A Scoutmaster's Blog

Like many Scout leaders and families I have collected a few Scouting-themed movies over the years. I know my collection is far from complete but it does contain some of what we could call “classics”.

Scouts To The Rescue, starring a young Jackie Cooper, is the only VHS tape I own for this collection. It is a twelve part series from many decades ago, 1938. Cooper plays an Eagle Scout of a troop which finds a buried treasure which turns out to be a stash of counterfeit money. Unfortunately, It is the only movie of my collection I have not watched yet since I bought it after I got rid of my VHS player for my television. Some day I will have to transfer it to dvd.

Mr. Scoutmaster is a 1953 comedy featuring Clifton Webb as a television personality who becomes a scoutmaster to learn more about teenage boys when his tv show begins to lose ratings. I saw this on tv a couple decades ago and found someone on eBay who was selling DVD copies. Today there are several online stores which sell this movie.

Follow Me Boys is probably the most well known movie about Scouting. It was released by Disney in 1966 and features Fred MacMurray as he serves as a scoutmaster for twenty years with the same troop. A young Kurt Russell is a member of that Boy Scout Troop. I first saw this movie in 1984 when I attended scoutmaster training at Philmont Scout Ranch. I quickly picked up a copy when it came out on DVD. This movie belongs in everyone’s Scouting collection.

The Wrong Guys is a 1988 movie which features popular comedians of the time, including Louie Anderson, Richard Lewis, and Richard Belzer. The plot follows a group of men who where members of a Cub Scout den in their youth as they gather for a camping reunion. Of course, none of them know much about camping. And to top it off, a couple of escaped convicts get mixed up in the story. Not a strong plot but still fun to watch.

Down And Derby is a comedy with a Cub Scout Pinewood Derby at the core of its story. Or I should say how some fathers take a Pinewood Derby too far and try to win no matter what the cost. This 2005 movie features Greg German and Pat Morita. This family film is a great one for this time of year as packs across the country prepare for their own Pinewood Derby. One of my favorite lines from the movie is when one of the Cub Scouts says that he cannot wait to grow up so he can race his own car.

Pixar’s Up really is not a movie about Scouting but has a main charater that is 100 percent Boy Scout, or should I say Wilderness Scout? Some of Russell’s (the Scout) Scouting knowledge comes in handy as he and the old man Carl have an adventure that takes them to South America. The movie pokes fun of Scouting but does it gently and with respect. This movie is a must for a Scout collection.

Scout Camp, The Movie came out in 2009. It follows the adventures of one Boy Scout troop during their week at summer camp. While some people did not feel that this was a very good movie about Scouting, after all, the Scouts do not always follow the Scout Oath and Law (sound familiar?), I enjoyed it as a fun story. I was surprised to see a wide number of Scouts-types in the film who I could identify as members of my own troop over the years. There was also one or two scenes that struck home a little too closely.

759: Boy Scouts Of Harlem is a 2009 documentary filmed by Justin Szlasa and Jake Boritt as they follow four Boy Scouts from Harlem troop when they attended summer camp. The newest Scout, eleven-year-old Keith, spends his first week at camp and faces the challenges of the woods: the dock test in the deep lake, creatures of the night, and the climbing tower. The film is well done and you really get to know the boys and their leaders during the film.

The last film of my collection is the Philmont Documentary Collection. If you have been to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico you need to have this DVD in your collection. I feel it really captures the sense of what it is like being at the ranch. It not only gives the viewer an in-depth history of Philmont but also follows a Venture co-ed crew and they partake in a twelve day trek. I call this dvd the best thing next to being there. Be sure to purchase the blu-ray version of the film for your HiDef television.

Which of these movies do you have in your collection? Which ones am I missing?

This month’s troop outing was to be one day filled with several activities. The LPMRB, as it has become known by the Boy Scouts of Troop 68, starts with rollerskating and laser tag at the Skatin’ Place in St. Cloud, about 35 miles from Melrose. After a stop at Godfather’s Pizza, we would arrive at the Parkwood 18 movie theater to watch the latest flick. We end the day back in Melrose at Melrose Bowl for a few games of late night bowling. We gather at noon and the day ends about 1:00 am.

We had a problem this year. A snowstorm moved into the area Saturday morning. By the time the Boy Scouts arrived at my house we had received reports that I-94  was closed near Albany, about 15 miles away from town, due to an accident and cars that had slid into the ditch. Parents commented that the road conditions were not very good. They had reached top speeds of only 35 mph on the rural roads.

It was time to come up with a Plan B for the outing. Obviously, we would not be going to St. Cloud. We were not going to completely cancel the outing because everyone had already arrived. We gathered in the living room and discussed our options. It did not take long to come up with a new agenda.

The boys would spend the afternoon at my house playing ping pong, darts, Wii games, and other games. For supper we would head uptown to John Dough’s, a local pizza house. We would go to a movie (Puss In Boots) in Sauk Centre which was located only 8 miles away. The evening would still end at Melrose Bowl. We would miss rollerskating and laser tag, but the rest of the outing would still take place.

The Boy Scouts received a bonus after watching the movie. The movie theater manager took the troop into one of the projection booths to see the film and digital projectors. He explained how they worked and then answered the Scouts’ questions. I believe it was the first time that most of them had ever seen this type of equipment. I think they enjoyed the quick tour.

By the time 1:00 am arrived at the bowling alley the boys were ready to go home. It had been a long but fun filled day. And to tell the truth, I do not think they missed rollerskating.

Cubmaster Chris and I are co-hosts of a little audio podcast called The Leaders Campfire. We love having guests on our show to talk about Scouting. Last month, we were able to interview Larry McLaughlin, the producer and director of the recently released The Philmont Documentary Collection, which is available on both DVD and BluRay. I asked a lot of questions during the 45 minute interview, including why he took on this very ambitious project, what kind of challenges he faced following a crew at Philmont, and the kind of pressures he felt while creating this collection.

If you have not seen or bought this dvd yet so really should check it out. The movie can be purchased at the Philmont Movie website. http://www.philmontmovie.com/

Be sure to listen to The Leaders Campfire interview (episode #83) which can be found at http://www.ptcmedia.net/the-leaders-campfire/ or through iTunes in the Kids and Family listing ( http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leaders-campfire-podcast/id204547473 ).

100 Days of Scouting: Day 3

How did you do with the trivia quiz, part one? Are you ready for my Follow Me Boys trivia quiz, part 2? You must be, or why are you here? Get your pencil and paper ready. (I recommend a pencil in case you need to erase an answer. Let’s get started.

1) How much did Ralph Hastings say the lake property was worth if properly developed?

2) Who did Whitey marry when he grew up?

3) What year did the formal Scout camp start being built on the donated lake property?

4) Who made the decision that Lem needed to retire as scoutmaster when his health started failing?

5) What title did the troop committee give to Lem when he retired as scoutmaster?

6) What was the house number of Lem and Vida’s house?

7) Which one of Lem Siddons’ Boy Scouts became the governor?

8 ) What was the name given to the Scout camp built on the donated Siebert property?

9) What actor played the young Whitey?

10) What year was Follow Me Boys first released in the United Sates?

Remember to double check your answers before scrolling down.

Exchange your quiz paper with the person to your right.

No cheating is allowed.

You are trustworthy, aren’t you?

A Scout is all 12 points of the Scout law.

Do you think you did better this time?

Okay, enough of this.

Here are the answers.

That is, if you are ready for them.

If not, go back to the top of the page.

1) Half a million dollars.
2) Nora Thompson
3) 1950
4) The troop committee.
5) scoutmaster emiritus
6) 244
7) HooDoo
8 ) Camp Siddons
9) Kurt Russell
10) 1966

How did you do this time?

I bet you have seen the movie. Many Scouts and Scouting volunteers have. But were you paying close attention? I recently watched the movie again (it is one of my favorites) and I took a few notes while it played. Let’s see how well you can answer the following trivia questions about Disney’s Follow Me Boys. (By the way, this is the first of two parts.)

1) What was the troop number of Lem Siddon’s troop?

2) What was the name of the boy Whitey rescued from the cliffside?

3) What name was on the patch located above the troop number on the troop’s uniform?

4) What rank patch did Vida sew onto Whitey’s uniform just before Lem got home?

5) Two boys were in Whitey’s bedroom when he decided to run away from home. What were their names?

6) What were the names of the three patrols in Lem’s first troop?

7) What was the nickname of the boy who slept with the canon in the 1944 troop?

8 ) What knot did the Lieutenant want Lem to tie when he was in the POW camp?

9) What was the name of the Boy Scout Patrol that captured the tank?

10) (Extra bonus) What was the “working title” of the movie while it was being filmed?

Now, before you scroll down for the answers, double check your answers.

You are going to be graded you know.

No cheating is allowed.

You are a Boy Scout, Cub Scout, or Scout leader, aren’t you?

A Scout is trustworthy.

Do you think you did well?

Okay, enough of this.

Here are the answers.

If you are ready for them, that is.

1) One
2) Ronny
3) Hickory
4) First Class
5) Leo and Hoodoo
6) Hawks, Beavers, Panthers
7) Tiger
8 ) Sheep shank
9) The Hawk Patrol
10) On My Honor

How did you do?