Browse by year
73 posts, oldest first.
A while back, we ran a couple articles about the role that other adults play in a Boy Scout troop. By “other” adults, I’m referring to assistant Scoutmasters, committee members and parents of Scouts. But sometimes, you encounter a situation where adults like to stick around after their sons have aged out and moved on.
Congratulations to Daniel Rogers, who will serve as Scout executive of Georgia-Carolina Council in Augusta, Georgia, effective May 16. Daniel began his Scouting career as a district executive at Daniel Boone Council in Asheville, North Carolina. He moved on to become the council’s camping director and, later, assistant Scout executive.
In many packs, Cub Scouts finish their rank advancement just in time for the blue and gold banquet in February. This approach lets families gather to celebrate the Cub Scouts’ accomplishments well before the end of the school year. It also signals that it’s time for Webelos Scouts to begin their transition to Boy Scouting…
Whitewater Rafting High Adventure May 2017 Cafe Press Items Keywords: Diesslin, knots scout cartoon, jamboree, rafting, whitewater, titanic, king of the world, rapids, scouts Copyright - U.S. Scouting Service Project | Visit us at http://usscouts.org | News at http://usssp.blogspot.com
________________________________________ Hi Andy, What’s the BSA policy for an adult leader to wear his actual Eagle Scout medal? The term, “formal occasions,” has come up on some websites. What’s considered a formal occasion in Boy Scouting? (McKay Dunn, CSLRTC/CM, Trapper Trails Council, UT) Let’s start with this: Male, uniform-wearing BSA volunteers who earned Eagle Scout rank…
Just because school classrooms go dark in the summer doesn’t mean Cub Scouting has to. Extend the fun of Cub Scouting into the year’s hottest season by earning the National Summertime Pack Award . To be eligible, your pack must hold one activity per month in June, July and August.
You’ve heard me talk before about how Exploring is a vehicle for growth for our organization, along with serving its primary purpose of helping Explorers grow their skills and reach their full potential. It is successfully serving this growth purpose; participation grew by 7 percent in 2016, which is very exciting.
Your boys can make a Cub Scout robot hand in only 10 simple steps! This robot hand will fulfill one of the Bear elective adventure requirements in Robotics.
Rank advancement in Cub Scouting is not like rank advancement in Boy Scouting. And that’s by design. In Cub Scouting, advancement is grade- or age-based. It’s a rank-per-year system designed to offer age-appropriate fun and challenges as Cub Scouts progress through the program.
We know fundraising fuels Scouting adventures. That means Scouts must be enjoying some epic adventures in and around Bartlesville, Okla.; Spokane, Wash.; Hagerstown, Md.; and Zanesville, Ohio. Councils based in those four cities earned the top spots as Camp Masters 2016 Fundraisers of the Year.
Building on the success of last year’s efforts, the 2017 National Growth Conference is designed to highlight successful implementation of the Membership Plan by local Scouting volunteers and professionals in addition to giving you information and inspiration as you work to further expand Scouting’s programs to more of our nation’s youth!
First, you Explain how it’s done. “I’m going to roast this marshmallow over the fire until it’s golden brown. Then I’m going to sandwich it between two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate.” Then, you Demonstrate the steps you just explained.
At our church, I serve on a committee that oversees our communication efforts. Among our tasks are the advertising and promotions that we place in local media, our various “side-door” ministries (activities that help to enrich the community, like Scouting) and the church website.
Upon hearing the Scout motto, someone asked Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell the inevitable follow-up question. “Prepared for what?” “Why, for any old thing,” he replied. In 1907, Baden-Powell, an English soldier, devised the Scout motto: Be Prepared. He published it in Scouting for Boys in 1908.
Steven Holcomb, the Eagle Scout who piloted the U.S. four-man bobsled team to Olympic gold in 2010, has died. He was 37. The U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Federation said Holcomb died in his sleep on Saturday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Consider for a moment how many images you come across in a single day. Add up each post on Facebook and Twitter and Snapchat and Instagram and Pinterest and … That’s the cluttered online landscape into which those of us who want to grow Scouting must venture.
________________________________________ “Thought for the Day”… We applaud the youngest Olympic Gold Medalist. We honor the octogenarian who crosses the finish line at the Boston or New York marathon. But when it comes to Eagle Scouts, far too many of us dismiss this singular achievement by calling the youngest “baby Eagles” or the oldest “cardiac Eagles.”
If you have a passion for Scouting and love to take photographs, then make plans to attend the Visual Storytelling Workshop at Philmont Training Center, August 6-12, 2017. There, you’ll learn how to capture and share decisive moments in Scouting to help with recruiting and retention.
David Lynch’s bio — the one he uses on Twitter and sends to members of the press — is rather sparse. “Born Missoula, Mont. Eagle Scout.” But as you might expect with Lynch, the surrealist director of films like The Elephant Man and creator of the murder mystery TV series Twin Peaks , there are a lot more…
Service is a big part of the Scouting program. Find 27 Cub Scout service project ideas to help your Scouts reap the benefits of volunteering.
If you missed last week’s Scouting Wire story highlighting the 2017 National Growth Conference, you’re in luck because it’s still available , and we’re giving you all the major take-aways you can use in your council today! The 2017 National Growth Conference is designed to highlight successful implementation of the Membership Plan by local Scouting volunteers…
2017 is the year to bring the excitement of Scouting to the forefront – it is time to Adventure On! BSA volunteers and staff will never miss a beat while attending the 2017 National Annual Meeting thanks to the new Adventure On!
This morning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made this announcement: "As part of the Church's ongoing effort to evaluate and improve its service to families and young people worldwide, the Church will no longer charter Varsity or Venturing units with the Boy Scouts of America and Scouts Canada effective January 1, 2018."
With a mild winter and warmer spring, vegetation around here is earlier than usual. I found these new growth poison ivy plants just getting started on my hike this morning. In 2013 , poison ivy was almost a month later. The garlic mustard and buckthorn are also already green and growing.
Scouting inspired Marcus Reynerson to become a naturalist, conservationist and environmental educator. And now Reynerson wants to use those talents to save a species. Reynerson and his colleagues are trying to prevent the extinction of the mountain caribou of the Pacific Northwest.
Many of you know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has been a chartered partner of the Boy Scouts of America for more than a century. Today, I’ve invited our National Commissioner, Charles Dahlquist, to Chief’s Corner.
May 2017 Time to design: 2 hours Time to print: 2 hours (your times may vary Finishing: 1 hour Original design: autocad123 Original designer: unknown Try it yourself: Gemini capsule slide Another slide you can 3D print and paint! Fascinated by the space race as a kid, I watched every launch I could.
Venturers, with their green uniform shirts, stand out in a world of tan-shirted Scouts. And the eight Venturers who will receive the 2017 National Venturing Leadership Award stand out in the world of Venturing. The 2017 National Venturing Leadership Award recognizes great work done in 2016.
It’s May, so summer is almost here, and many Cub Scout packs are wrapping up their school year meeting schedules with springtime events designed to cap off a year of fun with a lighter activity or a ceremony to mark the transition from one year to the next.
Last week’s news of the LDS church opting out of the BSA Varsity and Venturing programs is sad, but not surprising. Sad because those programs could have and should have been leveraged to help further prepare these boys for life… that’s why both programs exist and what boy scouting is all about!
Never tell Bryan Zschiesche the odds. Two once-in-a-lifetime events were scheduled for the same Saturday afternoon this month. The likelihood he could attend both? Exceedingly slim. His Boy Scout troop was celebrating its 100th anniversary in Longview, Texas, with the party set to end around 2:30 p.m.
Join us as we congratulate Michael Jenkins, who will serve as Scout executive of the Voyageurs Area Council in Hermantown, Minnesota, effective June 16, 2017. Michael’s Scouting career began as a district executive at the Grand Canyon Council in Phoenix, Arizona.
Scouts and social media go together like selfies and hashtags – which means Scouters have to get on board with social trends too (hint: it’s never too late to start effectively reaching potential Scouts and their parents). And if everything I just said sounds like I’m speaking another language, no worries.
The leadership lessons learned in Scouting aren’t taught in schools, but you can find them in a book. That is, provided that book is the Patrol Leader Handbook or Senior Patrol Leader Handbook . These essential guides for Boy Scout leaders have been updated for 2017.
Make a hero (sandwich) with your Cub Scouts! This activity works great for the Cub Scout elective adventures, Build My Own Hero and Hometown Heroes.
________________________________________ Thought for the Day… “It’s easy to lead a group of Scouts who want to go where you’re leading them. The challenge is when they don’t want to head in that direction!” (Tim Donohue, Eagle Scout-April 12, 2017) ========== Dear Andy, We have a Scout in our troop who we’ve been working with for years to…
We already know how great the Exploring program is. Just ask Keith from Las Vegas, Didi from Orange County, or even Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (who also happens to be an Eagle Scout).
If you have been trying to help scouts cook balanced, healthy, wholesome meals on campouts, you might as well give up on breakfast this year. General Mills is giving away 10,000 boxes of Marshmallow Only Lucky Charms cereal! When scouts go shopping for food, they might notice the specially-marked boxes of Lucky Charms on retail…
Jamboree shows are a big reason these quadrennial events are so epic. Tens of thousands of Scouts and Scouters gather to laugh, get inspired and rock out to some great music. Shows are a visual reminder that, as Scouts, we’re part of something bigger than our own troops and councils.
Something is new for National Annual Meeting this year – we’ve gone digital ! NAM attendees can now access their personalized schedule and resources through the convenience of their smart phone, tablet or laptop. And since this is new, we thought we’d share a few quick and easy ways to help you use the Adventure On!
For more than 200 years, the American flag has been a source of pride and reverence for citizens of the United States. Among those citizens, Scouts young and old are known for their deep respect for The Stars and Stripes and are even called to be reverent in the Scout Law.
A couple months ago I made my first ever visit to the emergency room. It wasn’t for me, it was for my wife. It was a bit of an unnerving experience… I’m not very comfortable around the medical field. As soon as we left the hospital, I couldn’t help but think that what I learned…
Why buy separate gear items when things already in your backpack or trunk can pull double (or triple) duty? A Scout is thrifty, after all. So here, courtesy of our friends at Thermacell , you’ll find a list of 5 camping items that can serve purposes beyond the obvious.
The Scouting Alumni Association has changed its name to Scouting Alumni & Friends , a reminder that the group is open to anyone who wants to help further Scouting’s mission — even those who were never in Scouting as young people. The Scouting Alumni & Friends name and logo are being officially unveiled at the BSA’s annual meeting next…
Ever get that sinking feeling? Like you’re coming apart at the seams? Like the walls around you are caving in? I’ve got just the thing. Here are 49 photos sure to brighten your day. They come from a cardboard boat race I covered in 2014 at Winterfest , the massive annual event for Explorers and Venturers…
Since its launch last fall, the Lion pilot program has grown from just four councils to more than 200. As we start laying the groundwork for recruiting and another year of activities, now is the perfect time to take a step back and see how we’re doing.
Ethics. It’s a big word. It can be a loaded word in some ways. Ethics is typically defined as the fundamental principles of decent human conduct. Merriam-Webster defines it as the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation.
Accidents are quite rare in Scouting. But when one does occur, it probably didn’t happen while camping. It likely didn’t involve backpacking, canoeing or climbing, either. The majority of Scouting accidents happen on the way to or from Scouting activities.
As a service to the great folks in West Virginia, we are again encouraging everyone involved in the 2017 National Scout Jamboree; troops, crews, and posts to ask your members to bring one shelf-stable food item to donate to the West Virginia Food Bank on arrival day - July 19th.
Congratulations to Donald Bean, who will serve as Scout executive of Montana Council in Great Falls, Montana, effective July 1, 2017. Don began his Scouting career as a district executive at Great Salt Lake Council in Salt Lake City, Utah.
________________________________________ Have you ever thought, “Wow! I wish I’d said that!” Well here’s one that, for me, fits that category. It’s from long-time loyal reader, Jason Orton. Jason’s message can stand by itself today, and be remembered by us all for the future… Dear Andy, Another great issue of Ask Andy this week!
Texting while driving is more than simply unsafe. In 46 states and the District of Columbia, it’s against the law. That includes all four states that are home to BSA high-adventure bases: Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico and West Virginia. Talking on a handheld cellphone while driving is banned in 14 states and the District of…
One badge to rule them all, one badge to find them, one badge to bring them all and in Scouting bind them" It took one badge to start them all. Like weird parody of the Lord of the Rings One Ring poem*, it took one badge to start them all, and bring them all together.
In many cities and towns, the mission to grow Scouting begins at schools. That’s where lots of young people first learn about the Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops of which their classmates are members. The alignment is natural and robust.
If everybody’s in charge of watching kids in the water, that usually means nobody is watching. By selecting a single, responsible adult to be in charge of supervision, you could prevent drownings and save lives. Designate a water watcher — at both Scouting and non-Scouting events — whenever you’re in, on or around water.
Philmont is a land of starlit skies, aspen-covered hills and wind in whisp’ring pines. That’s how John Westfall, who wrote “The Philmont Hymn,” described the Scouting paradise in New Mexico. Westfall was a teenager in 1945 when he wrote the song.
The 80's may not have taught me much about style (looks like that is a trucker cap, Dallas Cowboys jacket, camo pants, and Puma sneakers - yikes!), but it sure did teach me about service to others. Lending a helping hand, doing a good turn daily, being a not just a leader, but a leader who…
KonTiki 2017 took place recently, and was the coldest and one of the stormiest KonTiki weekends in some time. In spite of the rain, wind, hail and frost, 55 teams arrived to camp, taking part on this year's theme of "Let's Play!"
Eagle Scout Alex Sims is all about helping other people. He participates in Scouting for Food drives. He volunteers to clean up his school and his community. And each month, he and some buddies head to the library to teach science to younger students.
Ever since he was in Cub Scouts, Blake Deaton knew he wanted his Eagle Scout service project to help students with special needs. Students like his twin brother, Shane, who is autistic and legally blind. So when he became a Life Scout, Blake approached Savanna Hersh, Shane’s special-needs teacher.
Somewhere along the way, we forgot what Memorial Day is all about. The last Monday in May is still the day where we honor men and women who died in service to our country. But now it’s being crowded out by trips to the lake, family cookouts and mattress sales.
Saborn Va, right, and Michael Nebeker from the Great Salt Lake Council. Saborn Va was sitting in his Salt Lake City church a year ago when a group of church leaders asked for volunteers to help lead a Scout unit made up entirely of refugees.
Some have names you know: Robert Baden-Powell, Charles Lindbergh, Hank Aaron. Others are Scouters whose names are less universally known but whose impact on Scouting has been just as transformative. Their common bond: the Silver Buffalo Award — the Boy Scouts of America’s highest honor for adult volunteers.
Justin Cody is no outdoorsman. He’s forced to take a canoe trip in Canada with his grandfather, but he’d rather be at home texting his friends and playing videogames. But when Justin’s grandfather is kidnapped during the trip, the 13-year-old must learn canoeing and camping skills to save himself and his grandpa.
________________________________________ Hi Andy, I’ve been our troop’s Scoutmaster for the last five years and an Assistant Scoutmaster before that. We’d like to have a Unit Commissioner for our troop, so that we can function better and run our troop the way that it’s supposed to be (particularly Scout-led).
Stephanie Shaw was raised in a house of women. She was an adult when she was first introduced to Scouting. That’s when she met the man who would become her husband. He’s an Eagle Scout, and both his dad and his grandfather were Scoutmasters.
Congratulations to Duc Button, who will serve as Scout executive of Maui County Council in Wailuku, Hawaii, effective July 1, 2017. Duc began his Scouting career as a district executive at Mount Baker Council in Everett, Washington. He was promoted to district director and later field director at the same council, as well as assistant…
If the best things in life are free, what happened over the weekend is basically the best thing ever. The No. 19 Boy Scouts of America race car finished third in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 — the biggest racing event of the year.
The Exploring team is constantly churning out new and updated resources each month to help you bring hands-on career exploration to more youth across the country. Have you seen the five newest additions to Exploring.org’s trove of tools? Keep reading for a peek at the latest Exploring material, developed to help you make your council’s…
Earning the Cub Scout Whittling Chip is a rite of passage for many Bear Scouts! You can find all of the Whittling Chip requirements here.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with everything there is to teach your Scouts about Leadership? You wish you had weeks to sit down with each Scout individually to coach and train them how to be leaders. Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time.
When your council contingents depart from the 2017 National Jamboree this summer, they can bring the equipment home to support local council/troop camping opportunities back home. If your council is not interested in acquiring the equipment, participants will be able to purchase the very gear they used at the Summit Bechtel Reserve!
As you may know the jamboree will have a dedicated band of Scouts and Scouters. On Wednesday, July 26th at 10:00am you will have the chance to sit in on a rehearsal and practice with the Jamboree Band. At noon you can participate in a mini-concert located at the Summit Center.
