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Click to view slideshow. When assistant Scoutmaster Matt Testerman heard that in 2009 his troop visited West Point, he formed a plan. You see, Testerman is a graduate of a different service academy, Annapolis, the U.S. Naval Academy. And in the spirit of the Army-Navy rivarly, he wanted to take the guys of Troop 336…
Jack Pape, a 17-year-old Boy Scout from Omaha, Neb. The voting's over, and the results are in. The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation announced today that Jack Pape , a high school junior from Omaha, Neb., has won its American Spirit Award.
Pollyanna, Aaron, and Lilliebeth Halling with their parents. Lilliebeth and Pollyanna Halling were jealous. Why did their brother, Aaron, get to go on all of these fun Boy Scout outings when they couldn't? That disappointment quickly turned to enthusiasm, though, when the triplets turned 16.
After last week's doozy , this week's Name That Council should be a breeze. A cool ocean breeze, perhaps? Good luck! Name That Council rules: Each week I select a council shoulder patch and use Photoshop to remove all text. You guess the name of the council whose members wear the patch.
What's the next-best thing to visiting Philmont? That's easy: Winning Scouting magazine's Thursday giveaway. Sure, winning the giveaway won't fill you with a lifetime of memories like visiting Philmont would. But, hey, at least this week's winners will be figuratively transported to that hallowed New Mexico site through jaw-dropping pictures and unforgettable stories.
The Eagle project-that last mile on the long, satisfying climb toward Scouting's highest honor-tests a boy's ability to organize a meaningful service project and then lead his peers in its completion. It's all outlined in the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project workbook, available here (link opens PDF) .
Scouter Seth sat there, stumped. No matter how hard he searched for an answer to Friday's Name That Council contest , he couldn't solve the mystery. Frustrated as he was, his Scouting spirit was high when he sent me this e-mail: Bryan, I have no idea.
A Scout is Helpful, and the people of Japan need our help. Several options exist for individuals who wish to make a financial contribution toward general disaster relief. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army let donors designate their funds for tsunami recovery efforts.
Robert Abernethy, 17, and Zachary Holland, 16 (Photo from Hickory Daily Record) The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on Friday was devastating beyond description. I speak for all of us at Scouting magazine when I express our sorrow for the lives lost and our hopes for success in rescue and recovery efforts.
Doesn't this patch just make you want to saddle up a horse and go for a long, peaceful ride into the sunset? O.K., maybe it's just me. Anyway, this week's Name That Council patch takes you to the desert. But where?
Forget white-noise simulators or special pillows. For the best sleep of your life, find a campsite and a tent. Then slip into a comfortable sleeping bag, like this week's prize, the REI Zen sleeping bag , rated to 25 degrees. The Zen bag, which the company no longer sells, went for $159 when our gear expert…
John, Patrick, David, and William Goodspeed. (Photo by Phil Grout, Howard County Times) Having quadruplets is rare enough. A woman's odds of having four babies at once is estimated at somewhere between 1 in 550,000 and 1 in 800,000. But quadruplets who are also Eagle Scouts?
Don't let this photo fool you. Buying gas is not a pretty sight right now. (Photo by vl8189 on Flickr) When your pack, troop, team, or crew sat down several months ago to create a budget for your next big trip, you and your Scouts thought of everything-except soaring gas prices.
The Villa Philmonte (photo by "the third dream" on Flickr) My first visit to Philmont was for one of the training center's stellar family programs. It wasn't my last. During that week there, I met new friends, hiked in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and became inspired to return to Philmont again and again.
Millions of Americans-including several of your coworkers, friends, and family members-were involved in Scouting at one point in their lives. The trick is tracking these former members down and asking them to reconnect with the Boy Scouts of America. That's where you come in.
The Great Gear Giveaway goes miniature this week with four Leatherman keychain multitools. They're the latest prize in Scouting magazine's weekly gear giveaway. As I've told you, I'm trying to clean out my office, and I'm passing along a bunch of outdoors gear to Scouting magazine readers.
Photo by Horrgakx on Flickr When Baden-Powell said "Be Prepared," I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about income tax returns. But still, there's no better advice than that two-word phrase during tax time. Scouters who heeded the Scout Motto last year remembered to track and document their Boy Scouts of America-related expenses.
How'd you do with last week's Name That Council ? There were exactly 64 of you who correctly guessed that the mystery council was the Cherokee Area Council , based in Bartlesville, Okla., about an hour north of Tulsa. Several correct answers, but, alas, only one can be the lucky winner.
Last fall, 17-year-old Saun-Shane "Ikaika" Suzuki was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer and told he had just three years to live. But Suzuki didn't let that slow him down. The Boy Scout from Hawaii persevered and earned his Eagle Scout award last month.
The generosity of Scout leaders never ceases to amaze me. You selfless individuals already give up your precious free time to better the lives of the Scouts in your pack, troop, or crew. But it rarely stops there. The latest example: Scoutmaster Keith Welch of the Trapper Trails Council in Utah, winner of the Mountain…
Living in Texas, I see this "Scouting Teaches Values" license plate on the highway at least once a week. You'll find similar plates on vehicles in Utah , Oklahoma , Florida , Arkansas , Ohio , Colorado , and many more states. But, as I found out today, BSA-themed license plates are nothing new.
Put down that report, and cancel your afternoon meetings. It's Name That Council time. Every Friday, I select a council shoulder strip and use Photoshop to remove all words from the patch. It's up to you to identify the mystery council.
Two sleeping bags are gone, but there's plenty more to go in my weekly gear giveaway. Just in time for the fast-approaching camping season, this week's prize is the SteriPEN Sidewinder , a hand-powered UV water-purification system valued at $100. Using ultraviolet light, the Sidewinder purifies a liter of water in 90 seconds.
Yesterday, you heard Venturing President Jennifer Lowe's thoughts about the Report to the Nation trip to our nation's capital, and now it's Solomon Goodwin's turn to share his experiences. Solomon sat down for an interview with The State newspaper, based in his hometown of Columbia, S.C.
Anthony Wayne statue in Fort Wayne's Freimann Square. (Photo by g cobb on Flickr) Revolutionary War buffs surely recognize the name of "Mad" Anthony Wayne, the American statesman and U.S. Army general. Wayne, who was given the nickname "Mad Anthony" because of his fiery temperament, helped lead the Americans to victory in the Battle of…
You'll hear about a troop's history in a variety of ways. Some seasoned Scouters will sit at the campfire and tell you the story of their troop from memory. Other units keep detailed scrapbooks or photo albums to pass on to future generations.
Check out this link to see a video of Jennifer Lowe, National Venturing President, chatting with the hosts of "Good Things Utah" last week. Lowe, who lives and goes to college in Utah, is Venturing's top youth ambassador. In the video, she explains the benefits of the program for America's young men and women and…
It's a veritable Who's Who of Washington, D.C. I'm talking about the list of high-powered officials the Report to the Nation delegates have met this week. The delegates, hand-selected by the BSA, are in our nation's capital to deliver the annual Report to the Nation , a look back at the past year in the Boy…
Time flies when you're having fun. That explains why we've gone through 50 mystery councils in the blink of an eye. And with roughly 250 councils still to go, I don't plan on stopping any time soon. This week's patch, seen above, could be tricky, so here are a couple of clues: Both the mystery…
The quest to clear out my office has only just begun. Last week, I told you that my cubicle has become the storage area for the outdoors stuff we feature in our "Great Gear" section . Manufacturers send us top-of-the-line gear, gear expert Stephen Regenold reviews the items, and then we take them in the studio…
Official White House photo by Pete Souza Jennifer Lowe had two thoughts after she and other BSA delegates met President Barack Obama yesterday in the Oval Office of the White House. Thought one: Delivering the BSA's annual Report to the Nation to the President of the United States was an incredible honor.
Through the Wireless merit badge (now known as Radio merit badge), the Jamboree on the Air, and K2BSA at the national Scout jamboree, the Boy Scouts of America and the Amateur Radio Relay League have a partnership that has spanned generations.
Jace Taliaferro, Star Scout For Jace Taliaferro, this was more than just another meeting. The 13-year-old presented the Report to the Nation to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Tuesday as part of the BSA's annual visit to Washington, D.C.
Two chances to win didn't make Friday's Name That Council contest twice as easy. Only 42 people correctly guessed at least one of the two mystery council patches. Of those 42, just 25 correctly guessed both. Those of you who follow Scouting magazine on Facebook were given a helpful clue: both of the councils hail…
Just a few minutes ago, the patch at left was delivered to my office. It's the official 2011 World Scout Jamboree patch for the Boy Scouts of America's contingent. It's more than just a cool-looking patch, though. For me, it's the first tangible sign that I'm actually going to this summer's big event in Sweden.
From left: Vanya Keyes, Tony Hansberry, Kevin Garcia, Angel Cabanilla, Soloman Goodwin, Rep. Boehner, Jonathan Hillis, Vasant Bhardwaj, Jennifer Lowe, and Jace Taliaferro. From the BSA's Flickr photostream , I spotted this photo of the 2010 Report to the Nation delegates meeting Speaker of the House John Boehner yesterday.
One song from my time as a Scout stands out among all others. I have forgotten most of the words as time has passed, but I still remember the song's tune and its key lyric: "I want to go back to Philmont."
This week, a youth delegation from the Boy Scouts of America visits Washington, D.C., for the organization's annual Report to the Nation. The report , which summarizes the past year in Scouting, tells our elected officials what you and I already know: that the BSA made a profound impact on the lives of young people in…
Let your voice be heard! Today marks your final chance to vote for the American Spirit Award. First, read a recap of the four Boy Scout finalists , and then head over to Boys' Life ‘s site to make your selection.
A tip of my official, BSA-licensed hat goes to the excellent National Supply Group and Philmont's Tooth of Time Traders . That's because SNEWS and Backpacker magazine recently honored both retail operations for their quality work in the field of outdoor gear sales.
This is "Patch A" This is "Patch B" I know, I know. I'm sorry. With all the nasty weather last week, all hopes of a Name That Council contest kinda melted away. But I come bearing gifts: Two mystery patches this week.
My cubicle used to be a lot bigger. You see, in my time here at Scouting magazine, my work space has become the storage room for the items we get in for the magazine's Gear section . We request product samples from the manufacturers, photograph them, and then have our resident gear expert, Stephen Regenold, review…
With its attention-grabbing colors, easy navigation, and useful information, there's a lot to love about the new Web site for The Summit . Scouts and Scouters will find that it's a great place for up-to-the-minute information about the BSA's fourth high-adventure base and the home of the 2013 National Scout Jamboree and 2019 World Jamboree.
Yes, this image was Photoshopped to say "101." I call it "recycling." Every Feb. 8 is special to those of us who are passionate about the Scouting program. Each year, the anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America's founding gives us a chance to reflect on the previous year while also looking ahead to the…
When movie stars and athletes pose for a glossy, colorful poster, it's routine. But when Bill Ward of Landenberg, Pa., was asked to star in a BSA national campaign, it was a life-changing moment. That's a 12-year-old Bill on the right in the poster seen here.
For many Scouting units, this Sunday is Scout Sunday, a chance for faith-based chartered organizations to celebrate and recognize the Scouting organization. I think I read somewhere that there's a football game on Sunday, too, but that doesn't stop Scout units across the country from taking time to remember that a Scout is Reverent.
Just three clues adorn this patch, and one of them (the fleur-de-lis) isn't much help for those of you hoping to Name That Council. So you had to focus on that biplane, which might have tipped you off to the area's affiliation with the Wright Brothers.
For those of us working at the BSA National Office, this would've been the only way to make it to work this morning. With roads that look more like skating rinks all across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I'm glad that the BSA National Office is closed today.
Twenty-one days in the beautiful Philmont backcountry? That's the kind of vacation that us working folk daydream about. You'll have to forgive me for being jealous of the lucky 16- to 20-year-olds who will spend three weeks this summer at ROCS, Philmont's Roving Outdoor Conservation School .
It was one of 2010′s biggest sports stories. On June 2, pitcher Armando Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game when umpire Jim Joyce made the wrong call at first base. Joyce incorrectly said the runner was safe, and the perfect game was no more.
