bugler merit badge counselor

[lightnotes@frontier.com]

I have recently commited to providing a session for scouts to earn a bugle merit badge. I'm having trouble planning the outline and welcome any suggestions re; use of any media, bringing in professionals, anything to enhance the "cool factor" for these scouts.

I've been playing trumpet for over thirty years, so my contribution won't be a problem. I've also come to terms with the requirements of the badge and adjusted them to fit the 21st century and today's economic realities. But, I would like to know what others have done that I could share with my scouts.

 

Thanks,

 

Todd

[SSScout]

Welcome to our electronic campfire. If you'll do a search of these forums, you'll find lots of discussion and ideas for bugling. Go back a couple of years.

If you googlesearch, you can find old copies of the original Bugling MBBook, which listed many bugle calls and their sheet music and history that you can print out.

Go for clarity and volume , as well as intonation. You might experiment with your boys as to how far away a bugle can be heard and understood, both over clear land and back in the woods.

I always liked a melencoly and mournful version of Tatoo, before Taps. Gives the bugler a chance to "play" the instrument, not just "sound" it.

Good for you for promoting a traditional type of communication. I volunteered and was accepted as the staff bugler for a Wood Badge course. I was gratified by the positive comments from the participants after the course, and the CD even said he changed his mind about the idea of a camp bugler afterwards.

[Twocubdad]

I counsel Bugling, too, but I have to say I really don't understand your question.

 

It doesn't seem to me bugling is something one could earn in a "session." The few boys I've worked with already played trumpet in their school band. I worked with them to help learn the calls. I suppose a fellow who is a pretty good trumpeter could learn the calls, Honestly, teaching a Scout to play the bugle from zero would be beyond the scope of what I'm prepared to offer.

 

When a Scout has approached me about the MB, I've directed them to the Music/Bugling phamphlet for the music. I think VMI has on their web site the music for all the calls and the actual calls being played, in a number of file formats. It's really good for the guys who don't read music as well as they maybe should. When I'm actually working one-on-one with a bugler, I'm just helping them learn the music.

 

Truth be told, of the three or four guys I've worked with, none have earned the MB, although two became fairly competent troop buglers, being able to call the troop to Assembly, Revelle, Taps, To the Colors, and the more common stuff.

[SSScout]

Twocubdad: All very true.

Lightnotes:

Go to your Scoutshop, and ask for "Bugle Calls/Voice of Lord Baden-Powell" CD #AV-054CD. The one I have is several years old now, and has UPC 7 30176 32279 7.

 

Some MBs, a Scout can come to a "class" and expect to walk away with a signed blue card. We have MBDays like that. Not Bugling.

 

Fellow walks up to a gent on a New York street and asks, "say bub, how do you get to Lincoln Center?" The man, who happens to be a music teacher, answers, "Practice, my boy, practice!!"

 

OK, from the diaphragm, now...

[SeattlePioneer]

I was a VERY modestly competent trumpeter in junior high school.

 

 

Circa 2004 I bought a BSA bugle and made an effort to become a modestly competent bugler, but I fell short of the mark. I wouldn't have passed myself for the Bugling Merit Badge.

 

However, I did some troop bugling ---- doing my best. That can still add excitement.

 

And I had a bugling competition at Camporee. Each boy in each patrol had a chance to blow my bugle. For most it was their first experience.

 

After each did their best, the patrol selected their best bugler to compete for the best bugling patrol at Camporee. The person they chose could choose any bugling melody to play, Taps being the usual choice.

 

You could discover a few horn players that way, although the bugle was still a challenge even for them.

 

The best buglers became the Camporee buglers for the rest of the event.

 

So even though my skills were below an adequate standard, they still allowed me to make bugling a part of the Scout program in meaningful ways.

 

Sometimes I actually came pretty close to a modest competence too! Darn, maybe I should start practicing again ---- I might get my lip in shape for Camporee in June....