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I picked up a copy of the 2009-2010 Cub Scout Program Helps at my local scout shop this week. According to unofficial sources , this will be the last edition of Cub Scout Program Helps . No word yet on what will be replacing Program Helps in the future.
July 2009 Theme Patch There are now more signs that 2009-2010 is the last year for Cub Scout Monthly Themes : The 2009-2010 Cub Scout Program Helps book has no mention of the 2010-2011 themes. The 2010-2011 themes have been removed from the BSA National website . Link Posted in CUB SCOUTS, THEMES
Nothing screams patriotism like your community's Independence Day parade. You'll see it all: red-white-and blue floats, a high school marching band or two, and-of course-a bunch of smiling Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers. But the key to making sure the celebration of America's birthday goes off without a hitch is in planning.
In part 2 of the July Cubcast, we explore ideas and strategies for effective fall Cub Scout recruiting. Brian Skalski, Cubmaster for Pack 204 at the Jersey Shore Council, joins us to share the inside story on how the council improved its fall recruiting by leaps and bounds.
Where to go and what to do? The simple answer is just about anywhere and just about anything. It may be a week of backpacking, canoeing, touring, cycling, boating or the adventure of your choice. Making the trip a reality requires four things: Vision and Leadership Someone has to say "let's go!"
Well, we got to summer camp right on schedule. We left the church ahead of the scheduled time, and had lunch in Hendersonville, NC at a Subway. We arrived at Camp Cherokee in the early afternoon, and after check in and a tour of the camp, we arrived at the campsite and got our gear…
We reported back in May about a possible new cover for the 12th Edition handbook , however now other designs are appearing. Advertisements for the new handbook show a similiar but slightly modified cover. Instead of the "old fashion" Scout in the corner, there is now an Eagle.
Join us as we discover great ways to implement the August 2009 monthly theme, Fun in the Sun. Ray Alverson, the assistant council commissioner for Cub Scout roundtables in the Houston area, is our featured guest, and he brings a wealth of tips and insights for executing a really enjoyable theme.
Troop 11 Summer Camp 2009 Well, another day has come and gone. The boys have gotten into their groove as far as their merit badge schedules are concerned, and most seem to be enjoying themselves. There were a few cases of homesickness among the new Scouts, being away from home and parents the first time…
1 Vote On Idea Currently if a member in a unit needs to replace a membership card, I can go into the unit, highlight their name, and print a card. Easy. If a non-unit registrant, such as a District Chairman, needs to replace his/her card, I must go into the Registration Print Que and go…
1 Vote On Idea Never understood Arrow Points. When a Cub earns all he can get, in order to display them proudly at a Pack Meeting he has to keep his uniform shirt untucked. The leaders all tell him to tuck in his shirt and then he has to hide all of his Arrow Points.
The eight weeks leading up to July 4th is typically a busy time for us and this year did not fall short. In fact, we've beaten all of our past records for orders in-house. The last three weeks are our #1, #2, and #3 weeks of all time.
These were the 10 most popular tweets for @Scoutsigns in June: 1. http://ow.ly/b4f4 Um, tasty and funny! Anyone else going camping this weekend? http://ow.ly/b4f4 356 Clicks 2. http://ow.ly/15GxdZ Homeschooling and Scouting http://ow.ly/15GxdZ 38 Clicks 3. http://ow.ly/djkD BSA Immunization Exemption Request form http://ow.ly/djkD New form and great solution to a common problem.
0 Vote On Idea I just heard from a volunteer that said she has pages of drivers and training in the tour permit program but they are not organized in any way. It would be helpful if they were alphabetically sorted instead of being sorted by order in which they were entered.
2 Vote On Idea Can the ProSpeak editor mass e-mail all professionals monthly when a new edition is posted online? Now that it is no longer coming in paper, I am trying to hunt it down. Now did I write down that link? Comments (0) Internal , prospeak
Here are the top 10 most viewed posts for June 2009 (other than those solely about monthly theme items): New Cub Scout Belt Loops Coming Kindergarten Lions: Pilot Description Girls in Cub Scouts? 2008-2009 Program Helps No More Monthly Themes?
Feeling patriotic? So are we. That explains this week's Name That Council selection, a patch perfect for the weekend celebration of Independence Day. So put down that hot dog and cold soda for a second, and come up with the name of the council whose patch is pictured.
Enough Lilliputian arrows will eventually fell Gulliver just as a phalanx of tiny details can deflate a vision. It is important to establish and protect the vision, to build anticipation and excitement that will motivate Scouts to work their way through to its realization.
I want to extend a Happy Independence Day to the Scoutmaster Minute Family. This is a celebration of Character, Determination, and Will. This nation was born not because of of a piece of land, but because men (and women) were willing to stand for right.
0 Vote On Idea Many of the forms that are used on a regualr basis by district & council volunteers that are supplied by national are not user friendly according to today's times. I.E. The Whitney M. Young national form is a fillable PDF document, but is not used very much.
The Gulf Coast Council Scouter Jul/Aug 2009 Issue highlights a story about Life Scout Ryan Funk who built a Chimpanzee Play Gym. For his Eagle Project, Life Scout, Ryan Funk decided to build a Play Gym for the chimpanzees at the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Florida.
Well, another day down and closer to our return! I don't want to make it sound like I'm hoping for camp to be over … I'm not. I'm an enthusiastic camper. While the Scouts are tearing all over the forest and doing energetic things, I'm in the HQ building working on these videos and doing paperwork.
Yesterday, I got my new Brunton Raptor Stoves, just plain awesome. I stopped and got fuel on the way home, so that I could try it out as soon as I got home. I opened the box, screwed on the canister, turned the valve, clicked the piezo-lighter and woosh!...I had flame...just plain cool.
1 Vote On Idea Not sure why PAS Find only shows the last few years of membership history for an individual, but it would be great to see ScoutNET's entire history on a person in PAS Find. Currently seems to go back to only 2005. Comments (0) Technology
I must admit that I'm a bit of a hoarder (ask my parents & my wife!) and I hate to throw anything away. This is a bit of a family trait to be honest. My Grandparents were all born in the early part of the 20th Century and were never what you'd call 'rich'.
#68-Game Show Madness Giveaways are the topic of the evening! Game Show #1, #2 and the Scout Camp The Movie contest are all on tap. Plus we walk though some of the updates to the PTC Media website. Game Show #2 Winners: Mark Beyke, Jeff Giacomi Scout Camp DVD Winners: ScouterTom johneegeek Taxgeekkm mbeyke043 Brian…
#68-Game Show Madness Giveaways are the topic of the evening! Game Show #1, #2 and the Scout Camp The Movie contest are all on tap. Plus we walk though some of the updates to the PTC Media website. Game Show #2 Winners: Mark Beyke, Jeff Giacomi Scout Camp DVD Winners: ScouterTom johneegeek Taxgeekkm mbeyke043 Brian…
God, as Miles van der Rohe once said, is in details. A trip of some length, far from home, that involves several people requires a dedication to detailed preparation. Place State, provincial or national parks are the most likely destinations.
We're off for Independence Day weekend, but we'll return Monday. Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!
On Wednesday evening, Cubmaster Chris and I did a live recording of The Leaders Campfire podcast. We had never done that before but we had a special reason for doing it. It was time to give away the prizes for the "Scout Camp: The Movie" Twitter contest.
The Boy Scouts of America honored Mario Vitale, Zurich Global Corporate CEO with the Insurance Industry "Good Scout" award at their 42nd annual Boy Scouts of America Insurance Industry luncheon held Friday, June 12 in New York. The luncheon was attended by members of insurance and community service industries and raised more than $350,000 to…
For this week's Cool Gear post I'm going to tell you about a great little lantern that I have. This lantern is the Black Diamond Orbit and it is really a great little thing to have. This lantern stands at only 5.5 inches high when fuly extended and is only 4 inches high when collapsed.
I have talked about influence a bit here at the Scoutmaster Minute, mainly because I try not to take for granted the influence that I have on the lives of the young men we have in Scouting. Yesterday I was given some shocking news about a few kids in our neighborhood.
Bet that got your attention! The reason for this is that today my Group got a cheque from Her Majesty's Customs and Revenue (the taxman!) as part of their Gift Aid scheme. Gift Aid is a scheme for charities which means that for every £1 given to the charity, the charity can claim back 25p…
On this day let us remember those who have given to our country in the greatest way, by fighting for our freedom in any wars including the world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and most recently in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The dedication of the new Frederic C. Hamilton Scout Headquarters in the Denver Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, took place on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 10 a.m. located at 10455 W. 6th Avenue. As the Boy Scouts of America approaches their 100 year celebration in 2010, they take great pride in past accomplishments…
Nature's Fireworks. Happy Independence Day everyone! The 4 th of July is one of my favorite holidays and it isn't because I get time off from work but rather because of what the colonists fought for and believed in to give birth to a new nation and due to those beliefs, I will now give…
Happy Birthday America! 233 years of Freedom! God Bless You! Have a Great Scouting Independence Day!
I did my Woodbadge course in the fall of 1988. Yes, that was long before the current "Woodbadge for the 21st Century", but I have a feeling the core training is still pretty much the same. The course was held at Camp Stearns in central Minnesota.
Well, I'm certainly not off to see a wizard and I won't be following any yellow-brick road but I am off to summer camp so there won't be any new posts this week, but I'll be sure to tell you all abut camp when I get back. Bye!
Last week the Commision of Fine Arts reviewed the design alternatives for the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin, and made their recommandation to the U.S. Mint. You may remember back in October 2008, when we posted about the Senate passing the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act .
We had discussed it a couple times at committee meetings but I was still a little surprised when the troop finally decided to hand out small United States flags along the parade route in town this year. Our troop had not done anything for a parade for twenty years or more.
It has been over a month since the last show so Buttons and I thought we better get one posted before you all think that we quit doing them. We have not. In fact, we have outlines for another three shows, and hope to write a few more while we are at summer camp this…
The Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association has posted a blog entry about a storm that hit the Boundary Waters Canoe area ten years ago. The storm which damaged over 350,000 acres of trees changed the land forever… On July 4th, 1999, Northern Tier staff was aware of an oncoming storm and while finishing lunch in…
Around The Scouting Campfire #7: The Scout Law It has been over a month since the last show so Buttons and I thought we better get one posted before you all think that we quit doing them. We have not.
Interpretation of rank advancement requirements is often an entertaining endeavor. We interpret every word we read. Right now, you are reading and interpreting these words. I was reminded of something this weekend about the Star, Life, and Eagle merit badge requirements.
#186-Hello Again I?m back! A little rusty and WAY behind on news, but we?ve got all Summer to get caught up, right? Tonight, we talk about my Pack?s turmoil without a Cubmaster, the new BSA website, some good news for the Capitol Area Council, the 100th Anniversary Badge, some exciting news from the National Meeting…
#186-Hello Again I'm back! A little rusty and WAY behind on news, but we've got all Summer to get caught up, right? Tonight, we talk about my Pack's turmoil without a Cubmaster, the new BSA website, some good news for the Capitol Area Council, the 100th Anniversary Badge, some exciting news from the National Meeting…
You came. You saw. You considered. So do you know the answer to Thursday's Name That Council challenge? Well, with all of the fireworks and flag-waving, we'd understand if you had too much on your mind. We'll give you one last look at the patriotic patch above and a hint: independence.
The American Heritage Girls (AHG) was presented a Memorandum of Mutual Support by the Boy Scouts of America at the AHG National Leadership Conference on Friday, June 12, 2009 at 7 pm at Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati. View a copy of the AHG and BSA Memorandum of Mutual Support .
Training and skill development is important to the success of a Troop based high adventure trip. Adult Advisor and Youth Crew Chief Training - All trip leaders should take advantage of online courses offered by the BSA . Youth protection and Weather Hazards is a good idea for any trip as well as activity-specific courses: Trek Safely…
0 Vote On Idea In order to ensure that our board is perceived by the public and our customers as engaged, effective, and transparent; in 2009 the Southern New Jersey Council created a new position, Vice President for Corporate Governance.
2 Vote On Idea Given the signficant percentage of the Northern Star Council operating income that derives from foundation grants and distribution from council endowment, our budget has seen significantly reduced income that will continue on a downward trend for the next few years - as a result of the market losses in 2008.
0 Vote On Idea Current Environment: Expense reports were being filled out on excel worksheets by computer and some by hand. There was inevitably numerous mathematical errors and the professionals were not separately breaking out sales tax which is refundable from the state of Utah.
American Heritage Girls , a Christian youth organization similar to Girl Scouts of the USA, has issued a joint Memorandum of Mutual Support with Boy Scouts of America. According to the Memorandum, both organizations will work together in " establishing American Heritage Girl units and Boy Scout Venturing units ."
A prime trek in Philmont, the crown jewel of Scout Camps, under crystal blue skies in moderate temperatures with no bugs and five star meals becomes a slow death march with a dysfunctional, poorly prepared, poorly led crew. Likewise a few days hiking in less inspiring environs as it rains day in and day out…
What is OA HA you may be wondering? It is Order of the Arrow High Adventure which is a opportunity for arrowmen across the country to visit the National High adventure basess, participate at that base, and then do a service project for that base.
Arrowmen In Action: Living Life To The Fullest What started out as a great father-son adventure one August morning turned into a quick lesson in emergency preparedness for two Arrowmen last year. Charlie and Hap Stokes, Brotherhood members from Lakeview, Minnesota, were hiking up the 14,259-foot Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado…
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. -- Christopher Reeve It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more 'manhood' to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex.
With our award-winning writers, photographers, and illustrations, Scouting magazine has so many ways to tell you about great Scouting weekends. But what you don't typically see on our pages, or on our Web pages, is poetry. But when Cracker Barrel received an e-mail from Bill Kirk last week, that's exactly what we saw.
I hope that everyone had a great Independence Day. Mine was extremely good and let me tell you why. I went camping with my family, my sisters family, and a family that are close friends of ours, almost family in fact.
I was sorting through some stuff at my parents house last night with a view of chucking some of it out (told you I am a hoarder!), when I came across some stuff I'd done for a qualification in greengrocery when I worked at Asda .
Hello fellow Scouters, With July's Cub Scout theme being "Be A Sport", I thought I'd share a golf ball slide we made once. This was simply half a golf ball glued to a section of PVC, but the boys really loved it.
14 Vote On Idea It sure would be nice to have a place to notify someone of all the broken web links. Comments (1) Technology
Back in February we started pointing out a great feature in the NOAC Update Newsletters called "Arrowmen in Action". Past Arrowmen in Action Stories: - City Councilman - Stepping Up when no one else did - Building houses in Mexico - New Hampshire House of Representatives - Runs an EMS Service The latest Arrowmen in Action, showcases a father-son team…
8 Vote On Idea Let's provide a webinar for and encourage units to produce unit Facebook groups for their members. This will help them in communications, but more importantly, can be used as a recruitment tool. The unit can create an "event" for their fall sign-up and have all of the parents/youth invite other parents/youth…
-9 Vote On Idea Let's take the information that is in our merit badge books and turn them into a series of 3-5 minute lessons that boys can view when needed. It is proven that people learn better through multimedia.
Placing the leadership of a Scout Troop squarely in the hands of the Scouts themselves and keeping it there is the single greatest service a Scoutmaster can offer his Troop. Before this can happen the adult leadership must understand exactly what they are trying to accomplish, define their relationship to the Scouts and overcome the…
BSA has released a new "Cub Scout Information Guide" (520-259). The purpose of the Guide is to give new Cub Scout families an overview of how the Cub Scouting program works and what their role in it is. This 8-page pamphlet is available online at the BSA website. Link (pdf) Posted in CUB SCOUTS, ScoutParents
You spent the weekend celebrating the nation's founders. Now, we at Cracker Barrel pay our respects to founders of a different kind. We're talking about volunteers who organize Scouting units. And instead of a fireworks-filled holiday, the BSA uses the William D.
We've understood what a Scout led Troop promises and are ready to get underway - so what next? Start Listening Your role is about to change drastically. From now on you are permitted a minute or two at the close of a Troop meeting to share a story or to say something encouraging.
BSA's new Cub Scout Parent Information Guide (520-259, 2009 printing) confirms, as previous reports had indicated, that the annual BSA registration fee is changing from $10 to $15 effective January 1, 2010. [ Image: Wikimedia.org ] Posted in CUB SCOUTS, Rechartering
Scout Groups who own their own buildings have been hit with a new charge from the water regulator OFWAT and the water companies. They will now be charged for the disposal of rain water which runs into the drains and sewers on their premises.
When the boys in your troop start spreading the word about how much fun they're having, the influx of new members can be exciting-and overwhelming. Though a nice problem to have, rapid growth still requires some smart solutions to ensure that every boy has a great Scouting experience.
New Flag Ceremony for Boy Scouts
According to the National Boy Scouts of America Website, the centennial edition of the Boy Scout Handbook will soon be available, and with the new handbook come several rank requirement changes that will be in effect as of January 1, 2010.
It has been confirmed the price per scout for annual registration exlcuding Boy's Life will be raised to 15 dollars with Boys life the fees required from council will end up be $25 which in truth really is that bad of a price when people compare it to prices of other activities that kids participate…
Well just a little less than a week ago my Troop returned from summer camp on the fourth of july. Summer camp for my Troop was held at our councils primary summer camp facility for Boy Scouts known as Camp Gorsuch.
It is official I have just recently completed my adult leader basic training. Basic training was super easy for me because I have basically lived and breathed scouting for the past 12 years. Basic leader training for the position of Assistant Scoutmaster includes the following three courses: New Leader Essentials or This is Scout Training…
Advancement in Ranks, earning Merit badges, and making Eagle recognize that Scouts have passed through a number of challenges and experiences. As laudable as they are the results are not an end in themselves, Scouting is all about the process that leads to them.
We've been impressed with the amateur sleuths who've responded to our previous nine Name That Council challenges. You've tracked down some pretty obscure council locations just from the patch designs. So we're digging into our archives and looking for even tougher challenges for you Cracker Barrelites.
Great message from our Marketing folks at the BSA. Have a Great Scouting Day!
[Image from boyandgirlscouts.com --thanks!] There are several new requirements for Tenderfoot all the way through Life coming, effective 01 JAN 2010. According to the Scouting.org website , it appears that they will be in the new Scout handbook coming in August.
6 Vote On Idea I've been working on a special summer session of our normal merit badge classes here at the museum. I ran into some issues this past week with scouts wanting to take the Personal Management class that is this Saturday.
Previously, we covered what homeschooling is and how Scouting should be looking at this group. As promised at the end of that post, now we need to look at why homeschoolers don't "just join" Scouting. Already busy Already committed to a large number of activities.
3 Vote On Idea This is not really an innovative idea, but it seems to me that since we are stating that we are going to try to improve the fitness and health level of our employees, perhaps we should stop serving doughnuts, muffins and cakes, etc.
2 Vote On Idea When a leader transfers his primary registration to another unit his Scouting subscription ends because he no longer has a fully paid registration. Why deprive our hard working volunteers of this valuable resource because they have a transfer registration? Comments (0) Applications & Registration
1 Vote On Idea As a registrar and an FOS clerk, why when entering in to a data base program such as Scoutnet or even the new Funding program in MYBSA is it that we have to use the mouse as much as we do?
I remember very we ll when nine members of my Boy Scout troop participated in the 2001 National Jamboree. How could I not remember it? I was the Jamboree troop's scoutmaster. One of my assistant scoutmasters was my Jamboree third assistant scoutmaster.
So I decided to burn the midnight oil and get this show recorded before I go camping with Ethan. See you all soon, and have a great week, and I will try to update from camp, via Twitter or the blog...
Coinciding with the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), this July marks the return of all-new episodes of the hit show, Scouting for Adventure; an original series based on the BSA and their flagship magazine, Boys' Life.
So I decided to burn the midnight oil and get this show recorded before I go camping with Ethan. See you all soon, and have a great week, and I will try to update from camp, via Twitter or the blog…you can download it HERE Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts Share…
Bear was invested as Chief Scout at Gilwell 24 yesterday. Best wishes to him and lets see what the next 5 years bring!
This fresh new look is a blend of the traditional and contemporary. The recognitions retain the cross on the shield, but they feature a new color-coded design to symbolize how the four programs come together to build a foundation of faith for young people.
I am on the road now...
So, I haven't had to mention how unsafe this is....sorry for the lack of posts...
I was talking to a colleague at work the other day and he brought up the subject of Scouting. He had seen us at our Annual General Meeting as we had hired my School's sports hall and he uses part of it to run his fitness business.
In this show we talk about Backpacking gear and how to get Scouts using the right stuff. Show 36 is the first part in a two part discussion on gear. Join me and my hiking partners (the Assistant Scoutmasters of my Troop), as we talk about gear.
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Gone home: Kinuthia Murugu, former Africa Regional Director NAIROBI, 9 July 2009 - The Scout fraternity today woke up to the saddest news of the passing of the former Regional Director for the World Scout Bureau, Africa Regional Office. Maj. (Rtd) Kinuthia Murugu passed away at 3.35 am [GMT +3] at Nairobi Hospital.
