Category Archives: Fun

mbmosaic

Meet the team behind the world’s largest merit badge mosaic

26 May 2011

2 Comments

What can happen when creative people take on Scouting’s inspiring message? Let me put together the pieces for you.

But first, you must check out this video. Like the 3,000 people who watched it in its first week online, you’ll see how the world’s largest merit badge mosaic took shape.

How big is it? The finished product measures 19 feet tall and 13 feet wide, contains 12,060 merit badges, and took three days to create. Wow.

When I first saw it last week, I went in search of the story behind this one-of-a-kind project.

I tracked down the responsible parties. Turns out it was a collaboration between the Northern Star Council and the Martin Williams ad agency  — both based in Minneapolis-St. Paul. They agreed to give me the behind-the-scenes scoop.

But before I tell you how the project came together, I wanted to share why it was created.

The theme of the Northern Star Council’s 2010 Annual Report is “It’s Bigger Than Badges.” What does that mean?

The report’s opening page explains it best:

Let us begin by saying Scouting is not about collecting badges. It’s about collecting the lessons, experiences and relationships that shape your life. Behind each small, round patch is a story with infinite endings. One by one, these stories come together to form the person who writes them — confident, courageous and prepared to make a difference in the world.

Those words resonate in any council, don’t they?

The finished product measures 19 feet high and 13 feet wide.

An idea takes shape

Kent York, the council’s marketing director, said he knew he could trust Martin Williams to create a unique theme for the council’s annual report. After all, the council and the ad agency had worked together for the past 10 years.

By the way, Martin Williams does all of its Northern Star Council projects on a pro-bono basis as part of the agency’s service to the community. Nice.

When the Martin Williams creative team showed York its idea for a massive merit badge mosaic, York’s eyes lit up.

“But we wanted to give them an out,” he said. York loved the idea, but he had to ask, “Can you really do this?”

After all, this was shaping up to be the most ambitious concept for an annual report in the council’s history.

The team accepted the challenge without hesitation.

Creative Director Susan Arens and her team tracked down a photo of a Scout, Carlos, to use as the template. Next, Arens took every current merit badge  — all 126 of them  — and arranged them by color. The artist now had her palette and was ready to get to work.

Using the print publishing program InDesign, Arens created a circle grid and began numbering these empty circles. Each number corresponded to a different merit badge.

She arranged the badges one by one, click by click, on the screen. Think “paint by numbers” but with 12,060 tiny sections to fill.

The merit badge mosaic theme is continued throughout the council's annual report.

That’s a lot of merit badges

The number 12,060 didn’t come to Arens right away, though.

In the beginning, she estimated she’d need about 1,200 merit badges.

“One of my coworkers said, I bet you’re gonna need about 10,000,” Arens said, “and I said, shut up, we’re not going to need 10,000.”

Turns out the coworker was right. But now there was a bigger problem: Where was she going to find 12,060 merit badges? No council Scout Shop in the country has that many on hand.

Besides, Marketing Director York said, the council couldn’t afford to purchase nearly $28,000 worth of badges. So he did what any Scout would do: He used his resources.

York contacted the BSA Supply Group in Charlotte, N.C., and told them his plan. Marlene Gerdts, territory manager with BSA Supply, agreed to let him borrow the badges for a few weeks. All he had to pay was shipping and any necessary restocking fees.

With badges in hand, Arens got to work. She printed the InDesign document on 10 huge strips of paper and lined the pieces on the floor. Then, with the help of some coworkers and volunteers  — and eight rolls of double-sided tape  — she got to work.

That’s where the video above picks up; be sure to watch it and share it with your Scouts to get a sense of the artwork’s size.

There’s also a Facebook app, “Badgetize Yourself,” that allows you and your Scouts to upload a photo and create a customized merit badge mosaic.

The mosaic, like any great project, was a team effort. Joining Arens were her Martin Williams colleagues: Jeff Tresidder, group creative director; Adam Ridgeway, copywriter; Kristina Fenner, account supervisor; Chad Holder, photographer; and Cory Bauer, editor. On the council side, York teamed up with Keith Faber, Web and communications specialist for Northern Star.

With the project complete, York took a moment to step back and admire the finished product and the hard work from the Martin Williams team.

“Character, citizenship, and fitness are hard concepts to put into visuals,” he said. “These people went above and beyond what we had asked. Literally, they were on their hands and knees for two and a half days doing this.”

Photo by Michael Roytek

Go behind the scenes of my Rogue River video shoot for Scouting magazine

26 April 2011

2 Comments

About the time they were touching up my makeup, preparing the teleprompter, and adjusting the lighting on the green screen, I had a thought: Making a three-minute video takes a ton of work.

It’s also a ton of fun.

We spent part of last week shooting and editing the video seen above as a special introduction to my Scouting magazine feature, “Going Rogue.” Continue reading »

In exclusive tour, New York Boy Scouts see Navy’s side of the Army-Navy rivalry

23 March 2011

2 Comments

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

When Scout parent Matt Testerman heard that in 2009 his troop visited West Point, he formed a plan.

You see, Testerman is a graduate of a different service academy, Annapolis, the U.S. Naval Academy.

And in the spirit of the Army-Navy rivarly, he wanted to take the guys of Troop 336 to see his alma mater.

“When I heard that Troop 336 visited West Point two years ago, I wanted our Scouts to visit the Academy—and reach their own conclusion as to which one is better!” he said. Testerman returns to Annapolis next year as a professor.

Last month, Testerman got his wish. Twenty-five Scouts, parents, and siblings from his Pittsford, N.Y., troop loaded up and began the seven-hour journey south to the Maryland site.

Once there, Troop 336 got its first taste of the Army-Navy rivalry on the hardwood at Alumni Hall, where the Navy’s men’s basketball team played Army. The Midshipmen beat the Black Knights, 75-58 in a game that illustrated the rivalry’s passion. The Scouts even got into the spirit, shouting ”Go Navy, Beat Army!” alongside the Midshipmen. Testerman must have loved that.

The troop’s quarters for the weekend were aboard three Yard Patrol boats moored at the pier on the Severn River. These are the vessels that train midshipmen in seamanship and navigation.

Scouts accustomed to a spacious, plush bedroom at home were in for a surprise aboard these boats. The boys slept six to a berthing quarter, and each bunk had three levels. The bottom and middle beds were fine, but the top one offered just inches to spare with pipes running above an unlucky Scout’s head.

This type of sleeping arrangement is not for the claustrophobia-prone. But then again, those afraid of close spaces probably wouldn’t join the Navy anyway.

The next morning, the guys got a personalized tour of the Academy from Midshipman 3rd Class Ian Sonnenberg, an Eagle Scout from Vernon, Ill.

Sonnenberg majors in aerospace engineering and Chinese and serves as tour coordinator for the 400-member U.S. Naval Academy National Eagle Scout Association.

Sonnenberg explained to the Scouts the Academy’s mission: to develop midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically. “Does that sound familiar?” he asked. “Think of the Scout Oath—to ‘keep yourselves physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.’”

On the tour, Troop 336 saw gold-painted footballs in trophy cases that symbolized Navy victories over—who else?—Army. Photos of Navy Hall of Fame athletes lined the walls, including such legends as quarterback Roger Staubach and basketball great David Robinson, a three-time Olympian.

Those legends made careers out of sports, but that’s not the case for the majority of Midshipmen, Sonnenberg said.

“This is a military institution that trains officers for the Navy and Marine Corps,” he said. “It is extremely difficult to receive an appointment, so if you want to come here, make sure you focus on your studies, especially math and science, and keep in great physical shape.”

Pointing to the Olympic-size pool and a 10-meter diving platform, Sonnenberg joked, “And you better like the water!” All midshipmen are required to jump from the platform, roughly one-third the distance from the top of an aircraft carrier to the ocean.

“It teaches you courage and to be brave,” Sonnenberg said. “When you’re up there, it’s a long way down, but you master your fear.”

Finally, Sonnenberg guided the troop to the chapel and then to “the coolest place at the Academy:” the crypt of John Paul Jones, father of the U.S. Navy. His remains were buried in France for 113 years before being discovered and returned to America in 1905.

So after this once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Scouts, what’s next, Scoutmaster Bob Cooper?

“First West Point, then the Naval Academy,” Cooper said. “Now we have to figure out how to get to Colorado to see the Air Force Academy!”

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Troop 336 assistant Scoutmaster Tony Hoppa for sending me the story idea and information, and to parent Matt Testerman for taking and sharing his photos from the trip.

Send me your What a Weekend ideas:

Did your pack, troop, crew, or team recently return from an amazing adventure? Send me your story with the subject line “What a Weekend.” Include a 500- to 600-word writeup about the event and three or four of your best photos.

Memorabilia Monday: Honk if you love the Boy Scouts of America

28 February 2011

2 Comments

1957 Michigan National Jamboree plate

Living in Texas, I see this “Scouting Teaches Values” license plate on the highway at least once a week. You’ll find similar plates on vehicles in Utah, Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas, Ohio, Colorado, and many more states.

But, as I found out today, BSA-themed license plates are nothing new. In fact, for David Miura of the Pacific Skyline Council, these plates represent the confluence of two collecting hobbies: BSA memorabilia and license plates.

He sent a photo of the plate seen above, which was a limited-edition release at the time of the 1957 National Scout Jamboree.

Here’s what he wrote:

I have been collecting Boy Scout council shoulder patches and automobile license plates since I was a kid, and this 1957 Michigan National Jamboree plate is the perfect crossover of my two hobbies. 150 plates were mounted on special Plymouth vehicles that were loaned to the BSA for staff and VIP use at the Jamboree site at Valley Forge, Pa. Some of the cars were also used to transport the contingent from Tall Pine Council of Flint, Mich.

I’ve displayed this plate and my Boy Scout-themed license plate collection at both the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) national convention and the International Scouting Collectors Association( ISCA) NOAC trade-o-ree and have received positive response from both collecting communities.

Thanks for letting me share.

Pretty sweet! Thanks for sharing, David.

As for the rest of you, send me a photo of your favorite piece of Scouting memorabilia. Find out how after the jump.

Continue reading »

Armando Galarraga’s visit to an Austin troop was, well, perfect

31 January 2011

2 Comments


Armando Galarraga and some Scouts from Troop 5

It was one of 2010′s biggest sports stories. On June 2, pitcher Armando Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game when umpire Jim Joyce made the wrong call at first base. Joyce incorrectly said the runner was safe, and the perfect game was no more.

Galarraga could’ve screamed and shouted at Joyce about the wrong call. He could’ve kicked the dirt and thrown down his glove. He could’ve whined to the media. But he didn’t.

In a refreshing change from how many players or managers would act in that situation, he simply said, “Nobody’s perfect.”

Galarraga’s sportsmanship and maturity sets a great example for Scouts. So it was fitting for him to visit Austin, Tex., Troop 5 late last year and share his message.

But rather than me telling you about the event, since I wasn’t there, I asked the troop to have a Scout write a news story about Galarraga’s visit.

Follow the jump to read how David H., a Star Scout from Troop 5, tells it.

Continue reading »

What’s your favorite campfire story to tell Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts?

27 January 2011

23 Comments

One of my favorite memories from Boy Scout camp-outs was gathering around the fire and listening to the assistant Scoutmasters tell campfire stories.

I loved movies and books growing up, but there was something about those live stories that was more compelling than the printed word or images on a screen.

Some of the stories were funny, others scary, but they all held my interest like nothing else.

Campfire stories have been around as long as the BSA itself. The great Norman Rockwell immortalized “The Campfire Story” in his 1936 painting seen at left, and generations of Scouters have used the stories as campfire entertainment.

So they’re an important part of the BSA, we know that. The trouble is finding great stories to tell.

That’s where you come in, Scouters. Click the “Comment” button at the bottom of this post and share your favorite campfire story. Or post a link to a good resource for these tales.

Remember that the stories should be appropriate for Scouts, and the best ones are long enough to matter but not so long that they’ll lose a boy’s interest.

OK, the fire is lit, and the Scouts have gathered in a circle. The stage is yours.