A Scoutmaster's Blog

I was contacted by Dave Lavell as he was creating a video for a new song he had written. He wanted to make a video using the song and photographs found on Flicker. One of the photos he chose to use was a picture from summer camp that I had taken many years ago. I gave him permission to use it but requested he send me the link when the video was posted. Well, the video has been posted and yes, he did use my picture. In fact, it ended up as the first picture in the video. It is a nice easy going song about being at camp and enjoying the outdoors. Watch it here and enjoy…

In 1997, Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68 spent a weekend at Eagle Cave in Wisconsin. The boys had a great time exploring every nook and cranny within the cave, as you saw in the last video. Saturday evening, the staff invited everyone to the dining hall for a slideshow and a fun filled program. During that program, several adults were asked to come forward and assist with a few musical numbers. Two of those leaders happen to be from Troop 68. When you are an adult leader you sometimes have to do things you normally would not do, all in the name of fun for the boys. This video of the Melrose Scout Productions Podcast features the silly things these adult leaders did that night in Wisconsin.

This is the second of a three part series of the troop’s trip to Eagle Cave.

Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch this Podcast
or watch it at MSPP channel at PTC Media.

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or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Leave feedback here, at iTunes, or on the forums at PTC Media.

We are in the final week of the Christmas season. This time of year always reminds me of one evening in August of 1992 when I was with my troop on a trek at Philmont Scout Ranch. We decided to spend an evening around the campfire celebrating Christmas and singing songs. Yes, it was odd, but it was also a lot of fun. During the fun each of the twelve of us took one verse and made a new version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. I have written this to the blog during a previous year, but I thought it might be fun to look at it once again.

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The Philmont Twelve Days of Christmas.
On the twelfth day at Philmont my ranger gave to me;
twelve meal packs (Tom)
eleven Sierra cups (Tim)
ten hikers hiking (Josh)
nine bottles of iodine (Nathan)
eight backpackers packing (Ross)
seven teriyaki helpings (Corey)
six good meals (Paul)
a five mile hike (Jason)
four hot showers (Al)
three dirty socks (Peter)
two Powerbars (Greg)
and one pemmican bar. (Steve)

Have you been on a Philmont trek? What would you have added as a verse to the song?

You can read more about our evening of Christmas at Philmont at
http://www.melrosetroop68.org/High%20Adventure%20Journals/Philmont92part6.html

Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, introduces the Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 as they sing Christmas songs during a couple of December courts of honor (from 2003 and 2007). Join the Scouts as they sing a couple of Christmas favorites: Jingle Bells and Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer. (And stick around until the very end for an outtake of Buttons’ intro.)

Everyone at the Melrose Scout Productions Podcast and Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68 wish you and yours a safe and very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! See you in 2011!

Fa la la la la, la la la la!

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Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch this Podcast
or watch it at MSPP channel at PTC Media.

Subscribe to Melrose Scout Productions Podcast through iTunes (and rate the show)
or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Leave feedback at iTunes or on the forums at PTC Media.

Buttons is a little upset that the troop’s camping trip may be cancelled because there is not a second adult to chaperone, so Steve has to explain one point of the Boy Scouts of America’s Youth Protection policy. The show includes the Jedi Patrol singing their rendition of the Yoda song. Buttons tells more jokes to his buddy Randall. The hosts also read some feedback from previous shows.

Send us your emails. You can contact Buttons at buttonst68@yahoo.com. You may contact Scoutmaster Steve at stevejb68@yahoo.com. Please rate the show and/or leave a comment at the iTunes store.

You can also follow the hosts on Twitter at twitter.com/stevejb68 or twitter.com/buttonst68 .

The Buckskin staff of Many Point Scout Camp always has a great song to bring the Friday night campfire to a close. This year was no exception. The staff sang a song about being at camp and enjoying the outdoors. I wish I knew the name of the song. This post to the Melrose Scout Productions Podcast features the Buckskin staff as they sing the song at the July 16th campfire. It was a great tune to settle the boys down for the program’s end.

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Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch this Podcast.
Subscribe to Melrose Scout Productions Podcast through iTunes (and rate the show)
or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Leave feedback at the forums at PTC Media.
Check out other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

One of the reasons I enjoy Twitter is that I can keep in touch with Scout leaders from around the country, and around the world. Sometimes they post links to something that is pretty cool. Like today, for example, David Copeland posted a link to a thread about wearing the Scout uniform. It is a fun video created by a troop in Utah featuring the Boy Scouts singing a rap about wearing the uniform properly. I enjoyed watching the video and thought you may enjoy it also, so here it is.

What do you think about the video?

This episode of Around The Scouting Campfire is dedicated to a special individual of Boy Scout Troop 68, Eymard, our assistant scoutmaster. Eymard is 83 years old and has been with the troop for 23 years. Buttons and Steve thought it was about time to recognize Eymard on the podcast.

In addition to Steve’s story about Eymard and Buttons interview with him we also get to hear the Buckskin staff of Many Point Scout Camp as they lead the campers in the Bear Hunt song. Steve has a scoutmaster conference about being clean. Buttons shares some feedback on past shows, including one comment he does not like very well.

Steve and Buttons thank PTC Media (http://www.ptcmedia.net) for allowing this program to be a part of the family of Scouting related podcasts. We also thank the Boy Scout Store (http://boyscoutstore.com) for sponsoring the show. Be sure to take a moment to check out their website. Finally, we would like to thank you, our listeners, for downloading Around The Scouting Campfire.