Get Involved In Scouting?

During the my last year of tech college my classmates and I would discuss what we wanted to do with our lives once we were out on our own. What kind of job did we hope to get? What kind of community would we like to settle down in? What organizations would we get involved with, if any?

I was a Boy Scout for three years so I made the comment that it might be fun to find a troop and get involved again. When I think about that comment now I have to stop and ask myself, why did I say that? I really did not accomplish much as a Boy Scout. Yes, I went to the meetings, and the occasional weekend camping trip, and three week long summer camps, but I do not remember much about them. I only earned four merit badges. I only got as far as Second Class Rank. I do not remember a single court of honor. Unfortunately, and I hate to say it, my time as a Boy Scout was pretty uneventful.

I must have had enough fun in Scouting though to make a comment like that in college. I may have realized that the Scout program was a great program to help young boys grow into men of strong character. I guess I wanted a chance to be a part of that process. But there was one more reason to reconnect with Scouting. A personal one. I always felt bad that I did not remember much about my time as a Scout, and that I did not accomplish much in the program. I thought that maybe I could help some other boys have a great time in Scouting and do the things I never had the chance to do.

As luck would have it, I found a job and settled back in my hometown. Within two months I discovered they had restarted the troop which had been disbanded about five years earlier. I walked up to the scoutmaster one night and asked him if he could use some help. (Click HERE for an earlier article about this.) That was nearly thirty years ago. I think I can honestly say that I have helped to make a positive impact on the Scout program in this community.

How long will I continue to be with the program? I do not know. I had never planned to be with it for three decades. Unfortunately, this community may make the decision for me. Membership in the troop has dropped to only seven Boy Scouts, down from nearly forty Scouts ten years ago. I discovered today that the Cub Pack currently has only three boys. One of the Pack's problems is that parents do not want to take on any of the leadership roles. This has been going on for the last five years or longer. Thus, the Pack's program has suffered, and the boys are not joining like they once did.

Let's face it, parents need to get involved, at least at the Cub Scout level, for the program to succeed. Do today's parents not understand the great benefits of the Scouting program, both to them and their sons?

Get involved with Scouting? Too tell the truth, I can think of few programs that are better worth your time and effort.

Reality Check

If you are or have been a scoutmaster you may have had young boys in your troop that really look up to you. Everything you say is truth. Everything you do is amazing. You are their "Scouting Idol". They will follow you everywhere, do whatever you tell them. As I scoutmaster I try to do my duty as well as I am able. I admit, at time it feels great to be truly awesome in the eyes of a young Boy Scout, but it is pretty tough to live up to that standard. Here are a few examples of my "awesomeness" this year as a scoutmaster, at least in the eyes of my Scouts:

- hitting the black center of the target with all five shots at the rifle range during summer camp. Most Scouts are happy to hit the center of the target with a couple shots.

- hitting the apple with an arrow at the archery range. Although, to tell the truth, three of my Boy Scouts did this last year, but none of them did this year.)

- getting a hole in one at the first green of the miniature golf course, to which one of the Scouts commented about how playing a game with me was so unfair.

- teeing off on the camp's disc golf course and throwing the frisbee so well that it flew through a grove of trees to land only ten feet from the basket. The boys were simply amazed. (So was I, to tell the truth.)

But then, reality crashed in and the awesomeness leaves me, like later on that same miniature golf course when it took me seven putts to sink the ball on one hole. Or when I missed the target at the archery range. Those type of things bring a scoutmaster back down to earth.

A huge reality check came not long ago when I was playing disc golf with Sergio, an alumni of Troop 68. He and I were playing at a local course for the first time. The first several holes went well for me. Then we discovered water traps in the form of streams, marshes, and bogs. My game suddenly became all wet, literally. It was like the water had a strong magnetic pull on my discs.

To make a long story short, by the time we finished the eighteen holes my socks and shoes were caked with mud. I tried washing them off at the park but ended up throwing the socks in the trash. I drove home barefoot because I did not want the smelly shoes back on my feet. The worst part of the game was when I lost one of my throwing discs in a bog with shoulder high grass. After ten minutes of searching I finally gave it up for lost. It was literally like throwing ten dollars away.

On the up side, I still won the game, even if by only one throw. Even after the reality check I guess I proved I was still awesome. Don't you agree?

Ten Reasons To Be A Leader

Three years ago I wrote a blog post that became one of the most read posts I have ever written. It was during the time when many packs and troops were conducting recruitment drives and school nights. The article listed some reasons on why a parent should get involved as a leader in Scouting.

Well, it is that time of year again, so here is that article again for all the new readers to this blog, and to refresh the memories of those of you who have been with me for awhile.

Boys around the country will be joining Boy Scouting for the first time this month. And new parents will be asked to help their troop or pack by becoming an adult leader. There are many reasons not to be a leader, but let me give you ten reasons why you should become a Scouter. (These are not in any sort of order.)

1) Be a positive influence in a boy's life. I think we can agree that there are many youth out there who can benefit from more of this in today's world.
2) Learn new skills. You are never too old to learn a new skill. And to tell the truth, I don't think a person can ever learn too many skills.
3) Teach boys new skills. There are few things in life that will make you feel more proud then when you watch a boy or young man using a skill that you have helped them to master.
4) Make new friends. Not only will you form friendships with the boys, but you will also form new friendships with other Scouters.
5) Help your community. You provide this service through your unit's service projects and by helping boys grow up to be better adults.
6) Spend time in the Great Outdoors. You really do need to get out of that recycled-air, stressed-filled office environment at least once a month.
7) Have a good laugh. Working with Scout age boys can be fun and funny in many ways. Just remember to laugh with the boys, not at the boys.
8) Go traveling. There are thousands of places to go that provide a great Scout Outing. And do not forget the opportunities to go to a National Jamboree, Philmont, or the other high adventure bases.
9) Get some exercise. We could all use more exercise. Just try keeping up with a group of Boy Scouts.
10) Be a kid again! Scouting gives adults the chance to have just as much fun as the Scouts themselves. Make sure that you do!

Well, those are ten of my reasons for being an adult Scout Leader. I am sure that some of you reading this could add some more to the list. I invite you to leave a comment and add those reasons.

MSPP #72: The Leaders of Scouting (Gerry W.)

Twenty years ago the volunteers at Mel-TV, our local cable access television station, filmed a program in which five men who were Boy Scout leaders were interviewed about their Scouting experiences. I took that old vhs tape and transferred it to a dvd. I thought to myself as I was transferring the program that many of the things being said by those gentlemen still apply to Boy Scouting today. I thought I would break this show down into parts for the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast, each part featuring one of the interviews.

This podcast video features the fourth interview from The Leaders of Scouting. Gerry W. began his adult Scouting career as a Cub Scout Pack committee member when his son became a Cub Scout. He moved to the Boy Scout committee when his son graduated into the troop. He soon became the outdoors chairman, making the arrangements for the troop activities. During this interview Gerry talked about being on the troop committee, going along on various troop outings, the values found in the Scouting program, the stunts he and the scoutmaster pulled, and his pride in seeing his son work through the ranks of Scouting.

Leave a comment using the link below, or at the PTC Media forums. You can also rate the videos of Melrose Scouting Productions at the iTunes Music Store. (We could always use more iTunes love.) It really is great to hear what you think about the podcast videos.

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

MSPP #68: Scout Law According To Great Leaders

I am veering away from the usual song or skit video found on the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast to bring you something created by Eagle Scout Doug Gray. A couple years ago Doug's father, Fred, asked me for some assistance in finding some Scouting videos that his council could not find for him. Fred recently wrote me to share a few videos created by his son. Here is a portion of that email:

My son just completed his Gold Palm and put together some videos. One of the DVD presentations was for this spring's Buckeye Council NYLT. He is going to be JASM and will present "The Leading Edge, How To Be An Effective Leader." Doug made an interactive DVD presentation in which he (as Napoleon on stage) interviews Napoleon on the screen. For Youtube he filmed both parts and put them into a complete presentation. Doug spent months on the project and then broke the presentation into four parts (he left out the first segment about Storming, Forming, Norming, etc because only NYLT people would understand that). The parts on Youtube Doug made because he felt that the National canned presentation was too much "how" and not enough "what" as far as leadership for 14 year old kids.

The best part of the whole presentation was about the Scout Law according to Great Leaders - Doug made that into a separate Youtube video. He is going to use it at his Eagle Palm presentation in a month.

I watched both videos and was very impressed with Scout Law video. After a quick email of my own, I received permission to share Doug's video through this podcast. Fred wrote that Doug made the videos to share, so if you have an opportunity to use this within your troop, council, or district than do so.

Leave a comment using the link below, or at the PTC Media forums. You can also rate the videos of Melrose Scouting Productions at the iTunes Music Store. It really is great to hear what you think about the podcast videos.

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.

One Hundred Years From Now...

I think this explains one of the reasons that some of us participate in this adventure called Boy Scout (or Cub Scouting):

One hundred years from now it will not matter what your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove; but the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child.

– Dr. Forest E. Witcraft (1894-1967)
Scouting, Oct 1950, p.2

Needing More Boy Scouts

During lunch today I read an article that was linked in an email to the Boy-Scout-Talk Yahoo group. It was a link to an article written by Rebecca Hagelin titled simply "Boy Scouts". Here is a small portion of the article:

"Turn on the television for 30 minutes and show me how boys and men are portrayed - you can watch just about any station at any hour and the image will be the same. When sit-coms and commercials contain family groups or interactions between the genders, the man is usually stupid, lazy, and doltish.

If our media culture showed positive male images and if we actually put effort back into teaching boys that real men are also gentlemen, we would get more of the behavior our society needs to survive.

What the nation really needs are more Boy Scouts. And I mean that literally.

As a mother of two Eagle Scouts (now ages 20 and 21), I can personally testify about the tremendous positive impact that Scouting continues to have on their lives."

I thought the article was very well done and hit some good points. You can read the whole post at: http://ow.ly/3rZL

A Scout Is Different - A Great Speech

I have recently been guided to watch a video placed on Youtube by the Middle Tennessee Council - Boy Scouts of America. The council recently held its 17th Annual Patron Luncheon. One of the speakers at that luncheon was Eagle Scout Daniel Wakefield. He gave quite a speech. A very well thought out and motivational speech. I would like to suggest that you watch and listen to it.



If you would like to pass this on to people you know, then pass along this blog post, or pass on the Youtube feed which is http://www.scoutingnews.org/2009/04/13/middle-tennessee-council-boy-scouts-luncheon-2009/

The Twerp Who Would Become Scoutmaster

He was a small tenth grader. Many of the eighth graders were as big or bigger then he was. When he received his drivers license at 16 years old he was 5'-2" and weighed only 88 pounds. He was the weak skinny kid who would get pinned during wrestling in phy ed in less then 15 seconds. He was shy and quiet and would blend into a crowd, trying not to bring attention to himself. He was not physical enough to join a high school sports team so he became the team's student manager for basketball and baseball.

He was also a Boy Scout. He enjoyed Scouting: the camping, the hiking, and the other activities. Even though he was two or three years older than most of the members of the troop he had found a group in which he could participate and have fun. He served as the senior patrol leader for much of his three and a half years in the troop.

This little twerp finally hit a growth spurt during his high school years was became a skinny 5'-8" teenager when he graduated from high school. He continued his education at a two year vocational college. He often thought that it would be fun to get involved with a Scout troop once he found a job and settled down. And he did. Within a month of graduating college he had found a troop and became a nineteen year old assistant scoutmaster.

He worked well with the troop. He got along great with the boys. He earned the respect of the parents and committee. Shortly after he turned 21 years old, after spending only one and a half years as the assistant scoutmaster, the committee appointed him as the scoutmaster of the troop. He was very nervous during his first court of honor as an adult leader. His hands were shaking. His voice cracked. But he got through it. Over the years he became more comfortable talking in front of the troop.

During his first decade as a troop leader he took part in nearly every training course offered by the district and council. He was invited to become a staff member for several of the training courses. He even joined the district roundtable staff and began a junior leader roundtable which lasted for a couple of years.

This young man continued with the troop as the decades began to pass him by. He took the Boy Scouts to the High Noll Trail in Virginia and the Charles Sommers Canoe Base in Minnesota. He went backpacking with five crews at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. The only years he missed the annual week-long trip to summer camp were the years he was attending a high adventure base.

This small tenth grade Boy Scout who grew up to become the scoutmaster of his hometown troop can celebrate 29 years of being a Scout leader this month. He is a little bigger then he used to be, unfortunately only growing in the direction you don't want to be growing as you approach your late 40's.

By the way, if you have not guessed it by now, that twerp of a tenth grader was me.

State Recogizes Service Of Assistant Scoutmaster

Eymard Orth, assistant scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 68 in Melrose Minnesota, was recently recognized by the Minnesota House for his twenty years of service to the troop. The local newspaper, the Melrose Beacon Beacon, reports:

"State Rep. Paul Anderson (left), R-Starbuck, presents Eymard Orth, Melrose, with a certificate of recognition for Orth's 20 years of service to Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68. Orth is assistant scoutmaster of Troop 68 and received the recognition during the recent Stearns County Republican Convention in Melrose."

Congratulations Eymard!

(Note: The picture is from the Melrose Beacon. The article can be seen HERE.)

Which Ride Are You Like?

I recently went on vacation to the four Disney them parks in Florida. The family and I had a lot of fun and rode a lot of the rides. Now that I am getting back into the Scouting mode, I began thinking about how some leadership styles within packs and troops is similar to some of those rides. Here are a few examples of what I mean.

Some adult leaders are like the Dumbo ride at the Magic Kingdom. I am not saying they are dumb, but that they like to take things slow and easy. They don't like too much excitement but they do like to have a little fun. They do not like to rock the boat. They like to keep things running along smoothly.

Some leaders are like the Hollywood Studios' Tower of Terror ride. They start out with a lot of enthusiasm, rise to great heights, but then fall quickly, only to rise again, and fall again. They are somewhat unpredictable. You are never sure how they will do at their assigned tasks.

Some leaders are like the Mount Everest ride at the Animal Kingdom. They start out slow, gaining momentum, and do great work. But then they stop and change direction, go backwards for awhile, before changing direction a second time and really charging forward in a position in which they thrive and enjoy.

Some leaders are like the Aerosmith Rock 'N Roll Rollercoaster at Hollywood Studios. They hesitate a moment before excepting a leadership role, but when they do they charge into it fast and furious. They enjoy the thrills of leadership and pour their heart and soul into it until it is time to move on to something else. Chances are that they will get right back into the program in a new position with the same enthusiasm. They enjoy the Scouting ride and want to continue it for as long as they are able.

Of course, there are more styles of leadership then Disney has rides. Which ride are you?

MSPP #61: The Leaders of Scouting (Mike H)

Twenty years ago the volunteers at Mel-TV, our local cable access television station, filmed a program in which five men who were Scout leaders were interviewed about their Scouting experiences. I took that old vhs tape and transferred it to a dvd. I thought to myself as I was transferring the program that many of the things being said by those gentlemen still apply to Scouting today. I thought I would break this show down into parts for the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast, each part featuring one of the interviews.

This podcast video features the third interview from The Leaders of Scouting. Mike H. began his adult Scouting career as a Webelos den leader when his son joined the den. He moved to the Boy Scout committee when his son graduated into the troop. When the current committee chairman stepped down, Mike agreed to take the position for one year. That one year stretched into more then five years. During this interview Mike talked about being on the troop committee, going along on various troop outings, the values found in the Scouting program, and his pride in seeing his son earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

You are invited to leave a comment here using the link below, at the iTunes Music Store, or at the PTC Media forums. Or drop me an email at webmaster@melrosetroop68.org. It really is great to hear what you think about the podcast videos.

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.

Twenty Years As Assistant Scoutmaster

Eymard Orth, assistant scoutmaster of Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68, recently was recognized by Troop 68 for his twenty years of service. Eymard become an assistant scoutmaster when his son, Peter, was a member of the troop in 1988. Since then, Eymard has attended hundreds of troop meetings and weekend activities. He has not missed a week of summer camp in twenty years. Steve Borgerding, the troop scoutmaster, presented the plaque during a court of honor held on December 15, 2008. (Local Newspaper)

Eymard is quite an individual. He was never a Boy Scout himself, but when his youngest son joined Boy Scouting and he was asked to help out as an assistant scoutmaster he stepped up to the plate and (almost) never looked back. Even though he celebrates his 82nd birthday this year he still looks forward to going camping with the boys, something that other people his age think is crazy. But Eymard truely enjoys working with the boys and finds it to be quite rewarding. He has been a great leader of the troop and we look forward to the next twenty years of his tenure.

In addition to Scouting, Eymard is also very active in his local church, the MCCL, and the local Republican party. He and his wife tend a large garden during the summer months. They enjoy family outings which tend to be quite large with their ten children, and numorous grandchildren. Eymard recently wrote an auotbiography which has been quite popular locally.

Nearly two years ago, Eymard was interviewed by Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, during one of the troop's outings. You can view that interview by clicking this THIS LINK.

UPDATE: The local papers have also picked up this story. The article in the Melrose Beacon can be seen HERE.

Got Knots?

A fellow Scouting friend of mine, Jeff Cummings, writes a blog called The Trainer's Corner. It is one of the many Scouting blogs I visit and read. Recently he wrote an article about the reasons we as adult Scouters of the BSA should earn our knots. You know, those little patches we can wear on our uniforms over our left pocket. They are the awards that we as adults can still earn. Our merit badges or ranks, if you think about it.

Jeff wrote about four good reasons that we should consider earning the knots: quality, consistency, recognition, and roundtables. All are good reasons. I would encourage you to go to his blog and read them. You can find it at http://tinyurl.com/74u92s

After reading Jeff's blog I pulled out my uniform and looked at my knots. I have six of them. The first two I earned were training awards: The Scouter's Key and the Scout Leader's Training Award. The next one I received was the Scoutmaster Award of Merit. Those were earned during my first decade as a scoutmaster. Since then I have added the Distinguished Commissioner Service Award, the District Award of Merit, and the Silver Beaver Award. They add a little color to my uniform.

To tell the truth, I doubt that I will be earning any more knots and that is all right by me. I have pretty much done all I can in the current position of scoutmaster, and I do not plan to accept any other positions in the foreseeable future.

Now, here is a quick quiz for you. The six knots pictures with this blog post are the knots I have earned. Can you put the right names to the right knots?

Most Inspiring Persons

I found this article on a blog called Scouting Maniac (http://scoutingmaniac.blogspot.com/). They write about a site called BeliefNet which is sponsoring a contest called Most Inspiring Person of the Year 2008. Here is what is written:

This is not Friends of Scouting or asking for money, this is about honoring a group of scouts who gave selflessly to help those in need at Little Sioux Scout Ranch, where over this summer had a tornado tear through the camp. Belief Net which is a online website that offers a award called Most Inspiring Person of the Year, this award gives a large sum of money to the winners charity of choice. But in order for this to happen we need to get votes in on the website as soon as possible because voting ends this coming Friday. The website you must go to vote is that of:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Most-Inspiring-2008/index.aspx?loc=interstitialskip

Not much time left to vote on this, but I did. It is a close race at the moment. If the Boy Scouts receive more votes they could win this. Check it out and vote.

Update 12/6/08:
The Boy Scouts have made it to the list of three finalists. The site states, "Your top three picks are our most Inspiring finalists. As we do every year, the editors of Beliefnet will now make the final choice. Come back December 10 to see who won!" The final three include the Boy Scouts who survived the Iowa tornado, Randy Pausch, the computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman. I guess I will have to check back in few days to see who becomes the site's Most Inspiring Person of the Year.

The Leader's Campfire Trivia Contest

Last night I had fun with several Scout Leaders from around the country, and from the other side of the world. Cubmaster Chris and I were joined by three Scouters for a trivia game which was recorded for next week's episode of The Leader's Campfire podcast.

I am from Minnesota. Chris lives in Texas. Jerry is a scoutmaster in Oregon. Shawn is a unit commissioner in Wisconsin. The four of us are familiar with recording a podcast since we each have our own, or have guested on someone's show.

The last member of last night's group was Michael. Michael is a 21 year old Scout leader in New Zealand. My troop and I met him at Many Point Scout Camp this summer. (Michael will be a guest of another episode of The Leader's Campfire later this month when we discuss international Scouting.)

The five of us were in a goofy mood as Chris began the recording the podcast. This show was quite different then the usual serious show that Chris and I record. This episode involved a trivia contest, and we all sort of reverted to being a teenager once again as we played the game.

Since I owned the trivia book, I was the game show host. The other four guys were the contestants. The questions came from the Scouting Mania trivia book which is based on information found in the 1986 edition of the Boy Scout handbook.

We all had a blast. In addition to playing the game we were constantly teasing and giving each other a rough time. From Chris' Texan accent to Shawn's position as a "mythical" unit commissioner, everything was fair game. We had so much fun that Chris thinks we will need to do a show like this a few times a year.

Of course, you, our listeners will be the true judge of the show when it is posted next week, probably on Tuesday, December 9. Will you have as much fun listening to the podcast as we did recording it? Be sure to leave your comments on The Leader's Campfire forum at PTC Media ( http://www.ptcmedia.net )

MSPP #56: Words of Eagle Scout Mike Schwieters

As a scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 68, I have seen seventeen young men earn the Boy Scouts of America's highest award, the rank of Eagle Scout. During most of the Eagle courts of honor, the new Eagle Scout will at some point stand up before the audience of friends and family and talk about his time in Scouting, and thank those who have helped him get to this point of his life.

Troop 68's latest Eagle Scout is Mike Schwieters. Mike finished his Eagle award with only days to spare before his eighteenth birthday. Mike was an active member of the troop throughout his teen years, and still volunteers to help the troop if we need it when he is home from school. He is now in his second year of college and remains a good friend.

As Mike's Eagle court of honor came to its closing, Mike stepped forward to say a few words to those who gathered for his special day. His speech was full of memories and some humor, but it also hit a few points that were good for the younger Scouts to hear. He spoke about how to treat others in the troop, and to take the challenge and earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

Mike's Eagle court of honor was held last May, and ever since then I have wanted to post the video of his closing comments. He stopped by for a visit this weekend so I asked him if he minded if I would post the video to this podcast. He did not mind, so here it is for you to view. I hope you and your sons and Scouts enjoy it and take as much away from it as the members of our troop did.

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.

You are invited to leave a comment using the link below, at the iTunes Music Store, or at the PTC Media forums. Drop me an email at webmaster@melrosetroop68.org. It is great to hear what you think about these podcast videos.

MSPP #55: Buttons Learns About Girl Scouting

Up until now, Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has always been about the Boy Scouting program. He has talked about the Scout Oath and Law, being physically fit, how to tell when you know you are a Boy Scout, and has interviewed a Cub Scout and an assistant scoutmaster. Today, he begins to expand his Scouting knowledge into something he has never talked about before - Girl Scouting!

In the United States, boys and girls have separate Scouting programs (except for Exploring). Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting are very different programs even though they share many of the same goals. In both programs the members may chose to earn the highest award available to them. In Boy Scouting that would be the rank of Eagle Scout. In Girl Scouting it is the Gold Award.

I recently had the honor of attending the Gold Award ceremony of my niece and two other Girl Scouts. It was very impressive, and I learned a few things about Girl Scouting that I did not know. I video recorded the ceremony at the request of my sister, and we plan to broadcast it over our local community television station.

After the ceremony, I had the chance to congratulate each of the girls, and ask them if they would be willing to be interviewed by Buttons, the radical Scout. They had all seen a Buttons video or two so they knew what I was asking. To my pleasant surprise, they all said yes to the idea.

This video posting to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast is the first of these videos. Ali Kociemba, one of the Gold Award recipients, is the first Girl Scout to be interviewed by Buttons. They discuss the different age groups of Girl Scouting, what some of the awards are, service projects, what Ali did for her Gold award, and what her favorite troop activities were. It turned out to be a nice introduction to Girl Scouting.

You are invited to leave a comment using the link below, or at the iTunes Music Store, or at the PTC Media forums. Drop me an email at webmaster@melrosetroop68.org. It really is great to hear what you think about the podcast videos.

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.

That First Committee Meeting

The year 1980 will always be a special year for me. It was the year I began life on my own, and began life as an adult. I was nineteen when I graduated from vocational college in April. I moved into a apartment. I began working at my first full time job. And I became an assistant scoutmaster to the newly formed Boy Scout Troop 68. (For more information about how that happened, click HERE.)

I did not join Troop 68 until later in April, so I missed going to Camp Ripley with the troop, which I believe may have been the new Scouts first outing. There was not a yearly program yet because troop leadership was still in the process of going through training.

I was one of three assistant scoutmasters. Each of us were single men. One was a little older then me, the other a little younger. I was the only one to stay with the program for more then a year. The other assistants left town to pursue a career or college.

The committee was made up of several parents who were dedicated to get the troop up and running well. Our charter representative was the commander of the local VFW Post. I will never forget my first committee meeting. The charter rep and I got into a heated "discussion" about troop finances. He began by talking about how much money the Post had already pumped into the troop. I already knew from talking to committee members and parents that the Post had not given the troop much of anything yet. (In fact, one of the parents had loaned the troop some money to get things started.) I guess I got a bit vocal about correcting him. Our discussion began to get a little heated.

After the meeting, and after the charter rep had left, a couple of the committee members told me I had stated what they had been thinking. I could not help but think to myself why did the nineteen year old new assistant scoutmaster have to stand up to the sixty year old charter rep? After all, there were at least five other committee members at the meeting.

Oh well, if nothing else, I guess I demonstrated my passion and dedication to the Scout troop. By the way, the charter rep and I worked well together for the next few years, until he retired from the committee.

MSPP #51: The Leaders of Scouting (Joe)

Twenty years ago the volunteers at Mel-TV, our local cable access television station, filmed a program in which five men who were Scout leaders were interviewed about their Scouting experiences. I recently took that old vhs tape and transferred it to a dvd. I thought to myself as I was transferring the program that many of the things being said by those gentlemen still apply to Scouting today. I thought I would break this show down into parts for the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast, each part being one of the interviews.

This podcast post features the second interview from The Leaders of Scouting. Joe was the Pack 68 Cubmaster for many years in the 1980's. All four of his boys were members of the Pack, and graduated to Troop 68 when they became old enough. Joe also helped out with several troop functions, although he never actually registered as a troop leader. During the interview he talks about how he became the cubmaster, some of his memorable experiences as a cubmaster, his experiences of helping the Boy Scout troop, and his feeling about Scouting in general.

I invite you to leave a comment here using the link below, at the iTunes Music Store, or at the PTC Media forums. Or drop me an email at webmaster@melrosetroop68.org. It really is great to hear what you think about the podcast videos.

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
or at http://feeds.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Check out other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

Ten Reasons To Be A Leader

Two years ago I wrote a blog post that became one of the most read posts I have ever written. It was during the time when many packs and troops were conducting recruitment drives and school nights. The article listed some reasons on why a parent should get involved as a leader in Scouting.

Well, it is that time of year again, so here is that article again for all the new readers to this blog, and to refresh the memories of those of you who have been with me for awhile.

Boys around the country will be joining Boy Scouting for the first time this month. And new parents will be asked to help their troop or pack by becoming an adult leader. There are many reasons not to be a leader, but let me give you ten reasons why you should become a Scouter. (These are not in any sort of order.)

1) Be a positive influence in a boy's life. I think we can agree that there are many youth out there who can benefit from more of this in today's world.
2) Learn new skills. You are never too old to learn a new skill. And to tell the truth, I don't think a person can ever learn too many skills.
3) Teach boys new skills. There are few things in life that will make you feel more proud then when you watch a boy or young man using a skill that you have helped them to master.
4) Make new friends. Not only will you form friendships with the boys, but you will also form new friendships with other Scouters.
5) Help your community. You provide this service through your unit's service projects and by helping boys grow up to be better adults.
6) Spend time in the Great Outdoors. You really do need to get out of that recycled-air, stressed-filled office environment at least once a month.
7) Have a good laugh. Working with Scout age boys can be fun and funny in many ways. Just remember to laugh with the boys, not at the boys.
8) Go traveling. There are thousands of places to go that provide a great Scout Outing. And do not forget the opportunities to go to a National Jamboree, Philmont, or the other high adventure bases.
9) Get some exercise. We could all use more exercise. Just try keeping up with a group of Boy Scouts.
10) Be a kid again! Scouting gives adults the chance to have just as much fun as the Scouts themselves. Make sure that you do!

Well, those are ten of my reasons for being an adult Scout Leader. I am sure that some of you reading this could add some more to the list. I invite you to leave a comment and add those reasons.

A Different Way To View The BSA

I belong to several internet groups and forums that deal with Scouting topics. Once in a while I someone posts something that is a true gem. Recently, CrewMomma posted a article on the Scouter.com forums that I thought was awesome, and I want to share it with you:



A different way to view the BSA…

We still deliver the character traits found in the Scout Oath and Law. With those values in mind, today we are very much a part of workforce development! Employers tell me that they always need kids with a good education. But, what they would really like is people who come to work on time, don’t lie, and don’t steal from the company and who will give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Those are character issues, not educational issues.

People are seldom fired over reading, writing, and arithmetic… educational issues. People get fired over character issues… trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Your education is what gets you the interview. Your education is what is required to get the job you want. However, it is your character by which you keep that job.

Let’s get personal… Families don’t break up over educational issues. Relationships break up over character issues… trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind,… etc.

So… is character important? Tell me how football, baseball, and soccer will help a person keep his job. Tell me how sports reinforce traits that contribute to a successful marriage, business, or employment relationship. Scouting reinforces traits that are fundamental to being a successful parent, employee, employer, citizen, or partner in any relationship.

by John Thurston, retired Scout Executive from Corpus Christi, Texas
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Two New Scouting Blogs

I have discovered two new Scouting blogs that I thought you might like to check out. One is written by a commissioner, the other is written by a pack committee chairman. Both blogs have just started up recently.

The first blog is written by Shawn Cleary of Wisconsin. Shawn is a Unit Commissioner for the Voyageur District in the Bay Lakes Council. I look forward to his posts as a commissioner as I am sure he will bring some new perspectives to Scouting that I may miss being a scoutmaster. You can find his blog at
http://commissionercleary.blogspot.com/

The second blog is written by Garry K. of San Antonio, Texas. Garry has recently become his pack's committee chairman after being a den leader, so I am sure his blog will be full of interesting posts as he becomes trained and learns the ropes of his new position. You can find Garry's blog at
http://chairmangarry.blogspot.com/

I wish both Shawn and Garry well as they embark on their new blogging frontiers. I invite all the readers of this blog to check them out. And don't forget to leave them a little feedback if you enjoy them or find them useful. After all, all us bloggers like to receive feedback.

MSPP #46: The Leaders of Scouting (George)

Twenty years ago I joined the board of directors for our local television cable access channel, Mel-TV. Earlier that year, several other people and I were learning how to properly use a camcorder. We decided to produce an interview-style show for the station featuring local men who were involved with the Scouting program to develop our camera skills.

After finding a host for the show we found five men who were willing to be interviewed for the show. One had been a cubmaster for several years. One had been a troop committee chairman, and a scoutmaster for a few months. One had been a member of the pack and troop committees. One had been a den leader and the chairman of the Boy Scout committee. The last one was a committee chairman and a unit commissioner. Each of them with bring different experiences to the show. And each of them knew each other thus adding a few more interesting stories.

The first person to be interviewed was George. George was one of the people who decided that Melrose needed a Boy Scout troop in 1979 and became one of the original troop committee members. He soon held the chairman position. When the troop's scoutmaster decided to step down a year later he took the position until a new scoutmaster could be found. During the interview they discuss the scoutmaster position, troop funds, rock climbing, poison ivy, and other topics.

This video post to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast features the interview with George. It is interesting to point out that nearly everything they talk about twenty years ago could still apply to Scouting today. It will be the first of five or six video shorts being created from the original show. The rest will be posted over the next few months.

Please leave a comment here using the link below, at the iTunes Music Store, or at the PTC Media forums. Or drop me an email at webmaster@melrosetroop68.org. It really is great to hear what you think about the podcast videos.

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
or at http://feeds.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Check out the other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

Background Checks

For a few years now, the Boy Scouts of America has done background checks on new adult leaders in troops, packs, and crews. When the organization first began doing this I thought it was a bit extreme, but I have gotten used to the idea. I have also noticed that others groups, clubs, and even schools now do the same thing for their volunteers.

Will background checks work to keep out the rift raft and troublemakers? I am sure it will help, but nothing is one hundred percent foolproof. It does sound like it has stopped some "undesirables" from holding Scout leadership positions. Unfortunately, it is also stopping some good people from holding a leadership role due to mistakes made early in their lives.

For example, I had a father who was very active with the troop. He worked well with the boys and they respected him. He was a good assistant scoutmaster. Unfortunately, when the council did a background check on him the council found that he had made a few wrong choices in his life over twenty five years ago. and then denied his application. This gentleman had straightened out his life a generation ago, has raised a fine family, and had already proven himself to be a good troop leader, but the BSA says that he is no longer good enough the be an assistant scoutmaster. (And no, I am not going to write here what his record showed, even though I know because he and I have talked about it.)

In this example, I think the background check has backfired against the local troop, and thus the BSA. This policy is actually keeping a good man out of the program. It makes me wonder how many more times this has happened around the country. Don't get me wrong though, I happen to agree the background checks are a good idea, but I also think we need to take a look at the current character of the person, not just what happens to be on record from a generation ago. After all, people do change. They learn from their mistakes.

Or are we now going to teach the boys that once they make a mistake we should hold that against them for their entire lives?

I have been a scoutmaster in Scouting for over 25 years, so the background check has not been done on me yet. Last week I did receive a letter from the National Office asking me to complete a form because they are now doing the checks on all adult leaders. I can mail the form in, or I can do it online.

I am not worried. I have never been arrested, never done drugs, never been part of a political demonstration. I have never even got a speeding ticket. I am just an ordinary law abiding citizen of Minnesota. Always have been, always plan to be.

However, when I think about it, would this not be a dandy way to get out of being a scoutmaster after all these years? Hey Bubba, pass me a bottle of beer and give me the keys! It is time to get a record. (I am kidding, of course.)

Scoutmaster Award Of Merit

Are you a committee member or a committee chairman of a Boy Scout Troop? Do you have a scoutmaster who has been doing an outstanding job? Is he trained? Are most of the boys in your troop First Class Rank or higher? If your scoutmaster has been performing well then you owe it to him to look into recognizing him with the Scoutmaster Award of Merit which is presented to deserving scoutmasters through the National Eagle Scout Association.

Here are the Requirements:
(The nominee need not be an Eagle Scout.)
• Be registered as Scoutmaster and have served in that position for at least 18 months.
• The unit must have achieved the Quality Unit Award at least once during the Scoutmaster’s tenure.
• Must have completed Boy Scout Leader Fast Start and Scoutmastership Fundamentals (or equivalent).
• Must have a record of proper use of the Boy Scout advancement program, resulting in a majority of his Boy Scouts attaining the First Class rank.
• Nominee must have a record of:
o Development of boy leadership through the patrol method
o Positive relations with the troop’s chartered organization
o Extensive outdoor program including strong summer camp attendance
o Positive image of Scouting in the community
o Troop operation that attracts and retains Boy Scouts.

Procedure:
The chairman of the troop committee has the responsibility of nominating the Scoutmaster on behalf of the patrol leader’s council and the troop committee. The nomination is certified by the unit commissioner and forwarded to the local council. Approval authority lies with the Scout executive.

For more information and an application you can check HERE on the NESA site.

In The Newspaper

I have written hundreds of newspaper articles about the troop and its functions during the last three decades. When I write the articles I concentrate on the Boy Scouts and what they are doing. I try to leave myself out of the stories as much as possible. I do not want to promote myself. My job is promote the boys and Scouting.

So when I local newspaper reporter contacted me a year ago for an interview about being a scoutmaster for over twenty-five years, I kind of shrugged her off and said I would do it someday in the future. Well, I guess the future arrived. She remembered that I said I would do it later, so called me about it again earlier this month. She wanted to run an article for the issue that came out during Scout Week, but we could not find a time to meet. She did not give up though. The article finally came out in this week's issue.

I thought I would bite the bullet and let you all (or at least those of you who would be interested) read it on the newspaper's website. It can be found HERE. Don't laugh to hard when you read it, okay?

Buffaloeagle's Hope For America

With this blog entry I would like to steer you to another Scouting blog for just a moment. Buffaloreagle at the Lone Star Scouter blog wrote an excellent post that I think you might find interesting. He called it "Last, Great, Best, Hope For America. Here is a portion of it:

"You are the last, great, best, hope for America. You are! You believe in HONOR, in a world where honor has lost much of its meaning. You believe in doing your duty to God and your Country, in a country where school prayer has been outlawed and many Americans don’t even bother to vote. You believe in a scout law, with 12 very demanding and very specific points, and you commit to ALL of them….when your non-scout friends commit to NOTHING."

I agree totally with his blog post. Check it out at the Lone Star Scouter Blog.

Two Deep Leadership

Today's adult Boy Scout leaders are well aware of the BSA's "two deep leadership" rule. It states that a troop function must have at least two responsible adults in attendance. At least one of these adults must have attended "Youth Protection Training". One part of Youth Protection states that an adult must not share a tent with a Scout unless that Scout is his own son.

Overall, the Youth Protection guidelines are excellent rules to follow, and unfortunately are needed in today's (can you say "twisted"?) society. It was not always this way. In fact, two deep leadership did not become the rule until the late 1980's.

I remember the first several years I was the scoutmaster back in the early and mid eighties. There were several occasions when I was the only adult leader on a troop activity. In fact, in 1986, I was the only adult adviser of our troop's Philmont crew. I shared a tent with one of the Scouts, as did many adult leaders. Adults and Scouts used the same shower facilities. At the same time. And you know what? No one thought it was wrong! It was normal.

Then the winds of change began to blow. As my troop began to make plans to attend Philmont in 1989, we discovered some of the rules had changed. Two adults would needed with each and every crew. My first reaction to the new policy was "They have got to be out of their mind! Where are we going to find a second adult to attend when we have enough trouble finding adults for our troop's weekend outings?" Then I thought, "Am I not good enough to take the Scouts on outings on my own? Have I not proved myself capable? Am I not trustworthy?"

Yeah, I know, it was stupid to think that and take it personal. Once I sat down and actually thought about this new two deep leadership policy I began to realize this was a smart move by the BSA. I began to think, "What would happen if I was the only adult and something happened to me. What would happen to the boys?" And then I thought about the lawsuits involving a couple scoutmasters who were not trustworthy and had taken advantage of boys in their troop. Yes, I began to agree more and more with the wisdom of two deep leadership.

It is nearly twenty years since that first trip to Philmont. Troop 68 follows the two deep leadership rule for its outings. And yes, there have been times were we have had to cancel an outing or activity because we did not have two adults who could attend. The rules can sometimes be a pain in the neck, but I have come to appreciate them. These policies were created not only to protect the boys, but also the adult leaders. I think they have worked out well.

There are times when I look back to those early days and think that it is a shame that society has changed so much that we have had to add these policies. I hate to say it (because it makes me sound old) but I almost long for the "good old days". Those days seemed to be so much more innocent and carefree then they are now, or is that only the way an "old" scoutmaster remembers them?

A Scoutmaster's Leadership

I came across an old blog about Scouting today. It looks like the blog has not been updated for quite awhile, almost two years now. There is one post I thought you might find interesting though. It is a story about the leadership a scoutmaster provided to the Scouts of his troop, and how that leadership affected the life of one of those Boy Scouts. I suggest you check it out. It can be found at the Genealogy Merit Badge blog.

Getting Older

I began my career as a Boy Scout troop leader early in my life. I was only a few months shy of my twentieth birthday when I became the assistant scoutmaster for Troop 68. Two months after my twenty-first birthday I was appointed the scoutmaster, a position I still hold today. There have been a few unique markers along this highway of my Scouting life that I would like to share with you.

The first marker was when I became the scoutmaster. Suddenly I was "responsible" for the troop. I was not the young assistant scoutmaster any longer who was practically still one of the gang. I was now the adult "figurehead" of Scouting in town. More then anything else, becoming the troop's scoutmaster marked the beginning of my adulthood.

During the eighties the troop began going to Philmont Scout Ranch. I will admit that one of the reasons I stayed on as a scoutmaster is because I wanted to go to Philmont. I went to Philmont in 1986 and 1989 with the Scouts from Melrose. That first decade seemed to go by pretty quickly.

The second marker caught me a little off guard. Boys began joining the troop that were born after I signed on as an assistant scoutmaster. Two years later boys entered Scouting that would come to know me as the only scoutmaster in Melrose during their lifetime. I was beginning to feel old at thirty-one.

The third marker was when I began receiving invitations to weddings of troop alumni. I was even asked to be the best man at one of those weddings.

The fourth marker was when I noticed that the parents of some of the Scouts were younger then I was. Holy cow, I thought. I have been doing this scoutmaster thing for a long time. I was really starting to feel older.

Another marker came along when next generation cousins of former troop members began joining Scouting. In fact, my assistant scoutmaster, who is eighty years old, joined the troop when his youngest son was a Boy Scout. Since then, two of his grandchildren, sons of my assistant's oldest son, have been members of the troop. I have seen three generations of this family involved with the Scout program on some level.

I think the next marker will be when the son of a former Boy Scout joins the troop. That has not happened yet, but it could. While most of the troop members have moved to other cities as they got older, there are a few that have decided to stay in this area. There seems to be more daughters then sons among that small group at the moment. I am thinking it may be time to retire when the first son of a troop member joins the troop. (he writes with a grin on his face.)

Eagle Scout Makes A Difference

Whoever says that one person cannot make a difference obviously has not met Eagle Scout Andrew Larochelle. Check out what he did by reading this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer which was posted on October 12th. It is great to see a Boy Scout making a positive difference in on country.

Confidence

Buffaloeagle, on the Lone Star Scouter blog, has posted an excellent poem about Confidence. I think it would make for a great scoutmaster minute at the end of a troop meeting. Check it out and see what you think about it. Click HERE to read it.

Leadership Styles

There is a post on another Scouting Blog, The Scoutmaster Minute, that has an excellent description on styles of leadership. He writes about the various styles as used in a football team, but they work well with a Boy Scout Troop also. Give the site a visit and check it out HERE.

Scouter Of The Year 1985

Joe Timmins had been the cubmaster of Pack 68 for five years as the year of 1985 began. Two of his boys were already in the Boy Scout troop after their tenure as Cub Scouts, one was currently in Cub Scouting, and one would soon be a member of the pack. Joe was an excellent cubmaster. He was enthusiastic. He was willing to put in the time needed to have a successful pack. He surrounded himself with a good committee. And the boys liked him.

It came as no surprise when I was told that Joe was to receive the district's Scouter of the Year Award at the annual recognition banquet in February. He deserved it. He and the other pack leaders had built up the pack to nearly 50 members in a town of only 3000 people. When asked if I would attend the banquet I did not even have to think about it. I was going to be there to support Joe.

About a dozen of us carpooled to the banquet, including Joe and his wife Carol. I do not think Joe suspected anything. They had told him that someone he knew would be receiving an honor so he was attending to support that other person. The plan was working well.

After the meal they began to present the various awards to leaders from around the district. Then it was time for the Scouter of the Year. The presenter of the award started by talking about the recipient's achievements and community service. It did not take me long to realize he was talking about our cubmaster. Joe was both surprised and honored as he accepted the award. Those of us sitting at the table were wearing ear to ear grins as he sat back down among us.

The presenter began reciting the achievements of a another person who would be receiving the Scouter of the Year. This time it would go to a scoutmaster. It did not take long to realize that the recipient was the 24 year old scoutmaster from my own troop. Me! I was shocked, and very honored, as I walked up to accept the certificate. I had no idea that this would be happening.

The pack and troop committee had told me that I should attend to support Joe. They had told Joe to attend to support me. It was a sneaky but great way to get the two of us to attend the banquet and keep it a secret from each of us.

Reasons To Be An Adult Leader Revisted

As the new program year begins once again for Cub Packs and Scout Troops, I thought it would be time to review a blog post from one year ago. It is called "Ten Reasons To Be An Adult Leader". The article lists ten reasons to become a leader of your pack or troop.

Everyone always seems to have plenty of reasons not to be a leader. I always thought there should be more reasons to become a Scout Leader then reasons to avoid being a leader. After all, these are our kids we are talking about. This is the next generation that (hopefully) will be taking care of us as we get older. If we (the parents and adults of today) do not take the time now to spend the time with our boys and train them to be physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, then who is going to do it? We certainly cannot trust our school systems to do it.

Scouting gives us adults a perfect opportunity to help our youth become good leaders. Scouting teaches our boys many things that will help them throughout their lives. The question is, are we ready to take the challenge? Are you ready to to take on the responsibility? I think it is time that parents, and other concerned adults, take the time to invest into our youth, and quit trying to find reasons not to get involved.

Click HERE to read "Ten Reasons To Be An Adult Leader."

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Last night, when I was checking out a few Scouting related blogs, I had a quick flashback to the early 1990's. BuffaloEagle, at Lone Star Scouter, had posted a list of the eleven skills of leadership. Upon seeing them I was taken back to my Woodbadge training at Camp Stearns.

The skills are:

Communications

Knowing and Using Resources

Understanding the Characteristics and Needs of the Group and Its Members

Planning

Controlling the Group

Effective Teaching

Representing the Group

Evaluating

Sharing Leadership

Counseling

Setting the Example

Buffalo Eagle wrote that these skills were discussed during a COPE course that he attended. I went through COPE nearly ten years ago, but I do not remember discussing these during the course. Maybe we did. I do not remember. I was having too much fun climbing things and riding the zip line.

The Eleven Skills of Leadership. It has been awhile since I have thought about them. Maybe it is time to review them. Now, where did I put my Woodbadge notebook?

An Hour A Week?

If you have been involved with Scouting for any length of time you have probably heard someone say, "It only takes an hour a week." What a joke that is! Just a bit of a misleading line there, huh? Let us take a look at a typical month of Scouting during this scoutmaster's life.

We have three troop meetings a month. At ninety minutes per meeting, plus drive time, plus waiting for parents to pick their boys after the meeting, I can estimate two hours per meeting. Monthly total here is 6 hours.

One committee meeting per month, average of 1.5 hours. One patrol leader council meeting per month, average two hours. One district roundtable meeting each month with drive time to council office, average of three hours. Total of monthly meetings is 6.5 hours each month.

One weekend camping trip per month. The Scouts arrive at 6:00 Friday evening. Parents pick up the last boy at 11:00 Sunday morning. Total hours of camping trip is 41 hours. (Yes, I counted the sleeping hours. I am still in charge of the Scouts, am I not?)

Now, let's add this up. It comes to 53.5 hours during the month. (Keep in mind that this does not include any prep time, fund raising, training, or special activity time yet.) Divide this figure by four weeks per month. Gosh! That comes to an average of 13.75 hours per week.

An hour a week? Not even close! But this demonstration does show that those of us who are scoutmasters can be quite dedicated to the program and the boys. The amazing thing is that I sometimes feel that I am spending more "quality time" with the boys then some of their parents do. What does this say about our society?

Scouting can be a great organization for boys and their parents. It gives them a chance to do some things together. Come on parents! Get involved with that Cub Pack or Boy Scout Troop. Become a committee member, a pack leader, or an assistant scoutmaster.

After all, it only takes an hour a week.
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The Eagle Scoutmaster Conference

Mike called to schedule his scoutmaster conference for the rank of Eagle Scout. I had been looking forward to this call. He had finished his Eagle Project a week earlier, and his merit badges had been completed last May.

It got me thinking about this blog and the article I posted last September about scoutmaster conferences. There are a few additional points that I like to cover during an Eagle conference so I thought I would take the time to share them with you.

One of the first things we do is the uniform inspection. Troop 68 does not require a Scout to be in uniform from hat to socks, but we do require the belt, neck wear, and the shirt with all the patches in their proper place. Just as a person is expected to dress sharply for a job interview I like to see the Scout correctly dressed for his Eagle board of review and court of honor.

The Scout and I will spend several minutes talking about the merit badges he has earned on his way to the Eagle Rank. Which ones were the easiest to earn? The hardest? The most fun? Which ones did he enjoy the most? Which ones taught him the most? Why?

Holding a position of responsibility is a requirement that I like to talk to the Scout about. I not only like him to talk about the position he used for the Eagle Rank, but also discuss the other positions he has held during his tenure as a Scout. Which ones did he enjoy, or maybe not enjoy so much? What has he learned about leadership. Is it easy being a leader?

Of course, we also talk about his Eagle project. Projects seldom go as originally planned. It is interesting to hear about what did not go according to plan, and how the Scout was able to solve the problems that arose. Did he accomplish all his goals? I know the board of reviews will be covering this subject heavily so I try to prepare him during the conference.

My favorite portion of the conference is when the Scout looks back on his years in Scouting. I ask him what have been his favorite activities since joining the troop. What activities did he dislike? What are some of his best memories about Scouting? Who were the people who helped him the most during his years as a Scout? Is there anything he wished he would have done differently?

A scoutmaster needs to ask questions that are open ended, questions that require more then a simple "yes" or "no" answer. The goal is for the Scout to do most of the talking, not the scoutmaster.

As the conference comes to an end we take time to review his Eagle Project Workbook and get all the dates and information correct on his Eagle Application.

I enjoy the Eagle scoutmaster conference. It gives the Scout and myself a chance to really talk about what Scouting has meant to him. For the seventeen year old Scout it is probably the last time we will get to sit and chat about his last six years in Scouting. I just hope it will not be the last time we get to visit and chat. After all, he will soon be going off to college and begin a life on his own.

Eighty Year Old Assistant Scoutmaster

He was already sixty years old when his youngest son became a Boy Scout in Troop 68. When the troop needed an adult to attend a week of summer camp he volunteered his time. This year, Eymard celebrated his nineteenth year of attending summer camp with the Boy Scouts. That becomes truly amazing when you realize that Eymard is now eighty years old.

Eymard was never a Boy Scout as a youth. As one of ten children raised on a central Minnesota farm he never had the chance, or the time, to be a Scout. To tell the truth, I do not think Eymard ever thought about Scouting.

Eymard's son, Peter, joined the troop after a friend talked him into trying it out. Eymard had recently retired from farming and had built a home in Melrose. Peter enjoyed Scouting and it did not take long before Eymard begin helping with activities.

Eymard was 61 years old when he attended a Boy Scout summer camp for the first time, an age at which must men want nothing to do with camping, tents, or a group of teenage boys. Unfortunately, that first summer camp at Crow Wing Scout Reservation was almost Eymard's last week of camp with the troop. The older boys acted so badly and were so lazy that I myself considered resigning as scoutmaster. It was a true sign of Eymard's commitment to the program that he continued to help out at troop functions and became an assistant scoutmaster.

While his son was a member of the troop, Eymard attended various training sessions offered by the district and council. By the time his son retired from Scouting (after earning his Life Rank) Eymard was totally dedicated to the Scouting program. He stayed on as assistant scoutmaster and became the troop chaplain. He continues to attend weekend outings and the annual week-long summer camp regularly.

Eymard has a great time working with the Scouts, and they respect him. He ejoyes helping the younger boys attain the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class. He has fun teaching the Scouts how to cook meals from scratch. If they is a little free time during the day you may find him playing cards with the boys. No Scout of Troop 68 will ever forget eating Eymard's fresh popped buttered popcorn while sitting around the campfire.

Eymard and I have made a good team during these past nineteen years. We value each other's opinions and are always giving each other some good natured teasing. New boys to the troop pick up on this and quickly accept Eymard as one of their friends.

Eymard has received the "Scouter of the Year" award from the Scenic District. He recently commented that he will continue to be active in Scouting for as long as he is able. I look forward to Eymard being an assistant scoutmaster for many years to come. Hopefully, we will be able to celebrate his 100th birthday during one of our court of honors.

Hey Dad! Get out and play!

Several years ago our troop held a weekend camping trip at a public park at Lake Koronis in Minnesota. Activities included swimming, volleyball, football, and a massive water balloon fight. A few fathers attended this activity to provide leadership and transportation. This camp location was so popular that Scouts of all ages were in attendance. We had an excellent turnout.

The outing was a blast! Everyone, Scouts and adults, had a great time. As we sat around the campfire Saturday evening I asked the campers what they liked best about the outing. One of the older Scouts gave me an answer that caught me by surprise, and it is something I have never forgotten. His highlight was when the fathers played football with them (the Scouts). I saw a few other boys nodding their heads in agreement.

That simple statement hit a nerve with me. It suddenly occurred to me how seldom today's teens get to play with their fathers. Teenage boys love to play. It is a part of their nature, part of how they identify themselves, part of how they learn to cooperate with others.

Unfortunately, in today's world, fathers do not seem to have enough time to play with their sons. They work long hours, have more work to do when they get home, and often are too tired in the evening to do much more then sit in front of the television with the kids. Oh, and mom would like a little of his time also. Of course, this assumes that there is a father living at home.

Today's teenage boys are not much better. They spend half of their day in school. Many are involved in school sports or some other extracurricular activity. Some have part time jobs. They need to spend time with their buddies, and maybe even with a girlfriend. Then add video games and the internet into the mixture.

Each generation has their excuses for not spending time with other, which made the impact of the Scout's statement that weekend all that much stronger to me.

Hey Dad! You need to get out and play with your son! He will only be a teenager for several years, years which pass by very quickly. He will soon be leaving to go to college, make a life for himself, and probably start his own family. If you think it is hard to find time to play with him now then just think about how hard it will be once he moves out.

Hey Son! Put down that video game controller, grab a football or basketball, and take your father outside to play. Sure, it may seem like dad has forgotton how much fun it was to have fun and play, and you may need to help him relearn how to be a kid again. He has a lot on his mind but he needs to let it go once in awhile and have fun sometimes too.

This is one reason why I think Scouting is such a great program. Fathers and sons can spend time with each other outdoors and play together. Scouts, you may need to ask you father to join you on an outing or two. Dads, you need to get out of that lawn chair and run around a little. I think I can safely say that it would be a win/win situation for both generations.