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A friend of mine in Scouting had this to say after his week at summer scout camp: Scout camp last week was hard, mentally and physically exhausting, but a great experience for our group. Since I am not a great scouter and never really was even as a kid, I thought a lot about why…
________________________________________ Hi Andy, In your July 30th column (No. 448), about that Venturer in the Silicon Valley area, I almost get the feeling someone's looking for reason not to help this young man. Yes, 60 miles might sound like a long distance, but in that area people often commute two or more hours by car to…
The next wave of interactive digital merit badge pamphlets is here. Communications, Digital Technology, Family Life and Personal Fitness have been added.
View the photo and clues to pinpoint the location of this geographic landmark. Submit your guess in the Where Am I? contest and you could win a $100 ScoutStuff.org gift card.
(I just found this article on my desk. I guess I forgot to post it. It might be a little late, but what the heck.) Cub Scout Pack 68 of Melrose held its 2015 Pinewood Derby on Sunday, January 25th.
As many of you know, one of my wishes for Scouting has been to create a culture where no one ever tells the story of not being thanked. My hope has been that we can recognize without fail that anyone who does anything for Scouting, especially our volunteers, will know how much they’re appreciated.
Learning the Scout Law will be more enjoyable with a Scout Law game. This game helps Scouts learn all twelve points of the law in order. (...) Continue reading the article at http://scoutermom.com/17583/scout-law-game/
In his last address to BSA professionals, Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock announced he's beginning the transition to his successor, Mike Surbaugh, now.
Scout neckerchiefs, long a symbol of the movement around the world, are now approved for wear by American Scouting members whether in or out of uniform.
Consider:
Check out my current location on the map. Here's a nice view for lunch! I'm at Bears Den rock and hope to go 10 more miles this afternoon.
Oops - here's the pic...
In some ways it is hard to believe. It was in May 2006 that I began the website for Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68. Over 11 years ago! I spent a lot of time posting to the site. Too much time some months.
I had a great opportunity to teach a class at NOAC this year. The class was part of a three class block on making Order of the Arrow Troop Representatives successful. I taught the last block which wrapped up the session.
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.
This week's batch of 17 projects includes refurbished cabins, an outdoor archery range, an Argentine Grill and many more incredible acts of service.
If you have ever taken an online course, you know how cumbersome they can be. Usually it just involves watching some video clips, or reading text (sometimes with pictures) and possibly taking a quiz. At best, it's a one-way introduction to a topic; at worst, it's a nightmare that never seems to end, as the…
Things can get tricky when you are both a Scouter and the parent of a Scout. In this week's podcast I'll answer email questions about occupying the role of parent and Scouter, how small troops work, and what qualifies as service for the ranks of Star and Life.
The Boy Scouts of America reflects upon the legacy of former Chief Scout Executive Jere Ratcliffe, who passed away on Friday, August 21, 2015. Ratcliffe led the organization from February 1993 through May 2000 as the 9 th Chief Scout Executive.
You’ve read about the heroic fire-fighting efforts of Scouts who knew how to keep their cool during a blaze and understood the importance of fire safety on Scouting Newsroom. But did you know you can play a major role in teaching fire safety to Scouts like these?
Jere Ratcliffe, who served as the BSA's Chief Scout Executive from 1993 to 2000, died Aug. 21, 2015. He was 78.
Justin Wilson, who drove the Boy Scouts of America IndyCar in 2013 and 2014, died Monday after a head injury sustained in a race over the weekend.
Entered the shenandoah park. No bears yet, but saw a huge deer. Coverage is getting worse so I may not be able to get posts out. Met a scout and his dad doing their 50-miler hike. They might make it to the shelter I'm staying tonight.
Knoxville troop celebrates 100th anniversary Happy 100th birthday, Troop 6! Founded on January 29, 1915, Troop 6 of Knoxville, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountain Council , is the longest continuously-chartered troop in that council, and one of the oldest troops in the United States .
Remember being young when the ground was constantly shifting under our feet? Remember wanting to be an adult but not wanting to be like the adults you knew? Remember how you wanted to change things? What an energizing, exciting, challenging, and sometimes confusing world we lived in!
As the National Park Service celebrates its 99th birthday today, we reflect on a century’s worth of Scouts and parks as a dynamic duo. Scouting in a park setting is timeless. That’s why national, state, and city parks make a tradition of hosting big events for Scouts.
Professional and volunteer Scouters of all ages can rejoice because this year Top Hands delivered a clear message for all generations involved in Scouting: Let’s enjoy working together! If you didn’t attend the conference this year, fear not. We have the scoop on generational synergy recapped for you below.
In a new series of well-made BSA recruiting videos, three moms explain why Scouting is the right fit for their family.
________________________________________ I tried jeans. Just once. I thought, well, as a Commissioner visiting one of the troops I serve, maybe I should look like the Scoutmaster and his assistants, and most of the Scouts. Big mistake. The first comment when I walked into the troop meeting was, "Hey, Andy, you're outa uniform!"
There’s a first time for everything, as the saying goes. We have a seemingly endless list of firsts throughout our lifetimes: First steps, first words, first day of school and the first day at a new job. Today, I add a new entry to my personal list of firsts by sharing my first-ever Chief’s Corner…
Making the Scouting experience the best it can possibly be is the reason we’re all here. Volunteers and professionals in the BSA funnel their energy and time into making sure youth get the programs they deserve. And a new face around the National Service Center – AJ Wilson – is working to make this mission easier than…
The song about the moose drinking his juice is a favorite for all ages. It works at a Boy Scout campfire or at a Cub Scout back to school program. This is one of those songs that has many variations.
What do The Boy Scouts of America and Harley-Davidson – two iconic American brands – have in common? More than you might think – as incoming Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh explained last Friday at the a nnual meeting of Scouting professionals, Top Hands .
The 2015 Top Hands closing ceremony gathered Scouting professionals from across the Scouting nation for a memorable dinner in true Scouting fashion – around the familiar glow of the campfire. Scouting’s professional leadership including Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock and incoming Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh, along with Eagle Scout climber Matt Moniz and National OA…
The Cub Scout den meeting plans are now available online free of charge! Find out what is offered in this great resource.
Make a leather patrol flag Show off your knot-tying skills with this flag for your patrol, den, pack or troop. WHAT YOU'LL NEED Two 8? long wooden poles (You can use poles that are 1 1?4? to 2? in diameter) 2?
There are those times as a Scoutmaster that leave you inspired. The other night I had one of those moments as I began to share my Scoutmaster minute with the Troop. Like most Troops, we have young men that make up the membership of the unit.
It's been quite on the blog lately, but I'm still here and have good stuff to share soon. With two summer camps and NOAC all in the span of 4 weeks, I've been behind on my normal duties and haven't quite caught up.
After a boy completes an adventure, he gets the ultimate reward: a shiny adventure loop for his belt or adventure pin for his Webelos colors or Webelos cap.
Fall is approaching, and as the temperature goes down, the pigskins go up. Every Friday night at high schools and Saturday afternoons at colleges all across the country, players take to the field to see who can dominate a one-hundred-yard patch of turf. Winners and losers emerge, along with the attendant lessons of sportsmanship, humility,
Fellow Scouters, After more than 50 years of participation in the Scouting Movement, I had to pull back from a lot of my activities due to health issues a couple of years ago. One of the casualties was this web site's blog.
NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren, currently flying more than 200 miles above Earth on the International Space Station, is an Eagle Scout.
Check out my current location on the map. I ran into Jeff and Gracie the Amazing Hiking Dog on the trail. They were out doing trail maintenance and are Scouters from Charlottesville. We had a nice chat and walk, and he gave me a coke.
This Bear den meeting plan covers most of the three requirements for the Bear Claws adventure. Bear Claws is all about pocketknives and whittling. After this plan, the Cub Scouts will need to carve an additional item. You could add a second meeting to cover this, or have them carve something at home and bring…
35 ingredients to take your trail mix beyond just “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts.” There's nothing like a bag of trail mix on a hiking or backpacking trip. Originally called GORP, for "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts," this mix of dried fruit, nuts, chocolate and other dry ingredients can be a good energy source on…
Ready for the Section W3N conclave to begin! It should be a beautiful day. @sectionw3n @racesonoma
#SummerofVenturing Day, a chance for Venturers from across the country to share photos, videos and stories from their summer adventures, is Aug. 31.
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.
As defined by Dictionary.com: the most perfect embodiment of something. There a moments that you realize that you now get what is being explained to you, or what is happening around you. Some may call it "the AH-HA Moment." The …
This week's batch of 19 Eagle projects includes a climbing structure for goats, raptor cages, a turtle habitat, a brick patio with a koi pond and more.
SPONSORED: The Mickman Brothers' Christmas Wreath Fundraising Program is designed to allow Scouts to actively support their activities in a no-risk way.
Hopefully you're rested up and ready to head back into another year of active Scouting. Along with it comes our monthly committee meetings – pack, troop, crew, district – there are lots of meetings we have to endure and survive! There are ways to make meetings run more smoothly and be more productive. Here are
Congratulations to Grey Rolland who will begin serving the Longhouse Council of Syracuse, NY, as Scout executive on October 1, 2015. Grey began his Scouting career as an associate district executive in the Queens Council of the Greater New York Councils in New York, NY.
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Jen sent in this question: I'm in a relationship with a man who is a Scout Leader and involved with Scouts at multiple levels. I'm looking for resources, or support groups, etc for "mom's" or spouses of Scouts. My kids were never involved with Scouts so I know very little and I want to learn…
What's the most important consideration; process or practice? In this week's podcast I'll answer email questions about the difference between processes that achieve our aims and practices that we adopt, young Scouts learning the patrol method, parting ways with a difficult volunteer, and how to resolve a behavior problem.
