Bugling Merit Badge Discontinued

[Stosh 3452]

Bugles, patrol flags, and patrol yells all used to serve different effective functions than what most people today understand. Like the phrase "Rally 'round the flag" use to mean something. People use that phrase today and don't even have a flag!

 

As a non-electronic form of communication, these items work great in a non-electrical environment. However, if the only the bugler knows what's going on, it is totally useless in its functionality. Morse Code is useless unless both people know it.

 

Here's the scenario: The SPL wants to get everyone ready to go to some activity at summer camp. Boys are all over the place maybe out in the woods gathering wood or just screwing around. Some of the boys are in their tents straightening everything up for the day (yeah, right). The SPL locates only one boy, the bugler and says: "Sound Assembly". The Bugler plays it. Everyone within a half mile can hear it. Once in camp, the PL is waving the patrol flag and giving the yell. Now the boys separate out into their patrols. They know where their patrol is forming because he can see the flag! The PL is giving the yell because it's still a bit dark and the flag may be difficult to see. Either way, visually or audibly the call to gather is made. Once everyone is where they need to be they can head out for their activity. All this without having to do anything more than let the bugler know what to play! Otherwise, you have the SPL running around yelling at everyone to fall in, boys in the woods can't hear his banshee screaming, the SM is jumping in to roust the boys out of their tents, and the place is like a Chinese fire drill. What the bugler can effectively accomplish in 10 seconds, anything else will take 5-10 minutes and frazzled nerves.

 

Now take away the bugle, turn the patrol flag into a token to be dragged around at camporee competitions and the yell that someone made up 5 minutes before the last camporee competition, and you have a troop with no ability to communicate to itself.

 

Like Morse Code and the signal button on the old flashlights, it's only a memory for old people. Yet, I do know that military pilots still use it and while at Jamboree I was playing with my old signal mirror on sunny days and got a couple of the helicopter pilots to stop and wave when they got my simple "Hi" message. .... ..

 

Functionally the bugle can be a great tool when used properly. But like the telegrapher's key, unless you know how to use it is pretty much useless except as a wall ornament or in this case, a conversation piece.

 

Stosh