A Scoutmaster's Blog

Back in the 1980’s, when the troop was attending Crow Wing Scout Reservation for summer camp, the camp staff performed a skit that would become one of the Scouts, and one of mine, favorite skits. We call it the Radio Skit. You will need five people to be the announcers. It requires practice and great timing to pull off properly. Your audience will love it. Here is the script we use:

Announcer:
On the way to the (meeting/outing/camp) tonight, we were listening to the radio, but we were having trouble keeping a single station on the air. The stations kept overlapping each other. Just as we starting getting interested in one thing the station would switch and something entirely different would come on. It sounded something like this….

Commercial:
Are you missing something in your life? Do you always find yourself unprepared? Do you like camping and hiking in the great outdoors? If you do then join the Boy Scouts of America. Scouting today – it’s a lot more than…
Baseball:
…a beautiful day at the county stadium were the (team name) are hosting the Twins. It looks like it will be a very close battle today as both teams are very strong and led by two great pitchers, Scott and (other team pitcher). The Twins will be at the plate first. Leading off the batting order will be…
Cooking:
…meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, peas. And we will top it off with apple pie for desert. Okay ladies, get out your note pads and your cooking utensils. Listen carefully and you will learn how to prepare this scrumptious dish to please that hard working hungry husband of yours after a long day’s work at…
Story time:
…Fantasy land, where all of your dreams come true. Hello boys and girls. Today’s story is an old time favorite. It is about a famous little girl and her dear old grandmother who…
Gangster:
…dirty, rotten, no good two bit, double crossing crook and when I get my hands on him I’ll pulverize him to a pulp, fit him to a pair of concrete shoes, and he will never be seen in my territory again. Even if the low down, dirty rat is…
Baseball:
…the next batter at the plate for the Twins. Here’s the first pitch… It’s a ball, outside. The pitcher gets his signals. He winds up… Whoa! It’s a hard fast ball right down the pipe. Strike one. The count is one and one. The pitcher delivers again. The batter swings…
Cooking:
…the meatloaf into the pan and fry for fifteen minutes or until brown. Now ladies, this next step is very crucial to the success of your meatloaf. If you don’t get it correctly…
Gangster:
…I’ll bash your head in and make mash potatoes out of your face. So don’t mess up or I’ll send you to…
Commercial:
…the Boy Scouts of America. Just imagine the fun you’ll have swimming, boating, hiking, and sitting around the campfire at night. Only you, the stars, the moon and…
Story time:
…Little Red Riding Hood”, said the wolf. “What do you have in your basket?” “Well, Mr. Wolf”, said Little Red Riding Hood, “I have…
Baseball:
…two outs! Twins on first and second at the bottom of the third and they are down by two runs. They’ve got to have a hit with this batter or they’re…
Cooking:
…meatloaf will be burnt, so be careful ladies, because burnt meatloaf can cause…
Baseball:
…a home run! And that will put the Twins in the lead, 6 to 5, in the bottom of the sixth inning here at county stadium. Wow! What a change of events. This game has changed from a dull, typical pitchers battle to an…
Commercial:
…afternoon of fun and adventure at the beautiful (campground name). And remember, as the Boy Scout motto states, Be Prepared to…
Gangster:
…get your guts blown out if you double cross me again. I’ll put so many holes in you that you’ll look like a screen door. No one fools around with me except…
Commercial:
…the Boy Scouts of America…
Baseball:
…have struck out again, and boy is the (other team)’s manager giving it to the ump. I can just imagine saying…
Story time:
…My, what big eyes you have grandmother”, said Little Red Riding Hood. “The better to see you with my dear,” said the wolf. “And grandmother”, said Little Red Riding Hood, “what a big you have…
Baseball:
…says the ump to the (other team)’s manager as he throws him out of the game. Well, Bob, it looks like the only thing that can save the (other team’s name) now is…
Commercial:
…the Boy Scouts of America…
Cooking:
…and your piping hot peas. By now your pie crust should be tender and flaky, just like …
Story time:
…Little Red Riding Hood was about to be gobbled up by the wicked old wolf. Suddenly, the door burst open, and the woodsman said…
Gangster:
…you dirty bugger. I’ve got you dead to right now. Mess with my girl, will you? Well, no one messes with my girl and gets away with it. The only thing that can save you now is…
Baseball:
…the Twins…
Cooking:
…your crisp apple pie..
Story time:
…Little Red Riding Hood..
Commercial:
…and the Boy Scouts of America.

If yo would like to see this skit performed check out episode #70 of the Melrose Scout Production Podcast. Or, if you would like to listen to it while jogging or driving in your car download episode #12 of Around The Scouting Campfire.
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MelroseScoutingAudioPodcast

Also available on iTunes.

Let us go back in time. A simpler time of when there were kings, queens, and a peasant who wished to marry the beautiful princess. That is the plot of this hilarious campfire skit performed by two Boy Scouts of Troop 68 during their 2001 Laughs For Lunch Show. It is one of my favorie skits, and I bet you will enjoy it also.

With just a few props and a bit of practice your Scouts can use this skit to entertain troops and families during courts of honor or campfire programs.

Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch 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.

The Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast proudly presents another video from the Boy Scout Troop 68 Laughs For Lunch Show archives. This post features a skit in which a director hires an extra to play a small part in a film. The film is about a legendary ship which hits an iceberg. The extra has only four lines to say but unfortunately cannot get them correct on the first take. The director becomes frustrated, and hilarity follows. Even though this video was recorded in 2001, it holds up very well. The skit would be a great one to perform at any campfire program.

Does your troop have fun performing in front of an audience? Have they ever done this skit? Tell us about it by leaving a comment.

Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch 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.

They are back! Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, and his friends Randall and Bones return in another video with more terrible jokes, more one liners, and more “Yo, dude”s. A fourth puppet joins the group and gives a quick little take on the thoughts of a wise man.

I want to thank Josh for helping me out this this one (and the next one). We spent over three hours filming the puppets last Saturday to end up with about 90 minutes of video. That footage will then be editing down to two shows, each taking about two to three hours per show to edit. Each show will end up being about 5-6 minutes long.

We had fun filming with the puppets and trying to come up with ways for Randall to be interrupted for each show. I was afraid that I might not find my voice back that I used for Randall, but I think I got pretty close. We spent more time filming scenes with Randall because my voice kept trying to slip back into doing Buttons, which I find much easier to do.

I hope you enjoy watching these shows. (We have one more planned. In fact, it has already been filmed. It just needs to be edited.) If you do enjoy them I ask that you go to iTunes, if you have an account, and leave a review for Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast. Or, go to PTC Media and leave a comment on the forums.

Or drop me an email at webmaster@ melrosetroop68.org
Thanks for watching.

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
Check out the other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 have been performing a little skit/song called Star Trekking since the mid-eighties. (See blog post from August 2, 2006) It has been quite popular with most campfire audiences. In 1990 (wow, eighteen years ago) the troop performed this skit on a local television station station. This video was taped by one of the parents, luckily. Two and a half years ago I placed the video online at YouTube for the world to see. Since then, the video has received over 39,000 views, and averages somewhere around 50-60 views per day.

Well, it seems that several of this year’s Buckskin staff at Many Point Scout Camp has seen the video. Some more then once. One Friday, the last full day of camp, our camp commissioner visited our campsite and asked me if I was the one in the video that was on YouTube. I said I was and gave him a quick explanation how that all came about. He was grinning from ear to ear when he asked me to sign his cap, and then asked me if I would perform the skit with some of the camp’s staff during the Friday night closing campfire program. I agreed, but wondered when we would have time to practice. After all, the staff would be busy all day. He replied that I should meet them at the camp lodge at 9:00 that evening.

The campfire was scheduled to start at 9:30 pm. Not much time to practice.

I was at the lodge at 9:00, which was a one minute walk from our troop’s campsite. Only half of the staff that were to be a part of the skit were there. The rest showed up as they arrived from their program areas. Unfortunately, we did not really have much time to practice. In fact, all we had time to do was to choose who would play what roles, go over each person’s lines once, and practice the refrain. We did not even get to run through the song one time. This could be interesting, I thought to myself as I walked back to my campsite. Luckily, most of the participants had viewed the skit on YouTube and had a good idea how it was done.

I brought my camcorder along to the campfire program and was able to find another staff member to record the skit. When the time came, I left my seat in the audience to join the staff at the side. As we walked out to center stage I could not help but think of the possibility of the train wreck that was about to occur. After all, we really had not practiced together.

I did not have to worry. The staff came through with flying colors. And better yet, the hundreds of Scouts and adult leaders in the audience loved it. The cheering at the end of the skit was overwhelming. We had pulled it off, and pulled it off well.

Once I returned home from summer camp I had a problem with the camcorder. It began eating my tapes. One of the tapes it tried eating was the one that had the footage of Star Trekking. I had promised the staff that I would put this video online for them to see. I needed that footage. I bought a new camcorder, and luckily was able to retrieve the video from the campfire program. In fact, I should be able to get a few podcasts from the footage. Unfortunately, the footage is pretty dark since it was filmed after sunset.

So here is that video of Star Trekking, performed at the Many Point Scout Camp closing campfire program on July 18, 2008. This video is dedicated to the 2008 Buckskin camp staff, and to the camp’s Ranger Scott, who appears in that YouTube video.

Please 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 throughiTunes.
or at http://feeds.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Check out the other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

I think it is time for a little humor. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I am not the one writing it. As I was looking about the world wide net I came across a site that had the “Top 10 Pick-Up Lines You Can Use While Wearing Your Scout Uniform”. They brought a smile to my face. A couple push the envelope, just a bit. Read them and see what you think of them.

By the way, these were found at http://members.tripod.com/~BFarns/index-lines.html

10. I was going on a hike and my compass led me straight to you.
9. The khaki in my shirt brings out the color in your eyes.
8. Baden Powell really was my uncle, honest.
7. It’s true; this arrow is a sign for virility.
6. Let’s go identify wild plants in the forest.
5. Can I practice giving you CPR?
4. Yes, in fact I do have the Rabbit Raising Merit Badge.
3. Come on, I’ll give you a tour of my tent.
2. I know how to tie 27 different knots. Can I tie you…I mean show you?
1. These pants really are made of polyester, go ahead, you can feel them if you want to.

The latest of the videos featuring Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has been posted. He is still trying to learn the Cub Scout Promise from Michael, the radical Cub Scout. Unfortunately, Buttons is not the brightest Cub in the Pack. I am sure you will get a chuckle or two from this, the second video of this series.

You can see it at:
http://melrosetroop 68.org/videobutt onsCub2.html
or
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=YCTPDokPBnw
(If you watch it on youtube be sure to leave a comment and rate it.)

Thank you to everyone who has watched the first of the Cub Scout Promise videos. It has
become one of the most popular videos I have made. Between the two sites it has been
watched over 1000 times during the last 2 1/2 weeks.