Fifty years, to the day, after an Eagle Scout was the first human to set foot on the moon, the Boy Scouts of America will create a permanent high-adventure base there. Tranquility High Adventure Base — the fifth jewel in BSA’s high-adventure crown — will open July 20, 2019.
April 2017 Time to tie: 3 hours Finishing: 1 hour Designs from: Decorative Fusion Knots Author: J.D. Lenzen Website: www.fusionknots.com Available from: Amazon , iTunes , Barnes & Nobel or your favorite book seller No its not an April Fools day joke, these are all knots I found in JD book and had lots of fun tying each…
April 2017 Time to tie: days Finishing: none though I might try Mod Podge Designs from: Clarke Green Website: scoutmasterCG.com Knot Website: Royal Carrick Bend How did I forget to post this knot with the others? Well my friend Clarke Green posted this neckerchief slide back in the summer of 2014 and it's had me…
I once had four bosses in the same job, all at the same time. At one point in my career, I was a department head at a branch location of a company that had a half-dozen locations around the country.
April 23 – 29 is Volunteer Appreciation Week. While we’ll be doling out special recognition for outstanding volunteers that week (stayed tuned for more info on that), we’re using the whole month of April to thank our one-of-a-kind volunteer base. But we need your help.
Scout volunteers, we can’t thank you enough for your devotion to the Scouting movement. But that doesn’t mean we won’t try. In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month, which is April, we want you to send in photos, videos and stories about a volunteer who made a difference in your life or the life of a…
I’ve struggled to understand the role of a junior assistant Scoutmaster. It’s right there on the organizational chart, it has a (kind of fuzzy) job description, but (like many of you) I never found a way to apply this role to my complete satisfaction.
________________________________________ Hi Andy, Long time ago, as an Assistant Scoutmaster then, I “taught” the Scout handshake to one of the troops I now serve as commissioner. Happily, they not only adopted it back then, but even today they execute it correctly, both youth and adult: When I visit the troop today, even the new Scouts and…
Once you and your Scouts have planned a year of Scouting fun, it’s time for the less-fun part. It’s time to figure out how to pay for it all. Creating a budget for your pack, troop, team, post, ship or crew is an essential part of every well-managed, well-financed unit.
Story contributed by Christine Rasure, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Greater St. Louis Area Council Boy Scouts may be boy-led, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing in it for parents. “To me, [Boy Scouts] is when the fun really begins,” says Monica Aschenbrenner, Scoutmaster for Troop 661 chartered to Point School PTO in…
The internet has fallen in love with April, a pregnant 15-year-old giraffe living at the Animal Adventure Park near Binghamton, N.Y. A giraffe pregnancy lasts 15 months, and April has been pregnant for 15 months. So it’s time. Time for everyone to spend hours staring at the live video feed of April’s pen, waiting for…
What are your evening plans this Thursday, April 6? If they don’t include cozying up on the couch to watch Fox’s MasterChef Junior and Kicking and Screaming , you’re seriously missing out (and we suggest you record the episodes just in case!).
Scouting Heritage merit badge requirement 4B asks Scouts to write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Texas. As the museum prepares to relocate to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, the procedure for completing this requirement has changed. Effective April 1, 2017, Scouts seeking information for this requirement should send correspondence to Philmont at…
Crack the code left behind in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Experiment on an egg to discover the effects of pollution on our oceans. Gauge astronaut readiness with simple (and fun) endurance and agility tests. Those are just three of the hands-on meeting activity ideas available to Scout leaders at the all-new Nat Geo Kids Explorers Club.
The Scouts of Melrose Boy Scout Troop 68 have begun selling tickets for their 2017 spring fundraiser. The Pancake and Sausage Breakfast will be held at the Melrose American Legion on Sunday, April 30th. As always, it is an all you can eat breakfast. Contact a member of Troop 68 if you need tickets.
When it comes to camp cuisine, there’s no better food critic than a Boy Scout. Who better to judge the merit of food prepared outdoors than the inventors of the Cooking merit badge? The fine folks at the Fox show MasterChef Junior sure think so.
The Pinewood Derby is THE Cub Scout event. Here's how we learned about creativity, challenge, and collaboration while building a tornado Pinewood Derby car.
For one weekend last month, it was the safest place on the planet — or at least the most exciting. At the county fairgrounds in Anne Arundel County, Md., Scouts and leaders met representatives from more than 40 different county, state and federal law enforcement and public-safety agencies.
The Fox reality show Kicking & Screaming pairs hardcore survivalists with people who have far less experience in the outdoors. Now that Eagle Scout Terry Fossum has made it deep into the show, I’ll recap every episode until he’s eliminated. New episodes air at 9/8 CT Thursdays on Fox.
Because he devoted so much of his life to Scouting, Bill Hemenway was many different things to countless Scouts and Scouters. To some he was a troopmate or Order of the Arrow brother. To others, he was a Cubmaster or Scoutmaster.
It’s now official: The requirement to file a Tour Plan for unit activities is no more. The BSA released word to councils (some time ago) that the procedure would no longer be required. We announced it on Twitter on March 15 when word came down to the Commissioner staff.
Steve Ballmer, owner of the NBA’s LA Clippers, was a special guest at the Greater Los Angeles Area Council’s Business Leaders’ Breakfast last month. During his remarks, which you can watch in full below, Ballmer offered several nuggets of wisdom about leadership.
You can make Cub Scout day camp or twilight camp a fun and memorable learning experience for everyone involved. All you need to do is Be Prepared. First, some definitions: Cub Scout day camp : An organized outdoor experience for a group of Cub Scouts, typically run by districts and/or councils.
Make a pizza box oven with your kids! You can make s'mores without the campfire--all you need is sun. The pizza box solar ovens are quick and easy to make.
________________________________________ Hi Andy, There was, for years, a clear policy on alcohol: No alcohol when Scouts are present. It now seems to be gone; or else I just can’t find it. I tried the Scouter Code of Conduct: “I will not possess, distribute, transport, consume, or use any of the following items prohibited by law or…
The coolest thing to hit the streets of central Ohio isn’t a flashy sports car or tricked-out truck. It’s Troop 510’s new trailer. Michael Brooks created the airbrushed design. Brooks is one of the adult volunteers with the New Concord, Ohio, troop and its associated Venturing Crew 510.
Want insights on how to reach today’s moms? Interested in jump starting your social media? Want to find out more about reaching diverse markets? Want to learn from major brands like Coke, Chick-fil-A and Johnson and Johnson? Then don’t miss the BSA’s 2017 NextConnect Marketing Summits!
Are you or your Scout (or Explorer or Venturer ) heading to the 2017 National Jamboree this summer? If the answer is “yes,” then one thing’s for certain, no matter if you’re a staff member or attendee: you’re going to be busy!
Troop 387, like all the best Boy Scout troops, is youth-led. The adults are there for support and safety. So when the Scouts from Kingsport, Tenn., decided they wanted to earn the Welding merit badge, the adults simply said, “sounds good, how can we help?”
For Dick Williams, the decisive moment came during a casual fishing trip on the Long Island Sound. In the distance, Williams and his cousin watched as a 40-foot clam boat burst into flames. The fire started in the cabin and was spreading fast.
The Fox reality show Kicking & Screaming pairs hardcore survivalists with people who have little experience in the outdoors. Now that Eagle Scout Terry Fossum has made it deep into the show, I’ll recap every episode until he’s eliminated. New episodes air at 9/8 CT Thursdays on Fox.
April 2017 Time to make: 1 hours Boys Life "Slide of the Month" Sept. 1951, page 37 Original design: E.F.S ...and now for another new part of the blog "From Old to New" were I will attempt to update older neckerchief designs from "Slide of the Month" to updated versions.
From the very beginning, Scouting has been a volunteer-driven organization. The paid professionals are but a tiny number of people who make our program go. The heavy lifting is done by the parents and friends who step forward in every unit, district and council.
Let’s say there’s a Boy Scout who has completed all the requirement for the Eagle Scout rank. He finished the merit badges, service project, active participation, Scout spirit, position of responsibility and unit leader conference. But he still lacks one step: the Eagle Scout board of review.
Venturing has named its six top youth leaders for the 2017-2018 term. These five young women and one young man will lead the BSA’s program for older youth beginning June 1, 2017. Their terms conclude May 31, 2018. The National Venturing Officers’ Association includes the national Venturing president, national Venturing vice president and presidents from…
Lucas Till, who plays MacGyver, hangs out on the set with the big winner. Justin Hires, who plays Wilt Bozer, sits with Jake. Leave it to MacGyver to craft a way inside an impossible-to-reach location. Jake G., a Boy Scout from Troop 565 of Round Rock, Texas, won the grand prize in the CBS MacGyver…
________________________________________ Dear Andy, I’ve heard that some troops are recruiting new members by inviting Scout-age boys to come on a campout. The idea is camping is where we shine, and boys who missed or dropped out of Cub Scouts can be hooked back in.
The fabled Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino is, apparently, a real thing . Even a Scout or Scouter with the most pronounced sweet tooth might think twice. Starbucks says it’s “made with a sweet dusting of pink powder, blended into a crème Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle.”
This much I know to be true: Starbucks needs more Scouting-themed Frappuccino flavors. The coffee chain offers a seasonal drink called the S’mores Frappuccino , which blends marshmallow-infused whipped cream, milk chocolate sauce and a graham cracker crumble. It’s a campfire in a cup, and it’s quite tasty.
How to Make Fun Treats with Scout Law Candy Wrappers
These Scout Law candy wrapper kits make awesome treats for your next Cub Scout event. Find out what supplies you need and how to make these adorable gifts.
Evan Mario Macrone never let cancer hold him back from enjoying Scouting. And in a poem he wrote three months before he died, he encouraged all of us to let nothing hold us back from enjoying life. The poem is at the bottom of this post, but I first wanted you to learn more about…
If you want to know about cutting-edge inventions that help people, exciting experiments, and all-around STEM power (science, technology, engineering, and math), who better to talk to than a STEM Scout ? That’s exactly what Time for Kids magazine’s “kid reporter” did in a recent interview with Anjali R., Middle Tennessee Council’s STEM Scout of the…
A Scouting program for kindergarten-age boys is available as a national pilot for select councils Research shows that childhood development accelerates around ages four and five, about the time youth begin formal education. To supplement the learning and growth boys experience at home and in an educational environment at that age, Boy Scouts of America…
Scouts who enter our nation’s military academies find themselves with a leg up on their classmates. Leadership, patriotism and service? Those are characteristics Scouts are known for. No surprise, then, that student applications from cadets and midshipmen at U.S. military academies reveal an impressive number of Eagle Scouts and former Scouts.
Cub Scouting teaches boys to identify what positive characteristics and traits make a hero. They also learn the importance of acknowledging those heros.
The Fox reality show Kicking & Screaming pairs hardcore survivalists with people who have little experience in the outdoors. Now that Eagle Scout Terry Fossum has made it deep into the show, I’ll recap every episode until he’s eliminated … or wins?
Want to experience the fun of the 2017 National Jamboree but can’t be there for the whole 10 days? Become a Jamboree visitor. Bring your family or friends and live the adventure for a day or two — or more. The Jamboree is July 19 to 28 at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia; visitors…
Have you, or your Scouts, ever played the game of Telephone? A group forms a circle, and the first person thinks of a message. He whispers it to the second person, and the second to the third, and so on, until it reaches the last person.
A year ago, Troop 443 of North Carolina was on a weekend campout when the Scouts made a daunting discovery: They didn’t bring enough food. “We realized that our patrol members failed to plan for all our food needs,” writes Star Scout Miles L.
Update, May 4 : Added three more Scouting alumni: Rep. Jack Bergman (Mich.), Rep. Ted Budd (N.C.) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), including one Eagle Scout (Fitzpatrick). Scouts reach some high places. They summit Mount Everest, walk on the moon, become CEOs and win Super Bowls.
April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month and I want to express my deep gratitude to all the men and women who volunteer with our organization. It is your generosity with your time, resources and knowledge that helps Scouting succeed. Moving through the ranks of our programs, each Scout interacts with potentially dozens, if not hundreds…
The Looking Back, Looking Forward Cub Scout adventure can be challenging. Here are some good resources your Webelos and Arrows of Light can use for it.
Update : Many commenters have pointed out that it’s best to store propane tanks upright and on the outside of your trailer. In Troop 101, even the layout of the troop trailer follows the patrol method. Everything in the 6-foot-by-12-foot trailer is organized by patrol.
The clock is ticking. It's up to you to solve the puzzles before time runs out in BL's new game Dredd Speed Vs. The Hex http://media.boyslife.org/onlinegames/hex/ The clock is ticking. It's up to you to help Dredd solve the puzzles before time runs out.
We all know Scouting is a strong and vibrant force in communities across the nation. Our Scouts are eager to serve in countless capacities, whether through simple daily turns or large-scale Eagle projects. Through the Adopt-A-School program, participating Scouts partner with school administrators to offer volunteer services that meet their school’s needs.
Join us in congratulating Ben Blumenberg, who will serve as the Scout executive of Sagamore Council in Kokomo, Indiana, effective May 16. Ben began his Scouting career as a district executive at Greater St. Louis Area Council in St. Louis, Missouri.
Photo credit: Bryan on Scouting Earning a merit badge isn’t just about donning colorful new additions to your uniform. More importantly, it’s about building new skills and uncovering a passion for something you may not have tried otherwise. Thanks to BSA’s partnership with Lincoln Electric , more Scouts across the country are trying their (gloved) hands…
________________________________________ Hi Andy, Our son just got home from a weekend campout. While there, he participated in a Firem’n Chit “class” taught by a Second Class Scout (same rank as our son). During this class, he was told that since he couldn’t start a fire with one match he wouldn’t get his Chit.
The best way to break down stereotypes about a person is to spend as much time with them as you can. In the case of Troop 4 of Worcester, Mass., that meant forming not one but three Special Olympics Unified Sports basketball teams.
The Kicking & Screaming premise was tantalizingly simple: Pair 10 of America’s most hardcore survivalists with 10 “total divas.” Toss that tumultuous 20 into the wild and see what happens. Well, what happened was the one Scoutmaster in the group made it all the way to the end, besting seven other survivalists, many of whom are…
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