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Here's an excerpt from Ask Andy's December 10th column . Hi Andy: My question has to do with BSA national policies and why so many troops seem to stray... For example, my son recently "failed" his Scoutmaster conference for First Class...
Judging by the 98 correct responses we got to Friday's Name That Council , this patch contained, perhaps, too many clues. But we like getting plenty of guesses, even if it reduces everyone's odds of winning the prize. This week's correct response was the Tall Pine Council , based in Flint, Mich.
Do we have any photography fans in the house? We sure hope so, because ClassB is holding a Scouting photo contest to find the best Scouting picture from 2010. If you have a photo that is related to Scouting, enter it into the competition for your chance to win our awesome prize package.
Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I will remember. Let me do, and I will understand." -Confucius Throughout the 2010 Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer season, we worked closely with the Boy Scouts of America to share the fundamentals of practicing and teaching Leave No Trace in the scouting community.
Beginning in early 2011, Boy Scouts will be able to manage their merit badges with an interactive application for the Apple iPhone. The application which will be available for $1.99 through the iTunes Store , will let Scouts review merit badge requirements, keep track of their progress by requirement, and even share their success on Facebook.
From Scouting Magazine's 'What Would You Do?' One of our Boy Scouts has Asperger's syndrome. He does well learning Scouting concepts by reading, but he has struggled with camp-outs and activities that are not highly structured. What can we do as a troop to help him succeed?
Hello Dear Reader Below is a video I came across on Chris Brogan's Blog and I thought I would share it with you. TTFN K ©ChrisMeadows2010 Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Clip this to Evernote Share this on Facebook Post on Google Buzz Add this to Google…
My plan is to get all of the Scouts of the same rank together at one time and give them some encouragement. I'll give each of them an advancement goals sheet to fill out.
On Tuesday, we asked our readers to vote for the most inviting campsite out of four choices, Long Key State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Wenatchee State Park, and Monument Valley. We received 42 votes and the campsite of the year was Lake Wenatchee State Park with 23 votes.
It was hard for our ancestors to Leave No Trace when building a cabin. After all, the key ingredient in constructing a log cabin was, well, logs. And that meant chopping down a few dozen trees. But it's the 21st century now, and modern technology has presented us with new ways minimize the environmental impact…
I t looks like Boy Scouts with iPhones and iPod Touch's will soon be able to keep track of their merit badges on their devices. According to scoutingnews.org: Beginning in early 2011, Boy Scouts will be able to manage their merit badges with an interactive application for the Apple iPhone.
Okay. I usually do not cover sporting events in this blog but I just watched a couple of videos that really show how a community can come together and do a super sized service project. As we all know, Boy Scouts love their service projects, but it was simply amazing to see this.
These instructions are for a pot and towel drying rack. There is a small picture of a similar gadget in the Boy Scout handbook.
That's right 2011 Membership T-shirts are in stock and rolling out the door as we speak. How do you get your hands on one? Well its easy! Just click here and sign up to become a member of Leave No Trace.
Another segment from my call-in show from December 7th…thanks to all those that came on that night…it was a blast This show is sponsored by Badge Magic Join the forum discussion on this post Share with Others:
Oh, man, who is that guy? I swear I've seen him before! Figure out the name of that hat-wearing fella and you're on your way to naming that council. Once you've got it, simply send us your guess. Remember, the only way you can win is by entering!
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SPOT . All opinions are 100% mine. I've told you a few times about the SPOT Satellite GPS messenger that our troop uses on our backpacking adventures. It's a great little gadget that gives you access to rescue help in an emergency, but more commonly…
Early in 2010, Curtis Baffic contacted Leave No Trace with a benefit fundraising idea that was realized as RippleLife.org . Now, RippleLIfe.org takes on a variety of environmental issues with the goal of cleaning up the outdoors. The latest is a Cigarette Butt Redemption and Recycling Program that you can learn about on his website.
Picked this up from National Geographic Traveler I hope they don't mind me reposting it... I give them all the credit.. good story, one worth sharing with your Scouts. By Boyd Matson I'm not what you'd call a plant guy.
Instead of giving you a typical den meeting plan, I am going to list the badge requirements below and explain what we are doing for each one.
Oh no! We're out of matches! Now what do we do? It's a good idea to have a couple backup fire starting methods available and a better idea to know how to use them. They aren't all easy, but here's ten ways you could get a fire going - with a little luck and perseverence.
The Boy Scouts of Schweinfurt Troop 55 and two Cub Scouts from Pack 630 spent the day with the 12th Chemical Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, on Conn Kaserne here recently learning how to be a chemical soldier. All the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts are children of soldiers currently living in Germany, and…
Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, introduces the Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 as they sing Christmas songs during a couple of December courts of honor (from 2003 and 2007). Join the Scouts as they sing a couple of Christmas favorites: Jingle Bells and Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Scouts from all over the world called into Scout Radio, sent text messages and emails to Santa Claus who sent 40 minutes with Justin Dawson, station manager of Scouting Radio and yours truly. Scouts were at the ready to find out the answers to age old questions ranging from: "How old are you?"
Someone had some time on their hands... love this video though... Its a week before Christmas... Have a Great Scouting Day!
This ceremony relates the seven principles of Kwanzaa to the values of Cub Scouting. It goes along well with the December theme of respect also.
Face it, there aren't too many scouting units that go winter camping like they would in Spring, Summer or Fall. One winter camp seems to be the norm for most units but that should deter anyone from thinking about camping and this is a perfect time to clean, repair and upgrade their camping equipment.
Every December the Troop plans a Lock In as the monthly 'campout'. It has been an annual tradition for YEARS and all the Scouts (and visitors) love it. Last night (this morning) was the Lock In. We had 157 Scouts, Scouters, Webelos, Parents and friends join us.
This book was recommended a few years ago when I went to Cub Scout BALOO training. I am not a "knot person". I can watch someone do a knot and repeat it, but an hour later it is forgotten.
Hello Dear Reader Well what to tell you about the Desert? Firstly it is not a Desert as you may think. It is not soft sand rolling dunes, the sand here is quite hard more like a beach within the tide mark.
Thanks to all of you who posted comments on our recent Facebook question: Is it ever OK to burn trash in your campfire? Why or why not? How many of us have seen a trashed fire ring? Trash begets trash.
Taking direction from Youth Leadership, Scouts with Challenges 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. Scoutmaster Podcast 48 Links on Podcast 48 Scouting for Youth with Disabilities Manual PDF file (from the BSA) Autism…
You lean across the finish line winning the race, while the other guy loses. You get first chair trumpet in band and the other guy gets second chair. You make the varsity wrestling team, but the other guy in your weight doesn't.
A Scout Active Support Unit in the South East has been providing emergency support for local services.
Continuing my wander through our current work plans and a reminder of some Christmas messages you should have received. Don't forget to ask questions, or seek further clarification ...
As many of you will know, one of the things I'm interested in is the history of my Group. So the other week this letter in the local newspaper caught my eye. It was about the filming of the then Chief Scout's (Sir Charles Maclean) visit to Kibblestone Camp site in 1963.
Every so often I get a note from someone asking me about the Peanuts comic strip in which Snoopy appears as a Beagle Scout or as the scoutmaster of a troop of Woodstock's friends. I never had a collection of all the comic strips, but today I found a couple of sources that will help…
Bowling is a great winter activity for those days off. So when you head to the bowling alley with your family or den, don't forget to complete the requirements for the Bowling belt loop from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.
New Gross Skit for All scouts
We are in the final week of the Christmas season. This time of year always reminds me of one evening in August of 1992 when I was with my troop on a trek at Philmont Scout Ranch. We decided to spend an evening around the campfire celebrating Christmas and singing songs.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom's of Maine . All opinions are 100% mine. Hey, here's a simple contest - Leave a comment about this blog post describing your most memorable Wicked Fresh moment and you might win a gift card.
Test article for testing Editorial Process. Do not publish!
A Scout led Troop lives and dies with the PLC. Success can be found when the young leaders of the Patrol Leaders Council are well coached. Scoutmasters are the coaches of the PLC and in order for them to be a high performance team they need to be allowed to plan and work their plan..
This looks like an interesting badge which they could work on together, but without a counselor in the troop to give them a little nudge, I could picture this dragging on for months. I'll go ahead and pass the requirements on to the PLC in case they are interested in pursuing it though.
Hello Dear Reader I recently saw a comment on a scouting website asking "What do adult get from Large Scouting Activities", I immediately started to type a response along the lines They get Networking opportunities, a chance to have fun and be a kid, a chance to meet like-minded scouting adults.
Apparently we weren't the only ones who recognized a familiar face in Friday's Name That Council challenge . A record number of our readers, 119 to be exact, responded with the correct answer as well. As many of you knew right away, the man in the patch is Scouting's founder, Robert Baden-Powell.
Leading a presentation? Need to jump start your inspiration? Presented by the National Park Service, this 9 minutes and 30 second video is an inspiring testimony of individuals who love the land. It introduces the ideas and principles of Leave No Trace and the importance of taking a personal role in preserving the outdoor experience…
There's a new entry in the Guinness World Records book this week. That's because Adele Trapp, a Scouter from the Hudson Valley Council, has been officially recognized as the longest-serving den leader in history. Trapp, 96, has spent 53 years as a volunteer leader with Pack 263 in Brooklyn.
In a year that started and ended with a big freeze, Scouts have proved that a bit of snow doesn't deter us from enjoying camp or helping others in need.
Our Crew has been trying to recruit lately. The problem they are having is they talk to Bob and he isn't sure he wants to go unless Tim and Amy are going. They talk to Tim and Amy and they are wondering who else will be there. And on and on...
Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, have put together a special Christmas show for your enjoyment. The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 sing Jingle Bells and Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer. Stories include the Christmas Scout, the legend of Santa Claus Camp, and Matthew's Christmas story.
Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons, the radical Boy Scout, have put together a special Christmas show for your enjoyment. The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 sing Jingle Bells and Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer. Stories include the Christmas Scout, the legend of Santa Claus Camp, and Matthew's Christmas story.
I know that you all saw this in the latest issue of Scouting Magazine, but they only gave you a link to the requirements... well if your unit is anything like mine this will be a snap and a great incentive to get those younger Scouts to work on the trail to First Class.
Recently Jenn Kays, Park Ranger - Interpretation/ Volunteers-In-Parks Coordinator from Prince William Forest Park, took part in a holiday parade in Dumfries, Virginia . Jenn, co-workers, and volunteers decorated a bunch of electric vehicles like reindeer and each one represented one way William Forest Park 'goes green.'
James H. May, a Boy Scouts of America volunteer for almost 50 years, was recognized by the Greater St. Louis Area Council as its representative in the 2010 National Hall of Leadership. A presentation was made at the council's Executive Board meeting on Thursday, Dec.
I'd like to wish everyone who visits my site, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Many thanks to those of you who have taken the time and effort to comment on my posts and I hope to see you all in 2011. Alternatively, please have a Merry Non-Denominational Winter Festive Period
Here is another Christmas cookie. These are not very sweet. ZM and LC like to sprinkle these with red or green sugar before we bake them.
Twas the day before Christmas when a new blog post appeared. A happy Scouter awoke, took a look, and then cheered. For there he saw a patch with no words and few clues. But he smiled and told his whole family the news.
When I first got married my wife and I did not have a lot of money. I was working a part-time job and my wife was a waitress in a very small town in Northern New York, about 20 minutes from Canada and 7 hours from New York City.
You know the older I get the more reflective I get.. yep.. I glow in the dark.. I find myself taking more and more time to reflect on things, events that have made a mark on my life, both good and bad, times that we share as family and friends, and thoughts and ideas that…
Currently I am working with Dr. Ole Jacobsen, who is spearheading the plans for the African Jamboree in 2012, which will be held in in Winneba, Ghana. This site was selected for the jamboree because of it historical significance to Lord Baden Powell as he first received military honors at the fort in Winneba and…
Again with the reflective mood... Found these talented women on the You Tube.. Just enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS !
Merry Christmas everyone! Are you stuck on what to get your favorite scouter to fill his or her stocking? Here's a few ideas. The first one is a very cool item I stumbled upon this morning while picking up spices for pumpkin pie.
Like a lot of people I was standing in the winter cold on the 20th of December at 2:45AM staring up at the moon. For the first time in 372 years, the earth briefly shadowed the moon in a total lunar eclipse.
I just received a Christmas card from Larry in Colorado. It made my day! Larry won the scoutshop gift card last month and wrote to thank Scouting for the life experiences and adventures his son has enjoyed. I thought that was pretty cool.
To all the the Scouts, all the Scouters and to all their families… To all who visit the blog and have inspired me or mentored me along this journey… Merry Christmas to all and the happiest of New Years! Filed …
Hello Dear Reader. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope Santa brought you everything you asked for. TTFN K ©ChrisMeadows2010 Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this!
Heres another silly song for you. This works well at Christmas (because of the tune) or at camp (because of the theme).
Its a big week this week. We have several scouts heading up to Camp Strake in Conroe, TX for Winter Camp. Every year, we have a lot of boys head up that way to have some cold weather fun and earn merit badges.
Regarding competing scouts , I wanted to expand on what I posted about having recognition for winners and also a group goal for everyone. The point being that if a lot of your troop activities are competitive and there is a winner with many losers, then incentive to really try or even participate goes down.
I was on the way to pick up my son when a motor vehicle accident happened right in front of me. It must have been inches or less that one of the cars missed hitting mine in the snow. As …
The core value for Cub Scouts for the month of January is Positive Attitude. According to the program helps, this means being cheerful and setting our minds to look for and find the best in all situations.
Today's show is an abbreviated one, but a cool topic: Blue & Gold themes. We'll be back to a regular schedule and length next week. Thanks to MISS Liberty for pitching in this week. Join the forum discussion on this post Share with Others:
New Silly Skit for All scouts
Leave No Trace was incorporated as a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization in 1994, though the Leave No Trace concept is over 40 years old. Leave No Trace was formally conceived of by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service in the 1960's. However, as public land use expanded and land managers witnessed the biophysical effects of this use, the…
The Board of Review. Terrifying to the new Tenderfoot Scout. Confusing to the new committee member. How does the Scout prepare? What are the board members supposed to cover and ask? I have been scoutmaster long enough to see a lot of people come and go on the committee.
BSA Patrol Method Filmstrip Video 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. Scoutmaster Podcast 49 Links on Podcast 49 Patrol Method Filmstrip Video Scoutmaster gift guides Classic Books Scouting Books Gear Subscribe on iTunes…
First of all, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and Santa brought you what you asked for! Looking through the business section of Sunday's Telegraph , I saw this article (it is also in Monday's Independent ) about the revival of Bob a Job week or Scout Job week.
For First Class Requirement 1, Scouts must show how to find their way at day and night without a compass. This method only requires a watch.
Kevin Callan tells a great story about a canoe hat: I didn't give it much thought at first when my paddling buddy began handing over his sleeping pad, rain jacket and canoe pack to his nephew. I just considered it a nice gesture; after all, we had finished our trip – 27 days paddling Quetico park…
Getting my scouts to advance has been a bit of a challenge...it's not that they are lazy, but they don't know what to do. Being that they are only in the 6th grade, with no "experienced" scouts to help them.
Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! Probably like me, many of your are taking this time to relax, reorganize and reinvigorate. I've been going through my photos from the last twelve months and there were a lot of great trips and memories!
The Order of the Arrow announced this week the results of the election for the next national chief, national vice chief, and four region chiefs. The newly elected officers for 2011 are: National Chief : Jonathan Hillis (above left), from Tonkawa Lodge in the Capitol Area Council (based in Austin, Tex.).
So it is that time to reflect on the year that was...I wanted to touch on some highlights of the year for the Troop: - we camped 12 months of the year: among the campouts we had a Lock In, backpacking trip, rock climbing, wilderness survival, Adventure Park trip, Ski Trip, geocaching, did a COPE Course…
2010 was a Fantastic year of Scouting. The year of celebration led us to telling Scouting's Story, meeting new friends and reconnecting with Scouts and Scouters of days gone by. This show is a few reflections of the year of celebration from Scoutmaster Jerry.
The first edition of the new Scoutmaster Newsletter went out recently! Subscribers receive the newsletter by email once a month featuring a digest of what's been on the blog and podcast and information and resources connected to a monthly theme. Subscibe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Email: For Email Marketing you can trust
If you have some enthusiastic campers in your troop, they might have completed the requirements already.
We hope you enjoyed reading the poem we wrote for Friday's episode of Name That Council . But we know that you'd enjoy winning the free patch even more, so let's get to the results. As you can see above, the patch belongs to the Central Georgia Council based in Macon, Ga.
One of the new merit badges announced this year is Geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor activity that pairs GPS and other navigational techniques to find a cache – anything from an amazing view to a hidden container of treasures. Often described as a ‘high-tech game of hide and seek' there are over 1.2 geocaches in more…
I have been doing a lot of reading lately in old Scout literature. Old handbooks, Boy's Life Magazines from the '40's and other material in an attempt to do well.. a couple things. First learn more about Scouting, second learn more about William Hillcourt aka 'Green Bar Bill', and finally to develop some good resources…
The three aims of Scouting are Character Development, Citizenship Training, and Mental and Physical Fitness. So how is citizenship incorporated into the Scouting programs offered by BSA?
William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt described his ideal boy run as follows: "Troop No. 3 has its share of Merit Badge Scouts and streamers testifying to its proficiency at Council Rallies and Camporees. Yet, its Scoutmaster is never much in evidence.
In even the best planned meeting or activity-packed outing, there may be slack time where scouts start getting bored, or scouts come a little early and have nothing to do. Here are ten ways to pass the time that can use any number of scouts and go on for any length of time.
Last year I put together a post of interesting HalfEagle Stats from 2009 and I want to continue the tradition! I think this was HalfEagle's sixth year online and clearly we've come a long way in that time. Let's see if anything has changed since last year.
The Clymb offers outdoor equipment at some pretty good discounts. The site has been around for a little more than a year and has discount name-brand equipment in special sale events that last for 3 days or so. Currently they are offering selected Victronox Swiss Army Knives and Kelty camping gear.
The first weekend of October our council held its first annual Jambo to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scout's of America. This event drew a huge crowd of more than 1,000 boy scouts, cub scouts and venturers. I spent most of the weekend helping out with different attractions and helped out by running…
This neon fleur-de-lis is on display in the dining hall at Camp Alpine in New Jersey. As we get closer to the drop of the ball in times square many people are taking some time to look back and take stock of 2010.
Ten Essentials of Scoutmastership By William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt A belief in boys that will make you want to invest yourself and your time on their behalf. A zeal focused upon one point-the boy's happiness through his formative years-"A happy boy is a good boy, a good boy is a good citizen."
Just because it is too cold to go camping doesn't mean that your Scouts can't enjoy s'mores.
The prominent sign for U.S. Route 66 on this week's Name That Council patch is a clue ... somewhat. But considering that the famous road, one of the country's original highways, is nearly 2,500 miles long, it doesn't really narrow things down much.
