Scoutmaster Podcast 248

Hi, I'm Dennis Unger and I'm an assistant Scoutmaster with 2.13 and with Tumpy, Alabama. This edition of Scoutmaster Podcast is sponsored by backers like me. And now for you, Scoutmaster

Caleb. I know you're listening out there and I know you're looking for great ideas for holiday gifts. I figured out the perfect gift for everybody on my gift list this year. Everybody is getting a bridge, That's right. I'm going to lash together a bridge for every single person on my holiday shopping list this year. I mean, at least that way, if they don't like it, they can get over it.

Oh, no season is safe.

Hey, this is podcast number 248..

Well, welcome back to the Scoutmaster Podcast. This is Clark Greene. Let's take a look at the mailbag, see what's going on. Alicia Jeffcoat got in touch, said: I'm listening to the first podcast right now. I wish all Scoutmasters and assistant Scoutmasters and merit badge counselors could hear this. Well, thank you, thank you, thank you. thank you, Alicia. I'm glad that you're enjoying the podcast. We had the live chat up this week and we got to speak with Dennis Unger, And Dennis is from Watumka, Alabama. He's an assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 13 and the cub master of Pack 50. Our frequent fliers all checked in at one time or another. this past week We heard from Steve John and Brad. Dave Smiley checked in from Santa Rosa, California. Michael Manager was there, Kendall Brown, who's from Huntsville, Alabama, And Doi Shipman in Okmogi, Oklahoma. all checked in on the chat. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and on the Twitter feed for announcements when the chat will be live, And we'll be doing that on and off over the next couple of weeks during the holiday season. On the blog this week we published chapters 11 and 12 of our story of a new Scoutmaster. Ed Bruce commented on chapter 11 and said it brought tears to my eyes, Clark. Well, Ed, thank you. I'm glad that this story is speaking to you that way And if you haven't already figured out, if you haven't been following the story, I'll have a link to the first chapter in the post that contains this podcast, Originally planned on 12 chapters, but because of the very positive response the stories received, we're just going to keep on going And we'll publish new chapters every Tuesday and Thursday for the foreseeable future. Daniel Clinker said I'm glad to keep here. It's continuing. Hugh wrote to say thanks for keeping the story going. Clark, This is a great series. I wish I could have had this last year when I took over a non-functional troop that was down to one scout. I knew it was going to be a tough first year, but this story would have made it easier. Julie wrote in to say ditto on. I'm so glad it's continuing. I've been enjoying this story. Thanks, And Jim Hilliard said so glad this is continuing. Thanks for doing this. I've gotten more out of this series and by discovering your blog then, five plus years of scouting and full training. Well, Jim, I'm really glad that you get something out of the podcast and the blog. I really do appreciate you getting in touch. In last week's podcast we issued a challenge to you because you know we talked about itchy coup park. I challenged anybody to tell me what, what band. it was. a thousand bonus points to the first person who told me what band recorded itchy coup park, And it was Dave Smiley who got in first. Ray Britton was close second, but Dave gets 1000 bonus points. I have no idea what you're going to do with them, Dave, but good for you.

itchy coup park was recorded by small faces back in 1967. if that matters to anybody, We're just ahead of the holidays right now. Christmas is next week, New Year's is the next, So the podcast will be on vacation, right along with you as you enjoy the holidays with your friends and family, And we'll return on the first Monday in January with a brand new year of podcasts with podcast number 249.. You can listen to our archive podcast at scoutmastercgcom. Just go to scoutmastercgcom, Look for the podcast link at the top of the page. You'll be able to access all 248 podcasts that we've published so far. Now, if you're a regular reader and listener and if the resources we've created help you, you can return the favor by becoming a scoutmastercgcom backer. Funds that we get from backers go towards the expenses of producing and publishing the blog posts, the podcasts and the videos that have become a valuable resource and are accessible to scouts all over the world. It's very simple to do: Go to scoutmastercgcom, Click the support link at the top of the page. You can choose many different levels of support and some of them entitle you to premiums like autographed copies of my books. But I would like to take a moment to personally thank David Morris, Wayne Wilcox and one anonymous backer who signed up since our last podcast.

Now you go to scoutmastercgcom and become a backer, and I'll make sure to thank you personally on the next podcast. As we're closing out the year here, I want to say once again to all the backers that have signed on this past year how much we appreciate your help, because that's the way that everything stays afloat and we can keep all these resources freely available, And I sure do appreciate your help with it. The remainder of this brief holiday podcast is a greeting card to you, in a way of thanking you for listening and for supporting us over this past year, with apologies, of course, to Clement Clark Moore, who wrote the poem A Visit from St Nicholas, which most of us know as The Night Before Christmas. So hey, let's get started, shall we

Music? It was our first night out. camping Went all through the troop. Everyone was stirring. What a loud happy group. The tents were all pitched and the fire was lit, but the scouts sang their songs and each patrol did a skit. Soon they were nestled, all snug in their beds as visions of instant oatmeal danced in their heads. The scouters and neckerchiefs, silence and ploughing had settled ourselves for a long winter's snoring Music. Out on the campsite, there arose such a clatter. I unzipped my sleeping bag. to see what was the matter, I crawled to the door and put on my cap, unzipped the tent and looked out. the flap, The moon on the carpet of leaves on the ground gave a luster of midday. as I looked around, when what then appeared to my initial survey was eight tiny raccoons and a miniature sleigh with a big hulking driver, all covered in hair, I knew in a moment it must be a bear. Music, Silent and stealthy, his raccoons. they came, as he growled and grunted and called them by a name, Now Nasher, now Chewer, now Masher, and Eater on gorger, on nibbler, on scarfer and feeder, To the picnic table in the cooler, with no time of wasting. the food these scouts brought is ours for the tasting, As leaves that, before the wild hurricane, fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount up to the sky, so up to the coolers, his raccoons. they flew and filled their sleigh and their fat bellies too. I thrust out my head and I made a loud sound. everything stopped and the bear turned around. Music, He was covered in fur, from his head to his paw and his coat shown in the moonlight as he opened his maw, his eyes, how they glowed, his teeth, how keen and the claws on his paws were the longest I've seen. Half a bagel was tight clenched in his teeth and the package encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a giant round belly that shook when he growled like a bowl full of jelly. He gazed straight at me and he said: look here, we'll leave you plenty, but one night a year we get a few goodies for our cubs and kits. We'll leave the ramen noodles and other sundry bags Music. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head suit gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He sprang to his sleigh to his team, gave a growl and away. they all flew stealthy as a barn owl, But I heard him exclaim as he flew into the woods: be prepared next time, scouts, and thanks for the goods Music. I want to say how much I appreciate everybody who listens and gets in touch. You can get in touch with me and it's easy to do. You can get in touch with me by sending an email at scoutmastercgcom. C-L-A-R-K-E at scoutmastercgcom. Hey, if you're enjoying the music that you're hearing on this podcast, it's from a two CD set from a group called the Pine Street String Band. it's called Banjo Christmas, and I'll have a link to how you can find it on the post that contains this podcast. Let me remind you that the Scoutmaster blog and the Scoutmaster podcast are not official publications of the Boy Scouts of America, nor are they endorsed by the Boy Scouts of America or any other organization. but, for that matter, it's just me talking into a microphone, trying to lend a hand to scout leaders and have a little bit of fun along the way. We'll be back on the first Monday of January