Posts in April 2011

For the first time, Venturers can attend the national Scout jamboree

Bryan on Scouting / On Scouting ·

New location, new eligibility rules. The 2013 National Scout Jamboree , the first jamboree at the The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, will also be the first to welcome Venturers as participants. That's right, the jamboree isn't just for Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts anymore.

High Adventure Facts and Myths

Scoutmaster Clarke Green ·

Conversations of high adventure trips usually center on the B.S.A's popular and heavily promoted big three – Philmont, Seabase and Northern Tier. Council high adventure programs usua;;y focus on putting crews together for trips to these three destinations but there are hundreds (if not thousands) of other places for Scouts to experience a high adventure trip.

Day 73: A New Patrol Leader (opens in a new tab)

A Scouter's Journey ·

Troop meeting night. A couple of the Scouts have requested to work on the Music merit badge. One of the Scouts asked me if it would be ok for the counselor they found to come to our meeting to give an introduction. Since it was the boys requesting the activity for the meeting I was

#100DaysofScouting - Day 72

The Scoutmaster ·

I did a dozen things for Scouting yesterday but none more important than my duty as a Father. Tuesday, April 21, 2011 at 8:14pm my son walked out of his Board of Review as an Eagle Scout. As a Scoutmaster I am proud of all my Eagle Scouts but as a Dad I was on…

Scouting In The Newspaper (opens in a new tab)

A Scoutmaster's Blog ·

Our local weekly newspaper, the Melrose Beacon, has been working for a few weeks on an article about the 100th anniversary of the first Boy Scout troops formed in Melrose. Herman, the writer of the article, has sent me a few emails requesting information and the chance to proofread the story which was printed in…

#100DaysofScouting - Day 73

The Scoutmaster ·

Still on a high from Thursday Night's Eagle Boards. The Laundry List: - exchanged emails with the District Eagle Chair about another Eagle Candidate - emailed a few Scoutmasters and Scouters about Eagle Boards and thanks :) - talked to the CC about some new Volunteers in the Troop Yours In Scouting Bryan Permalink | Leave a comment »

Do we really need an app

Jabbering All Day Long ·

With my finger hovering over the buy button I was thinking it is only £1.19. Then it hit me I have this information already on my phone for free why should I buy the app.

Day 73 or 74?

The Scoutmaster Minute ·

Well I have officially lost count on the #100daysofscouting blog count. I have been trying to get a good blog post daily, but we all know how that goes. Life gets in the way and there is always a lot of Scouting to do.

I Believe (opens in a new tab)

The Scoutmaster Minute · archived copy

Yesterday I received an email from a fellow named Thom in PA. I won't post his email here, but the jest of it was that he challenged the idea that the Boy Scouts of America should be inclusive of all religion.

Mud! (opens in a new tab)

Leave No Trace Blog ·

Leave No Trace – Be ready to get muddy! What effect does a footstep have? The answer is, it depends. A footstep means different things to a tree sapling and meadow grass, to leaf litter and cryptobiotic soil, to a gravely riverbank and muddy springtime trail.

On World Malaria Day, an important reminder about a preventable killer

Bryan on Scouting / On Scouting ·

You know the names of Mandy Moore, George W. Bush, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ted Turner. But Nathaniel Stafford? You probably haven't heard of him-until now. Nate, a 12-year-old Star Scout, joins the actress, former president, basketball legend, and philanthropist on the list of 25 Champions in the Fight Against Malaria .

Boy Scouts of America Observes Youth Protection Month (opens in a new tab)

Scouting News · archived copy

In observance of April as Youth Protection Month, the Boy Scouts of America is working to raise awareness about the dangers and challenges facing youth, and to reiterate the BSA's own policies and procedures to protect youth. This year, Scouting is encouraging local councils and individual Scouting units to focus on two critical areas: effectively…

Scoutmaster Podcast 66 (opens in a new tab)

Scoutmaster Clarke Green · archived copy

In this Podcast: Notes for Eagle Scoutmaster Conferences – preparing the candidate for the his board of review. Listener's answers to questions from podcast 65. Links in this Podcast: Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Podcast Music null

Day 77: 100 Days of Scouting (opens in a new tab)

A Scouter's Journey ·

• Listened to the latest episode of the Scoutmaster podcast • Continued to work on my presentation on Shelter Box and Scouting for the upcoming trade-show • Received and started reading May/June issue of Scouting magazine, (dangerously tempted by ScottEVest discount) • Added the Outdoor Channel (the irony) to my cable subscription just so i

The 4 C's of Leadership (opens in a new tab)

The Scoutmaster Minute · archived copy

There are many attributes that are common to all that lead. Business leaders, Military leaders,Pastors, Scout Leaders.. you get the point. Of those attributes there are 4 that all leaders need to have to be effective in their leading toward the High Performance team.

Hanna Venture Base (opens in a new tab)

Scoutmaster Clarke Green · archived copy

PROGRAM OVERVIEW Week-long treks catered to what your group wants to accomplish. From kayaking in the Apostle Islands to backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains, Hanna Venture Base welcomes all that strive for the ultimate challenge of experiencing the outdoors. No trip is impossible if your Scouts have the imagination and courage to attempt it.

St. Francis de Sales School (opens in a new tab)

Leave No Trace Blog ·

Parma, OH - Last week, Bigfoot joined us for a visit to the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades at St. Francis de Sales School . The students enjoyed hearing about Trek and Track's Great Adventure to Misty Mountain and learning about the seven principles of Leave No Trace, but nothing beat the visit from Bigfoot as…

Day 77: Troop Meeting (opens in a new tab)

Scoutmaster Musings ·

Day 77: The skills training and big game were done outside at the troop meeting. It's been a long winter, and today it looks like it's not quite finished, but having more daylight and warmer temps means the scouts can spend more of the troop meeting time outside - hopefully the whole meeting.

#100DaysofScouting - Day 75-76

The Scoutmaster ·

A skip day...Sunday did not hold much Scouting as it was Easter Sunday and it was spent at Church and with the family. I did not even see a Scout (outside my son) all day. Sometimes you need a day away and doing this 100 Days of Scouting a second time I realize I spend…

Add your Site (opens in a new tab)

Scoutmaster Musings ·

If you'd like your troop, pack, or crew listed on my directory, here's your chance. I just added a Add Site page so you can do it yourself. It might get you a little bit more exposure to people looking for a unit in your town, especially if you have a link back to BoyScoutTrail.com…

In his latest book, accomplished Eagle Scout takes you inside the world of naval aviation

Bryan on Scouting / On Scouting ·

Eagle Scout Alvin Townley has a knack for finding compelling stories. Like Legacy of Honor , his 2007 look at what it means to be an Eagle Scout, told through profiles of some remarkable men. Or Spirit of Adventure , the 2009 story of Eagle Scouts who are shaping America's future every day.

Day 78: Just a Tad (opens in a new tab)

A Scouter's Journey ·

What can I say some days work gets in the way of Scouts and today was one of those days. With a few emails coordinated participation for Pack and Troop on annual park cleanup. That's it. That and a whole lot of work to pay the Scouting bills.

What's the big deal about Invasive Species? (opens in a new tab)

Leave No Trace Blog ·

The number one reason for species extinction worldwide is due to habitat loss. The number two reason is the spread of invasive species . Invasive species are non-indigenous species (e.g. plants or animals) that adversely affect the habitats they invade environmentally or ecologically (definition courtesy of wikipedia.org "> ).

#100daysofscouting - Day 77

The Scoutmaster ·

How does Tuesday get here so fast! Tonight was a strange one in that I had A LOT to do with the meeting. It was the Summer Camp presentation. A quickie for the Scouts with me and the SPL and then they are off to their meeting and then I stay behind with the CC…

Day 79: Getting Warmer (opens in a new tab)

A Scouter's Journey ·

Todays Scouting activities included: • Getting organized for summer camp registration. The early registration discount ends a day or two after tomorrow's troop meeting. Still hopeful we may get 1 or 2 more Scouts to go. • Researching geocaching apps for iPhone. I love the Groundspeak app but the one limitation is not being able

National Junior Ranger Day (opens in a new tab)

Leave No Trace Blog ·

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH - On Saturday, we visited Ohio's only National Park for National Junior Ranger Day . In celebration of junior rangers everywhere, the park put on a day of free programming. The festivities included arts and crafts with park rangers, fun activities, cake and ice cream, and the opportunity to earn a junior…

Day 79: Summer Camp Prep (opens in a new tab)

Scoutmaster Musings ·

On Sunday, we'll recognize three Eagles from the same patrol at a court of honor. My fingers are a bit sore from whittling their gifts the last few days, but I'm almost done. Spent a couple hours checking out the summer camp documents and making sure our electronic copies are in sync with any changes.

The People Issues: Problem characters

Bobwhite's Blather ·

Have you ever been in a committee meeting and had the experience where two participants are like oil and water? They absolutely refuse to agree on common ground or see the other's point. Other times it's like you are Sisyphus, …

Take a look at some of my favorite troop trailers

Bryan on Scouting / On Scouting ·

There are some great troop trailers out there, but the best of all? That's gotta be the one from Troop 1776. When I asked for photos of your unit's trailer last week and got the photo above from Patrick Adams, I knew I had found my favorite.

Scouting App Thursday – Helleniechsin (opens in a new tab)

Scouting News · archived copy

I'm starting a new feature here on Scouting News . With the increasing number of Scouting related applications for phones I've decided to feature a new one each week. This week I'm taking a look at an application called Helleniechsin . Helleniechsin is an English-Lenape Dictionary of the Lenni Lenape (Delaware Indian) language as spoken by the…

Day 80: Tauwinipen (opens in a new tab)

A Scouter's Journey ·

• Squared away all the registration paperwork needed (by Saturday) for summer camp and now have a binder of leader materials; • Mailed out a Shelterbox Scout patch; • Thanks to another Scouter got help with my geocaching app conundrum – turns out the feature is there just deviously hidden; • Discovered 2 new Scouting

Day 80 (opens in a new tab)

Scoutmaster Musings ·

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was rain and sleet, but this evening we had a wonderful 5-mile hike for guys preparing for Philmont. I went along just for fun - hiking around town is a great time to chat with scouts about how they're doing.

Day 81: 100 Days of Scouting (opens in a new tab)

A Scouter's Journey ·

Started the day with the latest and greatest from Scout Nation; Registered Troop for District Camporee; Completed paperwork for summer camp registration; Did some Troopmaster data entry; Worked with Cubmaster to track down BSA ID#'s for Scouts who transferred in from the Pack; Wished a Happy Birthday to one of my favorite PTC Media Scoutmasters!

Eagle Gifts (opens in a new tab)

Scoutmaster Musings ·

Here's what I've been doing this week. :-) I just finished these three fire pistons for the Eagle court of honor this weekend. I carve the scout's initials and "479" and then make some design on the rest. After the knifework, I sand with 150, 200, 320, 400, 600 paper, then 0000 steel wool.

Thank you (opens in a new tab)

Commissioner Keith Comments ·

This coming Tuesday is the Council awards dinner and I would like to take this time to thank all of the scouting brothers and sisters that have made a significant impact upon my life as well as my Scouting career.

Royal Wedding Party (opens in a new tab)

Nick's Ramblings UK ·

So what did you do for the Royal Wedding? My Group held a special indoor street party for all the members of the Group. The Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Young Leaders and Leaders came dressed up as princes, princesses or in their best party outfits and played silly games and had a party tea.