A Scoutmaster's Blog

To tell the truth, I have no idea why I have been on a string of Scouting in Comics this last week. But I have enjoyed it, and I get a feeling that many of you who read this blog have enjoyed these posts too. That being said, I have two more things to add to the “comics” list.

I came across this today on eBay. Someone is auctioning a comic book in which Casper, the friendly Ghost, becomes a Cub Scout. It is a 1975 special edition to celebrate the BSA’s 65th anniversary. I would not mind bidding on the comic book since it has a starting bid of only $1.99. However, the postage price is pretty steep at $5.60. It really should not cost more then $1.50 to ship a comic book. Besides, now that I have told you all about it, it will probably go for over $150.00. (smiles to myself)

After all, I have seen what can happen when I post something. I wrote about the nine plush Beagle Scout Snoopy’s for sale on Amazon. I bought two right away for 3.99 apiece. Good thing I did. The next day, when I thought I should buy a couple more to use as gifts, I noticed all the cheap ones were gone and I would have to pay more for the next ones I bought. I looked again as I was writing this article and noticed there are now only two left. Coincidence? I think not!

The second thing about comics that came to mind today is that Superman has been called a Boy Scout many times. It was done in the comic books, in the movies, and even in the newest incarnation on television, Smallville. Unfortunately, it is usually said when people are making fun about Superman or Clark Kent. You know, who cares? Superman is a great role model. I am glad that even though Superman never was a Boy Scout, people regard his trustworthiness, loyalty, and bravery as Boy Scout attributes.

Well, this is probably the last post about this topic. I hope you have enjoyed it. Don’t forget to leave a comment and enter this month’s drawing.

In the last blog post I wrote about Snoopy, the Beagle Scout. I think it is great to see Scouting in this type of media. Innocent, yet very entertaining. Charles Schulz did a great job of touching our funny bone with this favorite Peanuts character. But it was not the only time Scouting has been a part of a major comic strip.

There was once a young boy named Calvin. His best friend was a tiger by the name of Hobbes. For a short time Calvin decided to join a Cub Scout pack and go out for an overnight hike. Calvin quickly discovered that Scouting was not his favorite type of activity. Why, there was no place to plug in the microwave he had brought along. Nope, Calvin and Hobbes would rather spend their days exploring strange new worlds, or playing a rough and tumble game of Calvinball. You can see some of the Calvin the Cub Scout comics here!

The picture I used for this post is Mickey Mouse dressed in a Boy Scout-like uniform. I do not remember where I collected this picture from. I do not know the story behind it. I did a quick search in Google for “boy scout mickey mouse” and did not come up with much. Drop me a line if you know the story behind the picture.

Then, of course, there is Garfield. In 2000-2001 Garfield’s creator allowed the fat cat to be used to help promote Cub Scouting. I have not heard anything about how well the promotion went, but I do have my patches of Garfield the Cub Scout that I received at the 2001 National Jamboree.

Well, that wraps up what I currently know about Scouting showing up in popular comic strips here in the USA. I am sure there are other cases of this occurring, but I can not think of any other at the moment.

**Drawing update – So far only two people have entered the drawing for the dvd of Scouting promotional films. If you wish to qualify for the drawing then look back for a previous post about the rules.

If you are a reader of this blog, or a follower of the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast, then you know who Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, is. Buttons has starred in several videos that can be found online at Troop 68’s website and on Youtube. He seems to have gained a small following out in internet land.

Today, Buttons was a guest on a special edition of the Akela’s Adventure audio podcast. The hosts of the podcast, Mr. Bob and his son Ti, have been spending the week at Cub Scout Day Camp. They are posting a special podcast each day this week covering the different activities they participate in doing during the day. Buttons joined them on tonight’s episode and asked Ti, who happens to be a fan of Buttons, about his day at camp. They chatted about the different activities and the skits and songs performed during the day’s campfire program. It sounds like both Ti and Mr. Bob had a great time at camp.

Buttons would like to thank Mr. Bob for inviting him to be on the Akela’s Adventure podcast. The radical Boy Scout had a great time talking to Ti, and hopes they can do it again sometime.

Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, is a puppet that was given to me by my parents one year in the 1980’s. I played with it for awhile, even brought it along on a few Scout functions. It was a fun puppet to have around. Kids loved it. Adults thought it was cute.

The hardest thing about using the puppet was not playing with it or making it do things. That comes easy to me. The hardest thing about Buttons was coming up with a voice for him. It had to be a voice that fit his looks. I also realized that the voice would also play a major role in the type of personality that Buttons would have. After playing around with several voices, and rejecting most of them, I finally decided on a deep throat-style voice based on a surfer-type dude’s way of talking.

Buttons has never been the same since. The voice defined his personally like I thought it would. Suddenly this puppet became alive. Kids would howl with laughter. Adults would smile, and even giggle once in a while. But there was a price to pay for using that voice. It was very hard on my throat, and I could usually only say a few sentences at a time as Buttons.

When I did the first videos with Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, they were short videos. I wanted to see how the puppet looked, how the voice worked, and if he would look real enough to pass what I wanted to accomplish. After viewing the videos I was pleased with what I saw. I began to expand the videos, and take Buttons away from the den. He toured my family room, went around town filming in parks and at school. People saw these videos and enjoyed them.

It was time to take Buttons to the next level. It was time for him to perform with a live person. Michael is the Cub Scout brother of one of my Boy Scouts.
When he saw a video of Buttons the first time he broke out laughing and could not stop. I thought it might be fun to try doing a video in which he would have to interact with the puppet. I knew he would have a tough time trying to keep a straight face, but to tell the truth, I did not want him to be too serious.

This podcast video is the first video in which Buttons shares the limelight with Michael, the radical Cub Scout. Michael tries to teach Buttons the Cub Scout Promise. And tries, and tries. Buttons proves to be a slow learner. Michael has a hard time not giggling. It has become the most popular video featuring Buttons, the radical Boy Scout.

Watch it HERE on our troop’s website, or download the PODCAST, and then leave a comment about it. Thanks for watching.

Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has almost learned the Cub Scout Promise from Michael, the Cub Scout, in the newest video. This time the two get sidetracked and start talking about long hair and hockey. This is the third video featuring Buttons and Michael.

The video can be seen at
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOW_kXbrjpc
or
Troop 68’s web site: http://melrosetroop68.org/videos.html

Thank you for watching the videos. We hope to be making new ones this spring when the weather gets nicer as we take Buttons out into the campgrounds with the Boy Scouts. Leave a message and let me know what you think of them.

The latest of the videos featuring Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has been posted. He is still trying to learn the Cub Scout Promise from Michael, the radical Cub Scout. Unfortunately, Buttons is not the brightest Cub in the Pack. I am sure you will get a chuckle or two from this, the second video of this series.

You can see it at:
http://melrosetroop 68.org/videobutt onsCub2.html
or
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=YCTPDokPBnw
(If you watch it on youtube be sure to leave a comment and rate it.)

Thank you to everyone who has watched the first of the Cub Scout Promise videos. It has
become one of the most popular videos I have made. Between the two sites it has been
watched over 1000 times during the last 2 1/2 weeks.

Yes, I was a Boy Scout. For three and one half years I was a member of Troop 68 in Melrose, Minnesota. The troop had about a dozen members or so, divided into two patrols, the Falcons and the Cougars.

I am the oldest of three brothers. My brothers were Cub Scouts. Unfortunately, when I was Cub Scout age there was not an active pack in town. However, I did get to participate in a couple Webelos den activities with my brother Dan. At the time I wished I could be a Scout.

About the time when Dan’s den was ready to graduate into Boy Scouting a troop was formed in town. I joined the troop right away. I started out as the oldest member of the troop at 13 years old. The rest of the troop members were 11 or 12 years old. It did not take long for me to become the senior patrol leader, a position I held for most of the years I was in Scouting.

I have forgotten more about my time as a Scout then I remember. I am sure there are a few things best left unremembered. But there are also a few things I will never forget.

I remember going to summer camp for three years at Parker Scout Reservation. Two of those years were spent at the Bear Skin campsite. We (all the campers) would sing songs before supper in the dining hall. I earned pioneering merit badge although I had a lot of trouble trying to learn how to splice ropes. I saw a skunk and it’s little ones for the first time as it crossed the trail on my way back to the campsite. I remember one afternoon when my fellow troop members and I sat in a tent and discussed things that were important to us at the time, including the existence of God. I remember one patrol event which involved getting the patrol up into a tree as fast as possible. Friday night campfires were great, and my troop even performed a skit at one which involved Dracula, the werewolf, the mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster, but I don’t remember what it was about anymore. In other words, I had fun at summer camp.

One year my scoutmaster wanted everyone to wear his uniform to school for Scout Day. At the time, I was the only student in the high school who was a Boy Scout. I knew I would be the only boy in school wearing that uniform, but I wore it because I was proud to be a Boy Scout.

I prepared myself for the snide comments I expected to receive in school, but they never came. No one made fun of me and my uniform, at least not to my face. In fact, I had people asking me about the patches on my shirt and what they represented.

As the scoutmaster of that same troop today, I do not ask the boys to wear their uniform to school. Society has changed somewhat during the last 30 years. But you know, when you stop and think about it, Scouting is as much fun today as it was back then. Don’t cha think?

The first of the four new videos featuring Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has been posted. This one features a of troop member’s brother trying to teach Buttons the Cub Scout Promise. Of course, things do not go as planned, and hairy issues arise. The other three videos will be posted in the weeks to come.

You can view it in two places….
http://melrosetroop68.org/videobuttonsCub1.html
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMLSNj4UHFE

All the videos are of Michael, the Cub Scout, trying to teach Buttons the Cub Scout Promise. The plan was to only make one video. We did four takes, thinking to edit them into one good video. However, each of the four takes ended up having their own style, even though each one covers the Cub Scout Promise. So, keep a watch out as I post all four versions. I will probably post them about 2-3 weeks apart.