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You’ve never seen an email newsletter like BL BAM! It’s the first and only newsletter for Scouts. No sales pitch. No lengthy reads. Just family-friendly jokes and electrifying how-tos brought to you by Boys’ Life . Read on to learn more, or jump ahead and sign up for BL BAM .
Last week, Scouts at the World Scout Jamboree took a break from the high adventure activities that the Summit Bechtel Reserve offers to share what they love about their home countries with their fellow campers. Games, food, dances, traditions — they were all available for Scouts to enjoy as they ventured from their campsites to neighboring…
August 2019 Time to carve: 1 hour Finishing: .5 hour Boy's Life -October 1981, page 51 Design: Tell and Don Gubler When I first became an Assistant Scoutmaster in Central Bridge NY, the Rubiks cube was all the rage. I always marveled on how many Scouts could solve the puzzle in a couple of minutes…
It can take a plastic foam cup 500 to 1,000 years — or longer — to biodegrade. Keerthin Karthikeyan refused to wait that long. Keerthin, a 14-year-old Life Scout from Troop 45 of Oxford, Miss., discovered an innovative new method for recycling a substance so environmentally harmful that it has been banned in dozens of cities.
Why Google why? WW II History week by week While I don't normally get involved in different movements, I find the recent censorship by Google and YouTube of historical channels repulsive. Please share by using the hashtag #HonorOurPast
From left: Maria, Leah, Anna and Rachel move donated food to the trailer. When Scouts hear about someone in need, they don’t just shake their heads in sorrow. They spring into service. That’s exactly what happened after a series of earthquakes shook Southern California last month.
Hi Andy, If a Scout has already earned a specific merit badge, like Rifle Shooting for instance, at summer camp this year, can that same Scout earn it a second time at summer camp next year? I’m asking because there’s a very limited number of shooting positions available at our camp’s range and, while many…
What better setting to receive a Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award than with Scouts from all over the world? More than 200 youth from nine countries earned bronze, silver and gold distinctions of the internationally-recognized honor during the World Scout Jamboree.
Our pack was in need of a Cubmaster. I waited because I didn't want to take the position from one of the parents if they wanted it,. But since school is right around the corner and nobody had volunteered yet, I said that I would love to be Cubmaster.
When it rains in cities and towns across the U.S., it pours. And in this case, “it” refers to oil, salt, gasoline and other debris that gets washed down the road and into rivers, lakes and streams. Bioswales are nature’s filter for this repugnant runoff.
Consider it one small step toward confirming something we’ve known all along — and one giant leap toward proving something that hadn’t been reported previously. A newly uncovered troop recharter form substantiates Neil Armstrong’s status as an Eagle Scout and proves that the first person on the moon subscribed to Boys’ Life magazine.
This is Unsung Heroes , a Bryan on Scouting blog series celebrating under-reported acts of Scouting heroism. These are stories that don’t make national headlines — but should. That’s doubly true in this world that can always use more good news. Read the latest story below, and find instructions for sharing your own Unsung Heroes story at…
Forty teams took off on a 2,538-mile airplane race from Tennessee to Canada in June, but before the pilots started the 43rd Annual Air Race Classic from the McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport , they were greeted by Explorers with Aviation Post 214 of Jackson, Tenn.
THE LAZIEST SCOUTMASTER Charlie, with his wife and 12 year-old son, moved in next door just two weeks ago. Charlie Junior is a Scout, and Charlie Senior—who’s been reading my columns off and on since his son was a Tiger—asked me about a week ago if I knew anything about Scout troops in town that…
Zack Moore (third from right) and the group prepare to enter the Desolation Wilderness. The statement was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. And at just five words long, it encapsulated the profound need for and transformative power of Zack Moore’s Eagle Scout project.
This article was contributed by Michael Johnson , National Youth Protection Director for the Boy Scouts of America. Recent media reports have highlighted claims of abuse against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). As Director of Youth Protection here at the BSA, I share the same concerns as anyone seeing these stories, and I have the…
Sara asked this question: I'm trying to gain advice. We have only about 8 female Cub between the grades of 1-5. I'm fairly certain that even after recruitment we will still have ot at least be divided 1-2, 3-4, and 5.
The Philmont Training Center experience you love just got an upgrade. With its new Deluxe Tents — complete with a queen bed with premium linens, electricity and ceiling fan, and covered porch with cozy chairs — the Philmont Training Center is broadening the appeal of its world-class conferences and Family Adventure Camp like never before.
August 2019 Time to forge 1 hour Sanding and filing 1 hour Time to carve: 1 hour Finishing: .5 hour Design: Brainfoo Modified as a slide: Bill Macfarlane Made from mystic Uru metal on the neutron star Nidavellir, homeworld of the Dwarves, the Strombreaker was wielded by Thor in the battle against Thanos.
Sometimes I wonder what we ever did before email became ubiquitous. I remember having phone lists and calling trees, phoning the pack leaders to let them know about an important item or change, and calling all my den parents to remind them about the upcoming den meeting or outing.
School’s back in session, but here are two pieces of news to soften the blow. One: Fall, with its perfect camping weather, might be the greatest Scouting season of all. And two: The BSA is having a uniform sale. Yes, beginning today (Aug.
The Scenario Troop 21’s membership has been dwindling the past few years. Not too long ago, it was 50-members-strong; today, membership is down to 23. Families have moved; Scouts have aged out of the program; some have dropped out for other reasons — the problem is that the troop hasn’t been able to attract very many…
Hi Andy, A couple of weeks ago, you fielded a question about age limits on Scouts tenting together, and I’d like to add a thought to that point. One simple solution to possible tenting complications is this: There’s nothing that says a Scout must share a tent with anyone, or that a Scout can’t sleep…
When you hear of scouts in the stands at a Major League Baseball game, it’s normal to look for guys holding radar guns and scribbling down notes about the latest prospect. But earlier this month at Dodger Stadium, Scouts weren’t just in the stands.
Cub Scouts doesn’t happen without our parents and volunteers. It is, at its core, a family program. I say it often and I’ll say it again: I am incredibly grateful to each of you who give your time to drive your children to meetings, volunteer to coordinate program activities or answer the call to serve…
The 24th World Scout Jamboree , a World Organization of the Scout Movement event held this year at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, had opportunities for Scouts to try activities they’ve never experienced before, as well as meet some impressive Scouters, like astronaut and Distinguished Eagle Scout Greg Johnson , who spoke to Scouts about…
Every merit badge tells a story. Examine each 1.5-inch circle, and you’ll find the tale of a Scout who discovered a new passion, conquered a fear or created something incredible. John Ucha can tell 139 such stories. And in his quest to earn every available Scouts BSA merit badge , his family has written quite a…
This is Unsung Heroes , a Bryan on Scouting blog series celebrating under-reported acts of Scouting heroism. These are stories that don’t make national headlines — but should. That’s doubly true in this world that can always use more good news. Read the latest story below, and find instructions for sharing your own Unsung Heroes story at…
Article contributed by Jim Bollback, District Executive of the Northern Star Council and Central Region Top New Unit Executive Recently a colleague asked me, “Jim, how did you start so many new units?” I gave my response little thought and blurted out, “start early and work hard.”
Article contributed by Wendy Shaw, National Director of Membership Growth 2020 Growth Conference We heard positive feedback from those of you who attended the 2019 Regional Growth Conferences for Scouting professionals. The feedback was so positive that we are pleased to announce the return of the Growth Conference in 2020.
Article contributed by Wendy Shaw, National Director of Membership Growth Last month we shared the national aspirational goal of having a Scouts BSA troop for girls in every district. The number of those troops continues to climb. Let’s look at some of the highlights to date … If you have eight or more troops in your…
Article contributed by Christen Oswald, District Executive Etowah of the Greater Alabama Council You did it! You and the recruitment team went to schools and handed out flyers, went to the classroom, and got all the kids super pumped to join Scouting.
Article contributed by Jim Rushton, Team Lead, Summit High Adventure Base Gauley Season – September/October 2019 Come visit the Summit Bechtel Reserve for our inaugural Gauley Season. This is a great Unit High Adventure program as well as a great team building opportunity for local councils, districts and volunteers.
Article submitted by Jim Rushton, Team Lead Summit High Adventure Base The Summit Bechtel Reserve is pleased to host several professional development opportunities this fall. The completion of the Tillerson Leadership Center, as well as our new dining and housing facilities, provides the SBR with tremendous capacity to support all types of training opportunities.
In the BSA’s early days, councils assigned numbers to new troops numerically. The first troop in a council was Troop 1, the second was Troop 2 and so on. Today, Cub Scout packs, Scouts BSA troops, Sea Scout ships and Venturing crews get to pick their own one- to four-digit number.
Hi Andy, We need your help. The current “SCOUTING” magazine has an article in it called “Ethics,” sub-titled “Pest Control,” on page 16. One of the things it talks about is the Patrol Leaders Council assigning two Scouts to an existing patrol that already has seven Scouts in it.
Do you know a standout Scout who would love to guide the BSA with insights and perspective? Want to give your Scouts a chance to live out the tenets of the Scout Law? The BSA’s Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) is calling all helpful Scouts!
The Bottomless Lake song may have been new to the Boy Scouts at this Many Point Scout Camp summer camp campfire, but they sang good and loud by the end of it.
Note: This is the 28th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here and submit your own here . To fully understand the impact Eagle Scout projects have on communities, you need to see to believe.
Want to know how to run your first Cub Scout den meeting? Whether this is a brand new den of Lions or a returning Arrow of Light den, these ideas will help!
