A Scoutmaster's Blog

Wow! I was surprised to see that my new venture, Melrose Scout Productions Podcast (MSPP), has already been accepted by the iTunes Store to be listed under it’s podcast heading. It only took two days to get listed. I did not think I would hear from them for at least a week.

This means that it will now be easy for people to download the videos about Scouting that I have made over the years. Anyone can watch them on their computers any time or put them on their iPods to take with them wherever they go. It gives me as a video producer another outlet, besides Youtube, to get these films out to the pubic. And, unlike the videos on Youtube, I can make these videos longer then ten minutes. No more breaking videos into two parts!

The worst part of this is that the videos need to be transferred to another format, and that I had to learn a little html/xml, something I once vowed that I would never do. Oh well, times change and I guess that I have to change with them, at least a little.

I want to thank Mr. Bob of the “A Cub Scouting Adventure” for his assistance in getting this set up. You can see his blog here. I would also like to thank Dave H. for providing the server space to post these videos. Dave has also been a great help in setting up our troop’s website. And last, but not least, I wish to thank all the Scouts over the years who are the participants in the videos you will be seeing posted on the new podcast. If they would not have participated in the filming of these videos then you would not be seeing them.

In case you have not noticed already, this blog will now serve two functions. One, it is still my blog to write about my thoughts about Scouting. And two, it will serve as a place to post show notes for the videos on the podcast. Gosh, I guess that gives you two reasons to check on the blog every once in awhile.

Yo dude! That’s right, this is the second entry in this new podcast. And the name is now Melrose Scout Productions Podcast, not the Buttons Presents name. I wanted a name to cover all the videos I plan to put on this podcast, not only the Buttons videos.

This entry is once again about Buttons trying to recite the Scout Oath. That’s right, TRYING to recite it. It makes the same mistake that thousands of Boy Scouts have made over the years and starts to recite the Scout Law.

By the way, how do you like the logo for Melrose Scout Productions Podcast?

Here is the link to this podcast:
http://melrosetroop68.org/QTmov/ButtonsMessesUp.m4v

With the help of Mr. Bob, I am trying to set up a video podcast on iTunes. Unfortunately, I am not very smart when it comes to this type of thing. I have spent the evening trying to get the links up but the files are not working. The first file will be Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, reciting the Scout Oath. Oh well, I just have to keep trying I guess.

Hmmmm…. Maybe it is working. Here is the video:
http://melrosetroop68.org/QTmov/ButtonsScoutOath.m4v

It seems the ACLU is still filing lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America. This latest case was actually the ACLU filing a case against the Department of Defense, trying to stop the BSA from having the National Jamboree at Fort AP Hill.

Here is an excerpt from the statement from the BSA:

    "The United States Congress has found that the military's logisticalsupport for the National Scout Jamboree is an incomparable trainingopportunity for our armed forces. The Jamboree requires the construction,maintenance, and disassembly of a "tent city" capable of supporting tens ofthousands of people for a week or longer.  Nevertheless, the ACLU sued the Department of Defense in 1999 over itssupport for the Jamboree. In 2005, a federal district court in Chicagoconcluded the Jamboree statute (10 U.S.C. section 2554) wasunconstitutional under the Establishment Clause because Scouting has anonsectarian "duty to God" requirement. DoD appealed the district court'sinjunction against military support under that statute for the 2010Jamboree.  In today's ruling, the federal Court of Appeals in Chicago reversed thedistrict court's decision, concluding that the taxpayers named as theplaintiffs in the lawsuit did not have standing to sue DoD in the firstplace."

I would like to thank Fred Goodwin for posting this link in a Scout forum that I belong to. I think it is time to stop the ACLU from filing such frivolous lawsuits and wasting taxpayer’s money. I do not understand why the ACLU has such a problem with the BSA, an organization that has been great for this country for ninety years.

Here is a great story from MSNBC that you should read. It features Boy Scout, James Calderwood, who has attained all 122 merit badges. When only two to four percent of all Scouts ever reach the rank of Eagle Scout, finding a Boy Scout who attains all the merit badges is a rare thing indeed. You can read the article at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17902427/
(The picture is from the MSNBC article.)

Update – The article has been removed from the website.

The following is an excerpt from the journal I wrote about my first trek to Philmont Scout Ranch in 1986. I was 26 at the time, a scoutmaster for nearly five years. This portion of the journal tells about two of my favorite memories of that first trip – coming face to face with a rattle snake and getting lost.

The journal can be read at
http://melrosetroop68.org/High%20Adventure%20Journals/Philmont86.1.html

“We headed northwest, toward Stone Wall Pass. Stone Wall Pass is so named because it is a trail located between two mesas that has a two foot high stone wall built along one side of it. The story of the wall states that a single man built the wall, and went crazy while he was doing it.

Gerry was leading the way as we hiked along the pass. I was at the end of the line. We were all talking and having a grand old time watching the scenery and taking it all in when Gerry stopped dead in his tracks. He stopped so suddenly that we ran into each other before we knew what was happening.

Everyone started talking and chewing Gerry out until we found the reason for the sudden stop. A rattlesnake had been lying on the trail. Gerry saw it as he got within a couple of steps of it. As the crew ran into each other he was pushed closer to it then he had ever hoped to come to one. Meanwhile, the snake had only one thing on its mind. It decided to get off the trail and hide within the stone wall.

No one moved. We had all heard the stories of being bit by a rattler and no one wanted to risk being a victim by going past that part of the trail. I worked my way to the front of the line to take a look for myself. The snake had crawled into the stone wall. I could see it and it could see me. I also noticed that there were several stones stacked between it and the trail. Realizing that it was probably more frightened of us then we were of it, and that it was not coiled and ready to strike, I said, “Come on,” and started walking.

Gerry stayed with me walking down the far side of the trail. Then the others followed. Soon we were back in line. Gerry was once again in the lead and I reclaimed my position at the end of the line.

Suddenly, three whistle blasts were heard from the front of the line. Everyone’s heart stopped. Three blasts meant danger, perhaps even another rattler! “Caterpillar,” Gerry yelled as he pointed to the ground. I broke out laughing. The rest of the group however were ready to kill Gerry. Luckily for him they were able to control themselves.

The view that was spread out before us as we came out of the woods was almost enough to make you wish you could stay and absorb all its beauty so that you would never forget it. The trail before us stretched through a grassy meadow. From there it lead to Lover’s Leap Camp. In the background was a small mountain range. In that range was seated the Tooth Of Time.

The trail from Lover’s Leap Camp to Miner’s Park Camp is a fairly short and easy hike. Short, that is, if you find the proper trail to take. We checked out the map to see which was the right trail and continued on our way.

After a mile and a half of hiking we came to a fork in the trail. There was not supposed to be a fork in this trail. We stopped to think this about this problem. It had seemed as we were hiking that we were not heading in the right direction. None of the terrain seemed to fit what our map had showed us. Another clue that we were in the wrong place was the trail signs that read “Bear’s Cave” and “Crater Lake”. We were about a mile south of were we should have been. “This is great,” I thought. The first day on our own and we are already off target.

When we arrived back at Lover’s Leap Camp we looked all over for the trail we were supposed to be taking, but we could not find it anywhere. We examined the map again. The trail that we could not find seemed to cross a road about a half of a mile east of the camp. We decided to hit the road.

We arrived at Miner’s Park Camp exhausted. Our easy five mile hike had turned into an eight mile ordeal.”

Boy Scout Troop 68 of Melrose held it’s first court of honor of 2007 on Monday, March 26, at the Melrose City Hall meeting rooms. Over seventy percent of the troop’s membership received awards during the celebration. The award ceremony began the presentation of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance. The “Climbing the Ladder To Eagle” opening was followed by the invocation given by the troop’s chaplain Eymard.

Roundtables need to meet a few requirements if you want Scout leaders to attend them. They need to be informative. They need to offer worthwhile training. They need to offer a wide variety of topics, not just the same old thing year after year. They need to offer something for the new leaders, and something for the experienced crowd. But most of all, they need to be fun!

I have attended many good roundtables, and many boring ones. Any meeting that expects me to sit there for ninety minutes listening to a lecture is NOT a good meeting in my book. If that speaker is someone with a monotone voice that likes to drone on and on then I will be fidgeting in my seat.

I know the national office publishes meeting suggestions for roundtables. I also know that not every roundtable staff uses them. Sometimes the national suggestions are not compatible with a district’s agenda. It does not matter if the staff uses the nation book or makes their own agendas, but they need to make the meetings worthwhile for adult leaders to take the time out of their own busy schedules. Otherwise do not expect people to show up to fill those chairs. Here are my suggestions for a decent roundtable.

First of all, have an opening and a closing ceremony. Use different ones every month. Give the pack and troop leaders new ideas to take back to their units. Keep in mind that when you use and opening and closing ceremonies you “actually” bring the meeting to a start and an end just like a troop meeting.

Try to offer at least two topics per monthly meeting, something for the new leaders and something for the old timers. You can either break the meeting into two halves, each half covering one topic, or break the group into two groups, one covering each topic. Be sure to invite speakers who are knowledgeable in the topic.

Play a game part way through the meeting. Yeah, that is right. A game! Expecting men to sit there for ninety minutes is the equivalent of torture. A short ten minute game lets everyone get up, stretch, and burn a few calories. It clears the cobwebs that may have started to form in the mind. Keep the game simple and something that could be used during a troop or pack meeting with the boys. Remember, we are at the roundtable to learn things to take back to the troops. Oh, and make sure the game is fun!

Before the closing ceremony spend a few minutes with any announcements. And do not forget to recognize any accomplishments achieved since the last roundtable. Yes, adults like to be recognized also, just like the boys, even if the recognition may be for something silly.

There, now you have my recommendations for a good roundtable. After these three entries about roundtables you can look forward to a new topic next time.