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Character-driven TV shows like Lost slowly reveal the ways in which these seemingly disparate people have actually been connected all along. And as Rachel Eddowes (third from the right in the photo above) recently discovered, the same is true in Scouting.
Once at winter camp the temperature was just above freezing, and the wind blew a sharp drizzle into every contrivable shelter and refuge. I was a young Scout rinsing dishes. There wasn't a rubber glove in sight, so I was lucky enough to dunk my frozen hands into cold water.
Click image to view e-Letter The April 15 edition of the Finance Impact Department's e-Letter has been published and is now available online. In this issue, you'll learn about Member Data Shared Services, a new service where local councils can outsource their membership processes to a team that reviews their registrations for accuracy and completeness…
We all get our scouting magazine every couple of month land on our mats. Here are 5 things you should do with your magazine:
The fifth edition of Fieldbook: Scouting's Manual of Basic and Advanced Skills for Outdoor Adventure is now available. It covers hiking, camping, canoeing, mountain travel, ultralight backpacking, wilderness navigation, whitewater kayaking, and much more. Often described as "the best all-around guide to outdoor adventure on the market today," the Fieldbook is the go-to manual for…
How bad will the mosquitos be at camp this summer? When was the last time that bunkhouse mattress was cleaned? Are there mice running around these floors at night? Whenever a night is spent at scout camp, these sorts of questions might keep you awake.
The other day I posted my thoughts on training. I received some great feedback and feel that I need to address a couple of the comments, specifically a question that came up about the leaders themselves in the unit and how our attitude toward training is part of the reason we have great trained leaders.
I was reminded (thank's Jeff!) to remind you that Lyme disease season is upon us. The map above shows where Lyme is an issue when camping and hiking in the outdoors. Consult this CDC website for a comprehensive set of resources to better understand Lyme and how to prevent it.
Whether it is for your Scout Troop or you are heading out into the wilderness by yourself or with buddies there are some things that need to be planned before you go. To get the most of your backpacking experience if you follow a few steps, you won't forget something and will set yourself up…
I just wanted to take this moment in your life to wish you a very Blessed Easter. It is in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have Hope. His Life, Death, and Resurrection is perhaps the most significant historical event in the world.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you… a thousand times thank you!!! Today.. Easter Sunday the Scoutmaster Minute Blog reached 1000 Followers!!! Thank you all that come here and participate in this community. I hope that I can continue to help deliver the promise of Scouting and not let you faithful readers…
A generation ago, a major shakeup took place in American culture. Up until then, many Americans participated in a very common activity, part of our everyday lives. Almost every public figure, especially in the relatively new medium of television, did …
New Content for All scouts
We have picked our destination, did a good map survey, know how long we are going be gone, and are super pumped that we will soon be on the trail. The next thing that we need to plan is our food.
Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers In this podcast I answer email questions about medical issues and we return to the eternal question of "forming" youth leadership ("forming" - listen to find out how funny that is!) LEnd a hand to answering the questions I asked in the Scouter Forum Listen to Scoutmaster Podcast 218 Podcast Archive
Cub Scout Belt Loops give the boys new experiences. Check out 10 ways to help meet the Mathematics Belt Loop requirements.
Scout Stave Dish Washing Rack Background and History. Washing cooking and eating items on a camping trip can range from using paper plates (no washing) to “Philmont-style” (lick ‘em clean and sanitize in boiling water). Through the years, Scouting has come up with a variety of “dish washing assembly line” configurations.
________________________________________ Dear Andy, Our troop committee members, together with a district advancement representative, recently conducted an Eagle Scout board of review. We declined the candidate. The vote was unanimous. In the course of the conversation, we touched on the Scout Oath and Law.
When we talk about how Scouting "creates life-changing experiences," it's often not just about changing the lives of our Scouts, but the people and communities they serve. Case in point: I read a great story about Troop 25 in Madison, New Jersey and how their recent trip to the Philmont Scout Reservation in Cimarron, New…
Here's some pictures of a customized Rubbermaid Action Packer from a post at FJ Crusier Forums . The modifications include a hinge on the lid reinforced with electrical conduit, wire organizers attached to the inside, a knife rack, and paper towel holder for the outside.
When Scout Executive Michael Riley made the choice to eliminate bug juice at the Cape Cod & Islands Council's summer day camps, he braced for a revolt. But no uprising came. Sugar-saturated bug juice was available one summer, and the next summer only water was served.
Gulf Ridge Council presented a Silver Beaver award to Gregg Hilferding who works at ClassB.com in Florida. The silver beaver is the top recognition a council can present to an adult volunteer, and I wholeheartedly applaud their choice in Gregg.
The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is "Be Prepared". Prepared for what? Well, any old thing said our founder. Being prepared for your backpacking trek is an absolute must. When planning your next trek you need to consider those things that can go wrong.
Scouts today are familiar with many types of digital technology – the Internet, smart phones, tablets, computers. The Digital Technology merit badge teaches Boy Scouts how to use technology safely and responsibly. Technology has come a long way since Computers merit badge was first introduced in 1967.
I've headed up a number of Scouter training events, and been trained in several different volunteer positions. Scouters are typically gregarious, good-spirited folks; but the dedication and single-mindedness required to be a good Scouter sometimes makes us difficult trainees. Here's my do's and don'ts for getting the most out of a Scouter training course: Do…
Empty your backpack and leave everything behind. All you need on your next Scouting outing is your smartphone. OK, so maybe that's an exaggeration. What is true, though, is that for the two-thirds of Americans who own smartphones, it's now possible to fit reference books, a GPS device, a weather radio, a compass, a map…
Peyton Manning was never a Boy Scout himself, but the five-time MVP-winning quarterback can't help but be connected to Scouting. He's reminded of the Boy Scouts of America's strength within the Denver area and across the country every time he opens the mailbox.
When I was a Patrol Leader, Bill (the Senior Patrol Leader) and I weren't seeing eye to eye. Bill was a good Scout who took his responsibilities seriously, but he ordered us around, picked on little details, and lectured my Patrol if we overlooked something.
The new SketchUp Mobile Viewer is the latest product from the makers of SketchUp, and allows SketchUp models to be viewed on iPad, by uploading them to the 3D Warehouse, from where they can be viewed. There are other solutions for exporting SKP files to be viewed on the iPad, but they all require some…
The Fish and Chips and Vinegar song fits in well with this month's Backyard Fun theme. It includes a reminder to keep our backyards free of trash! It would also fit in well with a conservation theme. The song is sung as a round.
Our Scouts participate in many activities to help protect the environment – like recycling, outdoor cleanup projects, and conserving water. One recent conservation project that caught my eye has involved generations of Scouts from Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Minnesota, and it came to a close this year.
If you want something done right, do it yourself". Things are easier that way, but it's not really Scouting is it? As a Patrol Leader, I knew what I wanted; it was easier to do everything myself rather than explaining it to everyone else.
This blog and the pages of Eagles' Call magazine are filled with stories of Eagle Scouts who have gone on to do great things. And that's just the ones we know about. Another 500,000 Eagle Scouts have dropped off of Scouting's radar since earning Scouting's highest rank at some point in the award's 102-year history.
You know the difference between a wannabe (want-to-be, get it?) leader and a real leader? Just watch them in action, it's easy to tell! A wannabe loves giving orders, being in the spotlight, takes all the praise, has all the privileges, and makes everyone else do the tough work.
It is time once again for the Boy Scouts of the Central Minnesota Council to gather at Camp Ripley for the Ripley Rendezvous, an annual event hosted by the council and Camp Ripley. Camp Ripley is a National Guard Base found in central Minnesota near Little Falls.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
There's a lot of misinformation flying around in our world today. Entire websites such as Snopes and Politifact are dedicated to determining the credibility of news reports, claims and rumors that are put forth online and in the media every …
The 2014 council wide Ripley Rendezvous is now a part of history, but the Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 can already look forward to attending a bigger and better rendezvous in 2015. Next year will be time for the Area-Wide Ripley Rendezvous which will bring Boy Scouts from all over the state of Minnesota…
Sleeping Guard is a fun game for a den. The object of the game is for the Scouts to be quiet enough to sneak up on a blindfolded guard and steal an object. Perfect for a bunch of noisy Cub Scouts!
Are you already an avid scrapbooker? Or maybe just beginning to think of ways to document and celebrate your Scouting experience, or someone else's? Well, while we agree that a scrapbook is essential for capturing the meaning and feeling of highpoints on the Scouting path, there's a whole world of fun Scouting ways to make…
Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Some great email questions reguarding aquatics awards, finances, and working with adult volunteers along with a visit from our old friend Brick Mason! Resources mentioned in this podcast – my Scout accounts article , FISCAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR BSA UNITS from the BSA. Listen to Scoutmaster Podcast 219 Podcast Archive
Check out this fun handmade hiking stick project! I like it when the Cub Scouts can make a useful item.
Suggested Materials 4 10′ x 3″ spars for corner uprights 4 12′ x 2″ spars for lateral supports 12 6″-diameter wooden discs, four of them painted with the numeral “5,” four with “10,” and four with “20″ 1 6″-diameter log, 20″ long with a large eye hook on one end and a flat, even surface…
No, a swarm of killer bees aren't to blame for the Beekeeping merit badge's 1995 demise. The real culprit carries a similarly painful sting, though: a lack of interest and too few merit badge counselors. As this Utah National Parks Council blog post points out, only 60 badges were earned during the last year Beekeeping…
Santee Lodge 116, Order of the Arrow hosted this year’s Dixie Fellowship at Camp Coker. With the input of the Dixie Design Team comprised of Pioneering Crews from Chicora, Iswa and Attakwa Chapters, Arrowmen erected a 24 foot six flag, banner gateway flying the American flag, the Order of the Arrow flag, the World Scout…
________________________________________ Dear Andy, In the BSA's JTE ("Journey to Excellence") program, the color order is Bronze-Silver-Gold. This looks weird. I thought it was supposed to be Bronze-Gold-Silver. What's the deal here? (H. Sprockette, SM) Yup, that's the order for JTE: Bronze-Silver-Gold.
I admit it. I am an Apple guy. My home computer is a 2007 Mac Pro. My last three computers were Apples. I own three versions of the iPod. I use my iPad several times each day. But I do not own an iPhone.
The Cub Scout core value for the month of May is The May Pack Meeting Tips from BSA remind us "Cub Scouts will learn that it is important and easy to eat a healthy diet and how a fitness program can be part of their daily routine."
The Mustache patrol of Troop 242 has it figured out. They've found a patrol name that's Scout-created, clever and a little bit wacky. With a name that great, it doesn't matter that nobody in the Mustache patrol has his own mustache.
John Wiebke Scoutmaster of Troop 358 in Zionsville, Indiana, shares his summer plans (and what great plans they are!) Nothing makes the winter pass quicker than looking forward to a great summer adventure! Every other year our troop travels to Ontario, Canada, for summer camp at Halliburton Scout Reservation (three hours north of Toronto on…
The destination in our March-April 2014 "Where Am I? — Path Less Traveled" contest is one of my favorites. Ever been to Moab? I traveled on a personal trip to this dusty Utah city last spring and quickly fell in love with the terrain.
A Swing Boat is a fairground ride in which pairs of riders pull ropes to swing back and forth. At the national jamboree, it’s one of the pioneering area’s favorite features. Click here for more information. This is a smaller, more boy-sized version, but still lots of fun.
Atoms are 99.99% empty space. Solid objects aren't actually solid, just tiny bits of matter floating in an electrostatic field. Scouting is 99.99% values and ideals. Everything else is window dressing. Take the space out of atoms and things turn into a little pile of dust.
BSA provides the troop program feature guides as a resource for Boy Scout troops. A PLC can use these guides to plan a series of meetings and outings around a single theme. My post Troop Program Features for Meetings and Outings has more information about these guides.
The importance of volunteering can't be emphasized enough. Read some timeless words written by one Scouter.
The big new thing from the U.K. Scout Association is just an inch a half tall. And it has interchangeable heads. A creative new recruiting and awareness campaign from our friends across the pond (and fellow members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement) features Legos in an effort to spark interest in Scouting.
