The Bloggers
Showing 3,301–3,350 of 3,467 · page 67 of 70. Each title opens the post in a new tab.
In our last Scouter Spotlight, we introduced you to an excellent Scouter from Puerto Rico. This time, we're traveling nearly 2,000 miles away to Maine to show off another fine Scout volunteer. Meet Mike L'Abbé , Scoutmaster of Troop 648 in Brunswick, a town about a half hour up the coast from Portland, Me.
Cracker Barrel will return with fresh posts on Monday. We hope your holiday weekend is full of happiness.
Today's hottest tech toys eventually become tomorrow's electronic waste: E-waste. And it ends up in landfills all across the country-especially in California, which is home to Silicon Valley. That's where Scouting came in. Earlier this month, Sacramento-area Troops 640 and 217 organized an e-waste drive for their community, collecting 80,000 pounds of gadgets for proper…
Clear your calendar for Dec. 10. That evening you'll want to cozy up to your computer for the National 100th Anniversary Kick-Off Rally. If you aren't already pumped up for 2010's yearlong celebration of Scouting, this 30-minute live audiocast is guaranteed to get your heart racing.
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, we at Cracker Barrel want to know: What are you doing with your Scout unit this Thanksgiving weekend? Share your plans in the comments section below. The BSA is coming up on its 100th Anniversary, and throughout those 100 years, the organization has established a strong foundation of…
It's time to bring out the Scouter Spotlight again to show off some of the best volunteers in the Scouting program. This week we're heading to Puerto Rico to meet an impressive volunteer, Santos Ortiz Perez . He's been involved in Scouting since 1999 and serves as the committee chair for Troop 720.
You've hiked through Philmont, sailed through the Florida Sea Base, and paddled around Northern Tier. You've done it all, right? Not anymore. Coming in 2013 is the BSA's fourth high-adventure base, called The Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve . The 10,600-acre property will host rappelling, mountain biking, and-a first for a BSA high-adventure base-whitewater rafting.
For the first time in history, the Boy Scout Handbook will be translated into another language. By the end of the year, the BSA plans to release a Spanish-language version of the official guide for Boy Scouts. It's the perfect time, too, as the organization approaches its 100th Anniversary celebration.
Ever began a sentence with these words: "If I ran the Boy Scouts of America, I would..."? The BSA is betting that you have. If you're an opinionated Scouting volunteer looking for a sounding board for sharing feedback about the program, you're in luck.
Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for your water-loving Boy Scout? Here's one: the Scuba Diving merit badge pamphlet, hot off the presses. The merit badge, the first new one in three years, will officially be released on Dec. 1 when it will be available in Scout Shops and online at scoutstuff.org .
Do your boys know their way around a campsite? How are they in a canoe, on a horse, or climbing a mountain? If their outdoor skills have been heightened through the Scouting program, they'll soon have a new award to show for it: the National Outdoor Award badges.
Check your mailbox next summer for even more evidence that the BSA's celebration of its 100th Anniversary is on. It'll be on parade floats at the Rose Bowl and at the National Scout Jamboree , but it will also be on a U.S.
On Saturday, the BSA released version 1.1 of its Boy Scout Handbook iPhone app. The app, which we gave a favorable review in early September, gets even better with this update. One of only complaints we had with the original version of the app was the lack of landscape view.
We asked, and you responded big time. After presenting Scouting magazine readers with a mystery location, complete with a photo and description, we asked a simple question: "Where Am I?" The feature appeared in our September-October issue. (If you missed it, you can read it here .)
Last week we brought you Five Days of Patches , a contest for a free copy of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching, Second Edition." Of all of our responses, we had six Scouters who correctly named all five patches. The correct answers were: Day 1: Venturing Kodiak patch Day 2: Sea Scout Ordinary patch Day…
Want to make Cub Scout camps a great experience for boys? Then just make sure the camp has these 10 simple elements, courtesy of Dennis Kampa of the Rocky Mountain Council: Top-notch camp leadership and quality, trained camp staff Safe environment "Customer" service Emphasis on transitioning into Boy Scouts Ethical education Parental involvement Outdoor adventures…
Here's the last patch. Identify it and then read on to find out how to submit your answers. Each day this week, we have given you one mystery patch. Scroll down to see the other four if you missed a day.
Here's the fourth patch. Do you have all four so far? Each day this week, we're giving you one mystery patch. Your job is to identify the patch. On Friday, send us an e-mail with the answers. Whoever gets the most correct will win a copy of " The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching, Second Edition…
The third test of our Five Days of Patches contest is above. Each day this week, we're giving you one mystery patch. Your job is to identify the patch. On Friday, send us an e-mail with the answers. Whoever gets the most correct will win a copy of " The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching, Second…
Five Days of Patches continues with the patch you see above. Each day this week, we're giving you one mystery patch. Your job is to identify the patch. On Friday, send us an e-mail with the answers. Whoever gets the most correct will win a copy of " The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching, Second Edition…
We're out of the office this week, so we're bringing you a special weeklong feature: Five Days of Patches. Each day this week, we're giving you one mystery patch. Your job is to identify the patch. On Friday, send us an e-mail with the answers.
Have any plans with your pack, troop, or crew for Halloween? Whether you're dressing up your Cub Scouts for a fun afternoon activity, taking a weekend camping trip with your Boy Scout troop, or volunteering at a haunted house with your Venturing crew, we hope you have a fun and safe weekend!
Here's a quick test of acronyms and initialisms for you. How many of these 10 can you name? BALOO TLC NAYLE ASPL COPE NYLT JOTA FOS NESA YIS You can check your work after the jump. Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation Troop Leader Conference (or Council) National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience Assistant Senior Patrol Leader…
Dinners at the jamboree have always been tasty, but they're about to get a whole lot better. Bring on the theme nights! At the 2010 National Scout Jamboree next year, organizers have planned eight different theme nights for participating troops.
It's Halloween next week, and the search for costumes inevitably leads you to the staples of the season: witch, ghost, zombie, or vampire. But each season, some people consider dressing themselves as Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. And apparently it's enough of a problem that at least one Scout Shop has chosen to address the…
With millions of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers heading to national parks, state parks, and other public land each year, there's bound to be some irreversible harm done to nature. But the point of Leave No Trace is to minimize that harm.
You already know that the 2010 National Scout Jamboree will be the best, most exciting, fun-filled, and safest jamboree ever. But now there's another superlative to add to the mix: "most connected." Thanks to a unique partnership with AT&T, the site at Fort A.P.
Cracker Barrel sat in on a presentation about the 2010 jamboree last night, and there's some breaking news to report. The jamboree committee has brought on five familiar food vendors to serve visitors, participants, and staff at the jamboree. The vendors are: Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, Subway, Dunkin' Donuts, and Freshens smoothies.
For up-to-the-second updates from Cracker Barrel about this week's National Outdoor Adventure Summit at Philmont, make sure to check us out on Twitter. Follow @cbblog. Or click here .
Climbing pioneer Royal Robbins was the first to solo climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, but he conquered another mountainous hurdle long before he ever donned a climbing harness: the mean streets of Los Angeles. After a crime-riddled start to his childhood, Robbins found a new passion: the Boy Scouts.
As we previously reported, Cracker Barrel is attending the 2009 National Outdoor Adventure Summit all week at Philmont Scout Ranch. We'll be blogging infrequently but Twittering often. Click here for our Twitter page. It's quiet today, so we're meeting to discuss ways to make Scouting magazine even better for readers.
OK, prepare to be jealous after we tell you this: Cracker Barrel will be spending all of next week at Philmont Scout Ranch. We're heading to the 2009 National Outdoor Adventure Summit, an outdoor forum for professional and volunteer Scouters.
The BSA has released a ton of interesting new items at the online BSA retail store and in Scout Shops nationwide. Check it out. You might be interested in the 100th Anniversary-themed items, such as the bumper sticker or "A Century of Scouting," a polyresin figurine sculpture based on a painting by Joseph Csatari.
So far, we've celebrated the great work of 15 different volunteers in our Scouter Spotlight series. We're still looking for great candidates for future editions of that feature (just e-mail us if you have one), but there's another way to honor great Scouts or Scouters in your life.
When it comes to great American rivers, it's hard to beat the mighty Missouri-the longest river in the United States. The legendary river has an important place in our nation's history-a history the patch you see below tries to honor through its iconic image of a riverboat and a coonskin-cap-wearing explorer.
Where else but this secret location might you find a river, a steamboat, and a rifle-toting explorer? Identify the council that wears the patch shown above. Send us your response along with your name, unit number, position, and council. Good luck!
Unless you're taking a Philmont trek in summer, when you can set your watch by the afternoon thunderstorms, it's almost impossible to predict the weather. But don't give up on becoming the unofficial office meteorologist just yet. Simply absorb some easy-to-remember weather folklore to increase your odds of an accurate forecast.
You say you haven't yet put away all the gear from your troop's weeklong backpacking, canoeing, or camping trip? No big deal. But there's one item you simply must not wait to unpack: your camera. Why? Tomorrow is the deadline to enter Scouting magazine's Celebrate the Adventure photo contest.
One Saturday last month, a Utah Highway Patrol helicopter began circling overhead and then descended into a large field. About 300 people had gathered, but they weren't onlookers craning their necks to see an overturned SUV. They were Cub Scouts and leaders eagerly awaiting the start to 911 Emergency Cub Scout Day Camp in Tooele…
We practically gave you the answer to Friday's Name That Council challenge. The patch clued you in to the general geography of the place, but when we mentioned that it was a coastal council, our work was done. Google "coastal council," and the first result you see is the correct answer.
Last week's patch didn't have any geographical features on it. But this week we're making things easier. Take one look at the patch and one fact becomes clear: It's a coastal council. We've taken off all text from the patch, so you'll have to rely on the images to figure out the answer.
Some of the best Scouters do their work out of sight. This week, though, all eyes are on Dr. George T. Keene , district commissioner for the San Tan District in the Grand Canyon Council. He's also in charge of the National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) program for his council.
Over the past two Wednesdays, we've taken you along as Troop 229 made an 11-day road trip from Winamac, Ind., to Texas. (If you missed it, read Part 1 and Part 2 before continuing.) Well, the troop's leaders have spent some time reflecting on this exciting excursion, and Cracker Barrel wanted to find out what…
We're excited to announce that Cracker Barrel has officially joined the rest of the world. Yeah, we've created a Twitter account. If you're already on Twitter, just follow @cbblog. If not, click here to get to our page and for instructions about how to sign up.
If you had a tough time figuring out Friday's patch, we understand. It has a great design and looks slick on a Scout uniform, but it lacks any obvious clues about the council's location. If you looked closely, though, you might have seen the No.
This week's challenge features a patch that is more form than function. The strip is a true work of art that oozes Scout spirit, but it's somewhat short on clues for Cracker Barrelites trying to Name That Council. There is one clue that might help you out, however.
Let's say you're on the trail when you see a distant lightning strike. Or you're at your son's soccer game when thunder rumbles in the distance. Is it safe to continue? Knowing how far away a storm is and whether it is coming toward you or drifting away can be an important tool in keeping…
Last week we chronicled the first five days of Troop 229's journey from Winamac, Ind., to Texas. We took you along for for some adventures of the historic, culinary, and medical variety as the troop visited the NASA Space Center in Houston, ate alligator in Louisiana, and spent some unexpected time in an emergency room…
Ready to meet another great Scouter who has given her time and effort to the program we love? This week, we're spotlighting Elaine Francis , a committee chairperson for Pack 75 and Troop 527 in the Detroit Area Council. Elaine is on the council's executive board and serves as the vice president in charge of programs.
Hear that? That's the sweet sound of the ukulele, barely audible above the crashing surf outside your lanai. Imagining a scene this tranquil almost isn't fair on a Monday morning at the office, but it's not our fault. Friday's Name That Council patch deserves the blame.
