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Word Version PDF Version Baloo's Bugle Issues Baloo's Bugle: Volume 22 Issue 10 - May 2016 June 2016 OBEDIENT / IT'S A HIT Copyright - U.S. Scouting Service Project | Visit us at http://usscouts.org | News at http://usssp.blogspot.com
Boy Scouts go camping. Everybody knows that, right? Camping is the universal activity that ties the program together. Outsiders are likely to think that camping is the raison d'être of Scouting. It's been with us since the very first camping trip that Lord Baden-Powell took Scouts on back at Brownsea.
Not many teenagers can say they spend time in a retirement home on a weekly basis. That is, unless they're members of Crew 94 of Dover, Pa. The crew meets every week at its chartered organization, Providence Place Senior Living.
May 2016 Building Confidence - Climbing Outside Your Comfort Zone or I Think I Can't, I Think I Can't, Oh - I Did! Cafe Press Items Copyright - U.S. Scouting Service Project | Visit us at http://usscouts.org | News at http://usssp.blogspot.com
Need some cash for the next trip to your local Scout Shop? Test your U.S. geography with the Scouting magazine Where Am I? contest, where we randomly select one correct answer to receive a $100 gift card to ScoutStuff.org . Take a closer look at the photo featured above and read the clues in the newest…
No matter how long boys are Scouts, one thing is certain: Scouting introduces young men to unforgettable experiences and lessons they will remember for a lifetime. Eagle Scout Brian V. from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council shared the positive impact Scouting has made on his life and explains 12 of the most important lessons he’s learned…
Lots of answers that you may find useful! It's been a little while since I answered some email questions, so this is catch-up week. Listen as I talk about several different questions listeners have sent in over the past couple of moths, no doubt you have experienced something similar before, or may encounter these issues…
Things were a little different the second time Hannah Wheaton visited Haiti. In her first trip, in 2014, Hannah visited Haiti with a grand but complicated idea for a service project: Her Venturing crew wanted to start a Scout unit at a Haitian orphanage.
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Lunch Recipe for Boy Scouts
Late on Saturday night, the printer sounded an alarm: the cyan and yellow ink cartridges were running dangerously low. I turned to Brian, my assistant scribe, to help me make a life-or-death critical decision. "OK, here's the situation. We have two options," I said.
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
Check out the top 20 finalists in Cub Hub’s Pinewood Derby photo contest! The photo contest was extended by two months to make sure most districts had an opportunity to share their finest Pinewood Derby moments. Now, the submissions are in and we’re down to the best of the best—just look at all the Cub…
New Dessert Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Dessert Recipe for All scouts
Good news for Cub Scouts who love to swim, canoe and kayak: the water is just fine. Contrary to past BSA program design, all Cub Scouts - not just Webelos - may participate in paddle sports as a pack or den; previously, they could only do so at district or council events.
A Good Turn can be as simple as holding the door for someone, or as grandiose as a national project. Scouts of the 1950s learned to make helping others a daily habit, thanks to the fifth edition of the Boy Scout Handbook .
May is National Fitness and Sports Month! Health has always been an important part of Scouting since the first Handbook for Boys was released in 1911. Exercising regularly keeps you physically fit and prepared to take on whatever your Scouting adventures bring, whether that’s exploring a new hiking trail or competing in a friendly game…
Councils are now required to submit all records for Silver Beaver and meritorious action awardees information in the national reporting tool on MyBSA. If councils records are not submitted and current, please update them no later than May 16, 2016 and keep current thereafter.
The 2017 Jamboree is quickly approaching and you don’t want your council’s marketing for the event to lag behind, right? Right! Luckily for you, there’s a plethora of jamboree resources available at your fingertips you can utilize via your local council’s website, email marketing, and social media.
Congratulations to the 18 th Annual President’s Marketing Awards winners! A list of honorees and a copy of the 2016 PMA brochure are on the marketing awards website at www.scouting.org/marketingawards . The honorees were recognized for their creativity, excellence in marketing on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America and alignment with national brand standards.
How do I know what frustrates a youth leader? I have been guilty of each of these ten things at one time or another. People who volunteer to work with Scouts are generally good-hearted, well-meaning folks who want to do their best to guide Scouts towards growing into useful, good hearted people themselves.
My wife when she was a Brownie.
He was the first Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of America. He helped write the first Boy Scout Handbook . And today there's a Scout camp in Greenwich, Conn., that bears his name. But there's a lot you probably don't know about Ernest Thompson Seton, one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America.
It’s 3:50 p.m. and your son Jason sent you a text, “I’m READY NOW, MOM!” You had planned to pick him up from the Cub Scout den meeting five minutes ago, but traffic was heavy and daughter Hayley has to be at gymnastics in nine minutes.
New Lunch Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68 has been using the Boy Scout decorative drape for many years, decades even, at its court of honors and special functions. It adds a nice bit of color to the ceremony and makes things look a bit more official.
As I stated in the last post to A Scoutmaster's Blog, Boy Scout Troop 68 owns a Boy Scout drape that it has used for many years. When I became the Pack 68 cubmaster I noticed very quickly that the pack did not own a flag or anything decorative for its pack meetings.
If you're the parent of a child involved in organized sports, you are undoubtedly aware of how competitive playing a game has become. And it's not the children who are competitive – it's the parents. Sure, many of the kids want to get in there and do well at their sport, but the parents push
Journey to Excellence (JTE) give you feedback on your Scout unit's progress during the entire Scouting year. And now the team behind JTE wants feedback to make the JTE requirements and scorecards even more useful. JTE - the BSA's tool for helping leaders plan their program, monitor progress and assess their Scouting success - uses separate scoresheets…
Back in March, I read A Parent's Guide to Raising Successful Missionaries , the latest book by Brad and Sandy Harris. In addition to everything I already mentioned about this book, I also appreciated the personal accounts that were included from actual returned missionaries.
Sea Scout Ship 100, the “ Viking,” was honored with the 2016 National Flagship Award last week, thanks to the hard work of Sea Scouts from the San Francisco Bay Area Council. Congratulations to 2015 Boatswains, Louise H., Miranda H., current Boatswain Sofia M., Skipper Tamara S., and the rest of the crew for leading their…
According to the Flag Code, when a flag has become to worn for service it should be retired with dignity. Holding a flag retirement ceremony is an excellent way to teach youth about how to care for a flag with respect.
I want to share a great source for developing your skills! Outdoor leadership is different. What works at a Troop meeting or in the boardroom does not always translate well on a week-long backpacking or canoeing trip. Scouting offers great administrative training and valuable supplemental training in outdoor skills and safety.
The Boy Scouts of America had been going strong for 50 years when the sixth version of the Boy Scout Handbook was released, and the program was gaining speed! In the years of the handbook’s sixth edition, Scouts flocked to the fifth National Scout Jamboree in Colorado Springs, the eleventh World Scout Jamboree in Greece…
YEAGER AIRPORT ANNOUNCES SUMMIT SHUTTLE SERVICE Getting to The Summit just got a little easier. We are excited by the news that the Yeager Airport in Charleston, WV has announced free shuttle service to and…
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
New Supper Recipe for Boy Scouts
It's said by witnesses in court, newly elected officials and couples getting married. It's taken by physicians pledging to protect patients. It's essential to being a Scout. It's called an oath. More powerful than a promise, an oath is an unbreakable commitment about one's future behavior.
How to dig a cathole in the backcountry It's hard to talk about it without getting the giggles, but how we go to the bathroom in the backcountry is important. Peeing is pretty easy: Just find a spot away from trails, camps and places where people gather, and take care of business.
An all-female Sea Scout ship from San Francisco that operates on a historic wooden whaleboat has been named the BSA's top ship for 2016. The 2016 National Flagship Award goes to Ship 100, nicknamed the "Viking," which is part of the San Francisco Bay Area Council.
Did you check out the Scout who constructed a makerspace for his Eagle Scout project ? Scouts like him in the California Bay Area with a penchant for creative, outside-the-box ideas are encouraged to attend a one-of-a-kind event designed to inspire the next generation of Makers.
________________________________________ Dear Andy, I'm a new Boy Scout parent, trying to get familiar with the 2016 rank requirements. Can you help me with the requirements for camping to reach First Class? There seem to be a couple of opinions regarding the statement, "participate in 10 separate troop/patrol activities, six of which include overnight camping" (page 445).
Build from the Scouts out, not from the charts and syllabuses and manuals in. If you throw away all the resources and start from nothing you'd end up building a Scout patrol because it is designed around very intuitive things.
Want to improve how you make impactful decisions in your council? Look no further than the Voice of the Scout survey results. More than 130,300 Scouts, parents, volunteers and chartered organization representatives imparted valuable feedback via the Voice of the Scout survey and now the data is ready for councils and districts to review on…
About 6 percent of eligible Scouts become Eagle Scouts - a rare, impressive feat. Rarer still is the Hornaday Award, earned by just 0.001 percent of Scouts and Venturers. It's among the rarest awards in Scouting; each year, only about 12 young people earn one.
Isaiah Knox, not pictured in the group photo above, is the 12th Starkville High School Eagle Scout in this year's class. With all due respect to the Yellow Jackets that are their high school's mascot, 2016 is the year of the Eagles in Starkville, Miss.
This spring, we saw an exciting revamp of a classic Scouting program. Exploring is a hands-on career education program that helps youth discover their future through engaging activities and one-on-one mentorship. Is your council ready to dive into Exploring? If you’ve still got some questions about the rebooted program, the April NextConnect webinar has you…
Scouts are synonymous with survival skills. We hear all the time about Scouts helping their friends and neighbors in need and putting the first aid skills they learn in Scouting into real life use. The 13 th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook is full of first aid and survival skills – including our latest Handbook…
Cub Scout Derek Winters loves cars. He loves the movie Cars . He loves his grandfather's collection of NASCAR die-cast model cars. And, of course, he loves the Pinewood Derby. When deciding on a design for this year's Pack 2 Pinewood Derby Race, the Flint River Council Cub Scout took inspiration from his grandfather's collection.
Barely a week goes by that I don’t read a headline about Scouts saving lives. In fact, earlier this year I wrote this blog post highlighting just a few of the recent life-saving efforts of our Scouts: What You Learn In Scouting Could Save Lives .
Make yourself a better Cub Scout leader and enjoy an affordable, incredible family vacation? Yes, this summer, you really can have it all. And yes, there's still time to sign up. Cub Scout conferences at the Philmont Training Center deliver a cost-effective family vacation, lifelong Cub Scouting friendships and high-quality adult leader training with ideas…
Try these 3 cool gadgets Eyeball these new gadgets. And you'll see, we do mean eyeball! The Rolling, Rocking TMX Force Feedback Racing Wheel It's the ultimate dream of every gamemaker. If you create a more realistic experience, players can feel inside the game.
Once you've mastered the basics of Boy Scouting, it's time to level up. That's the goal of Volume 2 of the Troop Leader Guidebook , the BSA's publication for experienced leaders that addresses topics like self-evaluation, succession planning, leadership styles, high adventure, working with older Scouts, working with Scouts with disabilities, counseling, conflict resolution and more.
Pause the playlist, silence the sports talk and call an audible on the audiobook. Take a few moments of your commute - just 10 to 15 minutes a month - to make yourself a more-informed Scouter. With the BSA's triple-threat lineup of monthly podcasts - CubCast, ScoutCast and the new ExploringCast - you'll be the smartest Scouter in your…
KonTiki 2016 is under way, with most teams well into building their rafts. Here are some photos of then shorefront. Teams build three rafts deep in most places, and once ready tomorrow, will help each other launch. Experience Friday night construction in 360 panoramic view here: (on a mobile device, tilt and move to pan…
My scouts asked my to give a class on the Scouting Heritage Merit Badge, which I'm a counselor for. It's a great one since it teaches about the founders of Scouting in America and how the program has changed over the years.
Saturday is the busiest day at KonTiki- rafts are completed, and after being checked for sea-worthiness, are launched and begin their competitions on the water. Meanwhile, on land, the Beaver Challenge competition has run for the Cubs and junior Scouts, campsites are being judged, and meals are competition meals are cooked.
KonTiki 2016 came to a close yesterday morning, after 60mm of unseasonal rain left the campsite waterlogged. The majority of rafts spent the night on the water, and the competition went ahead- congratulations to 1st Morningside who were all the overall winners!
If you're a regular visitor to this site, you are most likely a volunteer Scouter. Someone who gives of their time and effort to help the Scouting program exist for our sons and daughters and the communities in which we live. You're more than aware that as our kids grow, so do we, and we
Look at photos of the same Scout or Venturer - once in his or her early Scouting years and once later in life. The visible changes will be obvious. The nonvisible changes, such as more confidence, better character and stronger leadership skills, exist just out of view.
What has a Mesoamerican Step Pyramid got to do with this? Today I want to talk about leadership, but I want to see if I can get you to come along with me and really examine what this means in Scouting.
Burke shares his Scouting story with Austin and Montrois. (Photo credit: Stephen Swofford/ The Watertown Daily Times) Scouts at the Longhouse Council received a historic gift last week when 101-year-old Eagle Scout Bernard W. Burke donated his Scouting memorabilia to the William Hillcourt Scout Museum in Constantia, New York.
This Friday, you might see people going about their daily lives with some out-of-place aquatic wardrobe—life jackets! No, this isn’t a fashion statement or a trendy fad. So then what’s with all the floatation devices? Sea Scouts, BSA has teamed up with boating professionals and boating enthusiasts in support of “Wear Your Life Jacket to…
There's plenty of great material out there to help Cub Scouters recruit boys into their pack and den. Focusing on Cub Scouts makes sense. Why not introduce families to the adventure of Scouting as early as possible? But less is said about another important aspect of strengthening the Scouting movement: recruiting Boy Scouts.
Since its introduction in 2013, Scoutbook has been documenting the Scouting journey for thousands of youths and their families. The web-based Scouting app has gained more than 800,000 connected users and nearly 12,000 subscriptions! What’s New: Although Scoutbook has already rolled right through some serious web app achievements, it continues to grow and improve.
Sam Charles received several congratulatory letters when he became an Eagle Scout last year - from astronauts, politicians and coaches. But only one came from the man who dreamed up Jon Snow, Arya Stark and Tyrion Lannister. Yes, the letter Sam received from author George R.
In its seven years of publication, the seventh edition of the Boy Scout Handbook saw several momentous days in history. Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the 26 th Amendment brought the voting age to 18, and the Distinguished Eagle Scout Neil…
Justice Boston grew up hearing gunshots and seeing the red-and-blue lights of police cars on his street. Scouting offered a way out. Justice, an Eagle Scout, shares his story in a powerful new video from the National Capital Area Council.
As you learned back in March , the Omaha Beach Camporee invites Scouts and Scouters from across the world to recognize the sacrifices of American and Allied soldiers who fought and died fighting for freedom and peace in 1944, during an unforgettable experience in Normandy, France.
Read BL's interview with the designer of The Last Guardian The Last Guardian is one of the most highly-anticipated games of 2016. In it, you'll explore mysterious temples with a young boy and Trico, a giant monster that's both delightful and ferocious.
Vice President Joe Biden says Scouting teaches young people "many valuable life lessons." Scouts "acquire numerous important skills, adopt guiding principles, and forge new and lasting friendships." And how does he know all this? "Because I was once a Boy Scout," Biden writes.
As a Scout attending summer camp one year, I remember taking garlic tablets to repel mosquitoes. Bad news: We still got bitten. Good news: We didn't see a single vampire the whole week. These days, defending yourself and your Scouts from mosquitoes is even more of an arm- and leg- and head-scratcher than it was…
________________________________________ Some wag once said, "The good guys always finish last." Wrong! If you're a regular reader, you'll remember this letter from a Scout parent in my April 19th column (abbreviated here)… Hi Andy, Out of the blue, our troop's Chartered Organization Representative out of the blue started tearing apart our troop.
So you earned Eagle at age 17. (Or was it 17.5? Or 17.9?) The point is you made it. You're an Eagle Scout for life. I know your parents, leaders and fellow Eagle Scouts are extremely proud of you. I also know that as a 17-year-old Eagle, you might have heard from an adult or…
Most patrols don't think "gourmet salad" when planning their campout menu. But with a recipe like this one I tried last week, that might change. A Dallas-based salad chain now has a Scouting-themed salad called the Tenderfoot. Snappy Salads combines these ingredients to make the Tenderfoot: artisan lettuce, romaine, green onion, grilled peach, "rattlesnake beans…
Several years ago, I noticed our pack flag some having a hard time getting put away in the box that had been made for it and the American flag we use in Pack meetings and events. You see, it had twenty years worth of event ribbons on it!
Tomorrow officially kicks off the Boy Scouts of America National Annual Meeting! So what is this gathering, exactly? For those new to the world of Scouting, the National Annual Meeting , or “NAM” is where volunteers and employees come to share updates on the BSA, its programs, and its progress in developing America’s youth into future…
While renovating the Talent Factory Theater in Nevada, Iowa, Larry Sloan and his wife found an old wallet lodged in the floorboards. Inside the plastic wallet were some generations-old clues to its age and owner's identity: a 1944 pocket calendar, ration stamps, old faded photos, a handwritten emergency contact card - and a Boy Scout membership…
Someone can drown in the time it takes you to respond to a text message. And it can happen without a sound . That's meant not to scare you but to remind you that awareness and supervision are critical tools for keeping Scout-age children safe in and around water.
Matt Myers has been charged as the National Jamboree Director, effective July 1, 2016. Matt began his Scouting career as a district executive in the Oregon Trail Council, in Eugene, Oregon. He has held numerous positions during his BSA career in councils including; Silicon Valley, Redwood Empire, Pacific Skyline, San Francisco, and Detroit.
What is the ninth method of Scouting? Author Mark Ray begins the second volume of the Troop Leader Guidebook with these words; Back when you first attended Scout leader training, you learned that Boy Scouting has eight methods: adult association, advancement, ideals, leadership development, outdoors, patrol method, personal growth, and uniform.
Without any doubt, Scouting is a movement that relies on the strength of its more than 1 million adult volunteers to provide the values-focused, character development programs that define us. This week, we salute our outgoing National Commissioner, Tico Perez, who has served as the leader of that volunteer force for the last eight years.
The unit committee is where the business of the pack or troop takes place. While the Scouts are busy doing the things Scouts do, the adults are taking care of things like finance, logistics, equipment and recordkeeping. And just like any other committee, meetings are unavoidable. In fact, we're expected to meet monthly to help
Think back to those exceptional, specific moments when you saw a Patrol in your Troop really shine. Maybe it was the way they prepared a meal during that camping trip last Fall: everyone doing their job quickly and enthusiastically. Maybe it was the way the whole Patrol came together to help one of its members…
________________________________________ Dear Andy, My thesis for "Doctorate of Commissioner Science" has just been approved; I've received my certificate and the "DCS" patch. But although I've asked, nobody seems to be sure about where it's worn. Some say it's a "temporary patch" for the right pocket.
Now that Sea Scouts have their own program , it's time for them to have their own leadership awards. The new Sea Scout Leadership Award will debut in 2017 to recognize outstanding service to Sea Scouting in 2016. There will be awards to celebrate youth and adults at the council, area, regional and national levels.
The American Legion has been committed to Scouting ever since its congressional charter in 1919. In fact, at its first national convention in Minneapolis in November 1919, the Legion passed a resolution in support of the Boy Scouts of America.
When Richard Nixon resigned as president in 1974, the United States was in turmoil. It needed a leader. It needed a man of character to right the ship. It needed an Eagle Scout. A new documentary on the National Geographic Channel highlights Gerald R.
Round up your friends in Scouting, fill up a bowl of your favorite popcorn and find a cozy spot on the couch, Scouts, because the National Geographic Channel is debuting a documentary featuring the 38th U.S. President that you won’t want to miss!
If you love Sea Scouting, you were probably elated about the February resolution to make Sea Scouting its own separate program . Previously a subset of Venturing, Sea Scouts will now enjoy the same status of other BSA programs, including awarding members with program-specific honors.
The weekend of May 20th was Wauna La-Mon'tay Lodge Order of the Arrow's first Ordeal of 2016. Our Troop elections had six Scouts elected to be "tapped out" during the Skyloo District Camporee. Myself and a Troop parent were able to …
Glenn A. Adams ended each of his quarterly columns for Eagles' Call magazine the same way: "from the Eagle trail." How appropriate, because for eight years as president of the National Eagle Scout Association, he has led the way as countless Scouts took the trail toward Scouting's highest honor.
Each of our BSA National Presidents has played an important role in shaping the future of Scouting. As his term comes to an end, I want to thank former U.S. Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Dr. Robert M. Gates for his steadfast service to our movement during the past two years.
