An Arrow Through The Apple

Four Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 attended a week of summer camp at Many Point Scout Camp near Pondsford, Minnesota, during the week of July 13-19, 2008. They worked on advancement during the morning hours, had various troop activities in the afternoon, and participated in open programs during the evening.

On Wednesday evening, the Melrose Boy Scouts decided to go to the archery range and test their skills. In addition to the five regular round targets found on the hay bales there would be an apple hanging from a string to further test their skills. Would the Scouts be able to hit an apple with an arrow fired from a compound bow at 30 feet? It would not be easy.

The Melrose Scouts had already proven that they were fairly proficient with the compound bow during the troop shoot the day before. The range master was impressed and told them that should be working on earning the Archery Merit Badge. A few of the boys decided to earn it next year.

The four Scouts picked up their bow, knocked an arrow, and began firing arrows at the targets, hoping their would hit an apple. The two hour session was not even half way done before Avery pierced an apple with a well placed shot. Several minutes later, Lucas accomplished the same feat. That was two apples shot in one night by two Scouts from the same troop. The range master was impressed.

As the time neared to close down the range for the evening, the last group of Scouts walked up to the firing line. Jonah became the third Scout from Troop 68 to shoot an apple as his last arrow of the evening hit the target.

Pictures were taken, congratulations were expressed, and the Scouts went back to their campsite, each with two new apples in hand to eat at their leisure. It was a good evening at the archery range, one that would be remembered for years to come.

Calvin The Cub Scout

Well, here it is. The fourth comic of Calvin as a Cub Scout. The guys are getting hungry as the Scout outing continues, and Calvin learns things are not quite the same in the outdoors as they are at home. Enjoy.

Slayer of Mini-Bears

Our first morning at Many Point Scout Camp on July 14 was a sunny, cool morning. A jacket was needed, but we knew that within a couple of hours we would be shedding them as the temperature rose. This morning, the troop was in charge of the flag raising at the dining hall before breakfast. We had practiced the commands at our campsite before heading to the hall. The Boy Scouts were a little nervous, but I knew they would do great.

Summers in Minnesota are well known for the critters. The mosquitoes and horseflies are the most dreaded insects in camp. Raccoons and chipmunks can be the two biggest nuisances in camp (other then the Scouts) if the foods, smellables, and garbage are not handled properly. The raccoons do their rummaging at night. The chipmunks, also referred to as mini-bears, are the scavengers during the day.

We arrived at the dining hall a little early to review what we needed to do for the raising of the United States flag. A few staff members and a couple of Boy Scout troops had already arrived. The troops had started forming lines in front of their camp signs. The Troop 68 Scouts and leaders were walking to the flag poles to familiarize themselves with the set-up, and to finalize the commands. As one of the Scouts, Jonah, moved toward the flag pole a mini-bear run out from the nearby high grass with the goal of running between the boys and escaping into the woods. I happened to see it as it ran just inches in front of me...

... and right under Jonah's foot as he stepped forward. Jonah had not even realized he had stepped on the chipmunk's head until I told him. He quickly stepped back but by then it was too late.

The little critter was still alive, but its head had been crushed. The animal was laying on its side with its back legs still trying to run. A trickle of blood was leaking from its nose. As its body began to twitch we realized the injuries were critical, and that it would soon die. As one of the adult leaders lifted his foot to end the mini-bear's suffering we heard a couple younger Scouts saying, "Don't kill it!" I had to explain to them that the chipmunk's injuries were too severe, and we needed to end its suffering.

A few minutes later the flag was raised, the Pledge of Alligiance was recited, the Go Bananas song was sung, and the Scouts and leaders entered the dining hall. Food was now on everyone's minds. The mini-bear was now history. But I and the Scouts shall always remember the little chipmunk who tried to run away but unfortunately ran across the wrong path at the wrong moment.

(By the way, the chipmunk pictured is not the chipmunk of this story. The picture was taken of a chipmunk who found himself trapped in our garbage bag that was hanging on a tree. We allowed him to rejoin his friends in the woods.)
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Robert Mazzuca in USA Today

I am not sure if you saw the article or not, but Chief Scout Executive Robert Mazzuca was recently interviewed for an article in the newspaper, USA Today. I thought it was a well done article, and I am glad to see that our Scout Executive is not afraid to speak to the media to discuss the positive aspects about the Scouting program. Here is a short except from the article:

Q: When people of business discuss leadership, they use words such as vision, passion, charisma. Why do the Scouts use these 12 words: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent?

A: Charisma and other personality traits may determine how far up the ladder you go, but the 12 points of the Scout Law define your character. If you don't have integrity, you're not a good leader no matter how charismatic.

Q: Which one of the 12 would you most recommend to a business executive?

A: (Pause). I think brave. You can't do the right thing and be effective without some courage.

Q: The Scouts are retooling as they head into their second 100 years. What changes are being made?

A: We've been engaged with (management consultant) McKinsey folks for months. Over 100 years, you get a little arthritic and bureaucratic. We are steeped in tradition, which is a good thing, but we're not particularly good at innovation and renewal. We don't want to abandon tradition, but we want to be nimble. I'm writing a blog now. It's gotten more traction and excitement than anything I've done in my life. It's cool.

To read the whole article click HERE. I am not sure how long USA Today leaves their articles online so you might want to check this out quickly.

Also, do not forget to read the sidebar information about Robert Mazzuca. There are a couple good bits of information there including Mazzuca's Tips:
There are many ways to the top, but great leaders must be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
The most important Boy Scout quality of a business leader is bravery. You can't do the right thing without courage.
Companies need to be proactive and define themselves, or someone else will.
Encourage personal responsibility. It's a hallmark of leadership.

Calvin The Cub Scout

There seems to be a craving for the Calvin and Hobbes Cub Scout comics out there in the internet world, so here is the third one for you. Keep in mind, only five strips were ever made with Calvin as a Cub Scout (that I know of) so that means there are only two more to go.

A Week At Many Point Scout Camp

Four Boy Scouts, and two adult leaders of Melrose Troop 68 attended a week of summer camp at Many Point Scout Camp near Pondsford, Minnesota, from July 13, 2008 to July 19, 2008.

A typical day at camp includes working on merit badges and advancement in the morning, various troop activities in the afternoon, and open program areas in the evening. The four Boy Scouts from Melrose did a great job of working on the merit badges during the morning sessions. Each of them came home with four completed badges: Forestry, Soil and Water Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Management, and Mammal Study. A couple of the boys also began work on the Archery merit badge.

The afternoon activities keep the troop pretty busy during the week. On Monday the boys went canoeing, swimming, and had some fun at the climbing tower. On Tuesday, they tried their skills at the archery range and took the opportunity to have a sauna. On Wednesday, they shot targets at the rifle range with the brand new 22 rifles, and then had fun on the aqua-tramp at the beach. After doing a camp service project Thursday afternoon, the boys spend some time sailing on Many Point Lake. The troop visited Itasca State Park Friday afternoon and walked the first 100 yards or so of the Mississippi River.

The Boy Scouts had a great time while at camp, and accomplished quite a few things while they were there. They had such a good time that the troop has already made reservations to attend Many Point Scout Camp next summer during the week of July 12.

Two other members of the troop missed summer camp because they are attending Philmont Scout Ranch this month.

MSPP #43: The Buttons and Randall Show #1

Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, returns to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast with a couple of new friends. Randall is a cousin of Buttons who is a bit more, shall we say, intellectual. Randall is more of a quiet bookworm and a bit of a geek, while Buttons is a bit more outgoing and seems to be hyped up on sugar most of the time. And then there is Bones, the dog who has always carries a bone with himself to gnaw on.

This is the first video to feature these three characters together, and probably will not be the last. During this film Buttons interrupts Randall's reading time to tell a few jokes, and begins to get on Randall's nerves just a bit. Bones pops in a couple of times to explain just how bad he thinks the jokes really are.

This is the first time I have created a video with three puppets. It was quite a challenge to create voices and characterizations for the two new puppets. All three puppets are operated and voiced by me. This is one of the few videos featuring Buttons that has actually requied a script for filming and editing.

I hope you enjoy this video. Please leave a comment here at the link below, or at the PTC Media forums, or at iTunes if you do enjoy it. Or drop me an email at webmaster@melrosetroop68.org

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
Check out the other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

Calvin The Cub Scout

I know there are quite a few Calvin and Hobbes fans out there. Here is another strip from the Calvin, the Cub Scout, series. (I am glad real Scouts are a little better prepared then this.)

MSPP #42: Buttons' Announcement About MSPP

I know. I know. It has been awhile since Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has made an appearance at the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast. Well, he is back, and he has something to tell you.

One thing that we podcasters like is lots of statistics about our podcasts. We like to know how many visitors visit the site. We want to know how many times the podcast episode is watched. We like to know from what countries people are watching. It is even fun to know what computer operating system is being used. And of course there are plenty of other bits of information that are useful.

I do not receive all this info from the troop's website stats. Oh, I receive very basic information, but I am looking for more. So, with the help from Chris at the An Hour A Week Podcast, I am creating a new address and feed location for the podcast. For a couple of weeks the old and new feed locations will be online, but then it will all change to the new feed. That means you will have to change the feed in your RSS reader and video player.

The feed to the iTunes Music Store will also be changed. With Chris' help, I hope to make this as painless as possible. It we do it correctly, you may not even have to change anything in iTunes. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The original podcast feed was http://melrosetroop68.org/podcast/podcast.xml .
The new feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/melrosescoutingproductions .
The Feedburner feed should allow me to receive a lot more information about the podcast downloads, which will be quite helpful.

Since this change is coming to the podcast I thought it would be great for Buttons to make an announcement in his own special way. He gets a little confused, but then, he is not a computer literate type of person. He even has trouble using a chat room. So, sit back, hit the link, and enjoy the video. And don't forget to change your feed so you continue to receive videos, including an all new video to be posted soon featuring Buttons and a couple of his friends.

Watch this video post of Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast, and then leave a comment if you have enjoyed it. You can leave a note below by clicking on the COMMENTS link below, or at the PTC media forums.

If you leave a comment at the iTunes Music Store you will help the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast climb higher in the ratings.

Click here to DOWNLOAD this Podcast
Subscribe to Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast through iTunes.
Check out the other Scouting podcasts at PTC Media.

The New Uniform

The Boy Scouts of America is coming with with a new uniform in August! Oh, you have heard about that already? I thought you might have. I am probably the last Scouting blogger to write about the new uniform. I was not sure what to think about it so I did not really want to write about... Until now.

I have read a few things about the new uniform. I have seen the BSA's information about it. I have seen the pictures of it. But only recently have I made up my mind about it. And that is only after talking to Jerry at The Scoutmaster Minute.

To tell the truth, I think it is time for the uniform to change. I did not have a problem with the current shirt, but even this 48 year old thought the current uniform pants and socks were dorky looking. Plus, the shorts were designed horribly, in my opinion. I have not worn the official shorts or pants since the 2001 National Jamboree. The new uniform looks like it should be a lot more comfortable and that it will wear better on troop functions. The right sleeve pocket looks like an interesting idea, but I wonder how many times it will get sown shut. The new cap will not look like a target sitting on a Scout's head.

Fred Goodwin has found an article in the Dallas Morning News that talks well of the new uniform, and also quotes a couple Scouts on how they feel about it. You can check it out at http://tinyurl.com/5lm7pz .

40,000 and Counting

Today the blog hit 40,000 visitors! Once again, I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read this blog over the last two years. I hope you continue to enjoy stopping by for a visit.

Summer Camp

It is hard to believe, but next week I will head out to attend a week of summer camp for the 25th time. That includes three weeks as a Boy Scout, and 22 times as an adult leader. That does not include the five trips to Philmont Scout Ranch, the trip to the BWCA, or the 2001 National Jamboree. I guess you could say there has been a lot of long term Scouting camping trips in my life.

This year will also mark the 20th time my assistant, Eymard, will be attending summer camp. In fact, this will be his twentieth consecutive year of being a summer camp leader. Not bad for an 81 year old, huh?

Of course, there are a lot of memories and stories to go with all those trips. When I sit down and think about it I find it incredible that that Eymard and I have helped nearly 200 Boy Scouts have a summer camp experience. And then I think about all the merit badges earned at camp.

When I was a Boy Scout, Troop 68 attended our council's camp, Parker Scout Reservation, located near Merrifield, Minnesota. Parker was closed as a summer camp in the late 1970's so when the newly formed troop began attending summer again in 1981 we had no choice but to go out of council. We began with Crow Wing Scout Camp. We also attended Tomahawk Scout Camp and Many Point Scout Camp during that decade.

I really liked Crow Wing myself, but the council that owned it closed it, sold the land, and created a new camp closer to their council. Tomahawk was okay but it was located several hours away from Melrose. Many Point has been our troop's home since the early 1990's.

Troop 68 has only eight Boy Scouts at the moment. Two will be attending Philmont Scout Ranch while four will be at summer camp. It is different going to camp with such a small group. It was not that long ago when Troop 68 would send over twenty Scouts to Many Point. I guess it should be more relaxing in camp for Eymard and myself this year.

While I am sitting in my favorite lawn chair in the screen porch in our campsite this year, I hope to write a few more blog entries. I may even take the video camera along and film a couple more podcasts for the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast.

But then again, maybe I will take a cue from Eymard and just kick back and relax at camp this year. It should not be too difficult with only four boys to keep track of.

YouTube Videos: Most Popular BSA Produced

For over two years I have been placing Scouting related videos on Youtube. It has been interesting to see which videos have become somewhat popular, and which ones have not. Here is a list of the "ten most watched" videos I have placed on Youtube that were produced by the BSA and/or its councils:

1) The Boy Scout Zone Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKFnGDRaMQU

2) Boy Scout Commercial - Helpful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gC0Wu0UK1Y

3) Boy Scout Commercial - Trustworthy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAjBryHkeVg

4) Boy Scout Commercial - Reverent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKqWeze7xB8

5) Boy Scout Commercial - Jim Lovell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNq6WsYIAFI

6) Crazy Boy Scout Commercials
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0HzH3Tn7Ik

7) Boy Scout Commercial - Thrifty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S25U_CqVChM

8) Boy Scout Commercial - Obedient
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXdSWVnz_W0

9) We Do It Music Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tok9gePil3E

10) Boy Scout Commercial - Baby Talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d28fwTC83Qw

There are plenty of others. If you would like to view them all then check out
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=stevejb68&p=v
.

Calvin The Cub Scout

I am a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes. Did you know Calvin was a Cub Scout for a short time? It seems like it was only for one outing in Calvin's world. He really did not like being with the other Cub Scouts. Enjoy this, the first of the five comic series. Click on it to see the larger picture.