The Bloggers
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When Scout Executive Michael Riley made the choice to eliminate bug juice at the Cape Cod & Islands Council's summer day camps, he braced for a revolt. But no uprising came. Sugar-saturated bug juice was available one summer, and the next summer only water was served.
Character-driven TV shows like Lost slowly reveal the ways in which these seemingly disparate people have actually been connected all along. And as Rachel Eddowes (third from the right in the photo above) recently discovered, the same is true in Scouting.
The latest and greatest in tech isn't a new smartphone, tablet or game console. It's a new merit badge. Today the Boy Scouts of America welcomes Digital Technology merit badge to its ever-growing arsenal of merit badges focused on careers, hobbies and activities Scouts enjoy doing.
Your boss views your tailgating photos on Instagram, your Facebook friends see you complaining about your job or your Scouts read your tweets in favor of a politician. You've just encountered context collapse. That's the phrase for something intended for a specific audience that becomes seen by a much wider, unintended audience.
Here's one owner's manual that's actually worth reading. It isn't for your car, smartphone or new camp stove. The 2014 Fieldbook is a user's guide for the entire outdoors, and it's a must-own for everyone who spends time outside. The fifth-edition Fieldbook: Scouting's Manual of Basic and Advanced Skills for Outdoor Adventure is published by…
It sounds like the trailer for a summer blockbuster: In a world saturated by television, smartphones and video games, one group of Scouts dares to step outside and show the world they still value the outdoors, exercise and self-discipline. But this is better than a Hollywood movie.
A senseless act of violence has taken a young Boy Scout from us too soon. Reat Griffin Underwood, a 14-year-old Life Scout who was working toward Eagle, was one of three victims in Sunday's shootings at Jewish community centers in Kansas.
Tracing the life of Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell takes you not only to his birthplace in London but also to Kenya, where he spent the last few years of his life. My recent trip to London and Gilwell Park , provenance of the Wood Badge training course, inspired Idaho Scouter Steve Jung to share photos and…
When I ask Scouters about their best memories as a Scout, they often call upon times spent at their favorite Scout camp. Summer camp memories last a lifetime, which is why it's important to help your Scouts choose a camp program that will keep them coming back for more.
Permission slips are like seat belts. They're simple to use, and they're for your own protection in case of emergency. The Boy Scouts of America's permission slip, officially called the Activity Consent Form and Approval by Parents or Legal Guardian, is a bilingual document that provides parental emergency contact info and releases the "Boy Scouts…
The annual practice of troops picking the perfect summer camp just got upgraded to the smartphone age. Clear a spot on your home screen for Camp Scout! , a free iPhone app brought to you by Boys' Life magazine and the BSA's Outdoor Adventures team.
Before you tell your Scouts and Venturers to power down their smartphones at the beginning of your next adventure, I have something you need to read. The BSA's Deputy Chief Scout Executive, Gary Butler, penned a guest blog post that offers his nuanced opinion on the place that iPhones, Androids and devices of their ilk…
Here's some news that rocks. Long before he helped Imagine Dragons win a Grammy Award, an American Music Award and a Teen Choice Award, lead singer Dan Reynolds earned the Eagle Scout Award. Yes, the vocalist for the band that MTV in 2013 called "the year's biggest breakout band" got his start in Scouting.
W2-590-14-8, C6-160-14-2, S4-83-14-2, N4-527-14. Are those nuclear launch codes? A paranoid person's computer password? Some sort of weird locker combination? Nope. Those four sets of characters describe the numbers of actual Wood Badge courses being offered in 2014. And in reality, the code - found on every modern Wood Badge course - isn't that difficult to crack.
Matt Moniz and his dad, Mike, needed just six weeks and a day to climb to the highest point in every U.S. state. That's faster than anyone in history. I'm talking 50 summits - from Alaska's 20,322-foot Denali to Florida's 345-foot Britton Hill - in just 43 days.
If you have a Scout working on Scouting Heritage merit badge Requirement 4, Joe Connole's your guy. The programs coordinator and lead admissions clerk for the BSA's National Scouting Museum in Irving, Tex., is in charge of answering letters and emails from Scouts working on that merit badge.
Every Scout deserves a trained leader, and every leader deserves an opportunity for high-quality training. Well, there's no better training for adults than Wood Badge, and that philosophy of "No Scouter untrained" led Utah's Great Salt Lake Council to create a Wood Badge course tailored for both deaf and hearing Scouters.
Captain America and Eagle Scouts: Both wear uniforms, and of course they're both patriotic and brave. But recently I learned the shield-toting Avenger has even more in common with young men who earn Scouting's highest award than you might think.
In the age of Smartphones and GoPros, the concept of documenting Scouting adventures in video format isn't a novel idea. But in the 1930s, capturing troop meetings and outdoor activities posed a bit more challenge. (Think heavy 16-millimeter-film cameras using portable projectors and screens to show footage.)
Insurance: You don't need it until you need it. For units that own trailers, insurance, well, insures that both the trailer itself and its contents are covered in case they're damaged or stolen. Is this insurance part of a driver's normal auto coverage, is it provided by the Boy Scouts of America or is it…
Been involved in Scouting for more than a year? You get a gold star. All youth or adult leaders who have reached one year of tenure with the Boy Scouts of America are eligible to begin wearing service stars. The stars are an underused outward symbol of how long you've been involved and a quick…
Love Scouting but hate getting out in the fresh air? You're in luck! Today the Boy Scouts of America introduces Virtual Reality Scouting, a revolutionary alternative to regular Scouting that lets you experience all that the BSA has to offer without ever leaving the house.
As if you needed another excuse to shop at Amazon.com. Now every purchase you make from the Earth's biggest online store can support the charity of your choice, including Scouting. Through its new AmazonSmile program, Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of the price of your eligible purchase to the 501(c)(3) public charitable organization of your…
Honestly, the original Gilwell Park in London looks no different from any other field. Sure, the grass is green, the trees towering and the air clean. But put a normal civilian here, and they won't see anything special. Wood Badgers, though, aren't normal civilians.
Though our magazines are crafted in offices nearly 5,000 miles apart, the editors of Scouting magazine (U.S.) and Scouting magazine (U.K.) share more than just a name. We have similar philosophies in how we cover the Scouting movement. And we must overcome similar challenges in doing so.
All-terrain vehicles combine dirt and a motor - what's a Scout or Venturer not to like? Recognizing this winning mix, the BSA launched council-level ATV programs at camps across the country. And today, Polaris - a leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles - enters a 10-year partnership with the BSA, providing top-of-the-line ATVs, side-by-sides (SxS) and safety equipment to…
It sounds like an infomercial you'd see on QVC: "It's a pantry, a spice rack, a utensils drawer and a portable kitchen. Yes, the Boy Scout patrol box does it all, and it can be yours for three easy payments … " But patrol boxes aren't a gimmick.
To borrow a phrase from a certain smartphone maker: The next big thing is almost here. Digital Technology merit badge, set to debut in mid-April 2014, will guide Scouts through the exciting, complex, ever-changing world of smartphone apps, computer software and tech-focused careers.
A merit badge sash is like a trophy case you can wear. Each tiny circle represents one of the 136 interest areas a Boy Scout has conquered. But what restrictions are placed on merit badge sashes? In what order should they be sewn on?
On July 31, 2011, Eagle Scout Connor Stotts singlehandedly saved the lives of three swimmers caught in a dangerous riptide near Oceanside Beach, Calif. This bravery earned Connor the BSA's Honor Medal With Crossed Palms , as well as the Carnegie Medal (which came with a $5,000 reward).
I've always been fascinated by the concept of a Scout hut. That's the term for a standalone building whose sole purpose is hosting Scout meetings and storing Scout stuff. Growing up, my troop met every Sunday in a large conference room on the second floor of the city municipal building where my dad worked.
It's a tragic reality that some Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturers are taken from us before their time. These young people who die in an untimely accident or illness leave behind two grieving families: their actual family and their Scouting one.
Mining in Society merit badge counselors, here's your chance to sharpen your skills before teaching the BSA's newest merit badge to Scouts. The Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration will offer two free online trainings for Mining in Society MB counselors.
On the bottom of the world right now, Eagle Scout Alex Houston is having an experience that tops all others. I already introduced you to Alex and told you about his time in Ushuaia, Argentina , as he prepared for the journey by boat to Antarctica.
Drink Right, Move More, Snack Smart. Those six small words hold big power. Power to make your unit, and therefore your Scouts, healthier. Changes you employ today could have positive rewards that last Scouts a lifetime. And speaking of rewards, if you make three health-conscious changes over the next three months, you'll earn a special…
The American flag isn't rare, and it's not made of precious materials. You can buy a nice one for $10. But still we treat it with reverence and care normally reserved for historic artifacts or priceless works of art. We make sure it's properly displayed, we fold it neatly and we never let it touch…
Two perfectly reasonable people can read the same phrase and have drastically different interpretations. Just ask the U.S. Supreme Court. That happened recently in a troop in eastern Washington. The phrase in question relates to the National Outdoor Awards, and a Scouter contacted me looking for guidance.
Congratulations on the newest addition to your Scouting family! This new member is two miles long, four lanes wide and could use a little TLC. Scout units that participate in their state's Adopt-a-Highway program have found a public way to give back to the community.
If you look at the right sleeve of a Boy Scout and of a U.S. soldier, you'll see American flags on both. But there's one big difference. While the Boy Scout's flag has the blue field of stars at the top left, the soldier's flag is a reverse-field flag; the field of stars is at…
Well, he made it. After enduring the 30-hour, 6,680-mile, three-flight trip from Lawrence, Kan., to Ushuaia, Argentina, Eagle Scout Alex Houston already has plenty of stories to tell. I introduced you to Alex last week. He's the Eagle Scout selected to join an expedition called 2041 that will explore the Antarctic Peninsula to research its…
Forget about cooking, lashing or orienteering. For three Scouts in Jeff's troop, the toughest of any of the 14 requirements for First Class is 9B: the swim test. The three boys have a fear of jumping into water over their heads, and the Scoutmaster from Kentucky is worried it will prevent them from advancing past…
Alex, you're not in Kansas anymore. Alex Houston, an Eagle Scout from Lawrence, Kan., is leaving today on an international expedition to Antarctica. He was selected from among several Eagle Scout applicants to represent the BSA on this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Yearbooks are priceless windows into the past, and the Eagle Scout Yearbook, Class of 2013 will be no exception. To make it happen, though, the National Eagle Scout Association needs your help to fill the yearbook's pages with the stories of the 56,841 young men who earned Eagle last year.
Amid the furor of adding a new star to the flag," the BSA professional wrote, "people want to know what Alaska is like, and Scouters are asking about Scouting in Alaska." For those of us who have never visited the state, Alaska is still a largely unknown frontier.
Start a fire or grab a blanket before viewing these stunning new images of the Summit Bechtel Reserve in winter. The fields where 30,000 jamboree participants camped seven months ago are now coated with snow. Lakes where Scouts and Venturers tried paddleboarding , dragon boats and "Water Reality" last July are iced over.
What's that around the neck of those dogs running the Iditarod, the long-distance sled race held in Alaska each March? It's Eagle Scout neckerchiefs, of course. The dogs, photographed during last year's race, are led by Justin Savidis, a former district executive in the Great Alaska Council.
The reign of First Aid merit badge continues. More Boy Scouts earned this Eagle-required merit badge in 2013 than any other. And it wasn't event close. Not only was it the most-earned merit badge in 2013, it also topped the list in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 … you get the idea.
Deciding which version of the BSA's Annual Health and Medical Record you need shouldn't raise your blood pressure. And starting today, you're getting a streamlined version of the BSA health forms and an easier-to-use website to accompany them. The site is the result of several BSA teams (professionals and volunteers) joining forces to make this…
They say once you're an Eagle Scout, you're one for life. For Eagle Scout Dennis Pitta, the same may be true about being a Baltimore Raven. The Super Bowl-winning tight end just signed a five-year deal worth $32 million, according to the Baltimore Sun .
As a Scout, I had no idea they paid people to work for the Boy Scouts of America. I just thought the district executives I saw at Scouting events were just really active volunteers who got to wear cool silver shoulder loops.
