Famous Scouts - Politicians

Here are a few Boy Scouts that grew up and became well known polititians, Senators, governors, and even presidents. (Unfortunately, a couple of these seemed to have forgotten the twelve points of the Scout Oath after they grew up.)

William Bennett - Former Secretary of Education (Eagle Scout)
James Brady - Former Press Secretary to President Reagan (Eagle Scout)
Willaim Sessions - Former FBI Director (Eagle Scout)
Murphy J. "Mike" Foster - Governor of Louisiana (Eagle Scout)
Gary Locke - Governor of Washington State (Eagle Scout)
Rick Perry - Governor, State of Texas (pictured above)

Gary Anderson - U.S. Representative from New York (Eagle Scout)
Bill Alexander - U.S. Representative from Arkansas (Eagle Scout)
Charles Bennett - U.S. Representative from Florida (Eagle Scout)
William Dannemeyer - U.S. Representative from California (Eagle Scout)
Daniel J. Evans - Former US Senator and Governor from the state of Washington (Eagle Scout)
Richard Lugar - U.S. Senator from Indiana (Eagle Scout)
Sam Nunn - U.S. Senator from Georgia (Eagle Scout)
J.J. Pickle - U.S. Representative from Texas (Eagle Scout)

Bill Clinton - President of the United States
George W. Bush - President of the United States
John F. Kennedy - President of the United States
Gerald R. Ford - President of the United States (the first Eagle Scout to become President!)

Do you know of any more to add to this list?

Famous Scouts - Actors

Here are just a few Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts that grew up and became well known actors, television personalities, and directors:
Harrison Ford - Actor
Richard Gere - Actor
John Ritter - Actor
David Hartman - Actor (Life Scout)
Paul Winfield - Academy award winning actor
Richard Roundtree - Actor (Boy Scout)
John Schneider - Actor/Singer (Cub Scout)
James Stewart - B-17 Pilot, Actor (Boy Scout)
John Tesh - TV Celebrity (Eagle Scout)
Walter Cronkite - Journalist, T.V. Commentator
Steven Spielberg - Film Director/Producer (Eagle Scout)

Do you of any others that can be added to the list?

New Scouting Podcast

There are not very many Scouting podcasts found on the internet yet, and most of the ones you find seem to be Cub Scouting related, not that there is anything wrong with that. My own Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast (MSPP) covers both Boy Scouting and Cub Scouting, but it is heavy on the Boy Scouting. MSPP is geared toward the entertainment and fun of Scouting. It does not hit the leadership and training side of things very much.

A new entry has recently joined this small group of Boy Scout related podcasts. Jerry and friends at The Scoutmaster Minute (http://www.thescoutmasterminute.com) have developed and produced a podcast that talks about Boy Scouting. I have listened to this podcast and I think they are doing a great job.

As I write this, Jerry has posted five audio podcasts so far. The average podcast is about 30-40 minutes long, probably as long as your commute to work. Topics have covered such areas as cold weather camping, bullying, the Scout Oath, and the Order of the Arrow Representative. It sounds like Jerry and company have quite a few more shows planned, which I think is great.

You can download his podcast from his website (see above) or from iTunes at
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=278092418

100th Anniversary Logo Chosen

The logo to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America has been chosen, and it was designed by Philip Goolkasian, a seventeen year old Eagle Scout from California. Philip's design was chosen from over 4000 entries.

The logo looks pretty sharp. I like it. The BSA will be using the logo for promotions during the next couple of years. Check it out HERE or on the BSA website HERE.

Youtube Experiment Results

Well, the Youtube Scouting Video Day experiment did not accomplish the goal of getting a Scouting video or two to the top five "views" pages on Friday, February 8th. I do appreciate everyone who participated in the project. We gave it a good run, but we just did not have the numbers needed to do it. Here is a brief summary of the results.

The views received by each of the four suggested videos varied by the hundreds. The Cub Scout commercial featuring Steve Young only received 201 hits on Friday, as near as I can tell. The Boy Scout commercial about Jim Lovel did better, receiving 367 views.

The "What Parents Say About Scouting" did better then I expected when compared to the other videos. I thought it would come in with the lowest number of views since it was the longest of the videos. It received 271 hits, seventy more then the Cub Scout video.

The "Scout Zone" received the most hits, which was something I expected. It was watched 533 times, far more then the other videos. I would guess that was because it was the first video listed, and that it was a music video which was fun to watch.

The experiment failed to get any of these videos to the front pages, but I would not call it a complete failure. Dozens, or even hundreds, of people watched these videos for the first time and may have been introduced to other Scouting videos found on Youtube. I would call that successful, wouldn't you?

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the project and spread the word to others. Maybe we can try it again next year, or maybe make this a yearly occurrence.

PS - After writing this article this morning, I took another look at the numbers around 10:00 am. Either Youtube is playing with me, or a lot of people watched the videos since 7:00 am. The numbers of views for each of the videos has gone up by the hundreds! Take a look at these numbers:
The Cub Scout Commercial (Young) - 223 more views.
The Boy Scout Commercial (Lovel) - 346 more views
What Parents Say About Scouting - 221 more views
The Scout Zone Video - 470 more views.
I think these videos have received more views in 36 hours then they normally receive in two months!

Happy Birthday & Youtube Scouting Video Day

Happy Birthday Scouting (BSA)!

Wow, has it been 98 years already? It seems like just a few years ago when that unknown Boy Scout in England helped William Boyce find his way in the fog of London. And look what the BSA has accomplished since then. Ten of millions of boys have been involved with Scouting. Hundreds of millions of hours of community service has been done around the country. And look at all the boys who earned Scoutings highest award, the rank of Eagle Scout. I ask, has there been any other youth group in the history of this great country that has accomplished as much as the Boy Scouts of America?

And to think, it all begin in the USA because of the good turn of one Boy Scout in England! It just goes to show that you never know what that daily good turn could lead to, do you?

And do not forget to watch the videos on Youtube that were listed in a previous blog entry. Let's see if we can get something shown on the front page today.

Youtube Scouting Video Day

In one of the Scouting forums, someone accused me of just trying to get a video on the front page of Youtube when I suggested that we try this "Youtube Scouting Video Day" experiment on February 8th. Before I saw the comment someone had already replied to him that that was the point. I had to chuckle to myself. That was the purpose of the experiment, but I do not think he understood the reasoning behind my idea.

The way I see it, if we can get a video or two to the Youtube front page then the chances are pretty good that more boys and parents will see it then these commercials were ever seen when they aired on local television stations at 2:00 in the morning. Besides, many of the Youtube users are teenagers. Aren't they the ones we want to know about Scouting?

So yes, I am trying to get these videos on the front page. I am trying to promote Scouting, and I need everyone's help to accomplish this. And this way of doing it does not cost any council or district a dime to have people watch it.

By the way, if I was going to try just to get a video to the front page to boost my ego, don't you think I would have suggested one of my own original videos? I am trying to promote Scouting, not myself, with this experiment.

Boy Scout Anniversary Experiment

I would like to conduct an experiment, and I am going to need your help to do it. As most of you know, February 8th is the 98th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. I would like your help to celebrate it in a unique way.

Currently, there are a few thousand videos on Youtube that feature Scouts or are about Scouting. Most of these videos never receive more then a couple hundred views, if they even get that many. Only a few have ever hit the 10.000 views mark. I do not think a Scouting video has ever made it to the daily top five pages.

There are millions of Boy Scouts in the USA, and tens of thousands of adult leaders and professionals. Add the Scouts and leaders from around the world and we have a staggering membership. Even if we get a small percentage of the Scouts and leaders with internet access to participate in this I think we could make this work.

So here is my idea. Let's make a "Youtube Scouting Video Day" on February 8th. Let's try to get as many Scouts, adult leaders, friends, and family members to watch Boy Scout videos as we are able. Let's see if we can get a video or two to appear on the Youtube front pages and really help to promote Scouting to the internet masses, or at least the Youtube viewers.

To make this the most effective I think we need to concentrate our efforts on just a few videos, but I encourage you to watch as many as your time table allows. Here are the videos I would suggest we watch:

In The Scout Zone Video (2:24)
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKFnGDRaMQU
The BSA Commercial featuring Jim Lovell (0:30)
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNq6WsYIAFI
A Cub Scout Commercial featuring Steve Young (0:30)
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqnkjBArjUo
and finally, the "What Parents Say About Scouting" (5:52)
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1axj3lNc0Q

This would amount to approximately ten minutes of your time if you watched all four videos, ten minutes to help promote Boy Scouting and Cub Scouting on a popular internet site. Would you be willing to spend ten minutes trying to bring Scouting videos to the light of day for one day?

So, I ask that you spread the word about "Youtube Scouting Video Day". Copy this message and send it to other Scouts and leaders. Let's see if we can't get these videos highlighted to the internet masses and promote Scouting on February 8th.

Boy Scouts in Seattle Special Program

I have not had the opportunity to steer you to many Scouting related video podcasts, but I found one today I think you should take a look at. It is about a special Boy Scout troop in Seattle that ... Well, I think I will quote what is on the site.

'Rev. James / Women’s Prison Purdy Women’s Correctional Facility Seattle, Washington December 2006 Scouting Serves Sons of Incarcerated Mothers “If not for the Scouting program, most of these mothers might not see their sons at all during their incarceration.” '

It looks like an awesome program that really helps the boys and their mothers. It is a great example of how Scouting can benefit a community. You can see the video HERE. While you are on the site be sure to leave a comment and DIGG it.

Patch Trading and Collecting

Whenever Boy Scouts and adult leaders gather at a camporee, jamboree, or training session there is probably going to be some patch trading going on at a table or on a blanket on the ground, especially if the event includes Scouts from around the country or from around the world.

My introduction to patch trading was when I attended a Scoutmaster Fundamentals training course at Philmont Scout Ranch in 1984. I had heard stories about how seriously some people take this hobby, but it was only when I saw grown men sitting around a table with open three ring binders full of clear plastic pages of patches that I truly realized how big this hobby was. So many designs. So many colors. So many patches! I decided then that I needed to start a collection of my own.

I put Scouting patches into three main groupings: the council shoulder patch (csp), the Order of the Arrow Lodge flaps and patches, and the activity patches that you receive for attending a camporee or maybe selling popcorn. I like collecting the csp's and the Order of the Arrow flaps. The only activity patches I am interesting in collecting are the ones given for an activity in which I participated.

When I attended the 2001 National Jamboree as scoutmaster of Troop 1417, I got the chance to see how popular this hobby has become for both the youth and the adults, and how much fun it can be to collect. The Scouts of my troop were excited after an evening of trading, and would often show me the patches they added to their collection that day. It did not take them long to discover which patches were very popular and which patches were not very popular. It was fun to see all the trading blankets laid out along the roadways of the jamboree and the hundreds of people making deals for the patches they wanted. The trade would always end with a handshake which signified that both participants accepted the trade.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Boy Scouts of America has a policy that restricts trading. Boys must trade with boys, and adults must trade with adults. The boys and the adults are not to trade with each other. There must have been some problems with adults trading unfairly with boys, or visa versa. By the way, there is a blog about patch trading called Boy Scout Memorabilia Collecting. Check it out.

I am not a die-hard patch trader. I am more of a collector. I do have a couple hundred csp's and lodge flaps in my collection which fit into three large three ring notebooks. My favorite patches are the ones I collected from the 2001 National Jamboree.

During the last two years I have done most of my collecting from the internet. I have bought a few patches on eBay, but most of the new additions have been received from trading a dvd-r for patches. The dvd-r is a compilation of Scouting commercials and promotional films that I have collected over the last two decades. I trade the dvd-r for two patches, a council shoulder patch and an OA lodge flap. The trades have worked well. I have received some very nice patches, and the other person has received a dvd-r that they have put to use a variety of ways, including entertainment at district and council dinners.

I would expect that soon I will be starting my fourth notebook. After all, there are a lots of patches out there that I do not have yet!
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Philadelphia vs. Boy Scouting

Over the last few years it seems that Philadelphia is doing its best to get rid of the Boy Scouts of America within it's city. I really don't understand why the city council has taking such a hard line case against the Scouts after 80 years of Scouting doing so much good for the city. It would seem to me the city has more important issues, like crime and gangs, that they should be concerned about. Why pick on a great organization like the BSA?

I have been reading posts in the Scouting groups and forums that I am a member of, and WOW, do feelings go across the board. I do not think any form of government has the right to impose it's sense of "morality" on any group like the BSA, especially when many governments seem to be lacking in any sense of morality. The supreme court has stated that the BSA has a right to state membership guidelines for the organization, a right granted by the constitution of the United States. Oh well, I am not going to argue about it here.

I would suggest that you read this article I found that was written by Hans Zeiger, the author of "Get Off My Honor: The Assault on the Boy Scouts of America." You can read it by clicking this LINK.

Another good article can be found at The Scoutmaster Minute. Jerry has written a nice article dealing with a "pest" that has been trying to post his opinion on that blog.

Getting Older: Generations

As I was posting the previous entry to this blog, I began thinking about other multi-generational families of Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68. There have been a few of these.

Jerome is two years younger then I am. We were both members of the Falcon Patrol in the mid 1970's. His younger brother, Shawn, joined the troop in the 1980's, a few years after I became the scoutmaster. Their nephew, Zack, is currently a member of the troop, in the Nighthawk Patrol.

John was also a member of Troop 68 when I was a Boy Scout. John grew up, got married, and moved to the Twin Cities area. When he moved back to Melrose his sons joined Troop 68 as they got old enough. John's two oldest boys, Nick and Jacob, have both earned the rank of Eagle Scouts while members of the troop. His youngest son, Lucas, joined the troop early this year.

Bill was an adult leader of Troop 68 in the 1960's. One of his youngest sons was a member of the troop when I became the assistant scoutmaster in 1980. Bill's grandson, Chris, joined the troop in 2000 and last year was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.

One final note about spanning the generations. When I was a student in high school I never gave a thought to being a scoutmaster when I became an adult. I found it interesting that many of the members of the troop committee who appointed me as the scoutmaster were former high school teachers of mine. I am sure it never occurred to them that one of their students would one day be in charge of teaching their sons the skills needed in Boy Scouting.

A little ironic, don't ya think?
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Getting Older

I began my career as a Boy Scout troop leader early in my life. I was only a few months shy of my twentieth birthday when I became the assistant scoutmaster for Troop 68. Two months after my twenty-first birthday I was appointed the scoutmaster, a position I still hold today. There have been a few unique markers along this highway of my Scouting life that I would like to share with you.

The first marker was when I became the scoutmaster. Suddenly I was "responsible" for the troop. I was not the young assistant scoutmaster any longer who was practically still one of the gang. I was now the adult "figurehead" of Scouting in town. More then anything else, becoming the troop's scoutmaster marked the beginning of my adulthood.

During the eighties the troop began going to Philmont Scout Ranch. I will admit that one of the reasons I stayed on as a scoutmaster is because I wanted to go to Philmont. I went to Philmont in 1986 and 1989 with the Scouts from Melrose. That first decade seemed to go by pretty quickly.

The second marker caught me a little off guard. Boys began joining the troop that were born after I signed on as an assistant scoutmaster. Two years later boys entered Scouting that would come to know me as the only scoutmaster in Melrose during their lifetime. I was beginning to feel old at thirty-one.

The third marker was when I began receiving invitations to weddings of troop alumni. I was even asked to be the best man at one of those weddings.

The fourth marker was when I noticed that the parents of some of the Scouts were younger then I was. Holy cow, I thought. I have been doing this scoutmaster thing for a long time. I was really starting to feel older.

Another marker came along when next generation cousins of former troop members began joining Scouting. In fact, my assistant scoutmaster, who is eighty years old, joined the troop when his youngest son was a Boy Scout. Since then, two of his grandchildren, sons of my assistant's oldest son, have been members of the troop. I have seen three generations of this family involved with the Scout program on some level.

I think the next marker will be when the son of a former Boy Scout joins the troop. That has not happened yet, but it could. While most of the troop members have moved to other cities as they got older, there are a few that have decided to stay in this area. There seems to be more daughters then sons among that small group at the moment. I am thinking it may be time to retire when the first son of a troop member joins the troop. (he writes with a grin on his face.)

Why Not Scouting?

Here are a few interesting facts about the Boy Scouts of America. As of December 31, 2005, the total membership of Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts was at 943,426 young men, nearly one million strong. The were 50,996 Boy Scout troops and Varsity teams. There were 543,971 registered adult volunteers.

Think about that for a moment. Over one half of a million adults in this country believed in the ideals, spirit, and goals of Boy Scouting so much that they were willing to give their time to help the BSA accomplish its goals to our young men. That is quite a statement.

So, what are the goals of the Boy Scouts of America? The BSA was incorporated in 1910 to provide a program that offers effective character, citizenship, and personal fitness training to our boys and young men. To quote the official BSA website (www.scouting.org), "...the BSA endeavors to develop American citizens who are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit; have a high degree of self-reliance as evidenced in such qualities as initiative, courage, and resourcefulness; have personal values based on religious concepts; have the desire and skills to help others; understand the principles of the American social, economic, and governmental systems; are knowledgeable about and take pride in their American heritage and understand our nation's role in the world; have a keen respect for the basic rights of all people; and are prepared to participate in and give leadership to American society."

That is an ambitious set of goals for any organization to meet, especially one that has been designed for boys. The BSA has been accomplishing these ideals for over 97 years. The organization is able to meet these goals through eight methods: Ideals (the Scout Oath, Law, Slogan, and Motto), Patrols, Outdoor program, Advancement, Association with adults, Personal growth, Leadership development, and the Uniform.

Many of the half million adults are parents of Scouts who wish want their boys to get the best experience out of their local Scouting unit. There are many more adults who do not have sons involved in the program. They are college students, middle age workers, retirees, single and married. They come from all walks of life.

On Tuesday, September 25, Cub Scout Pack 68 and Boy Scout Troop 68 of Melrose will be holding their annual fall "School Night To Join Scouting". This meeting will begin at 7:00 pm at the Melrose High School Cafeteria. Boys in the first grade through fifth grade are invited to join the Cub Scout Pack. Boys in sixth grade or higher are invited to join the Boy Scout Troop. Boys must be accompanied by a parent.

So... Why not Scouting? Why not enroll your son in a program that has over 95 years of experience in helping our boys and young men develop into tomorrow's outstanding citizens? And have fun while they are doing it! We hope to see you and your son at School Night To Join Scouting on Tuesday, September 25th.

(This is an article that was sent to our local newspapers to promote School Night.)

Reasons To Be An Adult Leader Revisted

As the new program year begins once again for Cub Packs and Scout Troops, I thought it would be time to review a blog post from one year ago. It is called "Ten Reasons To Be An Adult Leader". The article lists ten reasons to become a leader of your pack or troop.

Everyone always seems to have plenty of reasons not to be a leader. I always thought there should be more reasons to become a Scout Leader then reasons to avoid being a leader. After all, these are our kids we are talking about. This is the next generation that (hopefully) will be taking care of us as we get older. If we (the parents and adults of today) do not take the time now to spend the time with our boys and train them to be physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, then who is going to do it? We certainly cannot trust our school systems to do it.

Scouting gives us adults a perfect opportunity to help our youth become good leaders. Scouting teaches our boys many things that will help them throughout their lives. The question is, are we ready to take the challenge? Are you ready to to take on the responsibility? I think it is time that parents, and other concerned adults, take the time to invest into our youth, and quit trying to find reasons not to get involved.

Click HERE to read "Ten Reasons To Be An Adult Leader."

School Night To Join Scouting

Our troop and pack will be holding the annual fall "School Night To Join Scouting" just as many troops and packs around the country will be doing. It's like, you know, a tradition or something.

The cubmaster and I (the scoutmaster) have already spoke on the phone a few times coming up with ideas to get the word out to both the boys and their parents. Here are a few of the ideas that we came up with. If you have other ideas I would like to hear them also.

School Visits - Since the cubmaster and I have full time jobs that would make this hard to do we leave this up to the district executive. He goes to the elementary schools and talks to the boys about Scouting. (My gripe is that he concentrates on Cub Scouting, and not much about Boy Scouting.) Unfortunately, not every school in the area will allow him to talk to the boys. Would you believe the Catholic school will not let anyone in to talk about Scouting? The D.E. will hand out flyers for the boys to take home to their parents.

Posters - Another part of the plan is to get posters displayed in the school and around town. The posters in school are to remind the boys. The posters around town are to remind the parents. Banks, credit unions, grocery stores, and other popular places of business would be good places for posters.

Newspapers - There are three local weekly newspapers found in our area. All of them would be happy for us to place an ad, of course, but that would have a cost with it. Luckily, they all except stories about Scouting if we take the time to write them. They will print articles at no charge. Add a picture to the article and I think it would attract as much, if not more, attention then an ad would.

Yard Signs - I have collected several yard signs for School Night overs the years. They are sort of generic and do not have a date on them. The trick will be to place them in strategic places around town, high traffic areas.

Church Bulletins - By putting a short, simple note in local church bulletins we can reach hundreds of families... for free!

Mailings - Yes, we could mail a flyer to each family in the area with a Scout-age boy, that it is expensive and time consuming. The troop tried it several years ago. We were not pleased with the result of our efforts.

Community Access Television - We regularly make use of our local access television station. We video tape out courts of honor and other Scouting events to be played on the air. The station also has a bulletin board that plays between programs that lists local meetings and events. We will be sure to get School Night listed on that.

Bank and Business Marquees - The credit union and both banks have electronic marquees outside of their buildings. We hope that each will agree to place a notice for a few days before School Night.

Well, there you have it. A few low cost ways to get the word out about School Night to Join Scouting that we intend to employ. I will write an article in a few weeks to let you know how it turns out.

NEW CHIEF SCOUT EXECUTIVE

It happened on September first. Roy Williams, our national chief Scout executive for the past seven years, retired. I believe Mr. Williams had a rough seven years. At least I would call them rough. The BSA has had its share of problems lately. And, at least at the troop level of the organization, I really have not seen a lot of leadership from the national office lately, though I will give them credit for sticking to the principles and ideals of Scouting during all the media hub-bub and not backing down. I wish there would have been more done and said by national, but for some reason they decided to stay pretty quiet during these last few years.

We now have a new chief Scout executive. His name is Robert "Bob" Mazzuca, and according to his profile found at scouting.org he has held a lot of district, council, regional, and national positions during the last 36 years. While this may be a good thing for the BSA at the national level, I am afraid that those of us "in the trenches" may not see much of a change in the national organization. Here is a piece of the news release:

"Mazzuca's most recent position was with the National Council of the BSA as assistant Chief Scout Executive, a position he's held since 2006. He received a bachelor of arts in history from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. He and his wife Nanette have two sons. Bob began his Scouting career in 1971 in Modesto, Calif., as a district executive and an Exploring executive. He became the Exploring director in Sacramento in 1975 and eventually served as a field director and the director of field service. In 1983, Mazzuca became the Scout executive in Stockton, Calif. In 1987, Bob became area director in the Western Region and he was promoted to Scout executive of the Golden Empire Council in Sacramento in 1988. In 1992, he was named assistant region director for the Southern Region and in 1995, the Scout executive in Pittsburgh."

Of course, this is just my opinion, but I think Mr. Mazzuca may have been out of touch with Cub packs, Scout troops, and Venture crews for too long. I fear that someone who has been on the regional and national level for as long as Mr. Mazzuca has been could be out of touch with the real reason for Scouting, namely, the boys. Has he gotten so involved with the politics on the national level that he will fail to help the program of Scouting? Has he become so entrenched with other national officers and pencils pushers that he will forget about the volunteers at the troop and pack level? Will he be a leader who's number one concern is financial, or will he concentrate on the Scouting program and lead us into a new resurgence of Scouting?

Mr. Mazzuca, I have a few suggestions for you. First, take the time to meet the volunteers on a local level from across the country. Get out and meet the scoutmasters, and Cubmasters, and crew advisers. Listen to their concerns. See how things are going from their perspective. There is no way to get this type of information by sitting behind a desk in Texas.

Second, I would like to see National begin to promote Scouting more on a national level. The BSA has been beat up a bit during the last several years. It is time to start promoting the good that Scouting does locally and nationally. The BSA has done well informing it's councils and regions about how well things are going, but I think it is time to start letting the common folk know about Scouting. Advertise! It is not a dirty word. Yes, it may cost some money, but I think this organization is worth it, don't you? Use the internet! I have posted Scouting videos on YouTube and our troop's website. And guess what? People do watch them. I think national has mostly overlooked this avenue of communication.

Third, how about making things less costly within the Scouting organization. Oh, I am not talking about our yearly fees. I think they are reasonable. I would like to see the cost of Scout uniforms and equipment come down in price to a more reasonable level. Requiring us to pay $35-$40 dollars for the uniform shirt is pretty high, especially for the quality of the shirt. I pay less for dress shirts. And don't even get me started on the pants and shorts. I can buy two or three pairs of great quality jeans for the cost of one Boy Scout trouser that will not wear near as long. If you want the boys to dress in the full Scout uniform then make it affordable for the boys and adult leaders.

Well, that is enough of my personal opinion for the moment. I know that Mr. Mazzuca will probably never see this blog, but it feels good to at least write about a few of my concerns. And if you do read this, Mr. Mazzuca, I invite to post a response and let us know what you have planned for the Boy Scouts of America.

Scouting Stories from Around the World

Sometimes I think we Americans can get so caught up in our own Scouting program that we may forget that Scouting is active in many countries around the world. The Boy Scouts of my troop and myself have yet to experience Scouting in another country, but thanks to the world wide web we can see what other Scouts are doing. For example, check out these blog posts about Scouting outside of the USA:

Saudi Scouts Team Set to Participate in Centenary Celebrations
Waterloo Scouts heading to jamboree in England
Dr Sidhu sings praise of Scout movement in India

These articles and many more like them covering Scouting from all over the world can be found at the Scouting Vine. It is a great site to check out.

BSA Aims and Methods

Sometimes I think that we as Scouting leaders need to be reminded about the goals and aims of the Boy Scouts of America. I know I do once in a while. I found the following on the BSA website and thought it might be a good idea for us all to read it and remind ourselves why the Scouting program is such a great program.

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Aims and Methods of the Scouting Program

The Scouting program has three specific objectives, commonly referred to as the "Aims of Scouting." They are character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The methods by which the aims are achieved are listed below in random order to emphasize the equal importance of each.

Ideals. The ideals of Boy Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. The Boy Scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve. The goals are high, and as he reaches for them, he has some control over what and who he becomes.

Patrols. The patrol method gives Boy Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in small groups where members can easily relate to each other. These small groups determine troop activities through elected representatives.

Outdoor Programs. Boy Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. It is in the outdoor setting that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with one another. In the outdoors the skills and activities practiced at troop meetings come alive with purpose. Being close to nature helps Boy Scouts gain an appreciation for the beauty of the world around us. The outdoors is the laboratory in which Boy Scouts learn ecology and practice conservation of nature's resources.

Advancement. Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.

Associations With Adults. Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders can be positive role models for the members of the troop. In many cases a Scoutmaster who is willing to listen to boys, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives.

Personal Growth. As Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Boy Scouting. Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. Probably no device is as successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program also is a large part of the personal growth method. Frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting's aims.

Leadership Development. The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership role of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.

Uniform. The uniform makes the Boy Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.

MSPP #4 - 1987 Scouts of Watchamagumee

In the mid-1980's Troop 68 began camping on 40 acres of private land north of Melrose. After a couple years the owners of the property allowed the troop to start developing campsites near a pond on the south end of the land. The campsite soon received the name Camp Watchamagumee, a name made up by one of the Scouts in the troop.

In 1987, the troop was still working on various parts of the camp. A council-style campfire ring had been started, three campsites had been cleared, and the adult's site had been created on top of a hill overlooking the camping area. The adult's site was named Bunker hill because the older Scouts and former troop members had built a small "bunker" there that contained a homemade bunk bed. (That bunker only lasted for a couple of years, but the hill has retained that name. It is still the adult leader's site.)

If you have seen the camp food fight video on Youtube or the troop's website then you are already familiar with this weekend. With this video, which is an exclusive to this website and podcast, you get to meet many of the Scouts who attended that weekend and discover what they think about Scouting. It is a great video of boys enjoying Scouting.

This video was edited from an old VHS tape which contained a show called "Silly Troop Tracks" that was aired on Mel-TV3, the local television access station. I wish it was better quality but it is what it is and there is nothing I can do about it. So, sit back, download it, and enjoy the video.

Scouting Blogs

I have been looking around the internet lately looking at other Scouting Blogs. They only seem to be a few and are not very easy to find yet. Some are fairly new and have not hit the search engines yet. However, I have found several that are worth mentioning so I would like to take a moment and provide you with some links to check out.

BSA News Blog: http://www.bsanews.com/
Boy Scout Trail Scoutmaster Blog: http://www.boyscouttrail.com/blog.asp
Scoutmaster.typepad Blog: http://scoutmaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/
A Cub Scout Adventure Blog: http://acsadventure.blogspot.com/
Just One Hour A Week: http://www.justonehouraweek.com/
Ropes and Poles (Pioneering): http://ropesandpoles.blogspot.com/
Lone Star Scouter: http://buffaloeagle.wordpress.com/

Check them out. I think you will find them interesting.

By the way, you have probably noticed that this blog's picture has nothing to do with the subject of this blog. I found it on one of the blogs listed here. I thought is was a cool picture and even a better project to build at a Scout function. Besides, when you think about it, maybe it does represent this blog. After all, aren't we all riding this thing we call blogging?

List Updated 4/4/07

Boy Scouting in the 1970's

Yes, I was a Boy Scout. For three and one half years I was a member of Troop 68 in Melrose, Minnesota. The troop had about a dozen members or so, divided into two patrols, the Falcons and the Cougars.

I am the oldest of three brothers. My brothers were Cub Scouts. Unfortunately, when I was Cub Scout age there was not an active pack in town. However, I did get to participate in a couple Webelos den activities with my brother Dan. At the time I wished I could be a Scout.

About the time when Dan's den was ready to graduate into Boy Scouting a troop was formed in town. I joined the troop right away. I started out as the oldest member of the troop at 13 years old. The rest of the troop members were 11 or 12 years old. It did not take long for me to become the senior patrol leader, a position I held for most of the years I was in Scouting.

I have forgotten more about my time as a Scout then I remember. I am sure there are a few things best left unremembered. But there are also a few things I will never forget.

I remember going to summer camp for three years at Parker Scout Reservation. Two of those years were spent at the Bear Skin campsite. We (all the campers) would sing songs before supper in the dining hall. I earned pioneering merit badge although I had a lot of trouble trying to learn how to splice ropes. I saw a skunk and it's little ones for the first time as it crossed the trail on my way back to the campsite. I remember one afternoon when my fellow troop members and I sat in a tent and discussed things that were important to us at the time, including the existence of God. I remember one patrol event which involved getting the patrol up into a tree as fast as possible. Friday night campfires were great, and my troop even performed a skit at one which involved Dracula, the werewolf, the mummy, and Frankenstein's monster, but I don't remember what it was about anymore. In other words, I had fun at summer camp.

One year my scoutmaster wanted everyone to wear his uniform to school for Scout Day. At the time, I was the only student in the high school who was a Boy Scout. I knew I would be the only boy in school wearing that uniform, but I wore it because I was proud to be a Boy Scout.

I prepared myself for the snide comments I expected to receive in school, but they never came. No one made fun of me and my uniform, at least not to my face. In fact, I had people asking me about the patches on my shirt and what they represented.

As the scoutmaster of that same troop today, I do not ask the boys to wear their uniform to school. Society has changed somewhat during the last 30 years. But you know, when you stop and think about it, Scouting is as much fun today as it was back then. Don't cha think?

Jamboree Scoutmaster: Part 3

The 2001 National Jamboree at Fort AP Hill was over. We had made the trip home. The camping gear was all put away. It was time to return to "normal" Scouting. Well, not quite. I still had one more Jamboree related meeting to attend.

A reunion meeting was held a couple weeks after our return. The Boy Scouts and leaders of both Central Minnesota Council troops, along with the boy's parents, were expected to be there. This would be the last meeting of the 2001 troops. The agenda included a slideshow to be presented by our Jamboree chairwoman, and would also be a chance to share photographs, stories, and experiences. Of course, a few words by the two scoutmasters was also expected.

The meeting began well. Most of the Scouts and their parents were in attendance. Photo books had been spread out on several tables. The 8 x 10 group photos had been handed out. Unfortunately, our chairwoman with the slideshow was nowhere in site. We had a laptop computer and projector available so I improvised by showing photos that I had on cd discs. It worked out alright, but it was not as good as a prepared slideshow would have been. Our chairwoman did