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If you've never heard of Imagine Dragons, ask a couple of your Scouts to get you up to speed. Or check out the list of winners from last night's Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. The rock band, fronted by Eagle Scout lead singer Dan Reynolds, won five awards last night, including Top Rock Artist…
The Scoutmaster teaches boys to play the game by doing so himself." "The Scoutmaster guides the boy in the spirit of another brother." "The spirit is there in every boy; it has to be discovered and brought to light." "There is no teaching to compare with example."
________________________________________ Dear Andy, We have an 11 year-old Scout who just recently crossed over into our troop. While starting work on his Tenderfoot fitness requirement (10a), he couldn't do a single pull-up. After 30 days (for 10b) he still couldn't do a single one.
Trevor, a Life Scout, recently got his Eagle Scout Project Proposal OK'd by his unit leader, unit committee, the project beneficiary and his council or district. With that complete, next up in the process is filling out a Final Plan, which the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook says is a tool for the Scout's use…
Each year within Cascade Pacific Council like so many others, a course is held. The W1-492-14 Course is as I write this, getting over their second weekend. I was asked to be a guest presenter on Day 4 for …
Eagles and peacocks are both impressive looking birds. Peacocks are known for their elegant, showy, appearance, and for strutting around and their impressive display of feathers; "proud as a peacock". If you've ever spotted an eagle in the wild you'd agree they are an impressive sight.
Avid readers of this blog have been hearing about changes to Cooking merit badge since October 2012 . But new Scouters or new blog readers might not know about the exciting, important changes to this now-Eagle-required merit badge. The basic facts are these: Cooking merit badge became required to earn the Eagle Scout Award on Jan.
New Merit Badge for Boy Scouts
I always tell the Scouts of my Troop that mediocre is never good enough. Expect more of yourself and always do your best. Don't just do good… Good may not be good enough and if you start early in life expecting more you will achieve more later in life.
It is interesting to hear what our Scouts think and say. At most of their ages, they have not yet learned to filter their conversations based on who they are around or what the circumstances may be. On the way to our last camp out a younger Scout asked an older Scout what they had…
Let me get this out of the way first: Belt loops and pins aren't going anywhere when Cub Scouting gets an exciting refresh in May 2015. In fact, belt loops - now called adventure loops - and pins (adventure pins) will get even better than before with the new updates.
Heads up, Venturers and Venturing advisors. It's the moment you've been waiting for. The requirements for the Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder and Summit Awards were released today at the 2014 National Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Venturers may begin earning them June 1, 2014.
Amid all the excitement around the new adventure loops and adventure pins announced today , you might have missed a smaller but still significant change to Cub Scouting for next year. When the new Cub Scout program becomes official on May 2015, Tiger Cubs becomes simply Tiger and gets a new tiger image to go along…
The folks behind next year's fun-focused changes to Cub Scouting aren't high-paid consultants. They aren't people who have never run a den meeting in their lives. They're not even BSA professionals. In truth, they're volunteers - dedicated Cub Scouters just like you.
The Influence of Heroes One of my first childhood heroes was a man named George Washington Carver. He was born into slavery in 1864. Despite having to grow up during the tremendously difficult reconstruction era, he became one of the leading botanists and educators of the South.
I completed Second Class requirement #6 on my hike this morning - identifying 10 kinds of wild animals. In just a couple miles, I saw a: chipmunk, grey squirrel, rabbit, red-wing blackbird, Canada goose, mallard duck, cardinal, baltimore oriole, goldfinch, and robin.
Proper outdoor clothing keeps you comfortable but, more importantly, it keeps you safe. It's surprising parents sometimes don't seem to give much thought to what Scouts wear to a camping trip. If your troop is like mine they will be rained on and experience unseasonably cold temperatures on just about every camp out!
As hundreds of professional and volunteer Scouters convene this week at the Boy Scouts of America's National Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., it's a great time to examine annual meetings highlighted in Scouting magazine during the years. However, the first meeting featured in Scouting wasn't the first National Annual Meeting.
Next year, your Cub Scout pack will grow in size by one cool kid. Ethan, the newest member of the Cub Scout team, will be a part of each adventure in your boys' new Cub Scout handbooks. He'll always be a year older and one rank ahead of your Cub Scout readers, meaning he'll speak…
A while back, I shared some exciting news - that former U.S. Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Dr. Robert Gates would be joining the executive committee of the National Board of Directors, serving a two-year term as national president and our highest ranking volunteer.
The Boy Scouts of America today elected Robert M. Gates, Eagle Scout, former defense secretary and former CIA director as its national president. He officially begins his two-year term as the BSA's 35th president today. The BSA's volunteer and professional delegates attending this week's National Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., voted to confirm Gates as…
Hennie Hamman, the manager at Arrowe Park, has compiled three videos from hours of footage taken at KonTiki 2014 . Here they are- firstly, site preparation and raft construction, followed by the rafts seen by helicopter and from Arrowe Park, and finally the closing ceremony.
Thirty-two incredible Scouters will receive the Silver Antelope today, but forgive me for focusing on one in particular for a few minutes. My dad, Don Wendell, is one of eight Scouters getting this prestigious regional award from the Southern Region today at the BSA's National Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn.
What can go wrong: 1. No one shows up to a Patrol Meeting or planned event. As a Patrol Leader one goal I set for myself was regular, separate Patrol Meetings. It was pretty challenging at first. There were times I couldn't reach some of my Scouts on the phone or they didn't have a…
More than 12,000 Scouts turned up at Kansas Speedway last weekend for the inaugural Scouting 500 . The final results: Everyone in attendance had a high-octane weekend they'll never forget. As this positive story in the Kansas City Star explained, Scouts could have "ridden a zip line, raced go-karts, flown remote-control helicopters, climbed rock walls and…
In February I posted a list of the 2014 recipients of the Silver Buffalo Award, and today I'd like to share what those individuals did to earn Scouting's highest honor for adults. Why today? Because tonight the noteworthy nine will get their medals in a special recognition ceremony at the BSA's National Annual Meeting in…
Now that the requirements for the new Venturing awards have been released, attention turns to what the awards themselves will look like. Will they be medals? Badges? A combination of the two? Turns out you and other Venturers or Venturing advisors can have a say in the final decision.
Robert M. Gates, the former defense secretary, will prioritize transparency, marketing, retention and recruitment, and continued program innovation during his two-year term as the 35th president of the Boy Scouts of America. In his first speech to Scouters and Scouts since the 2010 jamboree, the Distinguished Eagle Scout and past president of the National Eagle…
South African Scouter Peter La Roux ( listen to an interview here ) posted videos of this year's Kon Tiki event on his Ropes and Poles Blog . If you aren't familiar with Kon-Tiki the whole idea is that Scouts groups build rafts, float them on a lake and participate in a number of contests and competitions (including…
Watching the Indianapolis 500 later today? Be sure to look out for the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America car, driven by Justin Wilson and owned by friend of Scouting and Silver Buffalo recipient Dale Coyne. The race starts at noon Eastern on ABC.
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.
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.
Each passing year brings new or rekindled emotions as we enter the Memorial Day weekend. This past year I have sparked new interest in my status as a Veteran as I have renewed some friendships with men that I served with long ago and have taken a look at my career as a soldier and…
When I first volunteered with the troop committee, there was a lot of interaction between the Scouts and adults on campouts. At one low point in our membership (a trend that was not surprising in retrospect), we had nearly as …
Our Nation remembers today those that have given for our Country. Their motives all different, their sacrifice great. John F. Kennedy once said, "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the…
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Don't all of our Scouts have special needs? Each has an individual way of seeing things, individual talents and shortcomings, in one sense don't all of us have some special need? The sport of Scouting is discovering how to best deliver the promises of Scouting to Scouts with different needs.
Jodi asked about uniforms: "I am 6'9" and have yet to find official pants that don't hit me mid-ankle. Even the un-hemmed ones go to a 38" inseam when mine is 42". The shorts are almost obscene, but I've bought a pair of official pants, then cut and hemmed them to an appropriate shorts length.
________________________________________ Have you ever noticed that, when somebody misreads or misinterprets an advancement requirement, it somehow never favors the Scout? Here's yet another case in point… Hi Andy, My son's a First Class Scout. He's just completed all requirements for Star including a total of eight merit badges to date.
Two humble things find a number of uses at summer camp; clothespins and index cards. I usually have a pocket full of index cards, and use them all day long to take notes, leave messages, and post reminders or notices for youth leaders.
The result wasn't pretty, but the photos sure are. Justin Wilson and the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America IndyCar finished 22nd in Sunday's Indianapolis 500. That's a disappointing result for the Dale Coyne Racing team, especially after last year's fifth-place finish .
Allow me to share this video of our New National Scout President. Dr. Robert Gates. You know his resume… so I will not share that. I listened to this 27 minute speech given at the National Meetings with some interest.
At just 32 years old, Andrew Miller has already built a Scouting résumé that rivals some of the movement's most tenured Scouters. He helped develop a Merit Badge University at Harvard, wrote the syllabus for a first-year camper program, served at the region level on the NESA scholarship committee and at the national level on…
Two people have already won a Scout Ring from Joy Jewelers. On Sunday, the third and final winner will be selected. It can't be you unless you enter the drawing. The Joy Jewelers scout rings make a cool recognition item.
Across our country, hundreds of ceremonies are held each year to honor those young men who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. It's a significant achievement and a bold statement of their commitment to the values of Scouting. It also signals our next generation of nation's leaders.
To take great smartphone photos, you need to hold your phone steady. This simple, easy-to-build smartphone stabilizer is one way to make sure your cellphone photos and videos will be shake-free. WHAT YOU'LL NEED 1? x 2? hardwood block (at least 6?
This Backpack Infographic features measurement instructions and basic information on choosing the right pack. See my specific recommendations for backpacks here The most important thing about a choosing the right backpack is getting a proper fit. To carry correctly and comfortably a pack must fit both torso length and hip size.
Andrew: What do you call a nut with facial hair? Jack: I don't know. Andrew: A mustachio. View On WordPress
There were several interesting gateways at KonTiki 2014 , and I'll post some more info about those in the coming weeks. Here are a few little gadgets from the campsite that won the camping side of the competition, 9th Benoni . First up are these camp 'potplants' made from an old pair of shoes with succulents planted…
A Cub Scout lesson on the potential danger of strangers may have saved two boys from abduction. Two 8-year-olds from Ogden, Utah, were waiting for a ride home from a Cub Scout meeting when a stranger approached in his truck.
June 6, 1944. Omaha Beach. D-Day. Normandy, France. Almost 70 years later, Scouts from the U.S. and Europe gathered to honor the American and Allied members of the military who gave their lives during the D-Day invasion and those that survived and helped turn the tide of World War II.
Everywhere you go, people will judge you by what you say, the things you do, and how you conduct yourself. Like it or not that is the plain truth. I remember one instance where this really hit home for me.
You've heard that all Scouting programs will adopt the Scout Oath and Scout Law over the next two years. But does that include Varsity Scouts? Yes indeed. That means the Varsity Scout Pledge is going away, beginning tomorrow - June 1, 2014.
Be Prepared" is the Scout Motto. If you care enough about something, you'll prepare. If you don't care, you won't bother. In the first part of this series I told a story about Scout Sunday. I had good intentions, but it really didn't matter because I didn't prepare.
