A Scoutmaster's Blog

I have been a scoutmaster for quite awhile. Sometimes I think too long. Over the years I have taken thousands of pictures of Boy Scouts at hundreds of Scouting events. I am slowly getting them posted on my Flickr account.

Last year, I began posting slideshows on this blog featuring the yearly albums. I had all but forgotten that I was doing that. It is time to return to it. So here, for your viewing pleasure are the pictures of Boy Scout Troop 68 taken during the year of 1982. There are 76 photos in this set.

If you would like to further view any of the pictures, check out the set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevejb68/sets/72157621920667589/ .

Boy Scout Troop 68 recently honored another of its members who has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Alex K. is the troop’s eighteenth Eagle Scout. That means it was time for me to create another slideshow for an Eagle court of honor. Alex and his mother picked out several pictures from before when he joined Scouting, and I had plenty of pictures of his years in Scouting. Alex picked out the two songs used, both of which caught me by surprise, but they seem to work out very well.

To honor Alex K., our newest Eagle Scout, I add his slideshow to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast. I hope you enjoy it as well as the audience did at his court of honor.

More information and videos about the Eagle Scouts of Troop 68 can be found at the troop’s Eagle Hall Of Fame: http://melrosetroop68.org/EagleHall.html

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.

I am still having fun with my Flickr account. Travel back in time and watch this slide show of Boy Scout Troop 68 pictures from 1981. If you wish to see the pictures individually check out the photo gallery at http://www.flickr.com/photos/8515713@N06/sets/72157622054953898/

I recently scanned the pictures I have as a Boy Scout of Melrose Troop 68 in the 1970’s. Then I uploaded them to my Flickr account so that I could make a slideshow to share with you. The pictures are of Scout Sunday in 1975, my photo story for the photography merit badge that I never quite completed, and pictures from summer camp at Parker Scout Reservation in 1976 and 1977. Don’t laugh too hard when you notice the clothing worn back then.

You may have read about my 1980 experiences in Boy Scout Troop 68 in previous blog postings. Today I present the pictures taken during that year. So sit back, chuckle a bit, and enjoy the show.

I recently moved up to a Flickr Pro account so I am playing around with some of the features, one of which is the ability to embed slideshows into blogs and websites. I thought for the first one I would start with the pictures from my first trek to Philmont Scout Ranch with the Boy Scouts of Troop 68, taken in 1986. Many of these pictures can also be found on the troop’s website at http://www.melrosetroop68.org under the High Adventure area.

It was the weekend of Mike’s Eagle court of honor. I awoke Saturday morning with a song in the head that I thought would be great for the opening credits of the video I planned to create from taping the ceremony. I sat down at my computer, scanned some pictures of Mike from his years in Scouting, and began to edit the opening to the video.

I began taping troop courts of honor and Eagle courts of honor shortly after our city started a community access television station. I thought it would be a great way to add further recognition for the achievements of the Scouts, and it would be one more way to keep Scouting in the public view.

I always gave the Eagle Scouts a copy of the tape of their award ceremony. I felt that it would make a nice souvenir they could watch later in life. Did any of them ever watch the tape? I don’t know, but I hope they did.

Back to Mike’s court of honor….

Later that morning I received a phone call from Mike’s mother. One of the guest speakers had called her to tell her that he may be a little late arriving at the ceremony. She asked if I had any ideas what could be done to fill some time if he came late. I explained that I was editing a slideshow of pictures of Mike for the opening in his video. I could add more photos and lengthen the slideshow, thus making it into a four or five minute presentation. She liked the idea and offered to find some pictures of Mike from his years as a Cub Scout.

Thus, my two minute video opening became a four and one half minute presentation. The guests attending the ceremony enjoyed the slideshow, as did Mike and his family.

Since then, I have had to make a slideshow for each of the troop’s Eagle Scouts for their ceremonies. I have also had three Scouts from other troops ask me to edit a show for their court of honor. The slide shows have become quite popular. When I find the time, I have been making shows for the previous Eagle Scouts from our troop.

To date, I think I have done twelve Eagle Scout slideshows. Yes, they take some time to put together, but the smiles and chuckles from the guests, the families, and especially the Eagle Scouts, have made the time seem well spent.

Several of the slideshows can be seen on our troop’s website. Check them out at:
http://melrosetroop68.org/EagleHall.html
There are slideshows for about half of the troop’s Eagle Scouts so far, with more coming in the future.