A Scoutmaster's Blog

It is almost a tradition. During the past few years I have taken my video camera along to summer camp and recorded the opening and closing campfire programs. These programs are edited down to become podcast episodes and a dvd for the Boy Scouts who attended camp. Over the past few years I have posted a video to the Melrose Scout Productions Podcast featuring the Buckskin staff of Many Point Scout Camp as they lead the campers in the Many Point Rouser at the beginning of the Sunday evening campfire. It is now time to post the 2010 version.

It amazes me every year we go to summer camp how energized the camp staff always seems to be. When they lead the boys in the rouser with so much enthusiasm it sets the stage for the entire week. The Boy Scouts know they have a staff that is anxious to work with them during the week and ready to have fun while they do. So, let’s dedicate this video to not only the Buckskin staff of Many Point Scout Camp but to all the staff members of summer camps around the country.

By the way, this video also contains footage of a couple of very athletic guys doing a little pre-campfire show, and the introduction of the troops at camp.

Do not forget to go to iTunes and rate the podcast. It has been awhile since the Melrose Scout Productions Podcast has received some iTunes love.

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

Step right up! Have we got a bargain for you. This episode of the Melrose Scout Productions Podcast has not one, but two, (yes, you read that right) two performances by the members of Melrose Troop 68. Once again this footage comes from the troop’s 2001 Laughs Lunch Show.

Four Boy Scouts walk onto the stage for the first part of this video. They lead the audience in that old time favorite campfire song, “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More”. The second part is performed by the assistant scoutmasters of the troop. Eymard has made his camp famous beef stew. The other leaders cannot wait to eat a plateful of it. Unfortunately, things do not go well from there.

Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch 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.

The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 used to like to song songs, mix them up a bit, and write new lyrics to them. They would then perform these “new” versions at campfire programs or during their annual Laughs For Lunch Show. This episode of Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast features one of those songs.

The troop has been spending one spring weekend a year at Camp Watchamagumee (private land north of Melrose). It is one of the Scout’s favorite places to camp. We usually have a great time there, but one year things did not go very well. A local farmer had cattle grazing on the forty acre site. Usually, the cattle are not a problem. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. Not that year. The troop was away from camp for awhile to play some softball. When we arrived back at the site the cows had invaded the camp and had damaged equipment along with a few other problems. It was the one time we left camp due to cattle issues.

A couple years later we decided to take the song “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” and rewrite the lyrics to describe what happened during the weekend in which the cows drove us away from our campsite. Everything in the song did actually take place. This video was taken from the 2001 Laughs For Lunch Show performance. I forgot where the cow costumes came from, but they did add a little something to the song.

Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions

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
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Check out other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

It is time to join Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, Around The Scouting Campfire. In this episode they discuss city proclamations about the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary and Scouting For Food, some iTunes reviews, reasons you might be a Boy Scout, and gopher guts (the song).

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 would like to thank the Boy Scout Store (http://boyscoutstore.com) for sponsoring this 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.

I was listening to some music at work this afternoon when the Village People’s Y.M.C.A. was played. Suddenly, I was transported back to summer camp several years ago. Troop 68 liked taking songs, changing the words, and making a new campfire song. Y.M.C.A. happened to be one of those songs.

We had attended Many Point Scout Camp for several years and I thought we might be able to change Y.M.C.A. to M.P.S.C.  We worked on the lyrics and it did not take long to come up with a new song and actions to go along with it. When we performed it at the Friday night closing campfire it became a hit. The staff joined us onstage for the refrain and the campers and leaders joined us in the actions. We have performed the song several times since then. If I find a decent video of the troop’s performance I will be sure to get it online. Until then, here are the words to our version of M.P.S.C. –

1)  Young man, When you need to get out,
I said, young man, get away from the crowds.
I said, young man, don’t just sit there and pout.
Get up and camp with the Boy Scouts.

That’s where, you can shoot 22’s.
I said, that’s where, there’s always something to do.
I said, that’s where, you can eats lots of stew,
get belly aches and turn shades of blue.

(Refrain)
It’s fun to go to the M.P.S.C.  You’ve got to go to the M.P.S.C.
You can tie a few knots, you can cook your own meal,
You can do whatever you feel.

M.P.S.C.  You’ve got to go to the M.P.S.C.
Young man, young man, don’t just sit on your tail.
Young man, young man, get yourself on the trail.

2)  Voyagers, is the place you should be
if you want to, cook your food as you please.
Then there’s Ten Chiefs, out among all the trees,
with no shower facility.

Buck Skin, is the camp where you call
patrol members, to eat in the dining hall.
Project Cope is, the place where you do it all
even experience free fall.

3)  Young man, the bathrooms are quite unique.
I said, young man, wait till you get a peek.
I said, young man, it’s the place that you seek
When you can’t wait any longer.

Then there’s, the bedroom facilities
Where you can get, a bit caught up on your zz’s
Where the canvas, let’s in all the bugs and fleas
Unless you’ve got mosquito netting.

Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, return in episode twelve of the Around The Scouting Campfire podcast. Listen in as the guys talk about how the Scouting program was discovered by William D. Boyce during a trip to London in the early 1900’s. There are quotes from Lord Baden-Powell. The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 perform the radio skit. Buttons reads the last letter to Scouts from Lord Baden-Powell. There is even a short story from an early National Jamboree.

The story of how Scouting came to America is from the 1943 edition of the Boy Scout handbook.
The Radio Skit can be seen at Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast #70 – http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Buttons’ reading of the last letter to Scouts from Lord Baden-Powell can be seen at Melrose Scouting Productions #50.

It is time to join Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, as they host another episode of Around The Scouting Campfire, a podcast for Scouts, adult leaders, and families.

During this episode the guys talk about the new year and look back at 2009. Scoutmaster Steve begins the new year by reciting some quotes from Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, and then reads a story about setting goals to fly with the eagles. After a song from The Scout Zone, Buttons tries to learn the Cub Scout Promise from Michael the Cub Scout, and then reads some feedback from our listeners. The show ends with a scoutmaster minute about being friendly and a thank you to you, our listeners.