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The ‘97 Jamboree returned to Fort A.P. Hill, outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia with the goals of giving Scouts and leaders a clear understanding and a deeper sense of commitment to the ideals of Scouting, demonstrating to America and the world that camaraderie and the objectives of a great youth movement in a free society can…
If you have been watching this blog and podcast for awhile you have seen many skits and songs performed by the Boy Scouts of Troop 68, but you have seen very little performed by the troop's adult leaders. Well, the time has come.
Festival season is upon us. Leave No Trace will be representing all of our supporters at the Telluride Bluegrass Fest this weekend. Here are a few tips on how to make your experience as sustainable as possible. Leave-No-Trace Campers Guide Minimize the amount of packaging; avoid buying over-packaged goods and individual portion packs Buy durable…
This edition of Name That Council features a patch that has two simple clues. If you can identify them, you shouldn't have much trouble figuring out which council wears this shoulder patch. Send us your guess, and we'll take all of the correct answers and randomly pick one to win the patch shown above.
Hello readers Well its been a while in know so here goes:- In the last few weeks recruitment has been a good , Last week we had one new started, and this week we were joined by another four new scouts. …
Last night turned out to be the last official Troop meeting of the (school) year. Next week is graduation for 3 or 4 of our Scouts, including the Scoutmaster's son. Although he indicated that it was his last meeting, there …
Early June 2010 Time to carve: 1.5 hours Finishing: 2 hour ...and now for something completely different. An easy project with feathers. Yeah, I got to admit I had my doubts on this one but I kind of like how it turned out.
I'll be taking two crews into the Cloud Peak wilderness of Wyoming this summer to experience some changes in attitude brought on by changes in altitude. To prepare, the scouts have made a schedule of practice hikes and the two crew leaders have agreed on a minimum participation expected of each scout.
Mid June 2010 Time to carve: 5 hours Finishing: 1.5 hour GOB? What's a GOB? As it turns out, according to an online dictionary, it is slang for a sailor. (go figure) Another sailor pattern from Whittlin Jim and I set off on this slide with a big piece of maple.
Mid June 2010 Time to carve: 1.5 hours Finishing: 1.5 hour A funny cartoon kind of slide that was easy to make. Carved from maple, there is really nothing really hard about this slide. The arrow is a bamboo food skewer that is passed through a hole drilled in the head and glued in place.
As school ends all over the country, for some of us, the countdown begins until school starts again. A lot of us have a summer filled with exciting activities, and others may just have one biggie planned. For my little troop, things started on a different note, as April rolled around, we made plans to…
Boy Scouts and Lemelson-MIT Program introduce Inventing merit badge The inventive spirit of young people burst onto the scene today in Cambridge, Mass., as hundreds gathered to see the first awarding of the Boy Scouts of America's new Inventing merit badge to 50 Scouts from the Boston area.
Lew Shelley, New Hampshire state advocate, for the second consecutive year hosted a Leave No Trace Trainer course out of Student Conservation Association (SCA) headquarters in Charlestown, NH. We appreciate Lew's dedication to the Leave No Trace program and his efforts to continue to get staff trained from the SCA.
It was the unmistakable combination of fun and friends that abounded at the Gilwell Park Fundays for Beavers and Cubs last weekend. Over 8,000 young people and their leaders attended the event, held over two days at the home of UK Scouting.
This week's video was made by the Scouting Association in the UK to help promote scouting over across the pond. Enjoy!
This week, Adventure Base 100 splashes into Chattanooga, Tenn., an "outdoor mecca" full of fun opportunities for Scouts and Scouters. AB 100 is visiting during the nine-day Riverbend Festival, which draws up to 100,000 visitors a day. That means thousands of prospective Scouts will be exposed to the exciting opportunities that young people can enjoy…
Recently hiked by this on a heavily used trail in the foothills above Boulder, CO and it got me thinking - is this impact or art?
As I was listening to The Scoutmaster Minute with Scoutmaster Jerry , I heard him say that he was getting a bit behind with the show, due to him having great scouting weeks... How does this impact us? For me, I look to Jerry's show for guidance, for enlightenment and for ideas to poach for my…
This weekend we travelled to Central Park in New York City to take part in the world's first Outdoor Nation Youth Summit and Festival . This event united young people from across the country with a common mission: To champion the outdoors and start a youth-driven movement.
Summer Camp Scoutmaster Podcast 22 Feel free to send your questions and comments (you can rate the podcast on iTunes). Use the email link above left or the comments feature of the blog. Subscribe on iTunes Music in Podcast 22 First Call - U.S.
Spanish Fork, Utah, native Jennifer Lowe officially became the 2010-2011 national Venturing president at a ceremony last month. Lowe, who just completed her freshman year at Brigham Young University, takes over for Matthew McGroarty, who recently finished his one-year term.
Hello fellow Scouters, Welcome to The Trainer's Corner ! The Trainer's Corner was a series of Cub Scout leader helps that ran from October 2008 to June 2010. As you navigate through the various pages and postings, hopefully you will find ideas, thoughts, and examples that will help you run a better Cub Scout program.
Last week we had the chance to visit beautiful Ketchum , ID to enjoy the historic Sun Valley and all the outdoor recreation we could handle! During the stay we were treated to scenic hikes throughout the valley and even had an impromptu invitation to work with the campers in the Wood River Community YMCA!
On behalf of Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, we are excited to launch the inaugural year of our 1st Annual Online Auction ! This unique event will bring members of the Leave No Trace community from around the globe together for the first time, to share in their support and advocacy for the Center's…
The 2001 Scout Jamboree will be long remembered for ushering the Scout Movement into the new millennium. This was also the last Jamboree that took place in a pre-911 America. There was a large American Indian Village, featuring native american dancing and crafts.
So it was one year ago today that I launched my way into the wonderful world of blogging, and as Scoutmaster Steve (@stevejb68) said, " Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. Please fasten your safety belt and prepare for a fun ride."
#229-Oh Daddy Scout Shop Deals, ScoutParents, Pack Campouts, Training and Summertime activities are on tap for tonight. Links: Boy Scout Utility Knife $$3.99- http://bit.ly/awwPDK PTC Media CSLS 1 Training- http://bit.ly/bWndTJ Tonight's show sponsored by Badge Magic Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts Share with Others:
I will never forget the Hiking Skill Award. "Why?" you ask. Because back in the 1980′s, while on an overnighter at a local state park, I decided to take the troop on a five mile hike to complete a requirement for this skill award.
Thanks to support from AT&T, the BSA's exclusive communications services sponsor, it will be easy to stay connected at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree next month. As we reported in October , AT&T is offering a vast communications network for jamboree attendees.
If you haven't checked out our store lately, then you are missing some great new duds to sport this summer. Newest addition includes our new line of 'Bigfoot's been doing it years' tshirts. Now more fitted and stylie, with the same solid Leave No Trace message of playing outdoors responsibly.
Late June 2010 Time to carve: 0 hours Beading: 4 hours Finishing: 0 hour Looking ahead to the next few patterns, I saw the Peyote Beading slide and wondered what design to make. Also on my mind was the Wood Badge class I will be taking in the fall.
With memorial day having just passed a couple of weeks ago and this being one of the badges I am working on I thought that this would be a good badge for this week's corner. The citizenship in the nation merit badge is required to earn the eagle scout rank and gives scouts a chance…
School is out and it is time for summer camps to get rolling. We made our first visit to camp in Reading, PA to work with a dynamic group of teenager s attending an Environmental Leadership Camp at Alvernia University.
It's pleasing to know that one of my ex Scouts will be representing his Country, County, District, Explorer Unit and Scout Group at next year's World Scout Jamboree in Sweden (no pressure then!). To attend this exciting event is going to cost him about £2100 or $3145 or kr24,375.
The trial is over. After seven years of court battles the trial about wether the Cradle Of Liberty Council, BSA, can stay in the building they paid to have built and pay for the yearly costs, has come to an end.
We spent this week at Grand Teton National Park presenting five awareness workshops for Grand Teton Lodge Company staff, guests, and national park staff. Pictured above is one of the youngest and most enthusiastic fans of Leave No Trace we have ever met.
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The advice of their elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books. Oliver Wendell Holmes I take Justice Holme's thought as a simple statement of fact rather than a derisive evaluation of the vicissitudes of youth.
The advice of their elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books. Oliver Wendell Holmes I take Justice Holme’s thought as a simple statement of fact rather than a derisive evaluation of the vicissitudes of youth.
In April, President Obama launched America's Great Outdoors Initiative to promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect people to the land. As a central-point of the initiative, "listening sessions" have been set up in a dozen cities to learn how to reconnect Americans to the outdoors and to build…
It was a good weekend plan . We would arrive at the campsite Friday night, set up camp, have a relaxing evening, sit around the campfire, and go to bed. After breakfast on Saturday we would work with the younger Boy Scouts on their Tenderfoot Rank, play disc golf, try our luck fishing, go for a…
Well...it's about 3 1/2 hours to departure, and I can't wait. Yea, there is a not-so-favorable forecast tonight, and I thought about calling off the trip, but so many times, I have seen posts on PTC Media and Twitter about the chance of storms and rain, with leaders questioning to stay or go, and I…
Welcome back to the Scoutmaster Minute… In this show we talk about Wood Badge for the 21st Century. Scott and I are both proud members of the Beaver Patrol and in this show we share some of our Wood Badge Experience as well as talk about what Wood Badge offers to all Scouters.
Late June 2010 Time to carve: 3.5 hours Finishing: 1 hour OK, I got tp to admit this one is a bit weird. I mean the thought of wearing a tooth around one's neck. Made from Maple, roughed it out on the band saw and began the process of shaping the tooth.
When teaching Outdoor Leadership Skills for new scoutmasters, I try to drive home the Buddy System. I often say that I've not heard of TWO scout getting lost, it's always ONE that gets in trouble. Now, I can't say that any more.
Big Smokey Waterfalls in Shawano County, Wisconsin It's camping time, actually camping time is 365 days of the year, but now it the time that most people love to go camping because the season in Wisconsin is better suited for most to be comfortable without the extra gear that must be packed in cold weather…
Last week, my wife called me at work, saying there was a newborn fawn in our driveway. Thanks to the internet, and The Second Chance Wildlife Center, I quickly figured out what to do, or more importantly what not to do!
For last week's Name That Council challenge, the familiar sun symbol of the Zia and the red and yellow colors told you that the council in question was in New Mexico. After you figured that out, it was up to you to realize that the symbol in the middle was a conquistador.
Every summer thousands of people pack up their camping gear (which usually includes everything but the kitchen sink), load up their canoes, kayaks, floats, and rafts, and spend the weekend on the Saco River in Maine. With so many paddlers on the river, it is critical that everyone practices Leave No Trace in order to…
Uniform, High Adventure 1 Scoutmaster podcast 23 Feel free to send your questions and comments (you can rate the podcast on iTunes). Use the email link above left or the comments feature of the blog. Subscribe on iTunes Music in Podcast 23 First Call - U.S.
What a weekend, around 3000 people attended this years Malvern challenge,Some of my scouts were among them. They had fun at the Friday night party watching duke. Both teams were entered in to the Malvern challenge and came 138th and …
Last week we had the opportunity to work with one of our partners, the Grand Teton Lodge Company, in the spectacular setting of Grand Teton National Park. Above we have a majestic view of the Tetons as the Traveling Trainers practice the principle Respect Wildlife and snap photos from a safe distance.
Venturing Crew 2000 takes the spotlight during Adventure Base 100 's latest stop. In the video, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based crew introduces the unique aspects of the Venturing program. Billed by Crew 2000's members as "a transition between Boy Scouts and the real world," Venturing is the high-adventure arm of the Boy Scouts of America.
We are Scouts, we hike, camp, climb, build fires, swim, canoe, rappel, sail, ski and take on any one of a hundred challenging activities. There will be accidents, there will be injuries. I am not an alarmist, I am not worried about being sued, I am not obsessed with fear of accident or injury.
2005 National Jamboree Patch with Rockers The 2005 National Scout Jamboree was so well attended it raised Caroline County from the 50th most populated county in Virginia to the 14th for the duration of the event. The Jamboree organized Scouts into 20 sub-camps, each one named after a living American explorer.
In addition to running a PEAK/Teen activity contest (Check out this month's Bigfoot Challenge ), the Center recently added a second deadline to it's Packing with PEAK grant program - August 1, 2010. PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) is an educational program that introduces youth to the concepts of environmental stewardship, responsible recreation and the principles…
Six Scouting parents from 16th Sevenoaks Ide Hill are attempting a unique fundraising challenge - running, swimming and cycling from Marble Arch in London to the Arc de Triomph in Paris. Follow the escapade as it happens via their blog.
From Seth Godin's blog ; A toddler wants what she wants, now . That's a win. A little later, when we're more mature, we might define winning as getting what we want at the expense of someone else. I win when you lose.
Next month, Scouts from across the country will converge in Washington, D.C., for ScoutQuest , a high-tech, interactive search that anyone can play. ScoutQuest is held July 24 and 25; the 2010 National Scout Jamboree begins the next day. Players will be sent to several noteworthy spots in our nation's capital, including the Smithsonian National Air…
Mt. Whitney summit We always welcome innovative ways to partner with organizations doing great work, and our relationship with Call of the Wild is a great example. Offering active vacations for women of all ages, Call of the Wild is the longest-running women's adventure travel company in the world.
If you are involved with Boy Scouting in the United States you know that this is the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and the year of the 2010 National Jamboree. Council troops are currently putting the final touches on their plans to attend the event, and Boy Scouts and leaders are already…
Thousands of parents are getting their first taste of Scouting this summer, as part of a Big Adventure event.
On Tuesday I travelled to Berkshire, the Royal County of, to be precise. Not to check out Windsor, but because I had invited myself to a Celebrating Success evening, which subtly included their AGM. And some success they are enjoying in Berkshire...
Thousands of parents are getting their first taste of Scouting this summer, as part of a Big Adventure event.
Late June 2010 Time to carve: 0 hours Leather work: 1 hour Finishing: .5 hour I have had this slide in the back of my mind for a while now but couldn't seem to find the right flashlight. Then when helping my daughter clean her room, I came upon a little flashlight that would be…
