100th Anniversary Scoutmaster Minute

[Buffalo Skipper]

I am looking for ideas for a 100th Anniversery Scoutmaster Minute.

 

I do plan to pick up and serve a birthday cake.

 

Ideas on the minute? I can't overdo it, as we also have a committee meeting that night and will probably go for swim test with 3 scouts after the meeting.

[allangr1024]

For one Eagle court of honor, I got a power point presentation together of the first Eagle scout, Arthur Eldred. I found photos of him in his 1912 uniform the day he had his Eagle COH, of his Eagle medal, his merit badge sash, and a picture of him pinning an Eagle medal on his son years later. Arthur was the first Eagle scout, he won the first award for life saving, and was on hand to welcome Baden Powell when he came to visit in 1912.

 

My point was that Arthur was just like any kid in my troop. He liked scouting; the camping, the outdoors, the swimming, the accomplishment. He was just doing it in the first years of the BSA.

[SctDad]

Found this one the other day and I will be using this at our Blue and Gold on Friday. Hope ths helps.

 

What a Good Deed Can Do

For this audience participation story, divide the audience into six groups. Assign each group a name. When each group hears its name in the story, the group members stand and say their designated phrase:

SCOUT: Do a Good Turn daily.

ROBERT BADEN-POWELL: Scouting is a game with a purpose.

ERNEST THOMPSON SETON: I have an idea.

DANIEL CARTER BEARD: Uncle Dan!

WILLIAM D. BOYCE: Im lost.

JAMES E. WEST: Thank you!

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA (everyone participates): Hip, hip, hooray!

The story: In 1909, a Chicago publisher, WILLIAM D. BOYCE, lost his way in a dense London fog. A young SCOUT came to his aid, guiding him through the fog. WILLIAM D. BOYCE tried to give him a tip, but the SCOUT explained that he could not take a tip for doing a Good Turn. WILLIAM D. BOYCE was inspired by the actions of the SCOUT and met with ROBERT BADEN-POWELL. But the story doesnt end there. Many others helped make Scouting what it is today. ERNEST THOMPSON SETON was fascinated with the wilderness and established a youth organization he called the Woodcraft Indians. Because of his background of outdoor skills and interest in youth, ERNEST THOMPSON SETON became an important part of Scouting. His enthusiasm and intelligence turned his idea into reality. ERNEST THOMPSON SETON was the first Chief SCOUT of the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA in 1910. Then there was DANIEL CARTER BEARD. He, too, loved the outdoors, and he merged his own boys organization, the Sons of Daniel Boone, with the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA when it was formed. DANIEL CARTER BEARD helped design the original SCOUT uniform and introduced the elements of the First Class SCOUT badge. DANIEL CARTER BEARD is remembered as a colorful figure dressed in buckskin who helped form Scouting in the United States. JAMES E. WEST was a very special person to the Scouting movement. He was an orphan and physically handicapped, and full of determination. That determination helped build Scouting to be what it is today. JAMES E. WEST was appointed the first Chief SCOUT Executive of the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA and held that position for 34 years. JAMES E. WEST is known as the true architect of the BSA. There you have itfive courageous men: ROBERT BADEN-POWELL, WILLIAM D. BOYCE, ERNEST THOMPSON SETON, DANIEL CARTER BEARD, and JAMES E. WEST. It began with a SCOUT helping another person find his way. It began with five men of intelligence and a love of the outdoors and youth. They had an idea, determination, and enthusiasm. They used all of those things to turn their idea into the reality we call the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.

 

[Buffalo Skipper]

Thanks SctDad. I used that one as a CM at a B&G several years ago. Certainly appropriate, as is a discussion on Arthur Eldred.

Interestingly, one of my co-workers stepped into my office as I was about to leave yesterday, and he commented on BSAs 100th Anniversery. He was a cub scout before I was born and a boy scout for several years as well. He occasionally asks me about the troop, and I occasionally bore him with a good story (he is a part time preacher, so he always enjoys a good story, but I digress).

A few years ago he was clearing out a desk drawer and found a scrap booked page with clippings from some ancient newspaper. I still had it and realized it was the perfect thing to use for the 100th Anniv. Scoutmaster minute. Dating other articles on the page I can conclude the article dates to September, 1961. It reads:

First Boy Scout Troop in U.S.? What is held to be the first Boy Scout troop in America was organized in Pawhuska, Okla. in May 1909. Personnel of the troop, together with its own drum and bugle section is pictured with its founder, Rev. John Mitchell. Before settling in Oklahoma, Rev. Mitchell had been chaplain for Sir Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout movement in England. Two members of the troop still live in Pawhuska: Walter Johnson, former state commissioner for public safety, and Pawhuskas Mayer Joe McGuire. Rev. Mitchell stressed: Do a good turn daily. Johnson recalls: We wore out all the old ladies in Pawhuska, pushing them from one side of the street to the other. The troop received its charter shortly after the Boy Scouts of America was organized in 1910.

The accompanying photo also lists 20 scouts and leaders in infantry-looking uniforms with several drums and bugles. The photo is not dated. But I did find this also which supports the 49 year old newspaper clipping:http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2009/pr20090505c.html

This is where I will draw tonight's Scoutmaster Minute.

Thanks all.(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[Buffalo Skipper]

Try for the link to the troop's 100th anniversery:

 

http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2009/pr20090505c.html(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)