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The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: A trestle is the basic component for building a bridge in a pioneering project. It is used to support the walkways.
Following on from Knotmaker , which lets you draw 2d diagrams of knots, is Knottyer3d by Steve Abbott. This windows program generates 3d models that can be viewed or exported, and can even open Knotmaker 2d files and generate a 3d model from them.
Dan Baker shared an interesting 9 ounce reflector oven idea constructed of titanium foil, aluminum and bicycle spokes. I think this is a great design, it's lightweight, collapsible and looks like a fun project. I cannot resist taking this on my trips.
This month, we're rolling out a fresh gear giveaway with a new twist: Instead of simply entering for a chance to win, readers must first investigate the Scouting magazine Archives to answer an elusive question. Hop on over to the Bottled History contest to read the secret inquiry .
BSA Arrow of Light Den Meeting Plan 3 – Outdoorsman BSA provides Webelos den meeting ideas for Cub Scout den leaders on the Scouting.org website. The second in the Arrow of Light series of Webelos den meeting plans covers the Webelos learn about camping and outdoor skills while working on the Outdoorsman activity badge..
You knew it was bound to happen. The Harlem Shake , the Internet meme that came from nowhere last month and is now impossible to avoid, has caught the eye of more than a few Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs.
The new District Executive Talent Assessment hiring tool, which replaced the Selection Research Instrument last fall, is earning some positive reviews from council-level executives who are using it to assess DE candidates and identify those with the greatest potential to succeed.
Our local newspaper, the Melrose Beacon, showed their support of the Scouting program last month by printing a full page ad to celebrate the Boy Scouts of America's anniversary. The ad featured photos of Cub Scout Pack 68 and Boy Scout Troop 68.
The BSA is offering a special weekend workshop of the new certified angler instructor training being taught at BSA Camping School. It will be hosted by the Greater St. Louis Area Council. The goal of this course is to improve the council's and unit's overall fishing program and train Fishing and Fly Fishing merit badge…
Why are you here and what do you expect to get out of this course?" That's a pretty different way to kick off a BSA training course. Truth is, I signed up for the Philmont Leadership Challenge after learning these five things: It was at Philmont It builds upon the training you receive during Wood…
Sure APPEARS to be manila! There was a volunteer who procured ten 50′ x 1/4″ packages of what was presented as 100% manila rope. He wanted to prepare the rope to be used for Scout pioneering projects and set about diligently pre-stretching each 50′ length, cutting each into various lengths for lashing, painstakingly applying a…
This week we talk about cook kits, more to the point of stoves and the pots I use with them. We also get into a bit of Knife talk and have a nice cup of Tea. Enjoy… Have a Great Scouting Day!
Baloo's Bugle for March Roundtables and April Activities Is on-line Core Value - Faith Supplemental Theme - Cub Scouts Give Thanks *Baloo's Bugle for March Roundtables with * **Go to:* *www.usscouts.org/bbugle.asp * * * Take a few minutes to read it and prep for your Scouting meetings (RTs, Den Meetings, Pack Meetings, and more) Have a great month!!
Had all the stoves out today and it got to be about lunch time… Well… Here's some Bonus video of a nice lunch meal on the trail… Oh and the Cheese cake (left over from the Cheese Cake factory).. a great bonus to the lunch. YUM! Enjoy and Have a Great Scouting Day!
Please be aware of a valuable resource to councils that may be considering offering a scuba diving program. The Florida National High Adventure Sea Base has enjoyed a relationship with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors for more than 20 years, and they have dedicated innumerable man-hours and significant financial assistance to make the scuba…
As part of your 2013 National Scout Jamboree registration, you received the Osprey Transporter BSA duffel bag . What's the deal with that? For 10 days-from July 15 to 24-Scouts and Venturers attending the 2013 jamboree will be living and breathing the Summit.
Are You Tougher Than A Boy Scout? is a show that's coming up on the National Geographic Channel. Here's the deal: The six-episode show starts at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Central) on Monday, March 4, and continues on Monday nights through April 8.
Years ago, AT&T, parent of the Bell Telephone companies, ran an advertising campaign which encouraged people to use their long-distance services to keep in contact with friends. The "Reach Out and Touch Someone" series of ads had everyone singing along …
Like many Scout leaders and families I have collected a few Scouting-themed movies over the years. I know my collection is far from complete but it does contain some of what we could call "classics". Scouts To The Rescue , starring a young Jackie Cooper, is the only VHS tape I own for this collection.
The premiere of Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? is close enough we can taste it. In fact, it's close enough that we can now set our DVRs to record the six-episode series, which debuts at 8 p.m./7 p.m.
New Dutch Oven Recipe for Boy Scouts
In this Podcast we talk about some common mistakes Scout leaders make and offer ideas on how to balance your approach to leadership. Email answers to questions about recruiting methods and applying the buddy system while camping; do Scouts have to share tents?
Set your DVRs to record… the series starts TONIGHT and should be fun to watch! Can you still cut it? Would you be up for the challenge? Now as an adult… Are you tougher than a Boy Scout ??
Venturing Ranger Award Elective – Mountaineering To earn the Venturing Ranger award, a young man or woman must complete eight core requirements and four electives. One of the electives to meet the Ranger award requirements is Mountaineering. To complete the Venturing Ranger Award requirements for Mountaineering, a Venturer must learn all about climbing, including knots, equipment…
We are still following our Zombie theme and this month the program feature was backpacking and hiking and last Friday we met up at the local scout camp. The plan for the weekend was a digital camera scavenger hunt for …
Spread the message of Scouting with a medium that is always "on"-outdoor billboards. CBS Outdoor has a single point of contact that councils can call to get a fantastic rate made available only to select nonprofit organizations. To learn how you can select from a number of BSA-approved designs that reinforce our branding while leaving…
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: When you have to tie the ends of two large ropes (1/2″-diameter or larger) together, there is no better knot to use than the carrick bend.
Who'd win in a Boy Scout Handbook- inspired battle between current Scouts and adults who didn't quite make Eagle as boys? Tonight, we finally discovered the winner - well, of Round One, at least. The season premiere of Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?
Well, the last Webelos II Den Meeting is in the books. We have a hike and a Pack Meeting and then AOL/Crossover. Tonight was the LNT review, how to build a campfire (on school property so, we didn't really start one), reviewed the basics for joining a Troop. We also handed out a lot of
Click to open March issue The March issue of Learning for Life and Exploring Today has been published and is now available online. In this issue, you can read more about the Comprehensive General Liability policy, which provides primary coverage to all LFL professionals and employees, as well as participating organizations and registered volunteer adult…
Softball Belt Loop for Cub Scouts Baseball is more popular with boys in our area than softball, but some play the sport. A pack game of softball would be a good way to earn the Softball belt loop from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program .
A "bend' in knotting terminology is a knot used to join two ropes. The carrick bend is consider superior in strength and utility to the square or reef knot (which is not classed as a bend). In 1783 the carrick bend was mentioned in nautical dictionary.
Tucker Prescott , the mind behind the video. What's it like to spend a summer as a Philmont Ranger ? Incredible seems too weak a word, and amazing doesn't quite cut it either. When words fail, try video. That's the approach Tucker Prescott took with his magical, transcendent short film called "Philmont: A Ranger's Summer."
[N.B. This post, which is the last in the series on the "Older Scout Problem" in Scouting, is quite a lengthy one. However, I feel the importance of the subject matter justifies the length. Please read this when you have time to sit down and look at it thoroughly.] Introduction Welcome back to “Scouting Rediscovered”!
A volunteer Roundtable Task Force was started in 2011. The mission of the roundtable group was to: Undertake a comprehensive study of how effectively we are delivering and supporting roundtables in the various types of councils around the country, with a separate focus on the needs of each of our traditional programs: Cub Scouts, Boy…
Sailmaker’s Whipping Scroll down for pictorial “How-to.” The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Just the thought of sails and ropes flapping in a strong wind when a sailing ship is under way makes you realize that the…
The other day Elliot came to me while I was working in my office asking for rope. Oh, wonderful. I wonder what he's up to now. After several questions, he told me he wanted to build a rope ladder. Puzzled, I kept asking why. Mom chimed in saying, at least he will be OUTSIDE on
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The BSA's 131st current merit badge-Game Design-has been released. It teaches Scouts how to create, test, and refine a game from one of four categories: Electronic (games for computers, game systems, or mobile devices) Outdoor/Athletic (sports or games like capture the flag) Tabletop (dice-based games, board games, card games) Pen and Paper or Role-Playing Games…
Last weekend our troop went camping and it was a full weekend. I wrote earlier about our morning, where they had a Scavenger Hike, but in the Evening, because of our Zombie Theme, they setup a Zombie Blood Trail. Once …
In a post titled The Patrol Leader's Council and Planning I laid out the basis of structure, content, planning and preparation. Scouts establish a structure (the calendar of what's happening), the content (what they'll be doing) and plan (who will be doing what) and then they prepare for actually carrying these things out.
Shoot! Nova Award – STEM Science for Boy Scouts STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Today's students will need to become proficient in these areas in order to excel in our changing world. The NOVA award program is part of the BSA's STEM Initiative.
My wife has just been put in as the Webelos den leader in our pack. We got her set up with a uniform and all the books and materials she needs. She spent last weekend doing all the required on-line trainings and I think she's ready to go.
If your troop has 25 boys, odds are three of them have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a CDC report . Yes, 12 percent of boys ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, and that doesn't count those who may have the condition but haven't been formally diagnosed.
Effective next month, your Scouts and others traveling by plane will be permitted to carry on small pocketknives. The Transportation Security Administration said on Tuesday it was relaxing certain restrictions to allow small pocketknives, golf clubs, and other sports items to be carried on to planes, better matching international standards for air travel.
The final cover (click to enlarge). Let me stop you right here. I know what you're thinking, but, no, this is not a merit badge Scouts earn by playing video games. Now that I've dispelled that common misconception, here's the real story: Game Design merit badge - released today - teaches Scouts how to create, test, and…
Great news! More than 439,000 households tuned in for Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? on Monday, March 4. That's 439,000 households seeing the fun and excitement of Scouting! That's a terrific start. Let's keep up the momentum - let your Scouting volunteers know that the best is yet to come with five more episodes…
I should start by saying no one got hurt, no one died, and no one is going to jail… It was August and we were heading home from Philmont Scout Ranch. Our two crews from the Troop stopped in Grand Junction, Colorado to eat at the Golden Corral Buffet, a restaurant that our Scouts came…
BSA's latest new merit badge, GAME DESIGN, is now available for Scouts to earn. BSA released the requirements for the new badge on March 6, 2013. The US Scouting Service Project has posted a copy of the requirements, and a note to counselors from the merit badge pamphlet, along with a workbook we prepared (with…
Click to open March 15 issue The March 15 edition of the Finance Impact Department's e-Letter has been published and is available online. The latest issue provides the schedule of sessions for the 2013 National Development and Fiscal Management Symposium.
One of the ASMs in the troop is really good with fire. You know the type, he comes prepared to all of the campouts with a little bow drill, flint and steel, makes his own char cloth… all the dressings …
Robotics Merit Badge for Boy Scouts While we might not see robots like in the Jetsons or Star Wars, automation and robotics are becoming more and more a part of the world. Scouts who complete the Robotics merit badge requirements will have a better understanding of how different types of robots are created and what…
New Merit Badge for Boy Scouts
Common sense. We see it so rarely in politics these days that it's big news whenever it shows up. Take the recent news that the Michigan Department of Human Services told the Michigan Crossroads Council that it would be required to have smoke detectors in all 1,000 of its summer camp tents across nine camps.
Here's a game recommended by Walter Underwood named after Scouting's own John Thurman , you can find it in this list of games (pdf file) Equipment: For each patrol, a Scout stave or broomstick handle Procedure: The patrols line up in relay formation, with the patrol leader of each holding the stave about 5 feet in…
How does a Boy Scout make a fire with two sticks? Make sure one's a match. We're supposed to be good at many outdoor skills, one of which is fire starting. It's just a Scouting thing. In reality, I've not met many scouts that can start a fire readily - in good weather, let alone rain…
The 2013 Cub Scouts 'Inspiration for Growth' All Markets Summit will precede the National Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 22 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center (Dallas/Fort Worth area). This year's summit will feature all-new content with a strong focus on reaching Cub Scout–age youth from a variety of ethnicities within your local market.
If Sir Robert Baden-Powell was a British war hero, how did Scouting end up with the campaign hat and neckerchief as symbols, two items very much from the American West ? Good question, I say. Actually, it is a question that never crossed my mind until the beginning of a presentation at our council's Wood Badge…
Join us on Sunday March 10th at 9 PM EST (6 PM PST) for a presentation and question and answer session at scoutcircle.org . Our guest this month is Frank Maynard, a long-serving Committee Chair for a troop of 65+ boys in Michigan who also serves committees at the Cub Scout and District levels.
What do President Barack Obama, New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, author Homer Hickam, actor Chuck Norris, and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal all have in common? No, they're not the five famous people I'd invite to a fantasy dinner party - though that would be interesting.
More than 439,000 households tuned in to the premiere of Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? on Monday, meaning 439,000 homes got a firsthand look at the excitement Scouting offers boys and girls. ( Read my recap and review of the first episode .)
The Boy Scouts of America have launched their "Voice of the Scout" survey, open to all currently active members of the BSA. The results will be part of BSA's decision-making process on whether to change the membership policies to allow gay Scouts, Scouters, and parents to participate; so your completion of this survey is critical.
Bridge Project built in Brazilian Boy Scout Camp Before we relate this interesting, real-life account, here’s a little about building bridges and Pioneering: To open up the frontier, pioneers built BRIDGES. To this day, the most familiar and most functional of all “larger” pioneering projects are bridges.
This is my 1000th Blog Post!!! To Celebrate I am having a Giveaway… Watch the video for details but here is the bottom line… Click the Like Button for this post. Leave a Comment for this post. That's all you have to do to get your name in for a chance to win!
Last night was our annual Blue & Gold banquet for the pack. It was yet another successful B&G and better yet, I was rather removed from the event. Better only in the fact that the event was in good hands of several others and they simply didn’t need me to a large degree — I was able…
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Building this bridge is quite simple because there are very few lashings needed for the center A-frame.
Josh and My Dad Hey gang… I did not do a Sunday Coffee video this week. Had a bit of a scare today and had to spend a good portion of the day with my Dad in the ER and later at the hospital when they admitted him.
Ask most people what they know about Boy Scouting, and the most frequent responses you'll get are either "Are they still around"? or they'll cite the negative attention BSA has been getting lately about its policies and past practices. Ask …
BSA Bear Supplemental Den Meeting Plan D – Build a Model (Rockets) BSA provides Bear den meeting ideas for den leaders on the Scouting.org website. These Cub Scout Bear den meeting plans are step by step guides to carrying out a den meeting.
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This past weekend we had a leadership lock-in and Intro to Leadership Skills – Troop training. The original goal was to work with the troop that we split from and kind of get the family back together, but that didn't …
In this Podcast we answer email questions about the advisability withholding boards of review if rechartering fees aren't paid, how to work with helicopter parents, and some ideas about getting Scouts and parents to attend a troop court of honor.
Here's the latest ScoutCircle presentation on the troop committee. Every month the virtual round table at ScoutCircle.org features a presentation and question and answer period. This month our guest was Frank Maynard , committee chairman who maintains a blog at Bobwhite Blather .
This just came in via email from NESA Calling On All Eagle Scouts Your Eagle Eyes Are Needed! It's fiercely competitive-the consummate outdoor adventure. Watch "Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?" featuring an awesome, elite team of Scouts taking on adult challengers each Monday on the National Geographic Channel.
Team Building should be FUN! What we’re doing here is challenging each patrol to build a device that will set off and “catch” a cocked rat trap (the snapper) placed 15′ away. The lashings have to be tight and well-spaced.
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Seems to me the Boy Scouts …
Whoever said "less is more" apparently hasn't watched Episode 2 of Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? Tonight's episode of the new National Geographic Channel show was, to me, superior to Episode 1 because it gave us more of what we Scouters and Scouts love about the Boy Scouts of America.
I have come across a service called Plinky it gives what it calls prompts for you to answer and is aimed at helping you generate content. Look out for new posts from it.
A revision to the BSA Guide to Safe Scouting is out this month, with one very important clarification for Cub Scout dens. Cubmasters and den leaders make note of this! Tigers and Wolfs may not use knives during Scouting activities.
Plinky asked "Dig through your couch cushions, your purse, or the floor of your car and look at the year printed on the first coin you find. What were you doing that year?" I found a penny from 1967 – I was not doing anything really, I guess you could say I was -9.
I found a penny from 1967 - I was not doing anything really, I guess you could say I was -9. I think my parents may have met but I am fairly sure I was not event a thought in their minds at that time.
Plinky asked "Dig through your couch cushions, your purse, or the floor of your car and look at the year printed on the first coin you find. What were you doing that year?" I found a penny from 1967 – I was not doing anything really, I guess you could say I was -9.
Computers Pin for Cub Scouts Some kids today seem to be more proficient at using computers than their parents. For your Cub Scouts who know their way around a keyboard and mouse, there is the Computers pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program .
David from Hawaii writes: I am a fairly new Scoutmaster and I asked the committee to present merit badges and rank patches in troop meetings and present the certificates for those badges at the court of honor. They declined out of fear that no one would attend the court of honor.
Thank you all so much fo your response to the 1000th Post Give away! It was nice to read all the comments and I thank you all for continuing to read the blog. I hope that you all get as much out of it as I get putting into it.
My son wants to go to sailing camp this summer with his cousins in California, and approached my wife and I about it around Christmas time. When we talked about it we made a deal: I would sign him up for the camp when he passed the BSA swim test .
There's another side to Philmont where training, not trekking, takes center stage. The Philmont Training Center , the BSA's national volunteer education facility, hosts more than 5,000 Scouters and family members each summer for its signature weeklong courses. But even though everyone's heard of Philmont - aka "Scouting paradise" - not everyone knows about the conferences designed to…
Freeze-dried food is convenient, lightweight and packs well for extended trips. A hybrid menu of bulk freeze-dried food and grocery store ingredients is a more versatile and less expensive alternative for a patrol or high adventure crew. For our week-long canoe trips we've developed a hybrid menu of freeze-dried and grocery store food that our…
Forestry Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts The Boy Scout Planning Guide suggests a A prominent government official once said that we couldn't afford to gain the vastness of space and lose the earth in the process. The implications of this statement point to the ever-increasing importance of preserving the earth's natural resources in the…
Central Minnesota Council Friends of Scouting 2013 shoulder patch. I don't know about your council but ours, the Central Minnesota Council B.S.A., is in full swing for its 2013 Friends of Scouting (FOS) drive. Representatives from the council or district will visit each of the troops, packs, and crews to talk to families about the…
What's on the menu for the revamped Cooking merit badge, served up next year? The BSA's volunteer-led team isn't ready to dish on the main course just yet, but I was authorized to give you a taste - an appetizer, if you will.
Hey, a funny thing happened to my on the way to celebrating the 1,000 Likes of Boy Scout Trail on Facebook. I used random.org to select a number between 1 and 29 which is how many people commented on the 1,000 Likes blog post.
Golf Merit Badge for Boy Scouts If you know a Boy Scout who loves golf, then he is lucky because there is a Golf merit badge just for him. Golf is unique because the players police themselves. Other sports depend upon referees or umpires to apply penalties when there are infractions of the rules.
These incredible pioneering structures built by Israeli Scouts are a real inspiration( here's the website ). Obviously a lot of planning and modeling went into creating projects on this scale. It looks like a tremendous amount of fun doesn't it? I'll have to show my Scouts these pictures – who wouldn't want to build a giant Spongebob…
________________________________________ Hi Andy, We have a fifth grade boy who joined our pack last October. He'd like to earn his Arrow of Light award before crossing over to Boy Scouts. He's just turned 11, and school gets out at the end of June.
It's mid-March. That means Phase 2 of the Boy Scouts of America's three-month family discussion has shifted into high gear. The BSA calls this phase "Listening," and that's exactly what the organization is doing. Scheduled to last from March 1 to April 5, the phase includes, in addition to a lot of conversations with a…
The following text and drawings are by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Making the proper splices in the proper places on your ropes is the benchmark of a skilled craftsman.
Larry Green's Scoutpioneering.com is a new pioneering website, and is laready full of great resources, with extensive information on BSA Pioneering badge requirements , new projects , and technical advice . Larry is constantly adding new information, but my favourite part of the site is set of projects suitable for a troop night meeting .
What were Merit Badges like in 1913? Today I'd like to present to you a great article I discovered from an 1913 edition of Boys' Life Magazine. The topic is on Merit Badges, specifically, an introduction to what Merit Badges are all about.
I am not really a superstitious person, I generally think some superstitions are born out of good safety practices. The only superstition I follow is bowing to magpies
