BSA News {News for Scouts}

Thanks to the work of a couple dedicated Cub Scout Leaders there is a online network called PTC Media that showcases three Scouting-related audio podcasts and one video podcast.

"Akela's Adventure" is an audio podcast that that features a den leader and his son as they review their den's latest meeting and activity. Don't forget to listen to a couple of jokes presented by the Cub Scout.
http://www.ptcmedia.net/category/a-cub-scouting-adventure/

"An Hour A Week" is an audio podcast which features a cubmaster as he discusses events and issues about being a leader of a Cub Scout Pack.

Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, who is featured on various videos on Youtube and the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast was recently sited at a local Cub Pack's "School Night to Join Scouting rally." The boys took to Buttons right away and everyone wanted their picture taken with him. Check out the pictures at http://tinyurl.com/2delcx

Hopefully, we will all be as dedicated to the Scouting program as this gentleman is when we reach that age.

http://melrosetroop68.org/2007/07/eighty-year-old-assistant-scoutmaster....

Mother Earth News has a nice page with what they call "the 10 most useful knots". It's not as nice as the Animated Knots but still a worthwhile resource.

Come join us for a challenging 110 mile canoeing adventure down the White River in Arkansas.

Make your plans now to participate in one of the greatest scouting events in the country this coming summer, July 25-28. The race is a 3 day, 110 mile adventure down one of the most scenic rivers in America. The race is open to all scouts, ages 14-20 with boys, girls, and coed teams. There are classes for beginners as well as experts. Teams from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri and Minnesota competed this past year and will be returning in 2007. If you have any questions concerning the event, please don't hesitate to contact me. Go to www.whiterivercanoerace.com for more details.

Stephen Lynn
Venture Crew 300
Russellville, AR
479-885-1037
ozarksjl@centurytel.net

A new podcast listing can now be found on the iTunes Store. This podcast by Melrose Scouting Productions will feature Scouting-related videos showcasing the Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68. Videos will include the Scouts performing songs, skits, having fun on activities, and will feature videos from summer camp and high adventure bases. While many of the videos planned may already be found on Youtube and the troop's website, some videos will be exclusive to the podcast. This podcast will also be the place to download videos of Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, who has been covered in other entries in this blog. The purpose of the podcast will be to showcase boys being Scouts and having fun. Shownotes for the videos can be found at http://melrosetroop68.org/blog.html.

To access this video podcast you will need to have iTunes on your computer. You can find the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=2511878...

Slightly larger than the Altoid Survival Kit, Backwoods Home Magazine has an article about a ten day survival kit for your home, car or RV. The lists includes a grocery list of food available at your local grocery store, water purification, first aid kit, and heat sources.

Link to Article

I've been slow posting news to the site for the last few days because I was away at the beautiful island of Antigua in the Western Caribbean. Since this week is just about gone, stories will pick up again next week.

And in case you were interested, Antigua does have a Girl Scout Program called the "Antigua & Barbuda Girl Guides," a member of the World Association of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting (WAGGGS). A neat fact: On July 21st, they celebrate "Drum Day" where they paint drums that will be distributed around Antigua as garbage recepticals.

In 1953, Don Murphy organized the first Pinewood Derby for Pack 280C of Manhattan Beach, CA. Don got the idea for the derby from the soapbox derby's his company sponsored and his passion for models. Murphy wrote the rules and designed the miniature car that could be carved out of soft pinewood complete with nails and wheels in a brown paper bag. Some fathers of the seven den, 55 cub scout Pack put together the two lane race track and battery-run doorbell finish line with winner lights.

Scoutmaster Steve of Troop 68 in Melrose, Minnesota has released another video featuring Buttons and Michael. Steve posted in the rec.scouting.usa:
The latest of the videos featuring Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has
been posted.
He is still trying to learn the Cub Scout Promise from Michael, the
radical Cub Scout. Unfortunately, Buttons is not the brightest Cub in
the Pack. I am sure you will get a chuckle or two from this, the
second video of this series.

You can see it at:
http://melrosetroop68.org/videobuttonsCub2.html
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCTPDokPBnw
(If you watch it on youtube be sure to leave a comment and rate it,
and add it to your favorites.)

Thank you to everyone who has watched the first of the Cub Scout
Promise videos. It has become one of the most popular videos I have
made. Between the two sites it has been watched over 1000 times during
the last 2 1/2 weeks.