A Scoutmaster's Blog

Our local community access television station, Mel-TV, and Boy Scout Troop 68 have worked together during the last 23 years to provide programming about local Scouting. Courts of honor, troop outings, and Laughs For Lunch Shows were regular features. It was a great way to keep Scouting in the public eye.

Due to recent budget cuts Mel-TV closed its doors on December 31, 2010, and the channel went black. I was a member of the board of directors for twenty years but retired one year before the decision was made to close the station. I had invested hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to the station and programming. I was sorry to see it close down. It was a great asset to the community.

During the last six months of 2010 the board of directors began the process of shutting things down. Some of the thousands of video tapes and dvd’s were given to another local television station, but most of them went to the Melrose Area Historical Society. The equipment was divided among several local organizations. The Boy Scout troop was offered some things. We ended up with a set of lights, a tripod, a microphone and stand, and the music library.

Monday evening, during the troop meeting, a member of the Mel-TV board walked in and handed me an envelope. He explained that the remaining funds needed to be distributed to various non-profit organizations. I joked with him about getting a new iPad 2. He asked how much one would cost. When I told him he replied that there was enough to buy one. Imagine my surprise when I opened the envelope and found a check for $1000.00.

This donation to the troop comes at a great time. The committee has been talking about replace some of our twenty year old equipment. This check will go a long way toward doing that very thing.

As for the iPad 2? I do not think that would be the best use of this donation. Sorry about that Mr. Jobs.

I know the 2010 National Jamboree is now a part of history, but there is a video posted by the Boy Scouts of America that packs a lot of activities into a minute long video. It is called “Dear Mom”, and it is this week’s featured video. Watch it and let us know what you think of it.

100 Days Of Scouting: Day 29 .

If you have been following me on this blog, you know I like to collect Scouting patches. On this Memorabilia Monday I would like to present my collection of Order of the Arrow lodge patches. Of course, I am not going to show the whole collection. I will highlight just a few of them.

I began collecting OA patches shortly after going through my Ordeal in the mid 1980’s. I belong to the Naguonabe Lodge of the Central Minnesota Council. Collecting patches is somewhat of a challenge for me because my lodge frowns upon trading our lodge patches. Of course, this makes them highly tradable since there are very few Scouts within the lodge that will trade them, including me. Luckily, the lodge does design special “tradable” lodge patches for special activities like National Jamborees and Conclaves.

My collection includes regular Order of the Arrow lodge patches from across the country and special National Jamboree patches from the 2001 National Jamboree. (I was the scoutmaster of one of the two council troops that attended that year.) The collection has been growing slowly. Usually, I only get to add a few patches a year. But grow it does. Someday, maybe I will have a large collection to fill a couple three ring binders. Time will tell.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 28 .

I sat down with Dakota, the troop’s next Eagle Scout, this weekend to begin work on the slideshow presentation that will be shown at his court of honor next month. We quickly discovered this was not going to be as easy as past slideshows. In fact, it was going to take awhile to put this one together.

Dakota joined the troop about the same time that I switched to digital photography and left film behind. That means I have a lot more photographs of Dakota than any other Troop 68 Eagle Scout to date. In the past, I would have several dozen pictures to pick from. With Dakota, I had over 800! By the time we finished narrowing down the number we still had ninety pictures that would be good to use in the slideshow. Past slideshows only used 30-50 pictures. Previous slideshows were 3 to 5 minutes long. This one would be a lot longer if we were to use them all.

I left the final decision to Dakota. After all, it was his court of honor. He really did not want to drop any of the photos. Okay then, it was time to choose the music. I thought he would choose a couple country songs for the presentation but he surprised me when the first song he picked was a song by KISS, Rock And Roll All Nite. The second song he choose was Young, by Kenny Chesney. These two songs gave us nearly seven minutes, but since I like to transition the photographs to the beat of the songs I realized this would not be enough. We needed one more short tune. Dakota started looking through the song collection and surprised me one more time when he chose Bird is the Word, by The Trashmen.

Three completely different songs within one Eagle Scout slideshow presentation! I shook my head. I did not know how this was going to turn out but Dakota seemed to think it would provide a few laughs for the audience. I could not argue with that.

Over the next one couple hours, with Dakota sitting next to me, I began to edit the slideshow. It is finished except for the last picture, a photo of Dakota in his Scout uniform. I have to say, even though the presentation will be about ten minutes long, I think it is going to keep the audience’s attention. It will provide a few giggles.

Dakota has decided that only he and I will see the slideshow before the court of honor. Even his parents will have to wait. I hope everyone enjoys it. I plan to post it to the Melrose Scout Production Podcast next month, after the ceremony.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 27 .

Boy Scouts will do a lot of things for the first time. It could be the first time tying a bowline, or the first time climbing a wall, or the first time away from home for a whole weekend. Even adult leaders will do many new things for the first time. Most of the time these “first times” are so enjoyable that the boys cannot wait for the “second time”.

I have been surprised when Scouting introduces the boys to a game that they have never played even though it has been around for generations. It makes me think that sometimes the boys need to get out of the house more often.

For example, I have been playing disc golf for decades. I find it to be fun, challenging, and a great way to get some exercise. The first time I suggested to the troop that we play disc golf at summer camp I received quite a few “what are you talking about?” expressions from the boys. I explained the rules to the Scouts and we have been playing the game ever since.

Two Boy Scout camps that we attend, Camp Stearns and Many Point Scout Camp, have disc golf courses. If we spend a weekend somewhere without a course we will create our own. Last year, we played nine holes in the winter while wearing snowshoes. It was the first time many of us had worn snowshoes.

Another “first time” game was while the troop was staying at Camp Stearns one winter weekend. I suggested to the boys that we play broomball. The Scouts had never heard of the game but were willing to give it a try. They had a great time playing it and it is now a part of our winter outing every year.

As a scoutmaster, I always enjoy the moments when I have a chance to introduce the Boy Scouts to something new. When you look back at your own Scouting career, what were some of the games that you introduced to your Boy Scouts for the first time?

100 Days Of Scouting: Day 25.

Wow! I never expected to see something like this posted to Youtube by the BSA. But I think it is very well done. Welcome to Patrol Z, an action comic strip to promote the next Jamboree at The Summit. This video kicks off a program by the BSA to recruit Scouts with tech savvy skills. According to the Patrol Z website:

“WANTED:MULTIMEDIA, WEB-SAVVY SCOUTS

The Summit needs campfire stories. Digital ones. And we need you to tell them online. Scouts with skills – making videos, producing quality photos, writing blog posts. Designers and web developers, too.

We’re putting together a team. That’s Patrol Z.”

Do you have what it takes to be a member of Patrol Z? For more information check out the site at https://summit.scouting.org/en/PatrolZ/Pages/default.aspx
But in the meantime watch the video below. (As I write this the video has received 338 views.)

What do you think about this idea?

100 Days Of Scouting: Day 24

It is the fourth week of 100 Days of Scouting. That means it is time for another trivia quiz about Boy Scouting, based on the 1984 edition of the Boy Scout Handbook. Will you do better this week then you have with the previous quizzes? I guess we will have an answer to that question a few minutes from now. Today’s questions come from the “People and Places” section of the Scout Mania trivia book. (Keep in mind that these questions were based on the 1984 edition of the Boy Scout Handbook. This is important to keep in mind as you take this quiz.) Good Luck!

1) What is the name of the entity charged with operating a pack, troop, or post?

2) From what did Lord Baden-Powell develop the Scout Motto and Scout Law?

3) What famous Scouting artist was awarded the Silver Buffalo?

4) Which President was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award?

5) Who sits on the patrol leader council?

6) How many national High Adventure Base Camps are available to Scouts and Explorers?

7) How many people make up a good wilderness backpacking crew?

8 ) Who is the only man designated Chief Scout Citizen?

9) What is the maximum number of people in a group for a wilderness expedition?

10) What group is responsible for the troop’s welfare?

That brings this ten question quiz to a close.

I hope you studied this time,

after all, you want to look good in front of the Scouts.

Don’t you?

Even a little bit?

Okay then, here are the answers.

Hopefully, you get at least seven correct.

This time.

1) A chartered organization.
2) The Knight’s Code.
3) Norman Rockwell.
4) Gerald Ford
5) Senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, patrol leaders, scoutmaster.
6) Five.
7) Four.
8 ) Theodore Roosevelt
9) Eight to ten, including one adult. (Remember, this was before two deep leadership.)
10) The troop committee.

How did you do this week? Leave a comment and let us know.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 23.

This entry to the YouTube Tuesday Boy Scout video was actually placed online two year ago. It features Boy Scout Troop 80 singing their song about root beer to the Cub Scout Scout pack. I had never heard this before and got a chuckle out of it so I thought I would share it with you.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 22.