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Did you hear the big news? I’m talking really big. The Boy Scouts of America announced today that it will build the Transcontinental Pinewood Derby Track — a 2,560-mile wooden course that will begin in San Francisco and end in New York.
________________________________________ BSA REVAMPS PHILMONT! CIMARRON, NM – Following several years of nationwide conferences and planning sessions, the Boy Scouts of America will be launching major reconfigurations of Philmont Scout Ranch and Training Center this summer. Here are some of the highlights of changes to come… The famous “Tooth of Time” will be drilled out and converted into…
Recently, the Boy Scouts of America updated (overhauled, really) its youth protection training and related requirements, which I wrote about here. Among the changes is the new requirement that adults staying at a long-term Scouting event, such as summer camp, must be registered with the BSA if they attend the event for more than 72…
April 2018 Time to carve: 2 hours Finishing: 1.5 hour Boy's Life July, 1976 Design: Wayne Mason An interesting idea, weigh down a person with a big metal helmet while pumping air down to them. There is pretty good video of an old diving suit out on you tube.
Jennifer Clutter (back right) and Patty Smith each lead all-girl dens in Pack 3 of the Mecklenburg County Council. When Jennifer Clutter first learned that girls could join Cub Scouting, she immediately rushed to tell her 8-year-old daughter, Kennedy. “The first words she spoke were, ‘So I can earn my Eagle too?’
Over the years, the BSA has been a leader in the development of policies to prevent predators from having access to children in Scouting. They are called the BSA’s Barriers to Abuse and they are designed for the safety of youth members— and adult program leaders.
It may be surprising for some, but the very first section in every Cub Scout and Scouts BSA handbook isn’t dedicated to camping or hiking, but to youth protection. “The safety of children is always our first priority,” said Michael Johnson, Youth Protection Director for the Boy Scouts of America.
My Ward recently announced a split and overnight, I lost my “job”. It was pretty hard that first weekend to think about all that we were planning and preparing for 2018 that changed in an instant! We all knew this was coming but didn’t know exactly when… and this being my first time experiencing a…
A couple of years ago, Eagle Scout Sean Ochsenbein and his wife came across a devastating head-on collision in East Tennessee while driving home from a ski trip. Ochsenbein, an EMT at the time, quickly noticed flames coming from both vehicles and the drivers were still inside.
As Scouts and Scouters, our preferred mode of transportation involves our feet, a paddle or two bicycle wheels. But even the most adventurous Scouting journey begins in a vehicle. When that happens, you, as the driver, are responsible for safely transporting Scouts and Venturers there and back.
It was only a year ago that Laura H., a Cub Scout in San Diego, was going to Cub Scouting events with her older brother, and, while she was participating in all of the activities, she wasn’t able to earn any of the achievements.
The National Executive Committee and Board voted that the Lion pilot has proven successful and is ready to officially join the Cub Scouting family! Research and feedback says… Developing character is the #1 reason to join Scouting, according to parents.
When we think of flag etiquette, we think of things like not letting the flag touch the ground, where the flag should be placed, etc. But before we learn those things, we need to learn how to honor the flag with our behavior, especially during a Cub Scout flag ceremony.
After trading their Boy Scout uniform for a police, fire or military uniform, some Eagle Scouts make the ultimate sacrifice. The Line of Duty Fallen Eagle Recognition from the National Eagle Scout Association honors those Eagle Scouts who have died while serving as police officers, firefighters or members of the military.
Robotics and Scouting is “a perfect combination,” Life Scout Nicholas Shunick says. Nicholas and some of his fellow Boy Scouts from Troop 125 in Gainesville, Fla., will head to Houston next week to compete in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST, for short) Lego League Championship.
Story by Lido Vizzutti of the Montana Council Bear Cub Scout Blake G., 9, assisted 80-year-old neighbor after falling and breaking her leg. Bear Cub Scout Blake G., 9, began riding his bike every day after school looking for people who might need help.
More than 900 million products were recalled in the U.S. last year. Many of those products are still in families’ homes. Eagle Scout Chris LoPresti and his team decided to do something about this potentially dangerous problem. They launched Bonnie , a free recall monitoring service that automatically analyzes your purchases and alerts you when a…
Learn how to make a paper airplane for the Wolf Cub Scout elective adventures, Motor Away and Air of the Wolf. These fun activities could be done at a pack meeting too And Motor Away counts toward the Cub Scout Nova award, Swing!
Proper gear for climbing includes a quality harness, good rope, the right clothing and shoes — and a climbing helmet. I was surprised to learn the reason we wear helmets when rock climbing goes beyond merely cushioning the cranium in a fall.
What makes Matt Moniz the ideal person to be the BSA’s first Adventure Ambassador? Only everything he’s ever done. At age 12, Matt needed just 43 days to climb the highest point in each of the 50 states. Two years later, he earned the Eagle Scout Award (Troop 171, Boulder, Colo.).
Email questions! I’ll answer email questions concerning patrols and planning in this week’s podcast. I think what most of us want is patrols with long storied histories, stable membership, and high functioning Scouts. It’s my suspicion these kinds of patrols only exist in the pages of handbook.
It’s time for Show and Tell, where Scouters show their favorite photos based on that week’s Scouting topic and tell the story behind them. Share your photos on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #ScoutingShowandTell Or upload a photo as a comment below.
This photo of Jon Bon Jovi (wearing black hat) as a Cub Scout is on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Detroit-area Scouter Jay Bottorff spotted the photo and sent it in to us. Jon Bon Jovi’s boyhood experience with the Pinewood Derby was no Bed of Roses.
________________________________________ Dear Andy, For his Eagle board of review, a Scout provides the names and contact information for up to six references. Following his successful review, two questions for you: Should “thank you” notes or letters be sent to the people who provided those references?
Scout 1 is trying to raise funds for his Eagle Scout project. Message me if you'd like to contribute - - - - - - - - - - - Hello, I am a Boy Scout from Troop 117 working on my Eagle Scout Project. I am making signs for a "Planet Walk" at the Cameron Park Rotary Community Observatory.
April 2017 Time to make: 1 hour (give or take a few years) Original design: Nature An old friend once told me "slides don't make themselves", well maybe I had to do some work but there is no way I could have designed this myself.
I’ve had the opportunity to review several Eagle Scout leadership service projects over the years. Just as each Scout is different, so is their level of preparation for their projects. Some have mapped out their projects down to every screw and nail, while others give a more general description of what is being proposed or…
Michael Costello accomplished a lot in less than 15 years. He never let anything — certainly not a heart condition and other chronic health issues — stand in the way of his goals. Michael died March 11, 2017 — just a week shy of his 15th birthday.
Working with older Scouts between the ages of 14-18 … … is both challenging and rewarding. What interests keep them involved? Simply turning up the ‘wow’ factor doesn’t do much to keep them engaged, because they are looking for much more than fun.
They’re called early adopter Cub Scout packs. These Scout units, with council approval, have been welcoming girls since Jan. 15. Early feedback from this soft launch of Family Scouting has been excellent. One den leader told me the girls in her den “are curious and want new experiences in a fun and positive environment.
One-third of Venturing Crew 19 in Normal, Illinois, has the same goal this summer: report to Cadet Basic Training at West Point. Danielle Cross, Shane Hickman and Isaac Hageberg each chose the U.S. Military Academy with different career paths in mind, but they’re all looking to better themselves while helping others.
Cub Scout skits are a super fun part of den and pack meetings. But doing the same skits over and over can get boring. Let the Scouts' creativity shine with this fun activity where they create their own skit using prompts written on craft sticks!
NOAC 2018 — the National Order of the Arrow Conference this summer at Indiana University — is sure to be an exceptional experience for the 8,000 Arrowmen who will attend. Having been there for NOAC 2015, I can tell you it’s an event unlike anything else in Scouting.
Michael Yerger, a contestant on the 36th season of the CBS reality show Survivor , is an Eagle Scout. Yerger, who was 18 when Survivor: Ghost Island was filmed in the summer of 2017 in Fiji, is trying to be the youngest person ever to win Survivor .
When Justin Aubin learned that Yale University allowed students to include videos with their application, he was thrilled. Yale challenged applicants to demonstrate “a community to which you belong and the footprint you have left.” Justin had the perfect response.
At Space Camp, young people train like astronauts. Using high-tech simulators and learning from experts, they live and work as a team to plan a mission to Mars and beyond. But this incubator of interplanetary innovation isn’t located in the obvious space places like Houston or Cape Canaveral, Fla.
It’s every mother’s dream to watch her daughter succeed and achieve more than she was ever able to. New Cub Scout mom Anita J. mirrors that sentiment as she watches her daughter join an all-girl Cub Scout den – an opportunity she always hoped for as a child.
It’s time for Show and Tell , where Scouters show their favorite photos based on that week’s Scouting topic and tell the story behind them. Upload a photo as a comment below. Just click the image icon at the bottom of any comment box and choose which file you’d like to upload.
Ryan Kelly, who received a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his chilling photo of a car plowing into a group of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Va., is an Eagle Scout. Kelly was a staff photojournalist at The Daily Progress in Charlottesville from 2013 to 2017.
Lots of Pioneering and More! Information and Registration: http://www.philmontscoutranch.org/ptc.aspx or call Philmont Training Center: 575-376-2281
The six young people selected to serve on the 2018-2019 National Venturing Officers’ Association will play a critical role. With the support of adult volunteers and professionals, they will shape Venturing’s future, make important decisions and serve as Venturing’s public face.
Webelos dens as patrols and more older Scout issues … Catching up on email questions this week I’ll talk about Webelos dens working the patrol method and discuss the causes of at least some older Scout problems. (If you listen very carefully you may detect a rant this week).
An environmental clean-up project should be much more than a way to simply fulfill service hour requirements. But how do you ensure picking up trash doesn’t devolve into that? For Pack 267 and Troop 267 in Fredonia, N.Y., leaders and parents have helped turn such projects into learning opportunities and fun annual traditions.
Do you know the story of George Washington and his father’s cherry tree? It goes that six-year-old Washington damaged a cherry tree with a hatchet. When he was confronted by his father, George bravely responded, “I cannot tell a lie … I did cut it with my hatchet.”
Six conferences being offered at the Philmont Training Center this summer are about training. Getting trained on training at the Philmont Training Center? Now that’s meta. If your Scouting job involves training other leaders, you should consider attending one of these volunteer development conferences, supported by ScoutingU’s Learning Delivery Team.
Bill Steele (left) and Hemirrhagus billsteelei, the spider named in his honor. Eagle Scout Bill Steele, a world-renowned speleologist, spends a lot of his time inside caves in Mexico. Hemirrhagus billsteelei , a newly discovered species of spider, spends all of its time there.
Cheerful service doesn’t take a week off — not even for spring break. Arrowmen from as far away as Minnesota and Colorado traveled to the Florida Sea Base in March to complete a week of hurricane cleanup. They called this giant spring break service project SeaBreak.
Leggings, Capris, Skorts, and Scarves - these are some of the new girl gear items coming to Scouting this year. With girls joining Cub Scouts, BSA National Supply has been making some clothing updates for the new scouts. You will probably be seeing these items (and more) in your Scout Shop in the not too distant…
________________________________________ In my Issue no. 563, Lee Murray asked, “Can a Scout start a merit badge under the old requirements and finish under the new, provided he has completed all of the new requirements? Is there anything that says he can’t do this?”
The Boy Scouts of America’s National Advancement Team continuously reviews and updates matters of advancement across our programs. They work to keep requirements relevant and establish clear wording so the chances of misunderstanding are minimal. Part of their mission is to keep volunteers informed not only on new advancement opportunities, but also ways we can…
I think the 29th Burscough Scout group would be a fun bunch of scouts to visit some day! They have come up with an energetic request to contact other scouts around the world by making a video on Facebook. Watch It This scout group has an active FB page that you might scan through to…
In California, a 7-year-old girl screamed with delight when she learned she could become an official member of her brother’s Cub Scout pack. In Tennessee, a Cubmaster approached his chartered organization about becoming an early adopter pack and welcoming girls, and the church leader told him “we’re right behind you.”
When thinking about Eagle Scout advancement … .. we ought to ask “what is an Eagle Scout?” rather than “who deserves to be an Eagle Scout?” The answer to the question “who deserves to be an Eagle Scout?” is easy; any Scout who completes the requirements.
