A Scoutmaster's Blog

I bet you have seen the movie. Many Scouts and Scouting volunteers have. But were you paying close attention? I recently watched the movie again (it is one of my favorites) and I took a few notes while it played. Let’s see how well you can answer the following trivia questions about Disney’s Follow Me Boys. (By the way, this is the first of two parts.)

1) What was the troop number of Lem Siddon’s troop?

2) What was the name of the boy Whitey rescued from the cliffside?

3) What name was on the patch located above the troop number on the troop’s uniform?

4) What rank patch did Vida sew onto Whitey’s uniform just before Lem got home?

5) Two boys were in Whitey’s bedroom when he decided to run away from home. What were their names?

6) What were the names of the three patrols in Lem’s first troop?

7) What was the nickname of the boy who slept with the canon in the 1944 troop?

8 ) What knot did the Lieutenant want Lem to tie when he was in the POW camp?

9) What was the name of the Boy Scout Patrol that captured the tank?

10) (Extra bonus) What was the “working title” of the movie while it was being filmed?

Now, before you scroll down for the answers, double check your answers.

You are going to be graded you know.

No cheating is allowed.

You are a Boy Scout, Cub Scout, or Scout leader, aren’t you?

A Scout is trustworthy.

Do you think you did well?

Okay, enough of this.

Here are the answers.

If you are ready for them, that is.

1) One
2) Ronny
3) Hickory
4) First Class
5) Leo and Hoodoo
6) Hawks, Beavers, Panthers
7) Tiger
8 ) Sheep shank
9) The Hawk Patrol
10) On My Honor

How did you do?

Have you checked out the PTC Media podcast site yet? ( http://www.ptcmedia.net ) The PTC Media network is a collection of eight Scouting related podcasts, seven audio and one video. They are produced by several Scout leaders from across the United States.

“What is a podcast?”, you ask. An audio podcast is similar to a radio program that you download to your computer to listen to at your convenience. Most audio podcasts are posted to the internet in an mp3 format and are compatible with most mp3 players. A video podcast is like a short television show you download to your computer. Podcast can be subscribed to through a website or a podcast feeder, like iTunes.

The An Hour A Week podcast is created by Cubmaster Chris in Texas. This weekly podcast is recorded live on Sunday nights. The show features information about Cub Scouting, leadership training, and other Scouting related news that caught Chris’ attention. An Hour A Week is approximately sixty minutes long. It is one of the original shows of the PTC Media network.

Another podcast that has been a part of the network since the beginning is The Leaders Campfire. This show is hosted by Cubmaster Chris and Scoutmaster Steve. The podcast covers a wide variety of topics from both Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting. Special guests are occasional brought in to discuss current events.  The Leaders Campfire is produced twice a month.

The Melrose Scout Productions Podcast is currently the network’s only video podcast. It is produced by Scoutmaster Steve. There are usually two episodes each month. The podcast features Scouting events, campfire songs and skits, and Boy Scouts having fun. The Melrose Scout Productions Podcast shows are about three to fifteen minutes long.

Around The Scouting Campfire is a monthly ten to fifteen minute audio podcast featuring Scoutmaster Steve and everyone’s favorite Scouting puppet, Buttons, the radical Boy Scout. They cover topics for both the Boy Scout and the Boy Scout leader, along with jokes, stories, and the occasional campfire song. The hosts produce one episode of Around The Scouting Campfire each month.

The SMM Podcast (previously known as the Scoutmaster Minute) is a podcast about Boy Scouting produced by Scoutmaster Jerry from Oregon. His troops loves to backpack so many of Jerry’s shows cover the ins and outs of backpacking and camping along with the proper gear to use. The SMM Podcast also includes many other topics about the Boy Scouting program, interviews with other Scout leaders, and Webelos transition.

True North is a podcast created by Scoutmaster Shawn from Wisconsin. Shawn talks about Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, unit commissioners, and other Scouting topics. Of course, Shawn is not shy about bringing in a guest to talk Scouting on the True North podcast. There are usually two new shows per month.

The MISS Show (Moms In Scouting Service) is a twice monthly podcast dedicated to sharing Scout related information from the perspective of volunteering mothers. There’s a little something for families and leaders new to Scouting as well as more seasoned veterans of the BSA during each MISS Show. Topics discussed include outings, activities, resources and products, as well as round-the-table discussions about current hot topics in Scouting.

Akela’s Adventure has recently returned to PTC Media. Mr. Bob began producing Akela’s Adventure Podcast to help new scout leaders, like himself, find resources, tells stories of their experiences and to discuss ways to improve on being scout leaders. Akela’s Adventure was active from August 2006 through November 2007.

Be sure to check out the PTC Media site regularly for new programs and new episodes of the existing line of podcasts. http://www.ptcmedia.net

In 1989, five women who were involved with the Scouting program in Melrose, met at the local community access television studio to do a talk show about Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting in Melrose. The show was titled The Women Of Scouting. It was broadcast several times over the years, usually during Boy Scout anniversary week in the first part of February. This program has been broken down into five parts for use on this podcast.

In this final part of the show, Ann B., Clara N., Patty D., and Betty S., discuss Philmont Scout Ranch, and share their memories and feelings about the Scouting program, and what it has meant to them, their boys, and their families.

Click here to DOWNLOAD and watch this Podcast
or watch it at MSPP channel at PTC Media.

Subscribe to Melrose Scout Productions Podcast through iTunes (and rate the show)
or at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions
Leave feedback at iTunes or on the forums at PTC Media.

It has been a long time since I have been involved with a Pinewood Derby. I was never a Cub Scout so I did not participate in one as a youth. I do remember acting as a judge for one in the 1990’s for the local pack. I did videotape a derby one year for our community access television station. Oh, and I have seen the movie Down And Derby. This is the extent of my Pinewood Derby experience.

The Cub Scout Pack has invited the Boy Scout troop to join them in having a derby at the end of the month. The pack and troop would hold seperate races, but we may take the fastest car from each unit and race to see the overall winner.

The Cub Scout Pack 68 only has 7 or 8 members this year (all first and second graders) so their derby will not last very long. By inviting the Boy Scouts they hope to make it a more exciting evening. About half of the Boy Scouts of Troop 68 have shown an interest in participating.

I like the idea of the troop having a derby with the Cub Scout Pack. I think the Boy scouts will have a great time, but more importantly, it will give the Cub Scouts a chance to mingle with the “old Scouts”. I hope this joint activity (and others) will provide a little boost for the Cubs and their families to stay in the program for several years. It would be nice to see a Webelos graduation down the road.

One goal of the program of the Boy Scouts of America is to provide leadership training to the youth of a troop. This occurs through troop meetings, patrol leader council meetings, weekend sessions, conferences, and the National Youth Leadership course.

Troop 68 holds elections every six months for the offices of patrol leader and senior patrol leader, in March and September. These leaders than appoint the other troop and patrol leadership. Ideally, I like to hold an afternoon training session after an election. This has not worked out for the last year because of scheduling conflicts.

The troop’s theme for this month’s program was scheduled to be “Laughs For Lunch”. We had planned to practice songs and skits for a community campfire style program. (See post about Laughs For Lunch HERE.) Unfortunately, due to a small troop roster and some high school sport conflicts, we had to drop the Laughs For Lunch theme. The patrol leader council decided to use this month’s meetings for leadership training. We would break down the afternoon training session into three parts for our January meetings.

The first of these meetings was held last night. Six of the eight troop members attended, four of who had never taken part in a youth training program. We watched the first portion of the video which covered styles of leadership training, sharing leadership, communications, and knowing the skills of your team members. The game activities helped to demonstrate these leadership points.

The meeting went well. The boys seemed to enjoy the session and even picked up a few leadership points. I hope next week goes just as well.

Boy Scout, photo, Cub Scout, Explorer, Varsity

Do you like taking photos of your Scouts? Are you a listener of the podcasts found at PTC Media? If so, this is a contest that you should enter! Beginning January 3rd and continuing through March 22nd, PTCMedia with TrailStop.com and ClassB.com are running a photo contest.

Grab a copy of one of the PTC Media flat Scouting buddies (found at ptcmedia.net), print & cut it out and take photos of them with your Scouts, family or other leaders doing cool Scout stuff (hiking, camping, mountain climbing, running a Roundtable, etc.). Photos will be judged on creativeness and Scout spirit. Kids and adults are eligible to win.
.

Every couple of weeks, a different show will choose a winner and announce it on their show:
January 17th: An Hour A Week?
February 1: The MISS Show
February 16: The SMM Podcast
March 4: True North
March 10: Around The Scouting Campfire
March 22: The Leader’s Campfire

The winners will get a $20 coupon toward products at TrailStop.com.

Then, on April 1st, we’ll open a contest between the 6 winners and let the PTC Media listeners vote on their favorite. The overall winner will get a $50 coupon toward an order with ClassB.com.

How To Enter:

Choose one or more of our PTC Media Scouting buddies found at ptcmedia.net, print and cut them out.
Take a photo of them (and you or your Scouts/Leaders) doing cool Scout stuff.
E-Mail your photos to cubmasterchris@gmail.com with the subject line “Photo Contest”.
It’s that simple!

As scoutmaster I always keep an eye open for the latest camp gadgets. I usually only buy gadgets that I think I would actually use, but once in awhile I will buy something because it has the “cool” factor. Unfortunately, I now own so many gadgets that more stay at home in the garage then go along on a camping trip. But that does not stop me from looking for something new.

This month I added the Kamp Kadi by Nebo to my collection. I was able to buy it at less then half the MSP retail price. It was cheap enough that I thought it was worth giving it a try on the next Boy Scout troop camping trip.

This gadget is basically a simple camp kitchen organizer. Everything fits on a single metal pole that can be stuck in the ground or attached to the end of a picnic table. It comes with a bag to for storage. This is for drive-up camping. It is too heavy for a backpacking trip.

While it is not the most elegant looking of camp gadgets, it does appear to be very functional. The two things that first caught my eye were the trash bag and paper towel holders. I am hoping this will create a more “user friendly” environment so the Boy Scouts keep a cleaner cooking area. The shelf and utensil hooks are a bonus to me. (I think we will find something other than a radio to hang on the other bar.)

Will this Kamp Kadi be worth my investment? We will find out in the spring when the troop begins its camping season again.

Does your troop use the Kamp Kadi or something similar? Leave a comment on how it has worked for your troop.

The Board of Review. Terrifying to the new Tenderfoot Scout. Confusing to the new committee member. How does the Scout prepare? What are the board members supposed to cover and ask?

I have been scoutmaster long enough to see a lot of people come and go on the committee. Many times the new committee members are confused when it comes to serving on their first board of review. I usually let the more experienced committee members instruct the newer ones about what to do or say. However, during the past 25 years I saw they could use a suggestions or two, so I made a Board of Review sheet for them to use during the BOR. It seems to have helped them quite a bit during the years. In fact, I think newer members now think it is a sheet required to be filled out during a BOR. I have to correct them that it is a sheet of suggestions to cover for our own troop use, it is not a national requirement form.

So, what does the sheet have on it? It has seven areas I suggest the BOR to talk about with the Scout.

Participation. How has the Scout been doing with attendance at meetings, outings and fundraisers? If he has not been showing up for functions then it is time for them to ask about the reasons behind the poor attendance. Many times the Scout has valid reasons, but sometimes he does not. Sometimes the board will discover things that the scoutmaster does not know about. It is also a good time to praise the Scout who has a great attendance record.

Scout Spirit and ideals. Does the Scout know the Scout Oath, Law, Motto, and Slogan? Does he know what they mean? Does he try to live by them? Of course, the board members better know and understand these oaths themselves or it may look awkward if the Scout catches them in a mistake of understanding.

Merit badges and advancement. First of all, this is not a re-test of the badges! My suggestion is to ask which merit badges were fun to earn and why? Which ones were difficult? Did he find any of the skills learned while earning the badges to be useful in everyday life? Keep the questions about general topics.

Service Projects. Did he participate in the troop’s service projects and/or help out with other troop members Eagle projects? What were the purpose of the projects? Did he learn anything while doing them?

Leadership. What position of leadership did he hold in the troop since the last board of review? Was it difficult or easy? What type of leader was he? What were his duties? Did he do them well? Most of the time the BOR members really don’t know much about how the Scout did with a leadership position because the members do not regularly attend troop meetings and outings. However, they should ask the Scout questions, and also talk with the scoutmaster before the BOR.

Religious principles. Of course, a Scout must have a belief in God. How does he practice his faith? What does he believe is his duty to God? We have to be careful with this topic because there are Scouts of many different religions. We don’t want to make the Scout feel uncomfortable with the wrong questions. However, I think we do need to touch on this subject and not ignore it as if it is unimportant.

Goals. Everyone needs goals. What goals has the Scout set for himself, both in and out of Scouting? Does he have a goal to complete his next rank? Does he have leadership goals? Is there a goal to attend a high adventure base and a national jamboree? Does he have any goals in school? How does he intend to meet those goals?

Of course, the BOR members can bring up other subjects also. But these few areas cover a lot of territory. If asked correctly, they can begin a great dialog between the board and the Scout.

A copy of this form can be found on our troop’s website at:
http://melrosetroop68.org/advancement.html
Leave a comment if you have any other suggestions that you think would be good topics for a board of review to cover.