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I was a trumpet player as a youth ---a very mediocre one.

 

Thirty years ago as a Scoutmaster, I loaned out my trumpet to a Scout who promised faithfully to practice with it. Never saw THAT again!

 

When I rejoined Scouting as an adult leader in 2004, I bought a bugle at the Scout shop hoping I'd find ways to use it in the program. I have, but not as an Xpert bugler.

 

I used it at a Camporee as the theme of a Camporee competition. Each Scout was given the chance to blow the bugle for whatever time they wished to take. For most it was proabbly their first time blowing a horn that was a musical instrument, but most got the idea enough to get some kind of note out.

 

Each patrol was then asked to decide who their BEST bugler was, and that person was offered the opportunity to blow ANY bugle call ---- with Taps suggested as the easiest and most familiar.

 

The best patrol bugler was invited to do the bugle calls for the rest of the Camporee and got the winning score in the competition.

 

 

When I'm going in to elementary schools for Cub Scout recruiting, I carry my bugle in my backpack. At suitable moments I pull it out to show boys ---and of course they all want a chance to blow the bugle.

 

I have to regretfully decline, since if the Principal found me making that much noise he'd take me by the ear and haul me out of there! However, I promise that boys who attend the recruiting night will have a chance to practice on the bugle, a promise which I keep of course.

 

Unfortunately, my own efrforts to become a competent bugler again have fallen to sloth. It really requires daily practice for 2-3 months to get your lip in shapem, and I haven't been able to summon the motivation to do that. I've come fairly close.

 

Scouts with a bugle should be expected to perfom at the Trooop opening and closing ceremoney as a method of encouraging daily practice, in my opinion. Get someone good at the skill and you have a classy way for your Troop to excel.

 

A troop I was in had a 16 year old Scout who was allgedly a trumpet player, but he refused to practice and was a mediocre bugler who never improved -- he was a case study in how not to do your best. I DID practice, but not long enough to be more than a marginal bugler.

 

When I was passing the bugle around among players, I had a bottle of alcohol and a cloth and I cleaned the mouthpiece between users.

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

I bought my son official BSA bugles on Ebay First one was brass and very experienced second one was chrome. He did play the trumpet also but always used the bugle for camp since the valves get dirty at camp and then they need to clean it.

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