this summer. (Michael will be a guest of another episode of The Leader’s Campfire later this month when we discuss international Scouting.)

The five of us were in a goofy mood as Chris began the recording the podcast. This show was quite different then the usual serious show that Chris and I record. This episode involved a trivia contest, and we all sort of reverted to being a teenager once again as we played the game.

Since I owned the trivia book, I was the game show host. The other four guys were the contestants. The questions came from the Scouting Mania trivia book which is based on information found in the 1986 edition of the Boy Scout handbook.

We all had a blast. In addition to playing the game we were constantly teasing and giving each other a rough time. From Chris’ Texan accent to Shawn’s position as a “mythical” unit commissioner, everything was fair game. We had so much fun that Chris thinks we will need to do a show like this a few times a year.

Of course, you, our listeners will be the true judge of the show when it is posted next week, probably on Tuesday, December 9. Will you have as much fun listening to the podcast as we did recording it? Be sure to leave your comments on The Leader’s Campfire forum at PTC Media ( http://www.ptcmedia.net )

A friend of mine sent me a story about a Japanese soldier and an American soldier meeting on the battlefield during World War II. The story takes quite a turn when they discover each had been a Boy Scout as a youth. Here is the story as it was sent to me:

Kyoto, Japan, is a city of many temples, among those temples stands a statue somewhat different than its surroundings. It is a statue of two young men, an American Scout, and a Japanese Scout, clasping hands. How it came to be there is a story worth telling.

Some of the worst fighting of World War II was in Okinawa. It was protracted, and bloody, and fought with fierce determination by both sides. In the midst of one of the battles, near the beach, a young American soldier fell wounded. As he lay there, bleeding and in pain, his vision out of focus, and about to lose consciousness, he saw a Japanese soldier standing over him, bayonet at the ready, poised to strike. He said afterwards he did not even know himself why he did what he then did. He was weak from blood loss and blacking out. But he raised his right hand in a familiar sign – the universally recognized Scout sign. Then he lost consciousness, expecting never to awake.

He did wake, though.

When he came to, he was in an American field hospital. His wounds had been dressed. And in his pocket was a note, written in Japanese. He was able to find someone to translate the note eventually, and this is what it said: “I could not bring myself to kill a fellow Scout.” The note also bore the name and address of the Japanese soldier who, instead of taking his life, had spared it, and tended to his wounds before moving on.

When the war had ended, the young soldier was assigned to the occupation force. He went to find his savior at the first opportunity. He discovered that the Japanese soldier who had both spared and saved his life had died later in the fighting on Okinawa. But his family had survived, and the American became their friend and helped them in every way he could during his time in Japan When asked why, he explained what had occurred, and showed the note, which he still kept. The people were so touched by this story, that they erected a monument which stands in Kyoto today.

It is a monument to our shared humanity – that in the midst of war and violence, of hatred and bloodshed, two young men found that they were in fact brothers. It is a monument to the ideals of Scouting – that even when thus deeply divided, Scouting is a link that joins us and encourages compassion, mercy, understanding, and peace. The statue stands among the temples of Kyoto, a monument to the spiritual values of the worldwide movement known as Scouting. It is also a monument to hope – the hope that if we can only recognize our common bonds, the world would be a better place.

I really like this story. After reading it I went online and tried to find a picture of the statue. To my surprise, I could not find one. Even Google did not help me. So I have a quest for you, the readers of this blog. I would like to see a picture of this statue. Do you have one? Do you know were I could find one? If you do, would you contact me at this address?

Thanks for your help.

As a scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 68, I have seen seventeen young men earn the Boy Scouts of America’s highest award, the rank of Eagle Scout. During most of the Eagle courts of honor, the new Eagle Scout will at some point stand up before the audience of friends and family and talk about his time in Scouting, and thank those who have helped him get to this point of his life.

Troop 68’s latest Eagle Scout is Mike Schwieters. Mike finished his Eagle award with only days to spare before his eighteenth birthday. Mike was an active member of the troop throughout his teen years, and still volunteers to help the troop if we need it when he is home from school. He is now in his second year of college and remains a good friend.

As Mike’s Eagle court of honor came to its closing, Mike stepped forward to say a few words to those who gathered for his special day. His speech was full of memories and some humor, but it also hit a few points that were good for the younger Scouts to hear. He spoke about how to treat others in the troop, and to take the challenge and earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

Mike’s Eagle court of honor was held last May, and ever since then I have wanted to post the video of his closing comments. He stopped by for a visit this weekend so I asked him if he minded if I would post the video to this podcast. He did not mind, so here it is for you to view. I hope you and your sons and Scouts enjoy it and take as much away from it as the members of our troop did.

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.

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

It is time once again for ten questions from the Scout Trivia book. This week’s topic in “Social Skills”. Keep in mind that these questions are based on the 1984 Boy Scout Handbook so you may find a question not covered in the current book.

(Question answers will be written at the bottom of this post, and are from the Scout Mania book. No cheating is allowed, after all, you are a Scout or Scout leader, correct?)

1) What is the nickname of the flag of the United States?

2) What is the most common immediate treatment for chemical burns?

3) What are the two ways of communication?

4) There are four “C’s” which describe the way to act in an emergency. Name three.

5) When carrying the United States flag, where does it go in relationship to other flags?

6) What system of communication uses a series of dots and dashes?

7) What sums up, in the words of great Americans, the things for which America stands?

8) What are the three “W’s” when phoning for help for an accident?

9) When should the United States flag be flown below another flag?

10) Which one of the following is NOT a right granted to you as a citizen of the United States in the Bill of Rights? a) Freedom of speech, b) Freedom of worship, c) Free access to all land, d) Freedom to vote.

Okay, do you have you answers chosen? Are you ready for the correct answers according to the Scout Mania Trivia book? Here they are….

1) Old Glory
2) Wash off with lots of water
3) Two-way, one-way
4) Confidence, Common sense, Calmness, Cheerfulness
5) At its own right, or in front of other flags
6) Morse code
7) The American’s Creed
8) Who, What, Where
9) Never
10) Free access to all land.

Did you do well? Stay tuned for more trivia in future postings.

The Thanksgiving Holiday has once again come to those of us in the United States. As I prepare to join my family in the annual turkey dinner I look back on my years in Scouting and discover there are a lot of things to be thankful for over the last three decades with the troop. I am thankful…

…for the ten great boys who are now members of Troop 68. They are full of energy and fun times.
…for the over 230 boys who have been Scouts in Melrose since I became a leader of the troop in 1980.
…for a fantastic assistant scoutmaster named Eymard, who has worked by my side for over twenty years.
…for a committee who is dedicated to the program and do the things needed to be done to provide the program for the Scouts.
…for past committee members and assistant scoutmasters for providing the leadership and program in the past three decades.
…for the seventeen young men who had the drive and desire to complete Scouting’s highest honor by earning the rank of Eagle Scout while I have been their scoutmaster.
…for the readers of this, A Scoutmaster’s Blog, and the fans of the two podcasts I am involved with: Melrose Scouting Productions and The Leader’s Campfire.
…for all the new Scouting friends I have met online through the internet forums, podcasts, and Skype connections.
…for all the Scouts who grew up and moved on with their lives but still stay in touch and remain good friends.
…for a family that supports my Scouting “habit”, and understands when I miss the occasional family gathering.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday and safe holiday weekend.

Today, the Boy Scouts of Troop 68 will participate in the yearly LPMRB outing. It is a twelve hour activity extravaganza that is very popular with the boys.

The outing begins with a few hours of rollerskating at a local roller rink in St. Cloud. “Rollerskating?” you ask. Yes, rollerskating, or inline skating. The boys still enjoy getting out once a year to skate. The younger boys learn how to skate while the older boys like to do some socializing. It is still a great social activity.

After the work-out at the roller rink, the troop heads to their favorite pizza place for supper. We have discovered that four boys per large pizza seems to work out well. As we eat, the Scouts review the day at the rink and talk about other subjects interesting to the life of teenage boys.

One topic that must be discussed is which movie to see when we leave the pizzeria. Of course, this being a Scout activity, no R rated movies will be allowed. A PG-13 movie could be allowed depending on the reason for the movie, and how strong that reason is. For some reason, I do not think that the new movie Twilight will be high on the list today. I think we will be going to the new James Bond flick.

The final activity of the day is Midnight Bowling at the local bowling alley. This will take place from 11:30 pm to 1:00 am. I am amazed by how much energy the boys still have at this point of the day. (Of course, some Mountain Dew helps things along.) They are usually still going strong, looking to bowl that perfect game, or at least get a strike on their score sheet.

I have heard from many parents over the years that the boys fall asleep quickly once they arrive at home. They usually sleep as late as they are allowed on Sunday morning.

I will admit that this is not your typical Boy Scout outing, but it is a part of our boy-planned yearly program. It is an activity that most of the boys enjoy, and it is very well attended. In fact, nine of the ten members of the troop will be going along today. It has proven to be a good one-day activity for these Minnesota winter months.

I still had my copy of the Boy Scout Handbook I used as a youth when I became an assistant scoutmaster in 1980. I bought a new handbook so I would be current, and picked up a scoutmaster handbook so I would have an idea what I should be doing. Then I bought a committee guidebook. Before I knew it, Scouting books began taking up space on the bookshelf. It did not take long before I had a small collection of Scouting handbooks.

The book collection kept growing during years as I began adding older editions of the books. I started with Boy Scout handbooks and scoutmaster handbooks, but soon expanded to committee books, fieldbooks, and Explorer handbooks. Soon there were handbooks about wolves, bears, lions, and a thing called Webelos in the collection. I began looking through used bookstores and flea markets trying to find new treasures.

I finally built a small 36″ wide, two shelve case for the collection. Grooves in the top and bottom pine boards allowed me to install a couple pieces of glass to be used as sliding doors, thus keeping most of the dust away from the pages. Several years later I built a three shelf case to house the growing collection. Today, both of those cases are nearly full.

In the eighties I could buy used handbooks that were in good shape for very good prices, usually only a few bucks apiece. Then, in the late eighties and early nineties, something happened. More people began collecting Scouting-related books. Handbooks became harder to find, and were more expensive when I did find them. I began passing on the few books I found because the prices were higher then I was willing to pay.

There are a couple of books that I am proud to have as part of the collection. The first is a 1941 two volume hardcover scoutmaster handbook set that is in near mint condition. One of my committee members found it at a flea market and called me to ask if he should pick it up. After hearing the price, I almost said no, but I am glad I said yes. The second is a 1932 edition of the Handbook For Boys (the Scout handbook at that time.) I picked that one at a local auction. It is the oldest Scout Handbook that I own. Someday, if the price is right, I hope to add an original Handbook for Boys to the collection.

The collection has not grown much during the last few years. I do not actively search for books any longer, but if I come across one I need to fill a gap in the collection, and it is a decent price, then I will leave the store with it.