Posts Tagged ‘Cub Scout’


The year of 2022 is coming to an end which means that Scouting units of the Central Minnesota Council need to complete their recharters. It also means that those of us who serve as adults leaders have decisions to make.

I, for example, have roles in two local Scouting units to consider. First, do I stay on as the cubmaster of Melrose Area Cub Scout Pack 68 for another year? Second, do I remain as the scoutmaster for Troop 68 for 2023? I can tell you from personal experience that holding these two positions at the same time can be challenging. Every Monday and Tuesday is filled with meetings of these two units, plus the weekend activities.

I took on the role as cubmaster a year and a half ago as the state came out of the covid lockdown. While many Cub Scout Packs did not survive the lockdowns, Pack 68 did, but just barely. The Pack began their new program year in September 2021 with only three Cub Scouts. My first priority as cubmaster was to try to build up the membership. The Pack committee chairman and I worked to get the word out about Cub Scouting. We scheduled to visit the two school open houses in town to spread the word. We were able to increase our membership to 12 active Cub Scouts. The next step was to provide a good program.

Our scoutmaster of 2021 decided to step down from the position at the end of that year. None of the parents were stepping up to take the position. I held a meeting with the parents and the Scouts to discuss the problem. I offered to take the position for 2022 but since I was currently serving as the troop committee chair someone would have to fill that role. A new committee chair was found so I stepped into the role of scoutmaster one more time.

Now we arrive at the end of 2022 and it is time for me to decide whether I should remain in both roles. I think both units have been happy with my performance in each role, and I believe we have had a good year in both units. After all, no one has offered to take over either the cubmaster or the scoutmaster positions.

I have decided to stay on as the cubmaster for Pack 68 for one more year. The Pack committee chair and I worked hard this fall to increase the size of the Pack to 26 Scouts and I feel a responsibility to stay with the Cub Scouts at least until the fall of 2023. Hopefully, by that time, someone will step forward to take over the role so that I have a few months to work with him/her before the end of the year.

I have to mention that I have to give the Pack committee a lot of credit. They have made the role of cubmaster very easy for me through their hard work and commitment to the program. They are the main reason I will remain as the cubmaster for one more year.

I had to think harder about staying on as the scoutmaster of Troop 68 for another year. I have now been an adult leader of the troop for over 42 years. Over thirty one of those years has been as the scoutmaster. The thought has crossed my mind this fall that it is time for me to completely step away from the Boy Scout program and let the current generation take care of the troop. I keep thinking to myself, I have served my time.

The Scout Troop currently has nine active members. We have a good program in place. We will welcome two Webelos Scouts into the troop in February when they graduate into Boy Scouting. Six Scouts plan to attend the 2023 National Jamboree. We have a good committee and they have worked hard this past year to keep my duties as the scoutmaster simpler.

Unfortunately I am not that 21 year old scoutmaster any more. My body reminds me of this regularly. I still enjoy working with the Scouts, but I do not enjoy the behind the scenes work anymore. And I will be honest, some of the decisions made by the National Boy Scout office are making it harder for me to stay with the program.

Do I sign up as the scoutmaster of Troop 68 for one more year? Yes I will, for one more year. Why? The first and main reason is the boys. I want to work with them through their 2022-2023 program. The second reason is that the committee continues to be dedicated to the program. Third, there is a strong possibility that we will have someone ready to take over the role of scoutmaster in the summer of 2023.

So, it looks like I will remain as the Cubmaster of Pack 68 and the scoutmaster of Troop 68 as we move into 2023. Welcome to another year of Scouting!

Cub Scout Display

A parent of one of the Boy Scouts of Melrose Area Troop 68 approached me after a troop meeting last month. She is a member of the Cub Scout Pack committee and asked if I could put together a Scouting display for the Blue and Gold Banquet which would be held on Tuesday, February 26. Well, of course, I said yes.

I have been an adult leader in Scouting for over 38 years so I have accumulated a lot of Scouting related items including handbooks, training materials, mugs, patches, and even stuff animals. Putting together a tabletop display would not be too difficult.

The weekend before the banquet I began to think about the display. I wanted it to be Cub Scout themed, of course, with something to catch the attention of both the Scouts and their families.Maybe something with various colors to attract the eye.

I began with the backdrop. One of my patch blankets would serve that purpose. The dozens of patches would attract attention with all the colors and designs. I chose my second blanket since the patches were closer to the date. I own a clothing rack so hanging it would not be a problem.

I made a decision to showcase the history of Cub Scouting with the other items. I chose that theme partially because the older handbooks have better cover designs than the current books. Since I was limited to a table top I could only choose a book or two from each grade level. I also used a couple of adult leader handbooks.

I added a large Norman Rockwell print of a Boy Scout teaching a couple Cub Scouts a new skill for one corner of the table. I finished the display with some Cub Scout awards, an old Cub Scout cap, and a few Scouting themed stuff animals. The table was nicely filled but not so much that it would look cluttered.

The display went over pretty well at the Blue and Gold Banquet. I saw both Scouts and parents checking it out. I guess you could say my mission was accomplished.

Did you have a display at your Blue and Gold? What was your theme? What did it include? Let us know by leaving a comment.

2019 Pinewood Derby Trophies

Another January has come and gone which also means thousands of Pinewood Derby’s has been held across the country. Melrose Area Cub Scout Pack 68 held this year’s Pinewood Derby at the Melrose American Legion on Sunday, January 20. Twenty five Cub Scouts participated in the event.

I arrived at the Legion to help set things up before most of the families arrived. After asking the cubmaster what I should do she asked me to take photographs during the event. I guess she knows that type of work is right up my alley.

I took pictures of each Scout as they arrived. I took two pictures of the Scout holding his/her car, and one closeup of the car. I also took some pictures during the event. When I was asked by the cubmaster to hand out the Derby Patches after the races were complete I handed my camera to one of the Boy Scouts who continued to take pictures. I took the camera back when the cubmaster presented the trophies. I was also able to get a few group and den photos before families started to leave.

By the time the event was over I had over 160 photos from the Pinewood Derby. Since most of the families have a Facebook account I posted many of them to the site. I may also make a slideshow of the pictures and post it later. Of course, no names of the Scouts will be listed with the photos.

Does your Pack assign someone to take photo’s during its Pinewood Derby? How many photos did they take during the event? Did your Cub Scouts enjoy your derby?

The Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 began wearing a Troop T-shirt in the 1980s. The Scouts would wear the T-shirts for the summer outdoor troop meetings and some of the monthly activities. The full uniform was worn for winter indoor meetings, courts of honor, and other special events.

I do not remember Melrose Area Cub Scout Pack 68 ever having a T-shirt. Until now that is. About a year ago the pack committee decided the Cub Scouts should have a T-shirt to wear for certain meetings and activities. The parents agreed. The picture above shows the design on the pack’s shirt. The Cub Scouts like them. Even some of the parents wear one.

While the uniform is an important part of the Scouting program, it is not really needed for every event. I am glad the Pack finally has its own T-shirt.

Wow! Has it really been over three years since I have done a Melrose Scouting Productions video podcast? I guess it has. The last one was posted on December 1, 2014. I think it is time to do something about that.

On Tuesday, February 27, 2018, the mayor of Melrose, Joe Finken, attended the annual Cub Scout 68 Blue and Gold Banquet. After the meal, but before the award presentations, Mr. Finken was invited to come forward and say a few words to the Cub Scouts. He gave a nice talk which focused on teamwork. He spoke well and had the Scouts’ attention the whole time. With this podcast we would like to share Mayor Finken’s talk.

Click here to DOWNLOAD  this Podcast.
Subscribe to the Melrose Scout Productions Podcast
at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
or through iTunes  (Please take time to rate the show).
Leave a comment below, or at the iTunes store.

Every year, the Central Minnesota Council seems to offer an incentive to the boys who join the local Scouting pack during the School Night to Join Scouting meeting. This meeting is traditional held the third Thursday of September. A few years ago the new members received a rocket. Last year they were given a frisbee with the B.S.A. logo on it.

This year’s prize was sure to make every teacher in Central Minnesota happy. Yes, you guessed it. This year’s incentive was one of those spinners which was so popular with elementary boys. This fidget spinner was blue in color with the B.S.A. logo in the middle of it.

I have to admit, the boys who came to school night all seemed excited about receiving the spinner. Even the current Pack members who came to the meeting wanted one of their own. The parents did not seem to be quite as excited as the boys. The current Scouts could buy one for $5.00 each.I believe most of them did go home with one. I went home with two. One for my Scouting collection, and one for a friend of mine who lives in Arizona.

Does your council offer an incentive to new Scouts on School Night? What was it this year?

The Cub Scout Pack 68 Pinewood Derby is one of the highlights of the year for the Scouts. The boys and their parents work hard on their car designs. What will the design be? What colors should be used? Will it be fast enough? Could it receive “best of show”?

When I became the cubmaster of Pack 68 a couple years ago I decided to try to make the derby more fun than competitive. Yes, the pack did award trophies for first, second, and third places, but I wanted to make the derby more than just winning. I wanted to keep the fun in the derby.

For the last couple years we ran the derby as a double elimination. We have a two lane track. Each car had a chance to run a race on each lane in each heat. The best time would determine who moves up the bracket. The nice part was that each Scout was given a minimum of four times to watch their car race down the track.

That worked very well when we only had 17 Cub Scouts in the Pack. Last fall our Pack grew to nearly 50 Scouts. Most of them planned to participate in the derby. The double elimination plan of the past would not work well this year. It would take too long to conduct all those races.

The derby was a major topic at the committee meeting in January. Ideas were given and discussed before were decided on a derby suggestion based on how the council conducts their derby. This year’s derby would be done by “dens”. A first and second place would be given for each level, from Tiger Cub to Webelos Scouts. Each car would race twice per heat, once on each side of the track. The best time would move up the bracket as in past years. We would also try to use the computer program that came with the track for the first time.

We decided to award two Best Of Show trophies since the Pack had grown so large. We also decided to present one trophy for the overall fastest car in the Pack, based on time. In all, the Pack would award 13 trophies instead of the usual four. I thought this number would increase a Scout’s chance to take home a trophy but after doing the math I discovered it actually remained near the same as the last two years, if all the Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts participated.

Well, that January derby has been held and is now history. The plan worked out well and races moved along without much delay. The boys and their families had a good time. We even had a little time left over for the boys to race against other Scouts, their brothers, and in one case, his father. It was a good day and I went home pleased.

How did your Pack’s Pinewood Derby go this year? Leave a comment.

Pinewood Derby time has arrived for many Cub Scout Packs across the country. Thousands of derby cars have been made, or are being finished. Each will be a work of art. Many will have original designs. Some will race for speed. Some will try for the Best Of Show award. A few will probably not cross the finish line. The point of the derby is for the parent and Cub Scout to spend some time together to create the car, and then have fun racing against the others of the Pack.

Most Cub Scout Packs give trophies to the fastest cars. In Melrose Pack 68 we did something a little different this year. We awarded trophies to the two fastest cars in each den, thus giving the Scouts a greater chance of winning. Two trophies were also awarded for the Best Of Show. Of course, this means a lot of boys will not go home with an award so we gave each Cub Scout a patch for participating. The patch we choose this year is shown above. I think it is a sharp patch. The boys really seemed to like it.

In addition to the patch each Scout also received a special “race car cookie” baked by one of the grandmothers. I can testify that they are the best race car the boys have ever eaten! The cookie pictured below did not last long after the picture was taken.