The Bloggers
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Forget everything you think you know about conferences. Forget the long lines at the buffet, the windowless meeting rooms at hotels, the boring PowerPoints, and the awkward social gatherings. Conferences at the Philmont Training Center , Scouting's paradise in the mountains of New Mexico, are anything but typical.
As the Boy Scouts of America's 12th Chief Scout Executive , Wayne Brock continues a solemn tradition that dates back to November 1911 when James E. West became the first Chief. But let's remember July 2013 as the moment when Chief Brock started a new tradition, one Mr.
Early spring, a complimentary box of KIND Energy Snack Bars arrived at the Scouting magazine offices. The sweet, savory, and spicy snack bars quickly disappeared. (Mmm. We take product testing very seriously.) The KIND bars make a great afternoon treat, but they're even better when enjoyed outdoors - on a hike, a long bike ride, or…
No offense, moms and dads, but I may have found something that bests the letter from home. Send a JAMBOX to your Scouts attending the 2013 National Scout Jamboree later this month. The $20 care package includes candy, cookies, trail mix, glow sticks, a bouncy ball, a mini first-aid kid, two patches, and a coupon…
Perhaps. But only if you ask. The team behind the Boy Scouts of America's No. 8 NASCAR, driven by Scott Lagasse Jr., will work with councils to plan car and driver appearances at Scout events. What Scout wouldn't love a chance to meet a professional race car driver and check out his ride?
In this corner, we have modern-day Scouting, where technology enhances the delivery of the program in ways never thought possible. In the other corner, it's traditional Scouting, that rare respite from a young person's screen-based life one weekend each month.
By now you've heard all about the "big things" you'll see at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree : the zip lines, the skate parks, the canopy tours, the shooting sports, the climbing walls, and on and on. Today, check out one example of a "little thing": the official jamboree food boxes.
Here's more proof that in Scouting, we're all just one big family. Two weeks ago, I blogged about Lucky 13 , the group of Scouts from Troop 845 in Chapel Hill, N.C., who are riding their bikes across the U.S. to raise money for the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
What separates a successful Boy Scout troop from a foundering one? The answer hasn't changed in a century. It's the patrol method, and it's been around since at least 1920 when Scouting founder Lord Baden-Powell explained it in his Aids to Scoutmastership (link opens PDF) .
Bribe, borrow, beg - whatever it takes, you must get your hands on your son's copy of the July 2013 edition of Boys' Life magazine. For adult leaders, swiping the latest Boys' Life is a timeless tradition. But the newest issue has something you really can't miss.
With apologies to the ubiquitous convenience store chain, more Eagle Scout projects went up last year alone than the total number of 7-Elevens currently open worldwide. Yes, the number of 2012 Eagle Scout projects bested the number of worldwide 7-Elevens by a score of
Watch this space as we'll be giving these limited-edition patches away over the course of the year. Or just find me at the jamboree next month!
If first impressions are everything, your unit website better be good. These days, many prospective Scouts and their parents will research your pack, troop, or crew online long before they pick up the phone or visit one of your meetings.
While in Scouts, Pip sang at Courts of Honor and other troop functions. Last night's finale of Season 4 of The Voice got me thinking about Pip, the Eagle Scout who got much more than 15 minutes of fame as a contestant on Season 2 of the hit NBC show .
The Silver Buffalo Award recognizes leaders whose service to youth is broad-reaching-whether it's the creation of exciting new programs, the organization of high-magnitude events, or bringing Scouting to under-served youth. The award is Scouting's highest honor, and this year's class joins previous recipients such as Bill Gates, Robert Baden-Powell, Bob Hope, William Hillcourt, and many…
The Ask the Expert floodgates are wide open. I'm now getting roughly 50 emails a week with Ask the Expert questions, a sign that Scouters out there care enough to seek out the right answer to their burning BSA queries.
With the finish line tantalizingly close, you'll never guess what slowed down John L. on his trail to Eagle. John, a Life Scout from Texas, had finished his position of responsibility requirements and completed his Eagle Scout project. He had signatures from his counselor and Scoutmaster on the blue card for his final required merit…
Before: Indian cemetery makeover The journey to Eagle benefits more than just the young man who earns the award. He leaves his community a better place, most visibly through his Eagle Scout Service Project. I've blogged about how to find Eagle Scout project ideas , explained that blood drives and other drives are acceptable projects , and…
When summertime fires break out in northern New Mexico or southern Colorado, there's understandable concern within the Scouting community about Philmont Scout Ranch, located in northeastern New Mexico. First, the good news: There are no fires on Philmont property or on areas hiked by crews at Philmont.
The original Good Turn. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers go out of their way to help others. Often that takes shape as a pack, troop, or crew service project. Those service projects - totaling nearly 13.5 million hours last year - help define Scouting within our communities.
Want proof as to how passionate Scout volunteers are about the Boy Scouts of America? Just look at my inbox. Last week, I provided answers to eight frequently asked questions , and at the end of the post, I provided information on how to ask your own Scouting-related question.
Ten Scouts, two leaders, 3,700 miles, and something to prove. This morning, a group of Scouts from Troop 845 in Chapel Hill, N.C., dipped their tires into the Atlantic Ocean in Havre de Grace, Md., and headed west for the Oregon coast.
The color scheme on your troop's website is red and blue, but is it the right red and blue? Is that the right shade of yellow on your pack page? And what about that Venturing logo you converted to 3D "for effect"?
So we've made the decision. We're going to change," says Rex Tillerson. "Now what?" Less than 24 hours after the volunteer delegates voted to change the BSA's membership policy for youth, Tillerson addressed a large room full of Scouting volunteers and professionals at the closing general session of the BSA's National Annual Meeting.
A Scout is Helpful, and the folks in Texas and Oklahoma whose lives were uprooted by recent tornadoes need our help. Thousands of people, including Scouts and Scouters, have been affected by these disasters. Scouting professionals and volunteers are doing what they can to return some normalcy to these Scouting families - a process that could…
Perhaps the better question would've been where are Scouts not going this summer? Earlier today on our Facebook page , I asked where packs, troops, teams, and crews are headed for their summer adventures. More than 175 responses later, the answer is "far and wide."
So far, Ask the Expert posts have offered one often-lengthy answer to one complicated Scouting question. You can read past posts here . Perhaps a question you have is answered there. But now it's time for the lightning round. Here's a collection of questions I've received along with the short answer: blue cards Question from Ramona…
Go barefoot at the lake without worrying about stepping on a painful rock thanks to a pair of Vibram-soled shoes. The Merrell Barefoot Water Torrent Glove shoes protect bare feet during your favorite water sports - from stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, and more.
Scouting isn't free. Yes, it's a heck of a lot cheaper to be a Scout than to participate on a club soccer or lacrosse team. But there's still a cost in Scouting - dues, uniforms, gear, activity fees, travel expenses, printed materials, and more.
The new design for the Science program feature (above) and the old design. In Scouting, one size doesn't fit all. So suggesting a month-by-month troop planning calendar on a national level, as in the past, just doesn't work. For example, take the Fishing program feature.
When the going gets tough, Scouts shift into high gear. And as it turns out, so does the Boy Scouts of America IndyCar team. Justin Wilson, driver of the Dale Coyne Racing No. 19 car, overcame a tire problem that dropped him to 24th midrace all the way to a fifth-place finish in Sunday's Indianapolis…
The "feel-good story of the year" isn't playing at your local theater. It's found in videos like the ones below, showcasing the winners of 2013′s three biggest National Eagle Scout Association scholarships. First meet Elijah LeCroix, winner of the Glenn A.
At age 15, the Venturing program is beginning to show its age. Membership has declined since 2008. Venturing has the lowest retention rate - 53 percent - of any BSA program. And advancement hasn't caught on with teens; just 0.66 percent of Venturers earn any awards.
After an extensive discussion within the organization, the Boy Scouts of America's approximately 1,400 volunteer voting members chose to adopt the membership policy resolution and remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone. The final vote breakdown was 61.44 percent for the proposal, and 38.56 percent against.
Some rights reserved by NASA Goddard Photo and Video Eldon Fossey, Scoutmaster of Troop 75 in Moore, Okla., was at work when the deadly tornadoes passed through yesterday, killing at least 24 and leaving horrific damage. As soon as they got the all-clear, Eldon's boss told everyone to leave.
It's officially race week. Yes, the Indy 500 - aka "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" - roars to life on Sunday. Fans of racing, fast cars, or major sporting events are probably already planning to tune in and watch the Indianapolis 500 (noon Sunday on ABC).
There's tons to see inside the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum near Portland, Ore. But it's what's outside that caught my eye. The museum, located in McMinnville, just opened a new designated Scout camping area. That means Scouts can set up their tents among oak trees right off the museum's parking lot and then walk over…
Are all service hours created equal? If a Scout, say, builds a house with his church youth group or delivers meals with his school's student council, can those hours count toward Boy Scout rank advancement? That's what a Scouter named Andrea wondered this week: Bryan, Our troop only allows service hours to accrue if it…
With some teens, you might as well give their allowance directly to Best Buy, GameStop, or Cinemark, because it's going straight there anyway. There's got to be a better way. And now, there is. Harness the power of the Boy Scouts of America Discover prepaid card, which lets you monitor your kid's daily spending, teach…
You may have heard there's a big party at the Summit this summer, a little get-together called the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. But did you know that just an hour northwest of the BSA's extravaganza sits the hip, historic city of Charleston, W.Va.?
Not all merit badges are earned in the traditional troop setting. Enterprising Scouts can earn them at council-run merit badge "colleges" or workshops, summer or winter camps, or on their own with a registered counselor. But some troops restrict or even prohibit this practice, insisting that merit badges must be earned under their own roof…
At summer camp, what's more important for Scouts, advancement or fun? Trick question. Scouts who attend the best summer camps and have effective Scout leaders guiding them don't have to choose. For these Scouts, advancement is part of the fun.
Don't just read about the great time we're having at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree this summer. Come see it for yourself. Jamboree visitor passes - including one day, two days, and all days - are available now, starting at $35 for a one-day pass for visitors 11 or older.
Think the Eagle Scout Award is rare? Check out the Sea Scouting Quartermaster Award. First earned around 1930, the Quartermaster Award is Sea Scouting's highest honor. Just how rare is it? Keeping in mind that roughly 5 percent of all Boy Scouts earn the Eagle Scout Award, would you believe that just 0.5 percent of…
Entrepreneur and Eagle Scout Ken Krogue. Where do our values come from? For Ken Krogue, the Eagle Scout and Forbes.com contributor, the idea of values first showed up in Scouts, were further developed at the U.S. Naval Academy, and even made an appearance in a classic John Wayne movie.
The precious ring can be yours, if you complete a Messengers of Peace project. You can't promote world peace by sitting on your couch. No, you've got to follow the lead of units like Venturing Crew 122 of North Carolina's Tuscarora Council.
Behold the power of "Yes." When Crystal Bueno and her husband first saw the go-kart their Tiger Cub sons were given at a council derby Saturday in Brooklyn, their first reaction was "No." "No way," Crystal remembers thinking. "Marcus can't do this.
You give a graduate a gift when he reaches the high point of his educational career, but what about when a boy reaches the pinnacle of Scouting? In other words: To gift or not to gift, that is the question.
Even the best-looking troop trailer designs can't hide ugly insides. You know the ones I mean: cavernous, unorganized spaces into which gear is deposited and never seen again. That's why many troops add the Scouting touch to their trailers, installing shelving and other improvements to make storing and finding gear a breeze - even if it's…
Perhaps your pack or troop meets Monday nights. Or maybe your family doesn't have the National Geographic Channel. Whatever your excuse for missing Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? - the six-episode reality series that matched Eagle Scouts against grown-ups who didn't reach Eagle as boys - now's your chance to see it all from the…
