The Bloggers
Showing 2,601–2,650 of 3,467 · page 53 of 70. Each title opens the post in a new tab.
You might not enjoy reading this. But it could be the most important thing you'll read today. As stated in The Boy Scout Handbook , "Child abuse is a serious problem in our society, and unfortunately, it can occur anywhere, even in Scouting.
Some Good Turns are truly great. Take the impressive individuals from the Boston Minutemen Council, who traveled 300 miles to help fellow Americans who had been affected by superstorm Sandy. Last weekend, they loaded 75 Scouts and Scouters onto a charter bus, packed a rented Budget truck with supplies donated by the community, and headed…
The heroes I know don't wear capes, and they can't fly. Their utility belts hold pocket knives, not grappling hooks. But the heroes I know often have secret identities. That is, they're the volunteers who dedicate every free second to Scouting-even when no one is watching.
During the season of giving, we've picked a bundle of great gear to help make the holidays even brighter for five lucky Scouters. In this month's gear giveaway-ending Dec. 31-you can enter to win one of A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS : BioLite Stove ($130) Yaktrax Pro ($30) Black Rock Gear Down Hat ($65) Sea…
Is December too early to start planning for the Blue and Gold banquet? Nope. Though February seems forever away, planning ahead ensures you don't fall behind. Start with the December Cubcast , which contains some handy tips for making your next banquet successful and stress-free.
Seventy-six years before Mark Zuckerberg was even born, the original Scout Law appeared in Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys . No need for a new set of 12, though. Turns out those words - which the BSA adapted and adopted in 1911 - still apply as 2013 nears.
When I was in Cub Scouts, my elementary school - just down the street - was the perfect pack meeting place. The gym was spacious, the location convenient, and the closet full of equipment for games and activities. These days, not every pack, troop, or crew has it so lucky.
A close-up of the nearly 100-year-old flag. On a Saturday in 1913 on the island of Oahu, Queen Lili'uokalani drove past a group of boys doing Scouting drills. Intrigued, she walked over and asked what kind of military exercise the boys were doing.
Manti Te'o is a brave, confident leader with an impressive collection of awards on his shelf. He's comfortable in a uniform. He's a loyal teammate. But enough about his time in Scouting - I hear he's pretty good at football, too.
JOTA, I hear you loud and clear. More than 18,000 American Scouts participated in the 2012 edition of the Jamboree on the Air last month. That's a whopping 482 percent leap over last year's participant total. So let me extend a big Bravo Zulu (that's "well done" in radio speak) to the 136 Scout councils…
You've been awarded a square knot. Congratulations! Now what? If you've been honored with one of the 34 square knots currently available (see the full list below), waste no time in sewing that badge of honor to your uniform. Though they don't tell the whole story of a Scouter's impact, these tiny rectangles provide great…
It's OK to stare. Feast your eyes on Philmont Scout Ranch's droolworthy 75th Anniversary Arrowhead patch. As if 10 days at Philmont weren't great enough, anybody who takes a trek in 2013 gets one of these eye-catching patches to hang on their right pocket.
Three-time Grammy winners Train will headline the closing stadium show at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, the Boy Scouts of America announced today. For my money, this is the biggest musical act to perform at a national Scout jamboree since the Beach Boys in 1985.
Scouts never cease to amaze me. Whenever someone needs a helping hand, Scouts are there. The latest example: Brooklyn-based Troop 13, led by Scoutmaster Pete DiSalvo. Superstorm Sandy spared the troop's families, but that didn't diminish their desire to serve others.
The trees have shed their leaves in many parts of the country, and that can only mean one thing: It's Scouting for Food time. The annual collection of canned goods and other donated food items strengthens the vital link between Scouting units and their surrounding community.
Your 10-piece jamboree set for my Eagle patch? Sorry, no way. Council shoulder strips, district camporee patches, and pins from your hometown are perfect trinkets to trade at national Scout jamborees or other major Scouting events. But some patches and Scouting memorabilia should stay home.
Young or old, single mom or new dad, Scouting has millions of fans across the country. I know why I love the Boy Scouts of America-it was my gateway to this awesome job, for one-but I wanted to hear others' stories.
I mentioned a few ways to help Scouts and Scouters affected by superstorm Sandy on Tuesday, but today we're getting more details about the toll on local Scout councils and what some units are doing to help. In a letter sent this morning, BSA Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock said that council camps in the…
Updating your personal info in the BSA's database shouldn't take an act of congress. Fortunately, a just-launched suite of unit and district tools has the power to change your address, phone number, e-mail, or more-with just a click. In the past, Scouters or parents who needed to make changes had to call their council.
The road was twisted, dark and damp, but somewhere, somehow, there was always there to find, the lamp of life to guide you through life's tricky game of chance. Heartfelt poetry about overcoming hardships isn't what you'd expect to hear at an Eagle Scout court of honor.
People in the northeast still suffer without power and shelter after last week's devastating storm. The emotional and financial toll of superstorm Sandy grows each day. What we do know is this: Thousands of Scouts and Scouters are among the millions of people affected, as well as local councils that serve them.
Materials are also available en Español. The first step's always the hardest. And when it comes to recruiting future Scouts, that first step is simple awareness. If a boy (or Venturing-age girl) in your area doesn't know about your Scout unit, how can you recruit him or her?
White boxes show you where the patch belongs. Drag it there, and it gets magically "sewn" onto the uniform. Finally, an easy way to answer the question, "What do I wear?" A new, easy-to-use uniform Web site targeted at new Scout families just debuted, courtesy of the folks in Program Impact and the Supply Group.
When I announced that Cooking merit badge and the new Sustainability merit badge would join the Eagle-required list in 2013 and 2014, a lot of you had questions. You asked about rollout plans, what happens with Scouts nearing the end of the Eagle trail, and an explanation of what will be covered under Sustainability merit…
Quality trumps quantity when it comes to Scouting. A well-run unit of 15 to 20 boys or girls beats a dysfunctional unit of 80 to 100 Scouts every time. (Many larger troops thrive, but only through careful planning and strong leadership.)
Remember when Bryan interviewed Super Bowl slackliner (and Eagle Scout) Andy Lewis ? Then you may also recall that the BSA decided to approve slacklining as a Scouting activity-with some limitations . If you haven't tried the tightrope-walking sport for yourself, now's your chance.
Spring may be the season of renewal, but fall's when Cub Scout packs hit the reset button for the year. Which is also the perfect time for Cubcast to do the same. As I mentioned in August , the podcast has been completely reimagined, with your help, and the November 2012 episode is the result of…
Members of Ship 41 show off O'Tumbler. Today's Scouts will go on to careers where they solve some of the world's biggest problems. But apparently the boys and girls in Sea Scout Ship 41 aren't waiting till they're grownups to make a difference.
Scouts aren't exactly stumbling over themselves to take Personal Management, Emergency Preparedness, or Citizenship in the Community/Nation/World. But with a little advance planning and creativity, you can bring seemingly dull merit badges to life. Start by studying every requirement for ways to turn lectures or pen-and-paper exercises into something hands-on.
One night in a snow shelter, and you'll be hooked. I'm speaking from experience. In 2000, I attended Kanik, Philmont's winter offering, with Troop 1776. The crisp morning air, the snow-covered mountains, and good friends - all in a setting unlike any I had seen.
It's amazing how quickly a whisper turns into a roar. Take Wood Badge tickets, for example. Each one leaves a lasting legacy, but 50, 500, or even 5,000? That kind of impact reverberates across the Scouting universe for generations. At my Wood Badge course in August, 50 Scouters each crafted five tickets.
How do you expand the reach of an event that's already global? Find something out of this world. This weekend, the National Scouting Museum became the only Jamboree on the Air location on earth to enable 10 Scouts to directly communicate with the International Space Station as it hovered 255 miles above Earth.
In your unit, is a Scout's contact info freely available or guarded like nuclear launch codes? Two forces are competing here: Effective, efficient communication between families - and privacy. How do you straddle the thin line dividing the two? That's what assistant Scoutmaster Leon wondered in an e-mail to me last week.
What a view! And it's one that doesn't come without a little effort, either. If you want to perch atop this rock wall, you've got to rope up and climb nearly 75 feet of vertical rock. The location? Sam's Throne, a secluded rock-climbing spot near Mt.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, this badge will get a silver border. Moms and dads, prepare the needle and thread! Sustainability and Cooking merit badges will join the list of Eagle-required merit badges over the next 14 months, the Boy Scouts of America's National Executive Board announced today.
It's official: The resolution to move to one Oath and Law for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity, Sea Scouts, and Venturing was approved this morning by the Boy Scouts of America's executive board. I first told you about the volunteer-led proposal in a blog post in August .
In Scouting, as in life, change is inevitable. You've got new merit badges, new locations for campouts, new roles in your unit, new health and safety regulations, and more. That makes change the only fact of life guaranteed to never change.
The track stretched 335 feet, 6 inches. That's 111 yards, for you football fans out there. If most pinewood derbies are sprints, consider this one the Boston Marathon. Earlier this month, the Boston Minuteman Council broke the Guinness World Record with a pinewood derby track stretching 335 feet, 6 inches.
Back away from the snow shovel! If the thought of another winter shoveling snow numbs your toes, consider going south. Ditch the parka, pack a pair of Bermuda shorts, and head to the Florida Sea Base for one of its weeklong training conferences for volunteers.
Just when you thought the Friday night campfire was going smoothly, the Eagle patrol had to do that skit. You know, the one with salty language, an inappropriate ethnic joke, or sexual innuendo? Now you, the Scoutmaster, will spend all week fielding angry calls and e-mails from moms and dads in the troop.
Look! Up in the Sky! It's a Bird … It's a Plane … It's a floating ball of fire and fuel that could destroy acres of farmland or forest in a massive wildfire! It's a sky lantern - also known as a paper, floating, or Chinese lantern.
Do your typical weekend plans involve dirt and Scouting? Step things up a notch! Add some rubber to the mix with a mountain-biking outing. Tomorrow's the perfect time to head out to your local mountain-biking trail to celebrate Saturday Oct.
Set your DVRs! The fifth season of Scouting for Adventure returns to television today-starting at 10 A.M. Eastern on the Outdoor Channel. Don't worry if you miss today's episode, which takes viewers down West Virginia's New River. The episode will replay 2 P.M.
Do you know an Eagle (or soon-to-be Eagle) who is graduating high school and entering college in 2013? The time has arrived for Eagle Scouts to apply for 2013 National Eagle Scout Association scholarships. First, see who's eligible for up to $446,000 in scholarships: An Eagle Scout having passed the board of review on or…
Your tent serves as a home away from home. It withstands bad weather, late-night setups, curious insects … the list goes on. But plenty of Scouters still use the same tent from their days as a young Scout. It's time to upgrade-with help from Scouting magazine.
Your message was heard loud and clear , and a revamped Cubcast is on its way this November. Its creators are promising a new and improved version designed to serve you better. For October, though, the Cubcast folks are sending us back in time.
Help make "A Scout is Reverent" more than just words recited at a troop meeting. Find someone in your pack or troop to fill the new Unit Religious Emblems Coordinator (UREC) position. The UREC, now recognized as a position on the unit committee, will educate, motivate, evaluate, and facilitate the religious emblems program at the…
So, let's hear it: What does your pack, troop, team, crew, ship, or post charge for annual dues/fees? Don't include "a la carte" items, such as uniforms or campout fees, if they aren't part of that one-time dues payment . Leave a comment if you need to explain what's included in your unit's dues.
As Models for Success go, it's tough to top course Scoutmaster John Stone (left) and Senior Patrol Leader Bill Hemenway. As anyone who's watched Survivor can attest, grouping a bunch of people together and giving them a name doesn't make them an effective team.
You're walking through the church lobby after your Scout meeting one night when you spot something new on the bulletin board. JOIN PACK 123! "But wait," you say, "this church is where my pack, Pack 456, meets!" It happened to Sandy, a Scouter who e-mailed me and asked that her full name and hometown not…
