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Getting Ready to Race Chariot races are fun and here’s about the easiest version around. Once Scouts are familiar with the two-spar shear lashing and square lashing , they can make an A-Frame to serve as a simple carrying structure (chariot).
Hello and Happy Fall to you all! As the leaves begin to change and the weather becomes cooler, we expect to see our customers changing gears to plan for new activities. It looks like many of you have still been able to enjoy some outdoor fun and THANKS SO MUCH for sharing your photos with…
Leaving for the trailhead in an hour. Anxious to get moving again and looking forward to the 20 degree drop in temperature and new terrain to cover. We picked up more supplies for the next month and that's one of the best parts of long hikes - I get to eat pretty much anything I want…
The bottle sling knot has been around for centuries. This ancient method of forming a sling for the neck of a jug or bottle this knot was described in detail by the Greek physician Heraklas in his first century book on surgical knots and slings.
This is the fourth post in a series that will eventually comprise an activity-based, unit pioneering program curriculum. IV. Simply speaking, Pioneering can be seen as building structures by lashing together spars. In most cases, the lashing that is used is the square lashing.
I walked 24378 steps on the trail today. I traveled about 11 miles today. Picking up right where we left off at the Lodi Marsh, we started hiking at 5pm today. The hike into Lodi was great! The trail was well maintained, the temperature was comfortable and the humidity was much lower.
Happy Anniversary to my wonderful wife – thank you for seven wonderful years. TTFN Kiff ©ChrisMeadows2013 Hello Reader – Are you new to Jabbering All Day Long can I suggest that you check out our Starter for Ten Page which will hopefully give you a guide as you take your first couple
Cub Scout packs are making plans to get their programs going for the next year of fun and excitement. Join Scouting nights are getting scheduled and all the recruiting materials are being updated. But Scouting's raw material is membership, for …
This edition of the Scoutmaster Podcast features our fourth installment of 'The Colorado Experiment" tracking the progress of a new Scoutmaster and new troop, and your messages in the mailbag. We started tracking the Colorado Experiment in Podcast 165 . Other installments in the series; Podcast 169 , Podcast 174 .
________________________________________ Dear Andy, I read your column with the question about Scoutmasters taking over the announcements really hit home-it could have been written about me! We have a good troop that's active, uniformed, and youth-run. Thanks to you, I just made a commitment that the Senior Patrol Leader will no longer stand on the sidelines while…
Information educates the mind, experience develops skill. Too much information can be paralyzing. We live in the information age. Our Scouts get plenty of information, much more than they can do anything with. What they really need is experience. Scouting is an educational movement, but it's not educational in the traditional sense.
We're up before daylight and on the trail through fog and sunrise. It's cold this morning - about 44 degrees - so we walk to warm up. All roadwalks today heading to Portage and we've reached the Aldo Leopold center. Very nice building (with bathroom) so we're taking a break to check out the displays.
So. The Summit. For the last three years we've been talking about all the cool stuff there, all the activities that would be available for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. And now, with the jamboree under our belts, it's time to take a deeper dive into the Summit.
The Boy Scouts of America will increase its annual membership fee for youth and adults to $24 from $15, beginning Jan. 1, 2014. For those who join after the beginning of the year, the fee will be prorated at $2 per month.
An intrepid Scout leader is among the first to ascend an unexplored mountain range in the Himalayas.
Have you gained your Queen's Scout Award? Are you ready for an additional challenge? Why not take centre stage at Windsor Castle?
Where's the Enthusiasm? Ask a boy today if he'd like to go spend a week in the woods away from civilization, and you're going to get variety of responses. Unfortunately, many of those will be negative. Ask a kid the same question in the 1930's, and you'd get a much more positive response overall.
While reading the blog In Kirsty's Words. came across an interesting post We Are Your Leaders and it opens with the line we are not experts
Ever heard of a Scout "Eagling out"? That's the unofficial term for a young man earning Boy Scouting's highest rank and leaving the program shortly after. Well, that idea's lost on newly minted Eagle Scout Andrew Arnold from Monterey, Calif.
The BSA has recently released their initial implementation resources addressing the change to membership standards voted on at this year's annual meeting. Membership Standards Implementation Resources Upon approval of the membership standards resolution in May of 2013, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America began reviewing its policies and guidelines through the combined…
John Muir had a huge impact on the wild places of our country. He founded the Sierra Club. This memorial park to him has a spring-fed kettle lake and a trail around which is part of the Ice Age Trail.
I can't say enough about how important it is for young people get training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or " STEM ." That's why this Eagle Scout project caught my eye to share with you. 17-year-old Alex Monseau of Troop 43 in Princeton, NJ, came up with a brilliant Eagle project that ties hi-tech to…
Do you need a quick game to get the boys moving? Have they sat just a little too long and need to stretch? Do you need a simple Cub Scout gathering activity? Just whip out an empty can and some dried beans so the boys can play Beans in a Can! These are items that
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; - Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was
Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet will be held October 19 and 20, 2013. JOTA and JOTI are annual World Scouting events that provide an opportunity for Scouts to communicate with other Scouts from around the world! Visit JOTA's webpage, www.scouting.org/jota , and JOTI's webpage, www.scouting.org/joti , for how to participate, download participation certificates, order this year's patches, and MUCH…
Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge for Boy Scouts Posted in CharacterBoy Scouts can learn to understand and appreciate each individual's strengths and challenges while working on the Disabilities Awareness merit badge. Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting [ This is a content summary only.
It seems like just about everyone wants to go (or go back) to Philmont. And so when it comes to the hiking mecca's 12-day and seven-day summer expeditions, demand far exceeds supply. That's why Philmont Scout Ranch has in place a lottery system, giving interested Scout troops and Venturing crews a fair shot at scoring…
Over the past thirty years of camping I've owned or used several different pump-type filters and tried different chemical purification options. Each has their merits and drawbacks. Pump-type filters have been prone to mechanical failure, tricky to use, prone to clogging and slow to use.
Reblogged from Given Breath: Dear girls, I have some information that might interest you. Last night, as we sometimes do, our family sat around the dining-room table and looked through your social media photos. We have teenage sons, and so naturally there are quite a few pictures of you lovely ladies to wade through. Wow -
Have you ever wondered how your council can get its very own copy of the famous "Ideal Scout" statue (also known as the McKenzie statue or "The Boy Scout") to use at your office or as recognition items? The Cradle of Liberty Council, which owns the original version of this sculpture, can help you out-it…
The Scouts and Scouters in West, Texas, have taken "to help other people at all times" to a new level of awesome. First, let me recap. On April 17, 2013, a deadly explosion at West Fertilizer Company left a tight-knit community in pain.
Good news: The real-life race car built entirely by untrained Scouts and Venturers at the jamboree in July didn't fall apart in the middle of its racing debut Saturday in Florida. Better news: The car, helmed by friend of Scouting Scott Lagasse Jr., performed as beautifully as it looked and was driven to a third-place…
I just got back from Wood Badge. This was my third time on staff. I'll post more about this experience later, I'm sure. Part of the effect of Wood Badge is that it gets me thinking. I have now been involved in Scouting for about five and a half years.
UK Scouts are currently forming friendships, fundraising and for the 23rd World Scout Jamboree, Japan in 2015.
It's been too long since I did one of these posts! You may have noticed that I use a lot of old-time Scout photographs throughout this blog. There are a handful of reasons for this. For one, they go great with the theme of this blog, as I am out to rediscover valuable Scouting lessons…
I walked 54800 steps on the trail today. I traveled about 26 miles today. HALF WAY!!! Our campsite is almost exactly at the halfway point of the trail. Check out my current location on the map. I know the actual trail miles change as new sections are created and reroutes occur, but with the best…
If your OA lodge is planning a council camp or service center project during 2014, you can apply now for a 2014 OA Matching Service Grant. All lodges applying for the grant must have been a 2012 JTE lodge and should not have received a grant from the Order of the Arrow during the last…
Last year I blogged about a suspension bridge across a ravine in Kwa-Zulu Natal by 1st Hillcrest Scouts , built in 1984. At the time I only had the information from the Veld Lore newspaper to go on, but Andrew Friedemann , who was the Scouter who wrote the original article, got in touch with me and…
With apologies to my past and future tent mates I offer this slightly risque, yet truly funny infographic from the Adventure Journal via Walter Underwood What is that anyway?
With apologies to my past and future tent mates I offer this slightly risque, yet truly funny infographic from the Adventure Journal via Walter Underwood
Under the Boy Scouts of America's general liability program, councils are charged for liability insurance for boats owned by the council and used in Scouting activities. All watercraft liability charges are billed quarterly by the national office to the local council with the quarterly general liability premium billing.
We met this little guy on the trail this morning. Anyone have a guess as to what kind of snake he is? The temperature is steadily risng today and our forested trail walks are done - only road walking for the next hour or so until our friends find us and we call it a day.
As the only Eagle Scout ever to become U.S. president (so far), Gerald Ford stands among the most successful men ever to emerge from the Boy Scouts of America. That legacy continues with the USS Gerald R. Ford , a $13.5 billion, 1,106-foot aircraft carrier set to join the U.S.
Are your council's units still trying to figure out where to head for some high-adventure action and excitement next year? Check out these new promotional videos from our high-adventure bases at Philmont, Northern Tier, Sea Base, and the Summit … and start planning! Northern Tier Philmont Sea Base The Summit
I walked 37688 steps on the trail today. I traveled about 17.5 miles today. A few separate trail segments were completed today with a wide range of terrain and plantlife. We ended the day with a roadwalk. Check out my current location on the map.
Click to open the Sept. 1 issue The September 1 issue of the Finance Impact Department's e-Letter has been published and is available online. In this issue of the e-Letter , we look at the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling regarding donor intent and the failure of a nonprofit organization to honor that intent, opportunities for…
Join us at ScoutCircle.org Sunday, September 8th 9-10PM EST to discuss hammock camping with our guest Derek Hansen the author of ‘The Ultimate Hang'. ScoutCircle is a live presentation followed by a live question and answer period. Be sure to tune in!
How do you tell Scouting's story to youth in your council? If you haven't harnessed the power of video yet, the BSA has released three new clips that will make it easier to show the powerful effect that Scouting can have in your area.
You may have heard rumors or even seen the teasers on Facebook … and it's all true! At long last, parents have one online source they can turn to that pulls together Cub Scout-related content and social media onto one site.
Living up here in Oregon, we spend our fair share of our camping time in the rain. Rust-Oleum has a product called Never Wet that is designed to not only protect but shed water, dirt and grime off of what ever you coat.
Many of you may have heard at this year's Top Hands that a second version of the new MyScouting Tools was recently released to our Key 3 unit and district volunteers on my.scouting.org . This release moves toward our vision of volunteer empowerment.
In February, we posted an article titled Signing Day in which we explored the high-profile world of high school athletes committing to play sports in college and how the "race to the top" ends up costing parents, families and youth dearly, …
Over the weekend, actually on our way home Elliot started to choke on corn chips he had eaten. I was driving, but heard it same time my wife Debora did. She keyed in on it and asked questions of him. Elliot could not reply, but was gasping for air. BANG….Medical Emergency in the back seat.
The BSA is increasing its membership fee from $15 to $24 per year for all registered Scouts and adults effective January 1, 2014. For those who join after the beginning of the year, the fee will be prorated at $2 per month.
Can wearing sunglasses count as doing a Good Turn? Sure, if you're sporting Merit Shades . Every time you purchase a pair of the new officially licensed Boy Scouts of America sunglasses, Merit Shades donates a pair of sunglasses to a child in Haiti.
This edition of the Scoutmaster Podcast features a discussion of the new youth membership standard ( see this post for more information) and some thoughts on training and mentoring Scouts. Derek Hansen joined us on Scoutcircle.org for this great presentation on hammock camping.
You like high adventure ? Well, belly up to the visual smorgasbord over at the Summit's YouTube channel . Get amped for all the high adventure waiting for you in 2014 at the Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base at the Summit.
Last weekend hundreds of volunteers from the UK and abroad came together for Reunion at Gilwell Park.
We are looking for a volunteer to lead and further develop our international relationships with the World and Regional Scout organisations.
Don't you just love those cute little Tigers? They are adorable! But then you try to teach them the Cub Scout Bobcat requirements. Between the boys asking when they're going home and if they're getting a snack, it's hard to keep their attention! We do have to remember they're first graders, so it's up to
Our latest ScoutCircle presentation featured Derek Hansen, Scoutmaster and hammock camping guru. If you are curious about hammocks and how Scouts can use them take the time to watch the presentation. Derek is a great speaker and shares all of the basics in this presentation; here's the resources mentioned: Hammock Forums Derek's website The Ultimate…
It seems as though there has been a lot of talk about hammock camping in the Scouting community lately. And boy does that make me happy. I have been a hammock camper now since 2010 when I got turned on to the most comfortable way to camp at the National Jamboree at Ft.
This weekend is it for me. After several years of trying to get to Wood Badge, the weekend is finally here. I was able to make my schedule work this time around so starting this Friday through Sunday (then another weekend at the end of the month), I'll be attending Wood Badge.
Athletics Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts Posted in FitnessThe Boy Scout Planning Guide suggests a Athletics Troop Program Feature for October 2013. This athletics program feature offers the opportunity to plan a month's worth of troop activities with an athletics theme.
September 11 th will always be a difficult day for Americans as we struggle with the horrific memory of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. As painful as that memory can be, it's also an opportunity for us to salute the many heroes of…
Whenever two or three Scouters get together talk eventually turns to the relevance of Scouting in ‘modern society'. Some think we've diminished the ideals of 'manliness' , traditional patriotism, bootstrap initiative, competitiveness and rigor in achievement but have they really examined what those ideas actually mean?
Whenever two or three Scouters get together talk eventually turns to the relevance of Scouting in ‘modern society’. Some think we’ve diminished the ideals of ‘manliness’ , traditional patriotism, bootstrap initiative, competitiveness and rigor in achievement but have they really examined what those ideas actually mean?
Volunteers in Birmingham have launched a project to fund a Scouting Memorial which will honour members who have suffered through conflict.
I walked 53389 steps on the trail today. I traveled about 26 miles today. A funny thing happened on the way to Polar today... Papa Bear read in the Ice Age Trail guidebook that a bar-n-grill in Polar, WI is hiker-friendly and may let you camp behind their place.
Electronics Merit Badge for Boy Scouts Posted in ScienceThe Electronics merit badge introduces Boy Scouts to the concepts and devices which make a lot of the technology they use possible. Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting [ This is a content summary only.
Last month I conducted Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Specific Training for our District. Well, ostensibly it was for the District, but for whatever reason, only volunteers from our Troop came to be trained. This training, if you haven't gone through it yet, is pretty straight forward. I've taught it a few times and have just
I can think of no higher praise than the words used today to describe the Summit's Sustainability Treehouse. Alissa Walker, who writes for the popular technology and design blog Gizmodo, said in a blog post that the treehouse "looks just like an Ewok village."
This is the "lecture" I would really like to give to our Teachers quorum this Sunday: "I want to talk to you guys for a minute. Something happened this week that I can't stop thinking about. We had several young men show up here on Wednesday night, but most of you weren't here, and none…
These photographs from Andrew Friedemann are of a run down the Umkomazi river by 1st Hillcrest Scouts in the 1980s. In the contruction photo on the left, you'll see that the rafts are made with bamboo poles. Andrew says: "On the Umkomaas we used to run the river from Hella-Hella Bridge to Riverside over 2…
Getting the word out to your council about 2014 high adventure programs at Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base at the Summit has never been easier. The team at the Summit has put together a digital marketing package over at summithighadventure.org that makes it easy to update your council website with 2014 program banners…
Last night at Roundtable it became official that I am the new Pioneer District Cubscout Roundtable Commissioner. I have stepped down as the District Training Chair. As I have told and continue to say, I have not left training all together, but I am now just the Cubscout Trainer. With Elliot's choice of leaving Scouting
Where do you go find answers to Cub Leader questions? During the years I spent as a Cubmaster and Webelos Den Leader formal training sessions helped , but the most valuable advice I received at the time came from those long talks in the parking lot with folks who had been there and done that.
You the Life Scouts and Eagle Scouts of the Boy Scouts of America, in Order to form a more perfect understanding of the U.S. Constitution, establish awareness of our nation's Founding Documents, and secure some Free Money, do indeed need to enter this Bill of Rights Institute Eagle Scout Competition OK, so maybe my version…
We just had a Court of Honor and the Scouts played a few games against the adult volunteers and parents. We've been working on a back to the basics theme and have been focusing on basic scout skills, so the games were lighting a fire with flint and steel, a lashing game and a flag
Wooden poles are the main ingredient in building a pioneering structure. Everyone knows what a pole is. Depending on the project at hand, we use them in all different lengths and diameters. But, what are all these references to spars?
Someone asked me how long, on average, does it take to be a First Class Scout? We know statistically Scouts who become First Class within the first year tend to stay in Scouting longer. I am pleased when Scouts advance because that's one indicator that we are delivering on the promise, but it's only one…
I'm on top of the lookout tower on the high point of the Ice Age Trail! It's all downhill to Minnesota from here. Sweeping views all around, including Rib Mountain way down by Wausau. It's all gresn now, but in a few weeks it will be a kaleidoscope of color. Hike On
________________________________________ Dear Andy, I was a Scout in my troop and now that I've aged out I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster. I have some concerns about how the troop's being run and I'm hoping to get some clarifications from you on a few questions.
I walked into my house shortly after nine o'clock tonight and I smelled it almost immediately. Smoke! No, it was not the house on fire or anything like that. It was me. More specifically, my clothes. You see, I stopped by the Birch Lake State Forest campground tonight to visit the nine Boy Scouts of…
Scouts took the opportunity to have their say and quiz MPs at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Glasgow yesterday.
Two new videos are available for members to help promote the Scouting adventure.
If your OA lodge is planning a council camp or service center project during 2014, you can apply now for a 2014 OA Matching Service Grant. All lodges applying for the grant must have been a 2012 JTE lodge and should not have received a grant from the Order of the Arrow during the last…
We've all been there, I'm sure. We've worked for, or with, someone who quite figuratively can't see the forest for the trees. Someone who fusses over every small detail of a project, process or workplace and who directs even the …
This edition of the Scoutmaster Podcast features a discussion of numbers and breakthroughs, and answers to email questions concerning training, assistant Scoutmasters sitting on boards of review, discipline problems with Scouts and what to do if it's time to change troops.
To help get our new Tiger den leader off to a good start, I led the first Tiger den meeting this year. Boy, it brought back memories! Little guys wanting to know if they were having snacks and what they were having for snack. Tigers asking if it was time to go home even though
Applications are available for the 2014 All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and Personal Watercraft (PWC) Program. If your council has previously participated, you need to complete the application and board resolution for 2014. If you have not done so, you also need to complete the required end-of-summer report as soon as possible.
One of our priorities is to find new ways to take Scouting into underserved neighborhoods. That mission gets even better when you can throw high technology into the mix! The National Capital Area Council just launched its new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) van.
Scouts from Romford District have raised over £18,000 in memory of their former District Commissioner, Paul Leeper.
I was contacted tonight on Facebook by a fellow Scouter from Illinois. Kevin Miller was wondering what is going on with PTC Media these days. For those of you new to this blog, PTC Media was a website featuring a collection of Scouting related podcasts, featuring shows about Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting.
Over the weekend, I taught my first Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training course. I think the class went well but kinda felt bad for all the brand new 11-year-old scout leaders who would have benefited from more info specific to their group.
Over the weekend, I taught my first Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training course. I think the class went well but kinda felt bad for all the brand new 11-year-old scout leaders who would have benefited from more info specific to their group.
Shooting sports programs are popular activities for Scouts of all ages, and the Boy Scouts of America adheres to its longstanding policy of teaching its youth and adult members the safe, responsible, and intelligent ways to handle, care for, and use firearms, rifles, and BB guns in planned, carefully managed, and supervised programs.
When we started our scouting adventure, I struggled and struggled with getting the beads on the Tiger Cub Scout Immediate Recognition emblem. My husband (the engineer in our family) had some fancy way, but I could never figure out how to do it. Then today, I found the most awesome video on Pinterest. This I
You'll notice it right away, of course. You'll see Tristan across the room at your pack or troop meeting this week and instantly spot the unit numerals on the wrong sleeve, the rank patch on the wrong pocket or the World Crest way too low on his field uniform shirt.
This is the time of year when many packs welcome new Cub Scouts and new leaders. Returning Scouts and leaders are tackling a new rank. Most of us are in planning mode, and we're scouring the internet for good ideas. At Cub Scout Ideas, we have many articles that will be helpful to leaders–both
