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Via Rusty L. of Troop 380, Arlington, Texas. Plans for the Eagle Scout court of honor were chugging along until the parents started looking for a bakery to prepare an Eagle Scout-themed cake for the big day. Bakery after bakery told them they wouldn’t put any trademarked BSA logos on the cake.
April 2019 Time to carve: 2 hours Finishing: 1.5 hour Boy's Life - August 1975 Design: Wayne Mason I do apologize that I don't have great pictures of this slide so here is one with and without a flash. Coming off making the wooden bucket slide, I knew I wanted to use Oak so the grain…
There’s a reason only about 10% of applicants get accepted into West Point each year. The U.S. Military Academy takes only the best of the best: men and women who are physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. That explains why Michael Norris, an Eagle Scout from Red Bank, S.C., will join the academy’s Class…
Story contributed by Laura Clay, district director, Catuenga, of the Western Los Angeles County Council In the fall of 2018, as our council’s family Scouting staff advisor, I was working with an organizer for what would become an all-girl troop, Troop 642 in Calabasas, CA.
David Montgomery credits what he learned in Scouting with leading him to this year’s NFL draft. Last week, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears . “To become an Eagle Scout was an experience I needed for me in my life that brought me here to this point and also influenced my mindset and the way…
Congratulations to Dirk M. Smith, who will serve as Scout executive of the Montana Council in Great Falls, Montana effective May 16, 2019. Dirk began his Scouting career as a district executive at the Put-Han-Sen Area Council in Findlay, Ohio.
Actually, you can make this stuff up. We know that because it’s the same excuse fabricated by countless high schoolers who forgot to finish last night’s homework: “My dog ate it.” Only, this time, in the case of Jacob Sorenson of Troop 230 from Ames, Iowa, the statement is 100% trustworthy: “My dog ate the…
As part of a new series, Scouting Wire is taking a look at how members of our Scouting family across the country observe a variety of religious holidays of their own faith and support fellow unit members in theirs. This month, join us as we hear from the leader of a Cub Scout den from…
Preventing the ends of rope from fraying is a process referred to as “whipping.” Learning how to whip the ends of a rope is one of the early requirements on the Scouts BSA advancement trail. Indeed there are many approaches to whipping a rope, but the one that’s used for the hundreds of lashing ropes…
________________________________________ Hi Andy, Our troop has logo T-shirts that both our Scouts and our adult volunteers wear. And, for a parallel troop for girls that we’re starting up, we’re now ordering T-shirts for the girls, in a female cut. Okay so far, but then, in preparation for a fund-raising car wash, the mothers on our troop…
Scout Shop has huge surprises for shoppers next week. To help you #GetReadyForCamp, it’s rolling out an epic lineup of incentives. (Pro tip: Read this entire post to find out how you can start taking advantage of all this event has to offer!)
The BSA's most popular district name is also the name of the U.S. Air Force demonstration squadron. There are 17 Thunderbirds across various BSA councils. Perhaps your pack shines in the North Star or Polaris district. Or maybe your troop makes waves in a district known as Three Rivers, Two Rivers or even Twin Rivers.
Twilight’s coming and you know a swarm of biting insects will soon descend upon you and your Scouts. How do you prepare for the irritating pests? All you need is a couple of seconds, and faster than you can say, “daddy long legs,” you can have a haven from insects thanks to SansBug .
Please join us as we congratulate John Sumner, who will serve as Scout executive of the Cornhusker Council in Lincoln, Nebraska, effective June 16, 2019. John began his Scouting career as a district executive at the Denver Area Council in Denver, Colorado.
As a liver surgeon at one of the nation’s top hospitals, Dr. Nicholas Nissen spends his day fixing problems. But 37 years ago, when Nissen was a Life Scout, he had his own problem in need of fixing. Nissen hadn’t yet completed his Eagle Scout requirements when his northern Minnesota troop folded just a few…
Scouts know every issue of Boys’ Life is full of fascinating features. Publishing industry leaders recognize that, too. Boys’ Life won a Maggie Award and was named a finalist in three other award categories. The annual Maggie Awards, presented by the Western Publishing Association and B2B Media, are the country’s longest reigning awards program in…
You might have heard a story recently, first reported by National Public Radio, about how cases of child abuse in the past by volunteers of the Boy Scouts of America were significantly under-reported. The existence of the Ineligible Volunteer (IV) files, or “perversion files” as they were sometimes called internally, was revealed in 2012 as…
A young person doesn’t have to become an Eagle Scout to have a life-changing experience in Scouting. But you can bet some Scouts in your troop will set their sights on that shiny Eagle medal. And chances are some of those Eagle hopefuls will join your Scouts BSA troop this year as 16- or 17-year-olds…
________________________________________ ~ By Presidential Proclamation ~ Police Week ~ May 12th through May 18th Peace Officers Memorial Day ~ Wednesday – May 15th TOMORROW you will see NATIONWIDE LOWERING of the NATIONAL COLORS and the FLAGS of EACH STATE. Please do the same for the AMERICAN FLAG you may display at your own home ~ HALF-STAFF from SUNRISE to SUNSET on WEDNESDAY.
Photo by Alex Zarynow Watch your daughter reel in her first rainbow trout. Join your son on horseback and mosey around like New Mexico cowboys. Hike with your entire family to the site of a Tyrannosaurus rex footprint — one of only two such tracks in the world.
I believe all Scouting units should support each other with the intent that all youth get the opportunity to experience Scouting. Some troops in a community see other troops as competition and refuse to help the other units improve. By having all units improve, Scouting improves, and more youth will tend to participate - maybe not…
Logan Hine loves playing tennis and is on his high school’s varsity team. But the Eagle Scout with Troop 64 in Maugansville, Md., soon realized something about the sport. “Tennis is an extremely wasteful sport,” Logan says. “Some balls are used for less than an hour and then thrown away.
Congratulations to Greg Leitch, who will serve as Scout executive of the Sequoyah Council in Johnson City, Tennessee, effective June 1, 2019. Greg began his Scouting career as a district executive at the Great Smoky Mountain Council in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he later became the program director and field director.
This proud Scouting mom was not throwing away her shot. Jennifer Smyke knows how much her son, Carter, loves the musical Hamilton . So when Carter finished the requirements for the Eagle Scout award, Scouting’s highest honor, Jennifer took a chance and contacted Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created the wildly popular show.
The moment Jed Stahlback arrived on the beaches of Normandy, the 11-year-old Star Scout was struck by how peaceful everything seemed. “Climbing through flowers and grass growing in the remains of bomb craters seems crazy,” Jed says. As they stared in silence at a sea of American graves, brothers Andrew and Chris Forbes marveled at…
Congratulations to all the Scouts, Venturers and Explorers graduating this month! If you’re headed off to college, getting vocational training or launching into the workforce, I know what you’ve learned through Scouting and all of our BSA programs will serve you well.
May 2019 Time to carve: 1 hour Finishing: .5 hour Thingiverse June 16, 2017 Design: chemteacher628 Try it yourself (I only printed the capsule) The New Shepard capsule is a 6 person craft being built by Blue Origin (owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos and businessman Rob Meyerson).
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Chapman and his helicopter crew flew low across the sands of Saudi Arabia, attempting to evade enemy artillery after rescuing an injured soldier. Before they could get back to a medical facility, a sandstorm engulfed the helicopter.
I’m looking at a postage stamp at the moment. Just a tiny bit of paper with some ink on one side and glue on the other. Pretty insignificant, you’d think. After all, the envelopes and packages it’s affixed to are often much more valuable, carrying contracts and paychecks, letters of remembrance and love and friendship…
If someone presented an award for “earning the most awards,” Benji Rawald would probably earn that one, too. He’s an Eagle Scout. He has earned every available merit badge and several BSA STEM Nova awards . He received the William T.
June 4 th marks the 100 th anniversary of Congress passing the 19 th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. This was a historic moment and an important step that empowered all citizens’ voices to be heard. Civic duty is core to Scouting and foundational to Scouts BSA, which in 2019, one hundred…
Story contributed by Steven Scheid, Director of Scouting Ministries Scouting partners with a number of religious chartered organization across the nation. The BSA cherishes these strong relationships because they allow more and more families the opportunity to experience Scouting. Among those relationships, the BSA has a long-standing partnership with the United Methodist Church.
Story contributed by Anthony Gonnello, district executive at the Heart of America Council From the smallest Lion Cub to the most seasoned commissioner, everyone knows that summer camp is where our program really shines. It is where Scouting comes alive, and where our Scouts and volunteers make some of their best memories.
Story contributed by David Rico “Rico,” Southern Region – Membership Growth Coach In 1907, Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement, devised the Scout motto: Be Prepared. He wanted young people to have the tools to face challenges. With that in mind, our goal is to be able to help our fellow executives to be prepared for…
Story contributed by Wendy Kurten, Northeast Region Team Lead/National Alliances Director What if you could send parents an invitation to attend a Join Scouting event directly through Facebook? By creating an event on Facebook and ‘geofencing’ it, you can. It’s easy, affordable and it’s a great way to reach parents with a message to join.
Summer is just around the corner — time to inspire kids to explore their world and avoid the summer slide. Help keep them engaged in school and hooked on reading with the 2019 Boys’ Life Say Yes To Reading Contest, sponsored by Nat Geo Kids .
Gregory H. Johnson; photo credit: NASA As a child, Gregory H. Johnson enjoyed asking questions, especially when he could discover the answer for himself. And as Johnson explains in a recent article in the U.S. News and World Report , Scouting served as an avenue for him to explore his interests, fully embrace his inquisitive nature…
The seventh point of the Scout Law — obedient — is about discipline. An obedient Scout shows discipline by following rules and taking direction from others. That applies whether in the classroom, on a backpacking trip — or on the court during an NBA game.
Troop 223 smiles on the summit of El Montañon on Santa Cruz Island in California. The hike was part of their Alaska training. This sure beats an afternoon at the community pool. This summer, the Scouts of Troop 223 from Pacific Palisades, Calif., part of the Western Los Angeles County Council, will travel to Alaska…
Dear Andy, I know that many families—especially military families—move during the summer and then have to find a new troop for their Scout(s) to join once the school year starts. (We live in a city that hosts a military training base, which means we have plenty of families that go through this each summer.)
Good news for unit leaders who use Internet Advancement to track their Scouts’ progress along the Scouting trail. The BSA has introduced an array of upgrades designed to make your life easier. The improvements make inputting advancement updates faster, allow leaders to search advancement history in a snap and give Scouters more control over printable…
When someone needs help, Scouts are there to jump in and serve. That’s what Scouts do, even when it’s their fellow Scouts who are in need. Service plays an integral part in rank advancement, so when Scouts help each other out, the question sometimes comes up: Can helping another Scouting unit count for service hours…
Please join us as we congratulate Lee Murdoch, who will serve as Scout executive of the Conquistador Council in Roswell, New Mexico, effective June 16, 2019. Lee began his Scouting career as a program director/ranger at the Del-Mar-Va Council in Wilmington, Delaware.
The 2021 National Jamboree logo is seen above. This design for the patch will be unveiled later in summer 2019. Scouting instills confidence, helping young people discover they can achieve more than they thought possible. That’s the uplifting message behind the logo and theme for the 2021 National Jamboree, which the BSA announced today.
They’ve led giant corporations and highly ranked universities. They’ve skied at the North and South poles and chased eclipses around the world. They’ve volunteered with music education programs and at their places of worship. Impressive stuff, but there’s something even more remarkable on the résumés of the 13 men and women receiving the Silver Buffalo…
