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September 2015 Model Rocket? Cafe Press Items Copyright - U.S. Scouting Service Project | Visit us at http://usscouts.org | News at http://usssp.blogspot.com
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September 2015 Model Rocket? Cafe Press Items Copyright - U.S. Scouting Service Project | Visit us at http://usscouts.org | News at http://usssp.blogspot.com
Had a great time at @SectionW3N conclave, met @OANationalChief Alex Call and @OAWestChief Nathan Lee. The "Meet the Man" Q&A with them and the 6 or so section chiefs was inspiring. Ironically OAWestChief started following my twitter earlier that morning before I met him I think.
You can see Amanda Smith's passion for Scouting on her skin. The senior district executive from Pittsburgh got a BSA tattoo to honor her late father.
Andrea sent in this question: Can we talk about age requirements? Maybe this has been going on for a long time, maybe it is new. But my 12 year old 1st class scout is now starting to work on several merit badges in order to prepare for the next few ranks.
With the completion of the 100 th anniversary of NOAC, the 2015 World Scout Jamboree and The Summit Bechtel Reserve’s second summer season, a very exciting summer is one for the history books. Now, it’s time focus on the 2017 National Scout Jamboree.
Talk about a family vacation. Sohil Doshi, a 10-year-old Webelos Scout from Pack 462 in Sunnyvale, California, spent five days with his family this summer hiking in Markha Valley through the Himalayan region of India. The Markha Valley trek is one of the most popular hikes in the Ladakh Region of India.
During my first visit to Kandersteg International Scout Center it was immediately apparent that Scouts the world over wear neckerchiefs, they wear them all the time, and they wear them with either the uniform or informal clothing. This immediately made sense, the Scout neckerchief is a symbol that identifies Scouts as members of a worldwide…
From the life-saving Scout stories you hear in the news to the firsthand Scouting testimonials parents share about their kids, we all believe that Scouting builds leaders and shapes character in its members. But, remember, the mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over…
________________________________________ Hi Andy, I'm told that a Webelos II den will be ready to cross over right now, in September. Seems to me this is too early. They haven't even started their second year yet. Makes me wonder if the Den Leader is anxious to be done with that position and the sooner the boys are…
A group of four Scouts in New Jersey has combined to sell a quarter-million dollars in Scout popcorn in the past three years. We asked them how.
As part of our “Families Like Mine” video series, this new video features Juan, a Scout dad, who grew up in Mexico and came to the U.S. when he was 19 years old. Far from his home, he found a home in the camaraderie of Scouting.
Technically the BSA isn’t in the business of anything. We don’t manufacture goods. We don’t sell products or services. Rather, we’re a mission-driven, non-profit organization focused on serving America’s youth by inspiring great leaders, providing life-changing adventures and helping young people grow according to the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
You'll want to download this Cub Scout meeting sign in sheet! The multi-use form will help you keep track of advancement for your Cub Scouts!
The BSA and the Three Fires Council in Illinois now hold the world record for the largest welding lesson, Guinness World Records officials confirmed.
Passengers on Alaska Airlines this month are greeted by the image of a Scout on the cover of Alaska Beyond, the Alaska Airlines magazine.
Write a funny caption for this photo What's going on in this picture? What are those dinosaurs doing and thinking? If you can think of a funny caption for this photo, just post it in the comment form at the bottom of this page.
As you know, chartered organizations are the backbone of Scouting. There has never been a more important time for all of us to engage with current and potential chartered organizations. Over the next few days, your council will be receiving a shipment of kits designed to help your staff in these conversations.
Regional directors Ponce Duran, Tom Harrington, Al Lambert, and Don McChesney have a special message for you. Read on to learn more about how to boost your professional development in a few easy steps. Completing your talent profile is critical for filling vacancies and identifying candidates for Scout Executive pools.
This is the first in a series about the BSA Hornaday Award Program . This award program recognizes Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers who make significant contributions in the area of conservation. The award is challenging to earn, with only 1,100 medals having been awarded over the past 80 years.(...)
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 a Cub Scout leader, you know the importance of asking others for help. But that's easier said than done. The September 2015 CubCast is here to help.
For precious little Cub Scouts, selling Scout popcorn is so easy it's almost unfair. Boy Scouts, on the other hand, need these Scout popcorn sales tips.
If you pay attention to more than just your monthly camp outs and weekly meetings you will have seen or are noticing a very loud message in Scouting. Over the past few years Scouting has turned up the volume on its message of Peace.
Camp is… the real school of the out-of-doors, where all the best in the future man's character can be brought out and developed" B-P This week's podcast departs from our usual format (it's a long holiday weekend!) to explore an idea that could revolutionize the way you approach your work as a Scouter.
The new, easy-to-access online training for Cub Scouting leaders at my.scouting.org will help you be prepared for your role as a volunteer.
________________________________________ Hi Andy, I must have looked this up twenty different ways on Google, and still can't find an answer anywhere… What part(s) of a Cub/Webelos uniform "carries over" to a Boy Scout uniform? For years I've been told it's only the Arrow of Light; are there any others, like the Cub Scout Religious Emblem or…
With these functional accessories, you and your Scouts are limited only by your imagination. What's your go-to look for neckerchief slides?
Anyone who serves on a troop committee has most likely participated in a rank advancement board of review. To me, it is an honor and a pleasure to serve on one, for it is through this process that we can gain insight into the youth experience. That is, if we ask the right questions and
Cubmaster Ramon is trying to make the new Cub Scout Adventure recognitions a bit easier to administer in his Pack. He has a request from all you fellow Scouters... Have you created a mail-merge, fillable PDF, or other such document into which you can enter Cub Scout names and print onto the new Cub Scout…
Elena sent in this question: What is the most important thing for a new den leader to know? My son has joined cub scouts and is a tiger. The other parents and even my son all asked me to be the Den Leader.
Members of the BSA we are specifically asked to affirm the Declaration of Religious Principle – The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, "On my honor I…
For more than a century the BSA has used the great outdoors as a classroom to teach character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. And now families with Scouts in the fourth grade have a great opportunity to explore federally managed lands and waters for free.
I came back from NOAC having traded for a few more past conference patches. So I decided to make a display like they had on display in the museum, showcasing the collection. I have to thank my late father for collecting most of the ones after 2000.
Each merit badge has at least one doozy — a sufficiently sized hurdle standing between a Scout and the merit badge. These are the toughest requirements.
Sponsored Post: A See's Candies fundraiser is perfect for packs, troops, teams and crews looking to raise money for Scouting activities.
Women have a tremendous history in the Boy Scouts of America. Whether leading from the front or supporting the movement in less visible roles, the organization would not exist as we know it without the steadfast dedication of countless exceptional women.
In my last post I talked about Scouting's message. If you look at the mission statement of the World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM) it states; "The Mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a…
Back to school season is in full swing this fall and we aren’t just talking about for Scouts! Volunteers and Scouters are prepping for a unique learning experience via the new online “BSA Learn Center” and Cub Scout leadership training is now in session!
Did you know the BSA posts monthly podcasts, full of how-to’s, tips, and best practices for your role in Scouting? That’s right! ScoutCast and CubCast podcasts are audio goldmines, covering topics to help you best serve youth in Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.
Are you getting questions about what Scoutbook can offer parents, Scouts, and volunteers? Here’s a chance to help your team understand what you gain with this revolutionary Scouting web application. From the first knot tied to final hours of service performed, the Scouting experience is a journey like no other.
Building confidence in youth is no small feat. As an organization that works to empower young people, we at the BSA know this as well as anyone. That’s why I was particularly interested in a recent Twitter chat on the topic co-hosted by two organizations that reach parents of young children — Mom.me , an online source…
What do you really know about Cascade Pacific Council? Ok, outside of the annual Friends of Scouting presentation……. Did you know that in 1994 two Councils merged into Cascade Pacific? Can you name them? Columbia and Cascade Area Councils. What …
Scientists in South Africa have discovered the remains of a new, humanlike creature. And Lee Berger, the man leading the team, is an Eagle Scout.
Scouts working on the Game Design merit badge created a board game, Walls, and now their Scoutmaster is turning to Kickstarter to bring it to the world.
I am Troop 150's Order of the Arrow's Adviser. I was just elected by the Troop this Spring and my Ordeal was the June 5th weekend at Camp Cooper. Two other Scouts were elected by their fellow Scouts as well. …
This is the second in a series about the BSA Hornaday Award Program . In this segment, author William O'Brochta tells about how he learned about the Hornaday Awards and his efforts to earn the Hornaday Awards. William eventually was awarded t he Hornaday Silver Medal and Badge and the Hornaday Gold Badge.
Here is a quick review of the Luci EMRG lantern. A new product from MPowerd. This versatile little lantern will easily fit on your backpack, pocket, glove box or first aid kit. With 4 different light settings it is perfect for reading in camp, marking your location, or providing an emergency light source wherever it's…
As leaders of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts and Venturers, it's important for us to know how to fly a flag at half-staff during times of mourning.
Before he threw that incredible Hail Mary for BYU, quarterback Tanner Mangum did something just as impressive. He became an Eagle Scout.
September is National Preparedness Month , an appropriate time for all of us to take stock of our own emergency readiness. To drive home the importance of doing so, I’d like to share a life-changing experience for one Scout that can help us all remember why we should live up to our motto of “Be Prepared.”
Carolyn sent in this question: Have you come up with a suggested way on how to follow the new Wolf program? It seems there is a lot of outdoor things that will need to be done before December and after March (in KY).
We are now in the heart of recruiting season in Scouting. Actually all year is recruiting season for Scouting, there are no set guidelines as to when your unit brings new Scouts on board.. all year long is the best time to introduce boys to Scouting.
So they had a pretty neat activity at NOAC this year. Everyone registered and on staff received a Poken device . Pokens are little devices that contain your contact info, and exchanges it with people you meet by high-fiving the two devices together.
It's all about the details, "sweat the small stuff." That's the message of the book I've recently finished. Now this isn't directly a scouting-related book, but I figure anything with "guide to life on Earth" in the title, much less an astronaut's version, has to be a good read.
This is the third in a series about the BSA Hornaday Award Program . In this segment, author Ken Zabel describes some of the Hornaday projects which members of Troop 319 completed. This article describes how the individual awards and the unit Hornaday awards were earned.(...) Continue reading the article at http://scoutermom.com/17603/bsa-hornaday-award-program-troop-319s-awards/
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.
Trying my hand at creating infographics. This one is on the past Scoutmaster Handbooks. Most can buy easily and fairly cheaply through Ebay. I've managed to acquire all of them now except the B-P books.
#boyscouts #scouting @scouting Second in a series of infographics about the various scouting handbooks, this one deals with the Boy Scout Handbook (or Handbook for Boys depending on the era).
This week's batch of 17 projects includes a renovated baseball field, a specialized rabbit cage, a basketball court built in the Philippines and more.
You've probably heard that many people fear speaking in public more than almost anything else. But it doesn't have to be that way – and as a Scouter, you are in a perfect position to learn how to ease that fear. I had never spoken to large groups very much until I became a Cubmaster.
Ryane Clarke's dream was to build a parking lot and prevent tragedies like the one that killed his childhood friend. His parents had to finish it for him.
There’s no better way to convey the positive difference Scouting makes on youth than hearing a family’s firsthand account of the program. That’s why the BSA sat down with families across the country to hear how Scouting has transformed their families in the “Families Like Mine” video series.
The “Tong Method” When it’s time to use a hand ax to split larger pieces of wood into kindling, currently the only method in BSA literature is the contact method where one hand holds the ax’s handle, and at all times the other hand grasps the piece of wood being chopped.
What do Assistant Scoutmasters do? In this week's podcast I'll opine on the reaction to a recent post on a Scouts Duty to God . I'll also answer email questions on what assistant Scoutmasters do and Webelos dens as Scout patrols.
Visit RocketIntoScouting.org to sign up for Cub Scouts in Minnesota or South Dakota. All area elementary schools are scheduled to have Scout representatives on hand from 7 to 8pm on Sept. 17. Let your neighbors with elementary school age boys know about the opportunity. Scout On
#scouting I found the infographics I posted the last couple of days were coming across very small when viewed, something with how blogger publishes stuff I guess. I updated the posts with the original size images, so they should be much bigger and easier to read now.
What does your Scout unit do about prescription medication on Scout trips? Share your responses with the Scouting community in this Tuesday Talkback.
Over the weekend, Troop 32 from Santa Rosa, Calif., cooked and served dinner for those left homeless by the Valley Fire burning nearby.
Emma Gatewood read about the Appalachian Trail in National Geographic Magazine"I thought it would be a nice lark," she said. In 1955 at the age of 67, she put on her Keds sneakers, put an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain in a homemade bag slung it over her shoulder, and headed…
Hispanic heritage has long been intertwined with the history of the Boy Scouts of America, as our organization reaches members from all different backgrounds and parts of the world. That’s why National Hispanic Heritage Month is so significant to us.
Taking your Cub Scout pack hiking? Check out these resources to help you complete specific hiking requirements for multiple Cub Scout ranks.
We often focus on membership when it comes to the retention and recruiting issue. This is absolutely a header in the discussion. However a better indication of unit health is your participation percentages. That is how many of your registered Scouts are participating in your activities.
A while ago I got a 12" Lodge dutch oven, and then the a cook book to go along with it for ideas. In the past, I've mostly only seen people use it to make dessert cobblers (and that had been about my extent of use except for Jambalya once ), though I know it is…
The team behind Scoutbook, that revolutionary Scouting web app acquired by the BSA earlier this year, is hosting a live Scoutbook webcast.
In a hilarious video, Eagle Scout Dave Jorgenson asks strangers whether chivalry is dead and what constitutes chivalry in their minds. The results are gold.
A full year of Scout campouts has come to a close for the 2014 -2015 Camping Report, so now is the time to track those fun experiences within your councils! The Camping Manager Tool is available for councils to report camping statistics for the past year.
It’s time to start promoting the fall Voice of the Scout survey in your Scouting network. The survey is set for Tuesday, October 6. As this time rolls around once again, there are some updates you should be aware of.
Picture BSA-uniformed Scouts in the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. It’s no fantasy – it’s the far-reaching Scouting movement of today. The Boy Scouts of America is all over the world. Literally. With so many countries having their own Scouting organizations, you may be wondering how this is possible.
Ask anyone, anywhere and you might get mixed responses to the age-old question – is chivalry dead? But quiz someone who knows a Scout and the answer is crystal clear. Chivalry is still kickin’ (and twerking!) today, and the BSA has decades of good turns to prove it.
When preparing for Philmont, you’ll no doubt have a ton of questions. What gear do I bring? What’s a typical day like? How do I get in “Philmont shape”? How do I select leadership positions for my crew? What’s a smellable?
You know actor Rob Lowe. But do you know fan-of-Scouting Rob Lowe? Lowe, whose highly successful film and television career has spanned four decades, tweeted and posted to Facebook a photo of himself with a group of Boy Scouts. The photo was taken Sept.
STEM experts are everywhere. Invite one to your next meeting. See if they'll set up a station at your camporee. Take your Scouts on a field trip.
________________________________________ Dear Andy, For an upcoming District Awards annual dinner, some of us Scouters have come up with the idea of collecting $1,000 between us and recognizing our outgoing District Chair with a James E. West Fellowship. A few of us aren't so sure this is a good idea, but we can't seem to get a…
Throughout the history of the Boy Scouts of America, you will find a continuing theme of service to others. That concept has been carefully baked into our DNA for a number of reasons. First and foremost, we seek to instill in young people the concept that service to others – without expectation of reward – is part…
On my 300-mile section hike of the Appalachian Trail, I met many interesting folks and had some wonderful (and some challenging) times. Every day offered up at least one memorable moment, but my evening spent in the Gravel Springs hut in the Shenandoah National Park was certainly one of the favorite times on my trek.
It is that time within most every Council starts to sell Popcorn. Cascade Pacific Council is no different. This was Elliot when he was a Wolf in Pack 221. There are many ways to sell Popcorn, and this site will …
@oabsa @boyscouts #boyscouts Another infographic, this time on the history of the Order of the Arrow Handbook editions.
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.
@boyscouts #scouting #boyscouts A fourth infographic on BSA handbooks, this time for the Fieldbook.
This week's batch of 16 Eagle projects includes shelving for storing hockey gear, a teaching garden at a preschool, a redesigned 4-H Snack Shack and more.
The way we handle and manage money has changed significantly with the information age. Cash will always be with us, and checks are still in use, but electronic funds transfer is becoming the way we move money around. Should a smallish enterprise like a Scouting unit take advantage of these innovations? Let's look at some
Physical, construction-based Eagle Scout projects are great. But an Eagle Scout project doesn't have to be permanent to have a lasting impact.
5 tips for using items in Mario Kart 8 Nintendo's Mario Kart franchise leads the pack of racing games for one key reason: items. No other video game lets you throw turtle shells, drop banana peels or summon lightning from the sky to shrink and slow your competitors.
Ever wanted to communicate with Scouts across the world without ever hopping on a plane? Well, now’s your chance because Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) and Jamboree-on-the-Internet (JOTI) are coming your way October 16-18, 2015. What Is JOTA and JOTI? JOTA and JOTI are annual World Scouting events that provide the perfect opportunity to get in touch with…
Senior Scout Camp It is a beautiful time of the year. Leaves are falling, school is starting back up, and Scout units are getting together and working out their plans for the next year. Where is your unit planning to go?
What do we do about outside influences in the lives of our Scouts? To begin with let's figure out what's "outside" and what is "inside"? Let's interpret outside influences on our Scouts as something that is beyond our scope of control and inside influences as something within the scope of our control as Scouters.
________________________________________ Here are some interesting updates on "World Scout Scarf (Neckerchief) Day" that I missed but my readers didn't… Proof that being glib isn't nearly as important as being a good researcher! Hi Andy, In your response to Mitch Erickson in your September 8th column about wearing the neckerchief, you didn't mention "World Scout Scarf Day…
Maybe it doesn't fully encompass the merit badge, or maybe it looks a little dated. Here are 10 times the BSA changed merit badge emblems for the better.
No young person should be denied the Scouting experience because of money. Share how you offer financial assistance to pack and troop families.
It's a STEM-O-Rama at the Three Fires Council The first sign that this wasn't your usual Scout event? The remote-controlled, pilotless aircraft buzzing against the blue sky. At the Three Fires Council STEM-O-Rama, Scouts got the chance to try their hands at more than 100 exhibits and demonstrations during a daylong event in St.