A Scoutmaster's Blog

Many of you may remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about finding a 1955 training flip chart in my Scouting collection. It was called Advancement and Your Patrol. I stated that it might be fun to do a video using this old training device and many of you seemed interested in the project.

Well, I did get one of the Scouts of our troop to record audio for the project. We spent a couple hours going through it page by page, getting the Scout to read it just right. Then we did one quick run through of him reading it the way he wanted to read it.

I have not finished my “serious” version of the project, but the Scout’s version is now complete and ready to be watched. You can see it at https://youtu.be/VhzBBrNO31k

It turned out pretty well, I think. In fact, I do not know if I even want to make the “serious” version any more. Let me know what you think of it. And I would appreciate it if you left a comment and a like on the YouTube site.

My family room has served as the troop’s Scout room for over two and a half decades. Patrol Leader Council meetings were held there, along with training sessions and some smaller troop activities. Committee meetings were held around the table once a month. One third of the room is a showcase for Scouting awards, memorabilia, and Eagle Scout photos.

I was cleaning up and sorting through some things last night and discovered a little gem I forgot was part of my Scouting collection. It is a training flip chart from 1955 regarding patrol advancement. It is for patrol leaders and discusses how to make their patrol become a First Class Patrol! It is 36 black and white pages, with the cover page, and is in excellent condition considering it is 65 years old.

As I was looking through it (yes, I had to stop and look at it) I began thinking it could be fun to scan the pages and turn it into a training video. Well, at least an interesting look at an old training resource. I was thinking about reading each page myself but then thought it would be much better if I could get one of our Scouts to read it.

I began working on it tonight. I have been in contact with one of the troop’s dads and he thinks his son may be interested in doing the reading. I have begun scanning the pages, which it going to take awhile. My old scanner is not the quickest by any means. In fact, each page is taking me over 3 minutes to set up and scan.

I will have to work with the Scout to be a good narrator. I do not think he has ever done anything like this but I think, after a couple read throughs and a few pointers, he will do an excellent job. I have even thought of trying to find an old uniform for him to wear during an opening introduction, but I am not sure if that will happen.

Would you be willing to take ten minutes or so to watch a video featuring an old training resource from 1955? Is this a project that is worth my time? Let me know in the comments!

For the last several years Boy Scout Troop 68 of Melrose was holding on to life with a small group of Scouts, only about 8 of them. The Cub Scout Pack has also had a rough time recruiting members which meant that the troop has only had 2 Webelos Scouts transfer to the troop during the last 7 years. Due to that low number there has only been one patrol.

The Boy Scouts really went out this year and tried to recruit their friends into the troop, and they have been quite successful. They have brought six more boys into the program. The troop now has 13 members. That means there is too many for one patrol so for the first time in seven(?) years we have two patrols, which the Scouts formed last month.

The patrol with most of the older boys decided to keep the existing patrol name, the Border Patrol. The mostly younger boy patrol has decided to call themselves the Striking Cobras. Last week I presented the patrols with a competition. A patrol needs a patrol flag, of course, so I gave them the challenge to come with the best patrol flag. The flags will be judged at the  court of honor to be held on December 23 by myself and two committee members. The patrol with the best flag will be presented with the Best Of Flag prize, which will be something they can eat.

During the troop meeting tonight the patrols spent their patrol meeting time working on the designs of those flags. It looked like both patrols are taking the competition seriously. If fact, the members of the Border Patrol did not even want me to see the various rough drafts of their flag design. I just smiled to myself as I walked away.

Having more then one patrol in the troop has been a learning experience for both the Scouts and the new scoutmaster. The boys have learned very quickly that patrols can be used as teams for game time during troop meetings. It will be interesting to see how menu planning and patrol campsites will be done on the next camping trip. I have to admit that it is nice to have one more patrol leader attending the patrol leader council meetings.

I promise that in December, after the court of honor, I will post pictures of the two patrol flags. Maybe I will have you readers be the judges of an online vote for your favorite flag.

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?

Less then two weeks ago I wrote an article about old Scouting books and novels that are not only in the public domain, but also available as an electronic book in the epub format which is compatible on your iPod Touch, iPad, and other electronic book devices. The first book I posted was Tom Slade, the first of the series which follows this Boy Scout in the early 1900’s. It has already been downloaded over 50 times from this blog which is great. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Since their seems to be a small demand for this type of media I thought I would post a link to a second book for you to enjoy. The Wolf Patrol is a suggestion from Scouter Doug. I have not read it yet myself but it looks to be an interesting book. The Project Gutenberg site lists this book as “A Tale of Baden-Powell’s Boy Scouts”. It was written by John Finnemore.

Download your copy of The Wolf Patrol by clicking HERE.

I have another 21 epub ebook files I would like to share with you. All are in the public domain. If these first selection receive a fair number of downloads, and if this idea receives a decent reception, I will offer more of these books in the weeks to come. Have fun reading! And don’t forget to leave your comments.

If you would like to read an epub file on your computer try out the free program from Adobe: Adobe Digital Editions. You can find it HERE.

If you have been watching this blog and podcast for awhile you have seen many skits and songs performed by the Boy Scouts of Troop 68, but you have seen very little performed by the troop’s adult leaders. Well, the time has come. With episode #88 of the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast you are about to see something that only people from Melrose have seen before.

Boy Scout Troop 68 was doing very well in 2001. There was over 30 Boy Scouts and a lot of adult leadership. This leadership formed their own patrol for troop camping trips and outings. They named their patrol the Jedi Patrol. Their patrol call was “Do, or do not. There is no try.” They even had a patrol flag. Of course, this was all designed to set an example for the other patrols, but the adults did have fun with it while it lasted.

During the troop’s 2001 Laughs for Lunch Show, the Jedi Patrol decided to participate and sing a song. What would they sing? Was there any question? It would have to be Weird Al’s spoof on Lola, which he named Yoda. The patrol practiced a couple times. Most of them knew the melody, but there was not enough time to memorize the words so they would carry music stands onto the stage. The rest is history.

Can the members of the Jedi Patrol sing? Can they do it in harmony? Do they mess it up? Watch the video podcast and decide for yourself.

Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch this Podcast
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