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An interesting solution to a temporary skate park's liability: A local co-ed Boy Scout troop has agreed to take on the liability of hosting a temporary skate park in the parking lot of a local business - a proposal the council rejected because of liability risks in September.
Besides the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) Academic Scholarship , and the NESA Merit Scholarships , which we have covered over the past two days, there are other scholarships available to Eagle Scouts. Before I get started, know that this list is no where near complete.
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Tis the season, and we're taking a look at fun activities, advancement opportunities, and how Cub Scouts' monthly core purposes and values are supported by next month's Cub Scout theme of Holiday Lights. Plus, earn a chance win a free scholarship to Philmont Training Center next summer. Listen to this podcast for details.
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What is the rule of honor to be observed by a power so strongly and so advantageously situated as this Republic is? Of course I do not expect it meekly to pocket real insults if they should be offered to it.
What is the rule of honor to be observed by a power so strongly and so advantageously situated as this Republic is? Of course I do not expect it meekly to pocket real insults if they should be offered to it.
I received an email the other day asking why I focus so much on leadership in our program. No to be fair, the emailer was not from my unit, just a faithful reader of the blog. The reader asked why I focus on leadership and am so adamant about the methods.
In honor of the fiftieth video posted to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast at the beginning of October, we decided to hold a drawing. One person who left a comment at the iTunes Music Store, or a comment at PTC Media under forums post MSPP #50, during October would win a dvd of Buttons videos.
The troop held its 4th annual Scoutorama on Saturday for the local Webelos to spend some time outside doing Boy Scout activities. The weather was just perfect and the day went great. The scoutorama is 3 hours of scout skill activities, lunch, and scout games.
A group of Boy Scouts donated their time this week, along with members of the New Braunfels Tree of Lights Committee, helping replace over 2500 light bulbs for the New Braunfels Tree-lighting event. In past years, only the bulbs that had burned out were replaced, meaning that more bulbs would go out after the tree…
It's hard to believe sometimes how time flies... We had a Troop committee meeting today, and as I sat and listened to the committee conduct it's business, I realized that it is November. Now before you think I am a total dope...
Our Scouts enthusiastically take on the challenge of preparing, launching and completing a backpacking trip. As a Scoutmaster I appreciate the Patrol and skill building opportunities but the real reason we go backpacking is the sheer joy (often achieved through great effort and discomfort) of the experience.
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The November-December 2008 issue of Scouting Magazine is now available at the magazine website. Link This issue has articles of interest to Cub Scouters on the following subjects: World's Longest Serving Den Mother (News Briefs) . Link Observing Moon Phases with Kids . Link Cub Scout Roundtable Themes Conference . Link Posted in CUB SCOUTS, Science, THEMES, Training
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Hello fellow Scouters, I have a feeling most who read this blog are very familiar with the fun you can have with kerchief slides. You know that anything that can be hot glued to a section of PVC pipe can become a slide.
The National Sea Scout Committee has selected a new National Sea Scout Commodore. Mr. Charles D. Wurster took over the title from the outgoing Commodore Mrs. Jimmie Homburg. Mr. Wurster posted a letter of introduction (quoted below) on the Sea Scouting Website which also discussed the recent reorganization; placing Sea Scouting under the "Outdoor Adventures…
The time has come that Webelos will visiting all our troops. Personally, our troop is a big fan of having them stop by any time so they can see what we're about. We always recommend they do just that when they come in for a planned visit.
A very promising recruitment strategy mentioned at the Scoutmaster Musings blog: The Scoutorama is 3 hours of scout skill activities, lunch, and scout games. We've created a fun way for the Webelos to spend a little time with every patrol in the troop and try new things.
Here are the top 10 most viewed posts for October (other than those solely about monthly theme items): Webelos Activity Badge Worksheets New Centennial Uniform 2008-09 Tiger Cub and Cub Scout Advancement Plan Cub Scout Program Helps Online Cub Scout Retention Tips 2008-2009 Program Helps BALOO Training Cub Scout Monthly Themes for 2007-2008 Example Pack…
Back in July, Scouting News reported that the National Council reorganized its professional staff . Following suit, last month the National Volunteer Committee Structure was reorganized. As you can see there are four types of committees: Standing, Support, Special and Ad Hoc.
Show #161-Day In Day Out No tricks on this show, only treats. My Scouting career shake-up, October Pack Meeting, Fall Campout, an Eagle Court of Honor, Girl Scouts, Lion Cubs, and some 70's music suggestions. Links: New Scouting Community 1st St. Andrew's Porthill Scout Group's Troop and Crew 392's website Tonight’s show sponsored by ScoutData
There are things in our lives that influence every decision we make. Whether that influence comes from within, as in those experiences we have from places we have been, things we have done, that which we have learned, or from outside sources like people we come in contact with, the weather, or conditions that we…
Hope that everyone of you that are eligible to vote did so. Voting is not just a Right...it is a responsibility. Have a Great Scouting Day!
I was curious about where the connection between Democrat=Blue and Republican=Red started. It seems like it's always been that way, but it's actually only from this century. NBC was the first station to use red and blue to show states won, but in 1976 they used Blue for Republican.
As you are well aware, Barack Obama is now the President Elect of the United States of America. No matter how you looked at the election, it was going to be historic. If the Republican candidates won the election, America would have its first female Vice President.
The November 2008 Cubcast from BSA National is available (free). It has ideas for den meetings and more utilizing the December “ Holiday Lights ” theme. The program also has a lot of information about the Cub Scouting courses available at Philmont Training Center . Link [ Photo: Wikipedia ] Posted in CUB SCOUTS, Holiday Lights, Training
Hello fellow Scouters, The National Boy Scout of America recently rolled out a new Scouting on-line community. This is a social network site that brings leaders together. It's still in beta form, and there will no doubt be a lot of modifications and improvements to it in the coming months.
When visiting troops, Webelos parents come with a lot of questions; but they don't always know everything to ask. The old philosophy still applies. There are no stupid questions. Ask away!!! Over the years, there is a common set of questions that need to be answered whether they are asked or not.
There are some people in our society that think children should play games in which there are no clear winners. They think everyone should be a winner so that nobody's feelings get hurt. There are some people in Boy Scouting that share these same thoughts.
Changes all around… I just wanted to take a moment to alert Scouting News readers of a few changes that have occurred around here, and a few that are in the works. 1) If you are subscribed to the Scouting News RSS feed, you will notice it is now publishing the full articles instead of…
In the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night Malvolio reads; "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." Like I have said before, Leaders are not born they are made. Some men seem to be born to greatness however, whether that is due to family bonds…
As with all the Webelos activity badges, the best resources for Sportsman are the Webelos Handbook and the Webelos Leader Guide . Here are some other Sportsman resources that may be helpful: Meritbadge.org Sportsman Worksheet (pdf) Buckeye (SHAC) Sportsman Packet (pdf) Scouting the Net - Sportsman Pack 152 - Sportsman Sports Rules (Everyrule.com) Play Ultimate (KISMIF.org) Flag Football…
The World Scout Bureau has released a report titled " Scouting's Gifts for Peace ". The Gifts for Peace report contains truly inspirational projects from over 110 National Scout Organizations, as well as beautiful photos of many of the projects. In case you have no idea what the Scouting's Gift for Peace Project is, here you go…
The December 2008 ( Holiday Lights ) Den Meeting in a Box is now available from BSA Supply Group for Tiger, Wolf, or Bear den meetings. It is $37.49 and includes ten “ Let There Be Light! ” booklets, a kit that makes ten stick star ornaments, ten monthly theme patches, and more.
As of today, here are the results of the October 15 poll asking "What month in 2009 will your pack graduate your 5th grade Webelos Scouts?" About 75% of the respondents said their 2009 5th grader graduation will be in February or March. Thanks to everyone who voted. Posted in CUB SCOUTS, Webelos Transition
I have intended to update the blog recently, but truth be told I have spent the two weeks trying to relax and de-stress. This Wedensday, I left work feeling ill. I'm still not 100%, but I'm back at the grindstone.
Hello fellow Scouters, Happy Friday to you all! Me and my son are headed out early today to our council's Webelos Woods campout. (For those of you in colder climates, we here in Southern California get to camp all year.
Architecture brings to mind images of great churches, ancient buildings like the Acropolis, and the Taj Mahal. It should also bring to mind your post office, where you live and go to school. Architecture is about the structure and construction of buildings.
You've seen decals on the backs of semis and delivery trucks like: How's My Driving? Call 1-800-123-1234 Well, at the high school this morning I saw one that was new for me all the way across the back window of an SUV.
Senator John McCain ended his presidential campaign with words befitting the bravery, loyalty and heroism that shaped him as an invaluable American patriot. Here are some excerpts I find especially inspiring A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him...
How do you like the cool patch for this year's Scoutorama? Every Webelos scout that participates gets one as a souvenir. Everyone really liked how they turned out this year. I just wanted to mention that we had a great experience working with Stadri Emblems to create these patches.
One of the official suggested Webelos activity badges for March is Athlete . Here are the requirements for the Athlete Webelos activity badge : Do these: 1. With your parent, guardian, or Webelos den leader, complete the Perseverance Character Connection. a. Know: Review the requirements and decide which ones might be more difficult for you to do.
I'm tired and I broke a toe. I don't think there is much I can talk about tonight.
Troop 483's annual trip to Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, TX is looked forward to by scouts of all ages and ranks.
The National Council has set up a BSA Innovation Engine to manage new ideas for the Scouting Program. You can see a video from Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca that explains the concept, there is also a Frequently Asked Question section.
As I have noted before politics and Scouting don't mix. Political campaigns can test our patience and bruise our spirits. We can be disappointed or thrilled with the ultimate outcome but whatever befalls over the next four years we all Americans.
We had our fall Pack 19 campout this weekend. I think it went very well. We stayed at Devil's Den State Park . This was our third pack overnighter, and it was our largest camping group yet . We had about 20 Cub Scout families camping with us Friday night.
Hello fellow Scouters, Happy Monday to you all! As I wrote on Friday, we had our Webelos Woods campout this weekend. The Boy Scouts did an excellent job of providing an experience that mixed Scouting skills and plain old fun for our Webelos.
A truism is a claim that is so obvious or self-evident as to be hardly worth mentioning, except as a reminder or as a rhetorical or literary device. An axiom is a principle that is accepted as true without proof.
The newest edition of Baloo's Bugle is now available in Word.doc and Adobe.pdf This month Cub Scouts will share their Holiday Traditions with others in the pack and in the community. Lights on a Christmas Tree, candles on a Menorah for Hannukah, candles on a Kinara for Kwanzaa - many of our holiday traditions involve lights.
One of HalfEagle.com's sources was doing some testing with using Flickr to post images today. Unfortunately, HalfEagle.com wasn't quite smart enough to tell the difference between a real post that should be displayed and a test post that should be ignored.
On Saturday October 25, 2008, Frederick County’s oldest Eagle Scout, Joseph J. Davis, Sr., passed away at age 96. “Uncle Joe” was a lifetime Boy Scout, having entered the Scouting program in 1924 at age 12 in Troop 39 of Manchester, NY and served as a volunteer and professional until his death – over 84 years…
BSA Innovation Engine is a cool new website from BSA National. It is a forum for ideas and suggestions on how to improve BSA programs and operations . Those who participate can make suggestions and also can vote "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" on the posted ideas.
Please take " A Pittance of Time " to remember the sacrifices of those who have sacrificed so much for their Country. I've tried for the last five hours to put into words what it means to a Veteran when other Americans show their support, but I couldn't give the topic justice.
Okay, okay. If you have been reading this blog and watching these podcasts you probably know about a skit the troop developed based on the song Star Trekking by The Firm. It became one of the most popular skits ever made up by Troop 68.
Today we honor all of those that have served in the forces that protect our Country and preserve our way of life with Pride and Honor. Thank you for your commitment, selfless service, and dedication to keeping our Nation free. Happy Veterans Day! Have a Great Scouting Day!
The International Scouting Collector Association (ISCA) has announced that it will host the 2009 Pre - National Order of the Arrow Conference Trade-O-Ree in partnership with the Order of the Arrow. The Trade-O-Ree will be held on campus (Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana) in the Mellencamp Pavilion, an air conditioned, football sized athletic facility that will be…
Last year, I wrote about our Alps Mountaineering tents we purchased online from ScoutDirect.com and how we've been awful pleased with them. Well, I got a letter from them about a sale they're having. Seems they got a whole bunch of tents back from a retailer (brand new) and they were waaaay cheap.
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The November 2008 Baloo’s Bugle (by Commissioner Dave) is now available for free download. It has games, activities, ceremonies, puzzles, crafts, and other ideas for den and pack meetings for the December 2008 monthly theme ( Holiday Lights ) . For Webelos Scout den meetings, it also has activities for the Craftsman and Scientist Webelos activity badges.
Backpacking puts you out into the wilderness, away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.. away from cars and phones and immediate care. It is important that we enter the wilderness area with a solid foundation of camping skills.
Hello fellow Scouters, This is part 3 in my take on Webelos to Scout transition, this time dealing with the patrol method of scouting. In Boy Scouts, the patrol method is used to teach the boys to work as a team, sharing responsibilities to help achieve success for the patrol.
I cannot outrun my Scouts. They are faster, more agile and a few of the older ones are bigger and stronger. However I will always be older and wiser. Thankfully I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have had any significant behavioral difficulties with my Scouts in the…
Thanks goes out to Scoutmaster for this post I found on his site when trying to decide how to best describe the patrol method. Scout troops are built on the principle that "(the) unit is the natural gang of the boy, led by its own boy leader."
1-1 1/2 pounds lean hamburger 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 pkg. Velveta Sliced cheese or Pepper Jack 1 bag frozen Tater Tots In foil lined 10-12 quart dutch oven spread the cooked meat evenly. Spead the soup on top of the meat layer.
For those of you that follow my blog, I have created a blog for the members of the Thunderbird Area that have registered for the 2010 National Jamboree! It will be a conduit of information and news to keep up with National Jamboree events, time lines, and news.
As with all the Webelos activity badges, the best resources for Athlete are the Webelos Handbook and the Webelos Leader Guide . Here are some other Athlete resources that may be helpful: Meritbadge.org Athlete Worksheet (pdf) Buckeye (SHAC) Athlete Packet (pdf) Scouting the Net - Athlete Pack 152 - Athlete About.com - Exercise/Fitness for Kids KidsHealth - Kids and Exercise…
Robin is joining the blog to give us insight as "The Boss", as she's commonly known in the troop. She got that name because she is the one who keeps us all, scouts and adults, in order. First and foremost, she (with her husband Mike) is a parent of an Eagle Scout, has been in…
You can type and save information in the Online Local Tour Permit as part of your Campout Planning process . This saves a bunch of time since a lot of the data is the same from one trip to the next.
After long preparation and excited anticipation our annual backpacking trip looked like a real washout - rain from Friday night to Sunday morning. Enduring a couple of days of rain is not anyone's idea of a great time so we are postponing until next weekend.
The January 2009 Cub Scout Monthly Theme is “ A-MAZE-ing Games .” Here is the official BSA theme description: "January is a good time for indoor fun. Make and solve puzzles. Stump your friends with riddles. Build a maze, do crossword puzzles, and word searches.
3 Vote On Idea Just thinking. After years of service, and building relationships, professionals should be allowed to keep their BSA emails addresses. Understanding that their needs to be a transition or passing of the torch, but after awhile that would be taken care of naturally.
Hello fellow Scouters, Happy Friday to you! As you know, it's just not a Cub Scout campout without smores. There's something about the combination of chocolate, roasted marshmallow, and graham crackers that can't be beat. But what if you don't have a campfire?
Cold and blustery are coming your way. Make sure that your patrol box is stocked with plenty of coffee (sugar and cream, if you like that) and hot chocolate mix to get through the weekend. And extra cups. Why do some of the Scouts always forget to bring a cup?
0 Vote On Idea I would like to see the folded shirts arrive without the plastic tabs. Are these tabs an essential item to Scout shops? Everytime I remove them I think about how many years that plastic tab will be in a landfill. Comments (0) Category/Tags : Other (35)
You have got to check this out. Mike Rowe, the star of the television show Dirty Jobs , recently wrote a post to his blog in response to a letter written by a parent of a Boy Scout who wants to quit Scouting because it is not "cool" to his friends.
16 Vote On Idea Many council websites are poorly done. They use designs from the early 90s (when the worldwide web was just starting). Most of all, visitors to some sites can't even tell the site is a BSA site.
5 Vote On Idea I was thinking, after years of service and building relationships, it would be good to provide retirees with their current email address. I would think that the current system could handle it. There might be a short transistion period of still receiving emails, like when moving from one assignment to another…
-1 Vote On Idea For the Council CBC Administrator it would be extremely helpful and timesaving if after you have reviewed the data on the volunteers in Choicepoint you could "Select All" - then unselect the few you don't want to delete or take another action on.
10 Vote On Idea It seems that many times we are asking ourselves how we can improve our program, attract more youth, and raise more money. I would like to suggest a moderated "Innovation Engine" for volunteers. We need to ask them the questions about such things as: girls in Cub Scouts, Weblos program changes…
8 Vote On Idea How about a wesite solely for DE resources. Where there could be ideas posted for different Boy Talks, fliers, recruiting, FOS events... A site where different (and effective) documents, agendas, programs (such as backdating software), camporee, and daycamp ideas are easily accessible.
Remember that list of questions I posted a few days ago? Well, it received a comment that made me think that perhaps this blog needs a FAQ page. In that spirit, I've created one and taken a personal challenge to answer all those questions for anyone who would like to take a gander at it.
-13 Vote On Idea In response to the numerous postings about adding various merit badges to the current program, how about creating one new badge known as "design your own'? A Scout could work with an adult leader or counselor to show proficiency in a field of interest that is outside of the merit badge…
One of the official suggested Webelos activity badges for May is Outdoorsman . Here are the requirements for the Outdoorsman Webelos activity badge : Do two of these: 1. Present yourself to your Webelos den leader, properly dressed, as you would be for an overnight campout.
My friend Jerry, who writes a blog called The Scoutmaster Minute , recent wrote about an experience he had while waiting to checkout in a store. Jerry was wearing his Scout uniform. A lady next to him started a conversation with him and began expressing her negative opinions about the Scouting program.
The father of a Scout wrote the host of Discovery Channel's ‘Dirty Jobs' hoping Mike Rowe (An Eagle Scout) would post some words of encouragement to his son who is thinking about quitting scouting and has not yet attained the rank of Eagle Scout.
Hello fellow Scouters, Happy Sunday to you! The Scouting world is abuzz over Mike Rowe's recent blog entry on achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" and an Eagle Scout, doesn't mince any words.
Jeremy Yamaguchi , Order of the Arrow Section W-C2 Chief, was elected to the Placentia City Council. At 19 years-old, he is one of the youngest elected officials in the city's history. According to OC Register, Yamaguchi was the top vote getter with 7,673 followed closely by Connie Underhill with 7,473.
The December 2008 ( Holiday Lights ) Program Helps pages from BSA National are now available (free) for download. Program Helps is a great resource for crafts, games, activities and more for pack meetings and activities and Tiger, Wolf, and Bear den meetings.
0 Vote On Idea Many postings have been recommendations for resources that already exist. Often times existing resources are hard to locate or access to them is limited or restricted. For example, the foundation search engine can be located on the MyBSA resources home page but sample successful foundation proposals are accessed through the FSD…
Simon Kenton Council’s Buckeye District roundtable packet for December 2008 ( Holiday Lights ) is now on the SKC website. Buckeye District makes a great roundtable packet which is posted monthly on their website. It has games, cooking ideas, crafts, songs, skits, ceremonies, and more.
Up until now, Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, has always been about the Boy Scouting program. He has talked about the Scout Oath and Law, being physically fit, how to tell when you know you are a Boy Scout, and has interviewed a Cub Scout and an assistant scoutmaster.
The GSA (Girl Scouts of America) arrived at an elegant solution to the question of including girls who have diverse spiritual beliefs. The Girl Scout Promise On my honor, I will try To serve God* and my country To help people everywhere And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
Eagle Scout Projects are actually very simple; any Scout can complete a project without a lot of fuss if he avoids the maze. There is a whole lot of opaque, misdirected and downright wrong advice out there. Much of it may come from district or council level Advancement Chairpersons.
An official BSA Licensed Pinewood Derby Computer Game was released at the end of September by Elephant Entertainment. Game Synopsis: Inside a block of wood, a championship race car hides, and it's up to you to set it free. By carefully sanding, painting and polishing, you'll craft a stunning race car that is certain to…
On Saturday, I taught a course at our local University of Scouting in which I covered 30 website links that can be useful (or at least interesting) for Cub Scouters . I thought I would post them here in case some of them may be helpful for you.
Nearly two weeks ago I recieved my recharter packet. I plan to post on rechatering soon, but I need some more time to look over my packet. So this post is me stalling, but hopefully helping some one save $40 or more dollars on a modern cave wall.
