A Scoutmaster's Blog

Boy Scout Troop 68, the troop I have been with for over 25 years, has a camp site on some private land about 10 miles north of town that we go to every spring, usually in May, many times over the Memorial Day Weekend. We call it Camp Watchamagumee. It is a camp site that the troop members have made over the years with the permission of the owners of the land. Every year the boys pour a little more sweat into the site to make it a little better then the year before. There is no running water, no plumbing facilities, no electricity, and none of the comforts of home.

It is the boys’ favorite place to go camping.

It is a site where the boys can go and just be boys, just be Scouts. We need to bring everything in with us, including water, but no one seems to mind. The view over the beaver pond is beautiful, and there are plenty of trees and brush to help cut down on the stronger winds that could be a nuisance. (You can see pictures of it on our website at www.melrosetroop68.org.)

Some day I may have to write about how this campsite was developed, but not today. Today I write about what has become a grand tradition at Camp Watchamagumee – The Great Egg Drop Competition!

The egg drop competition began many years ago as an activity for Saturday afternoon. The boys form two or three member teams. Each team is given one raw egg, although there was once or twice when we gave them two eggs. No hard boiled eggs are allowed. Each team must “package” the egg using only materials found in nature around the camping area of Watchamagumee. No man-made materials are allowed. The packages must be made so the egg can be easily removed for inspection after each drop.

At the end of the “packaging” period, the boys bring their packaged eggs to the drop zone. Then the dropping begins. The first round of dropping begins at waist level. After the drop, each team must open the package and display the egg. If the egg survived the drop the team proceeds to the next round. Teams are not allowed to add to the packaging, or modify the package, once the competition has begun. The next drop is from shoulder high, and each round of dropping gets higher until finally one team emerges as victorious.

It has been very interesting to see how the teams package their eggs over the years. They will use leaves, sticks, birch bark, long grasses, and mud. They can be quite ingenious. Some packages look like they would win the competition, only to loose in the second round. Others look like they could not possibly make it through the first round, only to make it all the way to the final rounds.

And boy, do they make them strong! There have been times when I stood on the floor of a lashed tower, ten feet above ground, throwing the packages onto a jagged tree stump below me, trying my best to break those eggs. Being a scoutmaster can be so rough at times.

The best part is that we never know who will win. Sometimes the oldest, most experienced Scouts will take the prize. But then, the next year, the newest and youngest Scouts who have never competed before will take home the title.

It will be interesting to see who wins this weekend. Hmmmm…the signal tower is down. Anyone know where I can borrow a twelve foot step ladder?

Last weekend I was at the Naguonabe Lodge spring Conclave. The candidates from my troop went through their ordeal to become members of the Order of the Arrow. While they were busy with their projects it gave me a chance to work with other adult leaders on one project and time to visit them.

It also gave me time to reflect on how the organization has changed during the last twenty years. Oh, the basic ideas are still there such as helping out the troop, promoting camping, and service to others. I was thinking more about the ceremonies and the ordeal itself.

I remember in the mid-seventies, when I was a Boy Scout, that it was almost frightening to be called-out at summer camp. The “Indians” would plow their way through the crowd standing around the council fire ring, practically pick up the candidate by the arms, and then nearly drag him to the front to meet with the chief and his assistants. The chosen one would get slammed on the shoulders as he was presented to the lodge officers. My heart was pounding rapidly one year when they shoved their way through the crowd to me. They chose a scoutmaster who was standing behind me. I was relieved that they did not grab me, but at the same time I thought it would be nice to be chosen.

I was finally nominated to become an OA member after I was a scoutmaster for several years in 1986 (I think). And I soon noticed things had changed since I was a Boy Scout.

The first difference was that instead of standing around the fire ring we now sat around it, on benches! There was no more plowing through the crowd to get the candidates. Now, the names were called out and the candidate stepped up to the opening to the council ring. From there he was escourted to the chief and lodge officers. There was no more shoulder slamming with the outstretched arm. It was now shoulder tapping. Things had become a lot less frightening, and a lot more friendly.

Of course, the night I was called out we candidates stood there in a rain storm and were soaked to the skin, and cold. The ceremony was pretty short that night. It was definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Over the years I have noticed that the ceremonies have been toned down to the point where I am beginning to think of the ceremonies as pretty wussy compared to the past. During my ordeal we were not allowed to speak. We were told three strikes and you were out! I never saw any Scout get booted out of the ordeal but you can be sure the candidates took the threat seriously. Lately, even though candidates are told to be quiet I do see a lot of the speaking and whispering to each other.

Lastly, I remember as a youth that the Order of the Arrow was very secretive. You needed to be an OA member to know what happens at the ordeal weekend. Very hush hush stuff. Of course, now we tell the boys they will not be eating very much for breakfast and lunch, they will be sleeping under the stars the first night, and they will be working their butts off for a good portion of the day. I suppose this change was made to keep it from sounding like some sort of hazing ritual.

Over all, I think the changes made were for the better. But you know, I still think a little mystery can be a fun thing.

(This is the second of a two part post.)

In September, 1981, it was time for a special troop committee meeting to decide what to do about the scoutmaster who was not doing his job satisfactory. The district executive had been invited to the meeting for his input and ideas. The meeting was held at a local restaurant. I attended but I had to leave early to go to the Cub Pack’s committee meeting. (I was planning to become the Webelos den leader.)Nothing had been decided by the troop committee before I left.

On the way home from the Cub Pack meeting I noticed that a couple of the troop committee members were still there chatting. I stopped in to find out what had been decided.I was surprised when they told me they had decided to dismiss the current scoutmaster. I did not realize at that time that that could be done, but they were told by the district executive that that was one option.

The second thing they told me surprised me even more.They had appointed me as the new scoutmaster! They had not even asked me! I had turned 21 two months earlier in July so I was now qualified.Well, I was not sure I was ready for this position, but I agreed to take it.I also had to call back the Cubmaster and tell him that I would not be able to take the Webelos den leader position.

I felt proud of myself to be a 21 year old scoutmaster.My ego was riding high until the Scouts found out about it.For some reason that I have yet to really determine, almost one third of the troop membership quit after I took the role.I tell you that brought the ego back down to where it needed to be pretty fast.

During the next years we worked hard to bring a quality program to the troop. The membership grew and the troop thrived.

Recently, troop membership is down due to difficulties that the Cub Pack has been having.I have been teasing the Boy Scouts that I would stay as scoutmaster at least until September, even if the troop roster continues to shrink. “Why September?” they ask. “Because then I will have my 25 years in as scoutmaster and I can retire”, I tell them with a smile on my face.

The first year of our nearly started troop went pretty well. We had a full committee, a scoutmaster, a couple of assistant scoutmasters, and a decent size group of Scouts, about 15-20. Our troop leaders had taken some training. We had done a few outings, including a council event at Camp Ripley National Guard Base, and a canoe trip down the river that runs through town. We even had a plan for the next few months. Yep, things were looking good.

Toward the end of 1980 our scoutmaster, John, gave his notice of resignation for the end of January, 1981. He was one of the few policemen our town had at the time and being the scoutmaster just was not working out very well with the hours he was putting in. We all understood his problem. Thus, the end of January arrived, and Troop 68 no longer had a scoutmaster. In other words, no one had stepped up to the plate yet.

I was only 20 years old when John resigned, so I could not be the scoutmaster. The other assistant scoutmasters did not want the job either. No member of the committee stepped forward. So, we went on without a scoutmaster. That is, until the council found out. The council made it clear that there would be a scoutmaster or they would pull our charter. Well, that got a little action. George, our committee chairman, decided to step down from his post and “temporarily” take the job as scoutmaster.

George was scoutmaster for only a couple months when the committee found someone they thought would be a great candidate for the job. A new chiropractor, Don, had moved into town, and he had earned the Eagle Scout rank as a Boy Scout. The troop signed him up as scoutmaster right away.

At first, things went well. But the Monday night meetings did not fit Don’s schedule well so he changed them to Tuesday nights. Unfortunately, that created problems with high school sports. As the month’s continued we began to see less and less of Don at troop functions. It finally got to the point were I, the assistant scoutmaster, was actually doing the work of scoutmaster. I will never forgot the night that Don invited me out to dinner to get an update on the troop because he had lost track of what was going on.

By this time, the committee was quite frustrated. They did not know what they could do about the situation so they called in the district executive for a special meeting.

(To be continued…..)

It was a beautiful evening in Melrose on that April day in 1980. A great day to get a few friends together, meet at the city park, and play some ball. I was nineteen years old, almost done with tech college, and was lucky enough to find a full time job, and a place to rent, in my hometown.

We had been playing ball for a little while when I noticed some young boys taking down a tent on the other side of the park. “Could that be a Boy Scout group?” I asked myself. There had not been a troop in town for at least 4 or 5 years. I had been a Boy Scout for a few years when I was in my mid teens and enjoyed it. I had thought about joining a troop as an adult leader after finishing college. Maybe this was my chance.

I walked over to the small group packing up the tent and talked to the adult leader, who also happened to be a policeman in town. He admitted that he was the scoutmaster of the newly formed troop. In fact, the troop was only a few months old. I asked if he needed any help? He was no idiot so he took me up on my offer. I became an assistant scoutmaster.

Little did I realize that I would still be involved with that troop 25 years later.

During the last 25 years I have seen a lot of boys come and go in Scouting. I have formed strong friendships with some of the boys that have continued into their adult lives. I have gone on many trips with the Scouts, including several trips to Philmont Scout Ranch. I have participated in many training sessions, have trained other leaders, and made many friends with other leaders.

With this blog I plan to write about some of my experiences and share some of the things I have noted and felt over those years. I invite your comments and would like to hear from you.

Steve B
Scoutmaster, Troop 68