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What’s a recycle regatta? It’s much like a raingutter regatta — the sailing equivalent of the pinewood derby — except Cub Scouts make their boats from recycled materials instead of kits.
Are you short on raingutter regatta supplies? No problem! Use these tips from the January-February 2012 issue of Scouting magazine for hosting a raingutter regatta using recycled materials.
The honors and recognitions continue to pour in for the Bay-Lakes Council Scouts and Scouters who came to the aid of their fellow travelers in the moments following the June 27, 2022, train derailment near Mendon, Missouri. These Scouts showed enormous poise and presence of mind and employed all of their Scout training by immediately jumping into action to assist trapped and injured passengers.
Fifteen Scouts and one Scouter have earned the BSA’s Heroism Award, reserved for those who have demonstrated heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save a life at more than minimal personal risk to self.
Five Scouters have also been awarded the BSA’s Honor Medal, reserved for youth members or adult leaders who have demonstrated unusual heroism and skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save a life at considerable risk to self.
The incident occurred when a passenger train operated by Amtrak struck a dump truck that was obstructing the track. Four people were killed and more than 100 were hospitalized.
The Scouts, from Troop 73, chartered to the First English Lutheran Church’s downtown site in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Troop 12, chartered to First English Lutheran Church’s north site, were on their way home after completing a 7-day, 50-mile trek at Philmont Scout Ranch.
The heroes were officially presented with their awards at a ceremony last week at Lambeau Field.
“They put others before themselves and we’re all proud of these boys,” said Matt Schultz, an assistant Scoutmaster from Troop 12 who was on the train. “In that moment of the train crash, it didn’t take long for every single (troop) leader on board to trust our boys.”
In August, the Scouts were recognized by the American Red Cross.
These Scouts had already represented themselves and the BSA splendidly in stories from local and national media. When NBC’s Today correspondent Maggie Vespa told host Craig Melvin that the Scouts stayed at the site after the crash to help injured passengers, Melvin replied, “Of course they did — they’re Scouts.”
Photo courtesy of the Bay-Lakes Council
The incident, though unquestionably tragic, serves as a reminder of how relevant and valuable the Scouting program is today. There are first aid-related requirements for Scouts BSA ranks from Tenderfoot to First Class, and the First Aid merit badge is one of the badges required to earn the rank of Eagle.
Emergency Preparedness, designed to teach Scouts how to Be Prepared to spring into action if an emergency occurs, is also an Eagle-required merit badge.
Additionally, two members of each crew participating in a trek at Philmont are trained in wilderness first aid, a step up from basic first-aid training that covers the prevention and treatment of injuries and illnesses that one may encounter in a remote environment.
The BSA multimedia team caught up with some of the Scouts and adults when they attended summer camp just weeks after the train derailment. Watch the video below to get the story in the words of the heroes who were there.
The video is also available in the BSA’s Brand Center, should you wish to download and show it in front of an audience at a unit meeting, recruiting event or Scouting fundraiser without worrying about having a reliable internet connection.
Honor Medal
Julian Boardman, assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 73
John Engel, assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 12
Matthew Poelzer, Scoutmaster, Troop 12
Matt Schultz, assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 12
Craig Thoms, assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 12
Heroism Award
Elijah Awe, 16, Troop 73
Isaiah Awe, 14, Troop 73
Jonathan Awe, committee member, Troop 73
Isaac Berken, 15, Troop 73
Harrison Boardman, 17, Troop 73
Alexander Chopra, 14, Troop 73
Andrew Franzene, 14, Troop 73
Henry Gadzik, 16, Troop 73
Mason Geissler, 16, Troop 73
Logan Poelzer, 17, Troop 12
Elijah Schultz, 14, Troop 12
Dean Seaborn, 14, Troop 73
Elijah Skrypczak, 15, Troop 73
Matthew Suprise, 15, Troop 12
Ethan Thoms, 16, Troop 12
Owen Tierney, 15, Troop 73
This is the 45th in an occasional series where we 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. That’s why we ask to see Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos — the same photos prospective Eagles are asked to include with their post-project report.
The latest batch of 11 projects — from nine different states — includes renovating gazebos, building driveways and restoring fences.
What’s great is that you can multiply each individual act of stupendous service by roughly 50,000. That’s how many Eagle Scout projects get completed every single year.
Who: Reagan, Troop 234, New Market, Tenn.
What: Reagan and his helpers built a picnic pavilion for his church.
Who: Scott, Troop 711, Maple Valley, Wash.
What: Scott and his helpers restored a fence at a local arboretum. They demolished a section of rotten fence, built a new gate, poured concrete, pressure washed then painted and stained the panels.
Who: Zack, Troop 54, Woodbury, Conn.
What: Zack and his helpers built a mountain biking trailhead kiosk on an unmarked biking trail on town property.
Who: Ryan, Troop 10, Harrisburg, Pa.
What: Ryan and his helpers designed and built a dumpster corral for his church to relocate two large dumpsters. His project consisted of ground excavation and site preparation, spreading a stone foundation, pouring concrete and constructing a three-sided fence made of composite wood.
Who: Daniel, Troop 448, Dexter, Mich.
What: Daniel and his helpers built a bird observation blind, which will be used for nature education programs at the Howell Nature Center.
Who: Murphy, Troop 1339, Kansas City, Mo.
What: Murphy and his helpers installed a 16-by-24 floating deck at his former grade school for the teachers to use as an outdoor classroom. It is also used as a gathering place for other school groups and residents who live near the school.
Who: Jackson, Troop 361, Littleton, Colo.
What: Jackson and his helpers installed a 60-foot paver driveway at the South Platte Valley Humane Society to assist staff and volunteers in getting their wheelbarrows and transport van to their shed, which houses all of their dog and cat food.
Who: Ian, Troop 263, Sylvania, Ohio
What: Ian and his helpers restored a gazebo at the Veterans Memorial Park in Sylvania. This gazebo was an Eagle Scout project that was built 10 years ago and needed some updates.
Who: Billy, Troop 44, Glenolden, Pa.
What: Billy and his helpers built a hexagon swing for people to relax as they stroll through Glenolden Borough’s walking paths.
Who: Eshan, Troop 758, Grapevine, Texas
What: Eshan and his helpers built a gaga ball pit for Grapevine Middle School as they were one of the schools in the district without one.
Who: Alex, Troop 66, Pleasant Gap, Pa.
What: Alex and his helpers replaced and installed a new school-identification sign for Pleasant Gap Elementary. As a Cub Scout, Alex had talked about doing an Eagle Scout project for his elementary school.
By going here.
Go here to learn how to send them to us.
Yes! The Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award honors outstanding Eagle projects. An Eagle Scout, their parents or any registered BSA volunteer (with the Eagle Scout’s permission) may submit the Eagle Scout service project for consideration by filling out the nomination form found here.
Check out the Scout Life Eagle Project Showcase.
Unless otherwise listed, all photos are courtesy of each Scout and their family.
Aiming to keep his community and the environment clean, Eagle Scout Siddha Bambardekar focused his service project on removing invasive plants from Tattersall Park in Oakton, Virginia.
“I always wanted my Eagle project to be a means of supporting my goal of environmental sustainability,” says Siddha, from Troop 761 in Ashburn, Va. “It is our duty to take care of our environment and to leave it better than we found it.”
Wineberry plants. Courtesy of Siddha Bambardekar
Invasive plants are plants taken from their original homeplace and planted in a new environment in a different part of the world. As they spread, they have the power to cause the extinction of native plants and animals, destroy biodiversity and permanently alter habitats. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Management, there are about 4,300 invasive plant species in the United States.
Close up of Wineberry plants. Courtesy of Siddha Bambardekar
An example of an invasive plant at Tattersall Park is the wineberry plant. Wineberry is an Asian species of raspberry native to China, Japan and Korea.
“The species was introduced to Europe and North America as an ornamental plant and for its potential in breeding hybrid raspberries,” Siddha says. “Now, it covers forest floors — stealing water and nutrients from native plants.”
The process of removing invasive plants from Tattersall Park was long and difficult but ultimately successful. It took many volunteers and more than 200 hours of work.
Courtesy of Siddha Bambardekar
However, most of Siddha’s planning happened upfront with help from Sara Holtz, a site coordinator with Fairfax County Park Authority’s invasive management area program.
After getting the county’s approval, Siddha and Holtz finalized the site and made an execution plan.
“We coordinated with volunteers, prepared brochures and training material, and did volunteer recruitment,” he says. “It also involved detailed project planning, including project execution steps, safety and volunteer hours tracking.”
Siddha had to research extensively to learn more about the invasive plants in Virginia. He discovered which plants were native and which ones were invasive, and that’s how he knew the wineberry plant wasn’t good for Tattersall Park.
Next, he created an instruction guide for everyone to follow so they wouldn’t remove the wrong plant. When invasive plants are removed, you have to pull them up from their roots — and some of them may have deep roots.
“I created an invasive plant removal instruction manual, which included wineberry photos,” he says. “I emailed these instructions out to the volunteers before my project execution date so they could have an idea of what they would be working on.”
Siddha also provided examples on the day of the cleanup.
Courtesy of Siddha Bambardekar
“I removed a few wineberry plants and gave a presentation at the start of each shift to let people know how to remove the invasive plants and which native plants to avoid,” he says.
Since the cleanup of the invasive plants in Tattersall Park, Siddha says he has seen a difference in the park’s appearance.
“Removal of the invasive plants has given way to the restoration of ferns, which are native to Virginia,” he says. “You can see the regrowth of native ferns in various sections of Tattersall Park.”
Throughout this process, Siddha has learned that it’s a Scout’s responsibility to protect and nurture the environment. He encourages Scouts to join cleanup projects and spread the word about invasive plants and keeping their communities clean.
“The Outdoor Code and Outdoor Ethics beckon us, now more than ever,” he says. “Promote understanding of native plants by educational outreach. This can be through emails, blogs, presentations, public fair booths, farmers market booths and more. We owe it to our future generations.”
Siddha wants Scouts to remember that “every bit of inspiration counts. Use the EDGE method for spreading environmental sustainability awareness.”
While Eagle Scout Liam Curran is busy studying engineering as a freshman at the College of New Jersey, his Eagle Scout service project 80 miles away in his hometown of Ramsey, N.J., lives on.
Liam, who earned his Eagle as a member of Troop 49 in Oakland, N.J., launched the Adopt A Storm Drain program in early 2021, when he was a junior in high school. Curran, along with his family, friends and fellow Scouts, developed a website and aggressively promoted the program and educated residents at various public events. In addition to allowing residents to easily register and adopt their own drain, the website provides significant educational content about the need for and the benefits of the Adopt A Drain initiative.
Since the program launched, more than 100 drains have been adopted.
It was so successful back then that local officials are encouraging residents to keep up the good work as they enter the rainy season this fall.
“There are approximately 1,100 storm drains in Ramsey, and we don’t have the staff or the resources to constantly keep them all clean,” says Jack D’Agostaro, Ramsey’s department of public works director. “Any program that alleviates any degree of potential flooding is beneficial, so we’re encouraging residents to increase participation and thereby increase the benefit of flooding prevention.”
Liam’s program is very similar to the adopt-a-highway or adopt-a-road programs across the country that ask volunteers to commit to cleaning up a designated area not just once, but repeatedly over a long period of time.
Photo courtesy of Liam Curran
Liam collaborated with Ramsey’s environmental commission to develop a website and registry for the program. Then he worked hard to spread the word throughout his community.
“I am very happy and proud to know that this program continues to grow, and that I was able to start something that is having a positive impact in my town, and on the environment,” he says. “Caring for a drain is a pretty easy thing to do, and the response has been great.”
In most towns, properly operating storm drains are not just a convenience. They’re a necessity. Clogged drains can’t do their job, which is to direct rainwater away from streets and sidewalks — where it can be dangerous for vehicles, pedestrians and buildings — and into nearby ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.
Drains that become clogged with trash and debris will transport toxic materials into the same bodies of water that the city uses for drinking. In fact, even natural debris that enters drains — such as leaves, grass clippings, sticks and dirt — have a harmful impact on the ecosystem.
Nothing but rain should enter storm drains.
“The Adopt a Drain Program encourages residents, families, businesses, clubs and other groups to pitch in and ‘adopt’ one or more drains that they will then keep clean,” according to an official borough of Ramsey news release.
All the residents have to do is pay attention to the condition of their chosen drain and clear its surface once or twice a month and before predicted rainstorms.
Photo courtesy of Liam Curran
Liam’s official Adopt A Drain website tells residents all they need to know to participate in the program, including an informative video, an FAQ and a form they submit to adopt any drain. The adopted drains then show up on an interactive map.
“It’s amazing to have had my project appreciated by so many people and to get so much great feedback,” Liam says. “I am grateful to all the people that have pitched in and adopted drains. I hope that people will keep spreading the word and that the benefits will continue in my town and in other towns as well.”
Indeed, Liam says he has been contacted by people from other areas, asking him about the project and how it has worked out so far.
“It is rewarding to know that the work I did to educate the public about the importance of keeping storm drains clean is spreading to other towns,” he says. “The more people learn about this topic — even if they don’t officially adopt a drain — the better.
“It makes me feel very proud to have played a part in raising awareness about such an important issue.”
The map on the Adopt A Drain website shows which storm drains are already spoken for.
Most of us misplace stuff all the time, up to nine items every day. One poll found that one-third of respondents say they spend an average of 15 minutes every day looking for things like keys, phones and paperwork.
The remedy for such knuckleheaded moves: Slow down, focus, think, and make an effort to encode that memory into your hippocampus where it can be retrieved and make your life easier.
Once you’ve mastered the art of not losing your keys, you can start focusing on the more important task of keeping your brain healthy and mentally awake. The good news is that there is much you can do to boost your brainpower, and most of the strategies are the same ones that will keep your entire body healthy.
Learn more in our story from the November-December 2017 issue of Scouting magazine.
Two Eagle Scouts are among the 20 U.S. Department of State special agents being honored for their evacuation and humanitarian operations in Afghanistan last summer.
The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) has recognized special agents Roger Thyen and David Fleming, both Eagle Scouts, with the Heroism Award, the highest honor the FLEOA presents each year.
The FLEOA’s Heroism Award goes to a federal law enforcement officer who has risked or sacrificed his or her own life. It is not to be confused with the BSA’s own Heroism Award.
The agents are being recognized for their efforts in evacuating the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan and the Hamid Karzai International Airport as the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan in the summer of 2021.
Thyen, Fleming and the other agents were serving as members of the regional security office when they were tasked with planning and executing one of the largest noncombatant evacuation operations in U.S. history, according to a DSS news release.
“In less than 48 hours, the RSO team executed a plan that had been designed to take weeks,” according to the release. “They destroyed tens of thousands of classified and sensitive documents, computer equipment, armored vehicles and weapons to prevent them from falling into the Taliban’s control. They cleared the embassy, room by room, while also helping 1,400 people at the U.S. embassy evacuate to HKIA.”
Once at the airport, the agents continued to provide protection to state department personnel tasked with evacuating American citizens and at-risk Afghans.
Thyen, who earned the rank of Eagle as a member of the Transatlantic Council when he was living in Munich, Germany, in 1984, says the compressed nature of their operation is a great example of the Scout motto in action.
“This is where the Be Prepared thing comes into play,” he says. “Everybody was thinking an operation like this would take maybe 6 months to a year. When I first got there, I said, ‘Worst-case scenario, let’s plan how we could do it in 30 days right now.’ Then that plan got compressed from 30 days to about 12 hours.”
In these situations, the special agents’ jobs are to protect the people, property and information of the U.S. government.
Fleming, who earned the rank of Eagle in 1997 as a Scout in Oregon City, Oregon, was one of the last people to leave the embassy.
“After all non-security personnel had been airlifted to the airport, my team and I worked to quickly but methodically shutter the embassy compound, one section at a time prior to our own departure,” he says.
I am proud of the work the @USEmbassyKabul team is doing to assist U.S citizens and Afghans as part of our historic relocation effort. pic.twitter.com/RDfChcQCsT
— Chargé d’Affaires Karen Decker (@USAmbKabul) August 22, 2021
Once they made it to the Kabul airport, the agents continued to face daily threats as they protected U.S. officials in charge of the evacuation.
According to the award citation, “Under threat of imminent danger and dynamic circumstances that evolved minute by minute, surrounded by the adversity of both a seen and unseen enemy that wanted nothing more than to thwart their efforts and harm all those in their care, these DSS agents … recovered U.S. citizens stranded throughout Afghanistan, as well as provided safe passage for over 4,000 local embassy staff from Kabul.”
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bombing at the airport killed more than 180 people, including 13 members of the U.S. military.
Thyen says their medical training paid off, as they performed emergency first aid on many of the victims.
“Our training was very helpful in that situation: triage, immediately treating a massive loss of blood … medical events like that,” he says. “We rarely have to put that into practice, which is fortunate. But we have to be prepared for that kind of response anywhere at any point in time.”
It took around two weeks to complete the evacuation from the airport.
Thyen, finally able to relax on the flight home. Photo courtesy of Roger Thyen
Fleming, who spent a couple of summers in high school working at Oregon’s Camp Meriwether, says Scouting helped instill in him a sense of service that guides and influences him to this day.
“It was this love of country and a desire to serve that led me to join the Marine Corps after high school,” he says. “It led me into a career in local and federal law enforcement that has spanned more than 20 years and continues to this day.
“I believe it was striving to live a life in accordance with the ideals listed in the Scout Law that helped make my chosen career a successful one.”
Fleming is no longer with the U.S. State Department, but remains in federal law enforcement working as a special agent in the Seattle area.
Thyen has continued to be involved in Scouting as an adult volunteer. He has volunteered with the Transatlantic Council and the World Scout Movement, helped some Lone Scouts stay engaged with the BSA and even starting a Cub Scout pack from scratch in Zagreb, Croatia.
He is now back in the U.S., working as a special agent in Minneapolis, and volunteering as a leader for his son’s Scouts BSA troop and his daughter’s Cub Scout pack.
“I believe the values of the Scouting movement — duty to God, country, others and self, guided by the example of selfless and cheerful service — remain as important now to kids and young adults as they’ve ever been,” he says. “When push comes to shove and you get involved in a situation like I was in, you kind of fall back on that. It meant a lot to me to be able to help other people at all times. To do what I could. And that’s what I want to teach my kids.”
From left to right: Thyen’s son, Ezekiel; Thyen; and Thyen’s father, Lloyd; all members of the Order of the Arrow. Photo courtesy of Roger Thyen
When he was younger, Arsh Pal’s parents noticed he had an artistic gift. So, for his eighth birthday, his family decided to support that gift by giving him canvases, acrylic paints and brushes.
In four years, he has used that gift to raise about $15,000 for several nonprofits, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Multiple agencies have recognized his work; he recently was bestowed with the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and the Diana Award, both of which honor young leaders who strive to make the world a better place.
With his humanitarian heart, it’s only natural that Arsh is a Scout, too. He’s been a Scout for only a few months, but he already relates to the aims of Scouting.
“Scouting goes right with what I’m doing,” says the 12-year-old Scout with Troop 51 in Dubuque, Iowa. “I’m showing kindness. I’m learning about respect and being nice to people. The Scout Law ties into what I’m doing.”
Arsh’s work was recently featured on Good Morning America. You can see the report here:
Arsh developed his talent by finding photos and painting landscapes and portraits of animals. He has since tried his hand at abstract art.
“I need a reference to draw or paint,” he says. “For abstract, you just work on it until you’re happy with it.”
At first, he gave his drawings and paintings to friends and family as gifts. But after he was inspired to help people in need, Arsh got the idea that he could raise money from his art. He displayed his work at local art shows, libraries and school auctions.
His initial goal was to raise $1,000 for St. Jude. He has now raised money for St. Jude, Make-A-Wish, Easterseals, Compass to Care and Riverview Center.
But his work hasn’t solely been in fundraising. He has also accompanied his mother, who is an occupational therapist at a nursing home, to work. He’d strike up conversations with the residents, which led to another charitable idea.
“He teaches painting lessons,” his mother Divya says. “The residents look forward to it.”
He’s extended that idea to his friends, and he now leads painting parties. And while doing that, he’s identified his next mission.
“My goal is to make art lessons more accessible for kids, because art lessons are expensive,” Arsh says.
He hopes that he can inspire others to develop what they enjoy or to discover a passion.
“If you’re interested in art, just do it,” he says. “Do it every day and practice instead of being on your phone. Focus on what you’re interested in, and that can help you find your talent.”
New Cub Scout enrollment has continued to trend in the right direction. In fact, on one single day in September 2022, the BSA added 8,000 new Cub Scout families!
Now begins the part of the year when we have to make sure we deliver what we’ve promised to all these new members.
The good news is, the BSA knows what parents like about Cub Scouting. In technical terms, it’s called “key drivers of satisfaction.” In simpler terms, it means that if we can provide families with these five things, we greatly increase the chances of them staying in the program longer, and maybe even sharing all those positive vibes with their non-Scouting friends.
Pat Wellen, the BSA’s director of research, recently joined an episode of #CubChatLive to talk about what Cub Scout leaders can do to make sure they deliver the things that families are looking for.
“We do quarterly surveys, so by the end of the year, we’ve talked to all the Cub Scout parents that we have an email address for,” says Wellen. “We know what drives unit satisfaction. And if you’re satisfied, you stay.”
Watch the discussion with Wellen in its entirety below and read on for the highlights.
What do parents like about Cub Scouting? It starts with …
Quality leaders can make or break the Cub Scout experience. This doesn’t mean that a Cub Scout leader has to be a superhero (though, if they’re doing it right, some of their Cub Scouts might see them as one anyway).
What it does mean is that a Cub Scout leader should be helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful. It also doesn’t hurt to Be Prepared.
Most of the parents coming into Cub Scouting nowadays don’t have a background in Scouting. They don’t know nearly as much about this experience as their leaders do.
It’s important to keep that in mind in every interaction.
“What they’re looking for is a unit leader or other person in that pack who’s going to help them navigate this experience and be the best support for their child they can be,” says Wellen. “We speak in code a lot of times. What’s a pack? What’s a den? What is advancement?”
As a recovering Cubmaster myself, I can testify: One of the most common questions I got from parents was, “What’s the difference between a pack and den?”
When we share Cub Scout recruiting images on social media, we rarely share pictures of Cub Scouts sitting still. Instead, they’re almost always doing something, and more often than not, they’re doing something outside.
“The No. 1 things kids want to do when they join Cub Scouts is go camping,” Wellen says.
Remember, most new families have no experience in Scouting. That means many of them may not have ever been camping before. They’re going to have questions — about gear, safety, activities and things like that — and they’re looking for answers from the Cub Scout leaders.
(If you’re a Cub Scout leader who’s looking for answers to questions about camping themselves, we’ve got you covered.)
“You’re going to get families who don’t know how to camp,” says Wellen. “They may have concerns, but they want to do it. That’s why they’re there.”
Photo by Randy Piland
There’s nothing wrong with letting children burn off some excess energy with a little free play, but no one joins Cub Scouts just so their kids can go to a glorified play date.
Thankfully, avoiding this pitfall is easy. There are resource for den leaders and Cubmasters that can help.
Click on the “Leaders” section of this page for more help, but basically, all you have to do is plan ahead and follow the official Cub Scout program (more on that below).
“Having a program planned is key,” says Wellen. “It also helps even more to have it already set up for the year, so parents can see what they’ve gotten into, and they can also see where they can help.”
One of the biggest reasons families quit Cub Scouting is because — despite filling out all the paperwork and paying all the dues and maybe even buying a uniform and Handbook — no one ever reached out to them to tell them when the next den meeting is.
“Or, no one talked to them when they did come to their first meeting,” says Wellen.
Imagine signing up for this brand-new experience when you don’t know anyone, and the first thing that happens is you’re treated like a total stranger.
“Fostering a sense of belonging starts with that first impression,” says Wellen. “It doesn’t happen by accident. It has to be intentional.”
If you’re a Cub Scout leader but you aren’t a people person, that’s totally OK — find someone in your pack who is. Many packs have a new member coordinator whose only job is to make sure all those families who just signed up have everything they need. This might include reaching out to them via text, email or an old-fashioned phone call to make sure they’re good to go. (They might take advantage of this resource, as well.)
And if a new family misses a meeting or two, sometimes contacting them to make sure they’re OK can be the difference between them returning to the fold or never wanting to be involved in Scouting again.
The Boy Scouts of America has been around for more than 110 years. We know a thing or two about what kids and their parents want, and it’s right there in the official Cub Scout program.
“You don’t have to make anything up,” says Wellen. “If you present the program as it’s designed, we know that it will build those skills and traits that we promise it will build. And that’s why we’re all here.”
Photo by Brian Payne
Many families celebrate the end of their Eagle Scout’s court of honor with some food, including cake.
These Scouters shared their culinary creations with us, and we’re showcasing them here.
If you want to share cakes that you have made — for any Scouting event — visit go.scoutingmagazine.org/showandtell or email us at onscouting@scouting.org.
Photo courtesy of Yvette Ramirez
Vaughn Ramirez’s sister Bailey made this cake for his Eagle Scout court of honor. Using fondant, she recreated all of his merit badges, in the same order as they appear on his sash. Vaughn is part of Troop 380 in Louisville, Ky.
Photo courtesy of Christine Hannam
Christine Hannam came up with this spread of a cake, cupcakes and cookies for her son Jeffrey, who earned the Eagle Scout rank with Troop 8 of Cambria, N.Y.
Photo courtesy of Rachel Strecker
Instead of a cake, Will Strecker of Troop 623 of Magnolia, Texas, asked for cupcakes to celebrate earning his Eagle Scout rank. His family surprised him by decorating them with images of all the merit badges he earned.
Photo courtesy of Carl Bodin
This cake celebrates two Eagle Scouts — Bryan Ruiz and Huy Tran of Troop 484 of Clayton, Calif. — who had a joint Eagle Scout court of honor.
Photo courtesy of Rose Grumbine
Scouter Rose Grumbine bakes and decorates gifts to the Eagle Scouts of Troop 57 of Aurora, Ill. Here is one of them for a Scout who was involved in the Order of the Arrow.
Photo courtesy of Elena Estopinan
This three-tier cake honoring Antoni Estopinan of Troop 43 in Miami, Fla., is topped with an impressive-looking eagle and American flag.
Photo courtesy of Rena Crews
You don’t have to make the cake. The Crews family of Troop 149, Brook, Ind., went to a local bakery and asked for a cake that simply said “Congratulations, Ryan” and had the Scouting photo. The bakery did the rest with the patriotic theme. For more on working with bakeries, see this page.
Photo courtesy of Laura Brunmeier
Scouter Laura Brunmeier with Troop 4953 in Boyne City, Mich., created this cupcake tower and eagle, which was sculpted using chocolate.
According to official BSA accounts, the importance of retaining older youth was discussed at the very first National Executive Board meeting.
More than a century later, the passion for Sea Scouts, Exploring and Venturing has not waned. If anything, it’s gotten stronger, based on recent feedback I’ve received.
“Our mission, as with all the programs of the BSA, is to instill the values of the Scout Oath and Law in the youth of America,” writes Chris Ford, an Advisor for both Venturing Crew 627 and the Venturing and Sea Scout Officer Association in the Greater St. Louis Area Council. “Those values are presented and delivered to different age groups by different programs, which have different methods appropriate to their age group.”
The BSA’s Venturing program is relatively young — it was officially created by the Executive Board in 1998 — but it actually has its roots in Exploring.
In 1935, the BSA created a Senior Scout division for boys 15 and older. It included the Sea Scouts, Air Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Rover Scouts and a few others. It was from the Exploring program that the current version of Venturing was born.
Venturing is a youth-led program that focuses on building adventures with your friends.
It uses the ALPS model: adventure, leadership, personal development and service. Because of its focus on older boys and girls (Venturers can join at age 14 and stay in the program until they turn 21), it’s equally great for older Scouts BSA members who are looking for a new challenge and for youth who have never been involved in Scouting at all.
The logic is sound and applies today as much as it did decades ago: A 17-year-old is going to be interested in different activities than a 12-year-old newcomer to Scouts BSA, just like a 12-year-old Scouts BSA member is interested in different activities than a 7-year-old Tiger.
So, how exactly does Venturing attempt to appeal to older kids?
“Venturing is a more adult-like program,” writes Ford. “The advancement program recognizes that maturity and more closely mimics adult life. The crew is governed by a president and vice presidents, who follow by-laws they have developed by themselves. The youth decide their mission and program focus and decide how the unit they are leading is governed.”
Photo by Michael Roytek
There’s a reason why Cub Scouts have Cubmasters, Scouts BSA units have Scoutmasters, and Venturing crews have what they call Advisors.
“Adults are Advisors and subject matter experts, not the leaders,” writes Ford.
Like Scouts BSA, rank advancement is part of the Venturing program. All Venturers should earn the Venturing rank soon after formally joining the program, then proceed by earning the Discovery rank and Pathfinder rank. Finally, Venturers can earn the Summit rank, in which a young person formally serves as a mentor to other Venturers in his or her crew.
“Each rank has requirements in adventure, leadership, personal growth and service,” writes Ford. “The training required for advancement includes goal setting and time management, project management and mentoring … very useful business skills.”
Unlike Scouts BSA, Venturing has no official uniform that all members must wear. Instead, uniforms are approved by each individual crew. A crew may choose to design or purchase a Venturing T-shirt, polo shirt or any number of other options.
Photo by Michael Roytek
Venturers can continue to earn merit badges and work toward the rank of Eagle in a Scouts BSA unit. Scouts BSA members who have finished First Class in a troop can continue to work toward Eagle as a Venturer. Or a Venturer can pursue all that Venturing has to offer without being in a Scouts BSA unit at all.
Either option is great.
It doesn’t matter if the youth was never even a Scout at all – they can still join Venturing.
“We should be recruiting hard at the high school level to draw in those kids we missed, or lost, when they were younger,” writes Ford. “We can get a second chance at achieving the BSA’s mission.”
Because Venturers are often skilled leaders who are knowledgable of many things related to the outdoors, they make excellent guest trainers for younger Scouts BSA members.
Ultimately, writes Ford and many others, it’s important that we all keep our eyes on the organization’s ultimate goal: to help develop the leaders of tomorrow.
“I believe it should be as normal for a Scoutmaster to encourage an older Scout who is losing interest in the troop to join an older Scout program as it is for a Webelos den leader to encourage crossing over into a Scout troop,” writes Ford. “Keep the focus on the mission.”
Click here to find a Venturing crew near you. Click here for resources on starting a new crew.
Eagle Scout Ryan Jordan is a licensed wilderness skills instructor and guide. Get an idea of what Jordan packs in his backpack for a long-distance trek in this Scouting magazine web exclusive from October 2016.
There’s no better recruiting tool than an excited Cub Scout, Scouts BSA member, Venturer or Sea Scout telling friends about their adventures. But if you’d like to reach a bigger audience, here are six practical tips that your pack, troop, crew or ship can use to get local news coverage with little effort.
A good story is one that is compelling, interesting and intriguing. A bad story is one that’s routine, humdrum or boring. A good story must have a problem or obstacle, interesting characters (your Scouts), a journey (how they went about solving the problem) and a solution (or victory).
For example, you could tell a story about your Cub Scout pack hosting its Pinewood Derby race for bragging rights (the obstacle); showcase the Cubs (the characters) building cars with their families (the journey); and feature the victory celebration as the pack came together and recognized the winners (the solution).
Strong images and video can make the difference between a story running or not making the cut, but in today’s shrinking media environment, you can’t count on a photographer or videographer coming to every event. That means you have to do it yourself and send them to the local media – with the added benefit of having more control over the images chosen.
Use natural action and candid photos — not posed shots — in good lighting. An up-to-date smartphone will suffice for most work as long as you use the original high-resolution photos. For video, you can strip the sound out and offer it as B-roll; or do your own formal interviews with participants.
Photo by Michael Roytek
For newspapers and online outlets, good quotes are essential. A quote should be colorful, short and sound the way people talk in real life. Consider the difference between these quotes:
“Everyone had a great time on the survival expedition, especially when it started raining,” said patrol leader Shannon Jones.
“The committee of Troop 383 cordially invites all local residents to attend the annual Adventure Day at Parsons Park from 9 to 4 on October 26,” said Committee Chairman Pat Smith.
One is interesting; the other is boring. If you have information to convey – such as the date, time and location of an event – just write that as a regular sentence, and don’t put it in a quote.
One of the great things about Scouting is that the events that are a matter of routine for us are fascinating to the general public:
Cub Scout space derbies or rain gutter regattas are fun twists on friendly competitions.
Scout skills such as lashing together signaling towers and practicing emergency first aid are lost arts for most of the non-Scouts out there.
Venturer backpacking treks on the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trails are the stuff of dreams for most Americans.
Sea Scout sailing competitions conjure up the thrill of the open sea, which has sparked a thousand novels.
Invite the local media with plenty of advance notice and provide volunteers to escort them around the event and help them connect with Scouts to interview, and they’re guaranteed to have a good story at the end of the day.
Photo by Monica Dunn
The first patrol in your troop to complete a 50-miler, the first crew in the district to go caving, or the first Scout in the troop to earn Eagle are all worthy news items. So is the largest tree-planting event in your community, or the most dreidels spinning at once (a real record broken at the 2017 National Jamboree).
The media loves major anniversary stories with a look back and an update on progress today. Look for years ending in 5 or 0. Consider the anniversary of your unit’s founding, the start of your local summer camp, the commemoration of your ship’s first Quartermaster, or a major milestone in Scouting history. (In 2025, we’ll mark the 90th birthday of Sea Scouting!)
Dan Shortridge has served as district vice-chair and troop committee chair in the Del-Mar-Va Council. He is currently a merit badge counselor and camp alumni association board member and newsletter editor. Dan is also a PR consultant and author of the book “DIY Public Relations: Telling Your Story on a Zero-Dollar Budget” (Quill Driver Books).
Have you had success sharing your Scouting story with media outlets in your area? Tell us how you did it in the comments!
After putting competitive golf aside for more than a decade, Rusty Strawn, president of the Flint River Council, is making up for lost time.
Strawn, an Eagle Scout, recently earned titles at both the U.S. Senior Amateur tournament and the Canadian Senior Amateur just two weeks apart.
The two victories are a continuation of Strawn’s rise up the amateur golf rankings since he returned to competitive golf four years ago.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” he says.
Strawn, 59, won the U.S. title thanks to a 3-and-2 final-round match-play win. Just a couple of weeks later, Strawn stayed hot, winning the Canadian tournament with scores of 69, 71, 71 and 72 for a 5-under 283, three shots better than the runner-up.
As a Georgia high schooler in the 1980s, Strawn had a lot of success as a competitive golfer, earning the Atlanta Junior Golf Association’s player of the year award as a 17-year-old. His high school team finished runner-up in the state for three years running before winning the state title in Strawn’s senior year.
He earned a scholarship to Alexander City Junior College (now called Central Alabama Community College), where he helped their golf team finish second in the National Junior College Championship. He then moved on to Georgia Southern University, where he was all-conference in 1984 and 1985.
And as a young man in the early 1990s, he continued to play competitive golf, winning the 1993 Georgia State Golf Association mid-amateur championship.
Then, as he says, “life happened.”
Strawn married Jennifer, had three children and began spending more time on the family business, Strawn & Co. Insurance.
“I had to make a decision,” he says. “I could continue focusing on golf, or I could spend more time with my family, and work on growing my company.”
For the next decade-and-a-half or so, Strawn played golf as a hobby, but rarely in any competitive tournaments.
As his kids and company grew, Strawn says he started to feel the itch to reconnect with Scouting.
“I wanted to give something back to my community, and Scouts had always played an important role in my life,” he says. “I decided it was time to give back. I wanted to be a volunteer.”
As his kids neared adulthood, Strawn started thinking about a return to competitive golf, too. In his late 40s, he worked with a personal trainer, a mental coach and a swing coach, eyeing a run at the senior amateur circuit when he turned 55.
The preparation paid off, as Strawn earned first-place finishes in two tournaments in late 2020 and another six in early 2021. With his two most recent victories, Strawn now has 11 tournament wins.
Strawn holds the Frederick L. Dold Championship trophy after winning the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur. Photo by Kathryn Riley/USGA
At the U.S. Senior Amateur, Strawn was assigned a caddie named Scott Fernandes who, by chance, just happened to be a fellow Eagle Scout and adult volunteer. Any guesses what the two talked about for the next four days?
“We talked a lot about Scouts,” says Strawn.
Strawn’s term as president ends next spring. He says he’s learned a ton about Scouting by working with the excellent volunteers and staff at the Flint River Council, and he says he’s excited about what Scouting has to offer the youth of both today and tomorrow.
“The Scout Oath and Scout Law is the foundation of my whole life,” he says. “We just need to make sure we continue to be true to the Oath and Law. I think we have blue skies ahead of us.
“I’m excited about the future of Scouting.”
Strawn with caddie Scott Fernandes at the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur. Photo by Kathryn Riley/USGA
We’re fewer than 300 days away from the National Jamboree, and deadlines are approaching.
Oct. 31 marks the last day to register for the early-bird participant price of $1,285. After that, the price will be $1,500.
The price change applies to the national participant fee; it doesn’t increase for the staff member fee. If you register on or after Nov. 1, check with your council to see how it’ll affect you since councils set their own fees, which often include transportation, equipment and recognition items.
The National Jamboree is slated for July 19-28 at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia. You can register online by visiting the Jamboree website. Before you do, remember to ensure your profile on your My.Scouting account is updated.
The National Jamboree will feature 10 days of high-adventure fun and fellowship with Scouts and Scouters from around the country. It’s an experience like no other. This jamboree will mark the 20th installment of this flagship BSA event.
Get excited about the event by buying some swag or sharing these videos or images available in the marketing hub.
If you’re hesitant on the price tag, the BSA offers scholarships. The first deadline for Jamboree scholarships has already passed, but the second deadline will be Dec. 31, 2022.
Ready to sign up for the Jamboree now? Click here to get started! Interested in attending as part of the Jamboree service team? Click here to learn more.
A trip to Philmont Scout Ranch will change you.
Brian Hobrock remembers his first experience at Philmont as a youth in 1981. Fresh off the completion of his Eagle Scout service project back home in Kansas, Hobrock, 16, came to Philmont for a backpacking trek, but it was one particular day that changed his destiny.
“We did the horseback ride at Beaubien,” he says, “and I interacted with one of the Philmont wranglers. We talked a lot. After that hour-and-a-half, I knew exactly what I wanted to be. The light bulb just came on in my head.
“I knew I wanted to be a Philmont wrangler.”
Hobrock remembers when he first joined Cub Scouts in Topeka, Kansas, in the early 1970s.
“It was a school night for Scouting,” he says. “The Cubmaster talked about all the cool things they did. I remember begging my mom to be our den mother, and she agreed.”
He remembers crossing over into Topeka’s Troop 175 a few years later.
“The adult support we got was second to none,” he says.
He remembers participating in his community’s bicentennial parade with the troop in 1976.
And he remembers never really questioning whether he would stick around long enough to become an Eagle Scout.
“I expected it of myself,” he says. “We all did what we needed to do to become Eagle Scouts.”
He remembers his Eagle Scout project — refurbishing a local cemetery where some of his relatives were buried.
“It was not taken care of very well,” he says. “It was so overgrown you could drive past it and not even know it was there. The first thing we did was make it so it was visible from the road.”
He remembers camping trips, often in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains.
And, of course, he remembers Philmont.
Before that trip, he had only ridden horses a few times.
When he was done, though, it’s all he wanted to do.
Hobrock, with his mom at his Eagle Scout court of honor. Photo courtesy of Brian Hobrock
When Hobrock turned 18, he applied for a job at Philmont.
“I remember filling out the application in the winter of ’83,” he says. “I had almost no experience. On the application back then, you could list the things you most wanted to do, and you ranked them first, second and third. And I checked wrangler as No. 1.”
He remembers getting a letter of acceptance in the mail a short time later.
“It said I’d been hired as a burro wrangler,” he says. “I had no idea what they did.”
He would learn soon enough.
Hobrock remembers spending the next summer at Miranda Camp.
“It’s probably still my all-time favorite place to be on this ranch,” he says.
His job was to hand out burros to Scouts to carry heavy items like tents and pots and pans on backpacking treks. He remembers living in a cabin less than a mile from the creek where the burro corrals were located. He remembers riding a horse back and forth to that corral every day.
He remembers spending time with the program staff, especially singing songs around the campfire.
“I can’t sing worth a darn, but I can sing real loud,” he says.
And he remembers when it was over, wanting nothing more than to come back.
He did just that, in 1984 and 1987, working out of Beaubien as a wrangler.
The summer of ’87, in particular, sticks out in his memory. A little bit older and wiser, Hobrock by this time was engaged to Susan, to whom he’s still married.
“It was the greatest summer of my life,” he says. “I went out on some cavalcades. I did some cow work.
“I didn’t want to come home.”
He diagnosed himself with that disease known as I wanna go back to Philmont.
It took more than two decades, however, for that to happen.
Hobrock got a degree in ranch and feed lot management from Highland Community College in Kansas.
He worked for a while as a cowboy in a feed yard near Garden City, Kansas, where he got valuable real-world experience dealing with horses and cattle.
He worked for a while for a veterinarian, where his real-world education process in the livestock business continued.
All the while, he and Susan raised three kids in St. Francis, Kansas.
He remembers visiting Philmont in 2011 for the first time in nearly 25 years. It did not cure his disease, however.
Thanks to some connections in the livestock industry, he was invited to help with a summer cow drive at Philmont a few years later.
Still, the disease persisted.
“it was like, ‘I have to figure out a way to get back here full time.’ ” he says.
He remembers hearing about full-time job openings at Philmont. He applied for almost all of them for several years in row.
“There were a few I thought I would get, and I didn’t get any of them,” he says.
He remembers being disappointed, but not angry or bitter.
He remembers being afraid that his time had passed.
“I was 53,” he says. “I was afraid they just weren’t going to hire people my age. There were younger people just as qualified as me. I just didn’t think it was going to work out.”
With the kids grown, Brian and Susan moved to a ranch in Colorado. He remembers thinking that would likely be where he’d stay, and maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.
A day in the life of Brian Hobrock. Photo courtesy of the Hobrocks
Brian remembers the day in 2021 when he found out there was an opening in the Philmont livestock department.
“My wife said, ‘Are you going to apply?’ ” he says. “I said, ‘I don’t know if I can not.’ ”
He applied. The process might have changed from when he applied for his first job at Philmont back in 1983. But the result was the same: He got it.
Brian Hobrock remembers when he got the call that would change his life.
“There’s been some highlights in my life,” he says. “Getting married. … My three boys being born. … But getting the call from Philmont saying ‘you’re hired’ … that’s right up there.”
Today, Brian and Susan live in a house with a view of the backcountry out of every window.
She is a business operations specialist for the Ute Park Division of New Mexico State Forestry. He’s a Philmont cowboy whose job is to support the horse ranch and Philmont’s livestock program. He spends his time either in a pickup or on a horse, tending to the Ranch’s animals.
“It’s a dream,” he says. “I’m living my dream every dang day.”
Now, when he sees young people working at Philmont, he remembers when he first worked there, all those years ago.
“I wish I had the perfect word to explain what’s so special about Phlimont, so that when I said it, everyone would know what I meant,” he says. “But I don’t know what that word is. It just gets into your soul.
“For me, this is our spot. I have no interest in ever leaving this place.”
Brian and Susan. Photo courtesy of the Hobrocks
If you know a Scout looking to get their first Philmont experience – maybe the experience that starts a lifelong passion like Hobrock’s – the registration lottery for spots in 2024 is now open.
Scouting started with doing a Good Turn in 1909. Now, Scouts across the country do service projects to benefit their communities.
The next time you’re looking for service project ideas, turn to these 9 examples of excellence, as found in this story from the November-December 2014 issue of Scouting magazine.
Have questions about the BSA? We’ve got answers.
And if we don’t have the answers, we’ll find someone who does.
Below are a handful of questions we’ve recently gotten from readers (some of them, multiple times), along with the best answers we can provide.
Leave your question in the comments below, or send us an email, and we’ll answer in a future post.
Q: The BSA policy of allowing the unit leader in a board of review is regulated by 8.0.1.0. BSA Guide to Advancement. The unit leader may observe, but not participate. However, what about a unit leader who recently changed positions to committee chair and now wishes to sit on Eagle boards of review? He would be on these boards for Scouts of whom he was their Scoutmaster for the majority of their career. Does the fact that the Scoutmaster changed positions make it allowable to be a member of a board of review for Scouts he led for many years?
A: Technically, there is no rule that prohibits a former Scoutmaster from sitting in on a board of review for a Scout in this situation. We agree, however, that it would be a disservice to the youth. Consider, perhaps, a conversation in which you explain that a BOR is designed to give youth the opportunity to talk to adults they don’t know, build relationships with new adults and otherwise explain their Scouting experience to someone who wasn’t already there most of the time.
Q: What’s the difference between a Scouter Reserve (91) and a College Scouter Reserve (92)?
A: Scouter Reserve positions are for supportive adults who have no immediate, specific leadership role or direct contact with youth. The Scouter Reserve (non-unit registrant position code 91) is designed for any adult who would like to be “on reserve” should a Scouting unit need some extra help. The College Scouter Reserve (code 92) is designed specifically for college students who are interested in filling that same role. Both require criminal background checks and Youth Protection Training. Those who would like to volunteer as a reserve for specific units can use codes 91U and 92U, respectively.
Q: When a den chief goes camping with the den (and usually with the pack), can they count the nights camping towards the Camping merit badge?
A: Yes, assuming the den chief performs some kind of den chief-related duties during the campout. Requirement 9a says, “Camp a total of at least 20 nights at designated Scouting activities or events.” This means the experiences are held under the auspices of some level of the BSA, and that “Scouting” happens on them. As long as the den or pack campout is a designated Scouting event (it most certainly would be, unless they’re participating in some kind of unauthorized activity), then it would count toward the requirement.
BSA file photo
Q: How can the Scouts at our church earn a merit badge for learning American Sign Language and learning about ASL culture?
A: Requirement 3b of the Signs, Signals and Codes merit badge states, “Describe what American Sign Language (ASL) is and how it is used today. Spell your first name using American Sign Language. Send or receive a message of six to 10 words using ASL.” Although it’s not one of the requirements, a knowledge of sign language will come in handy when working on the Disabilities Awareness and Communication merit badges.
Q: How do you start a brand-new Cub Scout pack? Is there a “best practices” method? A checklist? A BSA protocol?
A: First of all, thanks for taking this on. You’re doing a huge service both to your community and to Scouting by starting a new Scout unit from scratch. The first thing we recommend is that you contact your local council. There might already be a unit in your community that’s looking for leadership. If there isn’t, click here to get started. Get more details in the official BSA publication Unit Roadmap: Starting, Sustaining & Growing Units. Don’t forget to add your unit pin to BeAScout.org (step No. 2 under “Getting Started”) so interested families can find your new unit.
Welcome to Scouts Then and Now, an On Scouting blog series. The premise is simple: We share two photos of the same Scout or Venturer — once in his or her early Scouting years (Cub Scout, younger Scout, younger Venturer) and again in his or her later Scouting years (Life Scout, Eagle Scout, older Venturer).
Find Chapter 26 below. And click here to learn how to submit your photos.
Click here to send in your photos. Click here to see more in this series.
When reviewing applications for the more than 60 college scholarships offered by the National Eagle Scout Association, a clear trend emerged: What consistently tripped up otherwise excellent applications more than anything else was the essay.
“There were grammatical errors and incomplete thoughts,” says Spencer Long, Eagle Scout and founder of the BSA Alumni Educators Affinity Group, “or the applicant just didn’t answer the essay prompt that was asked.”
Who knows how many thousands of dollars these otherwise qualified Eagle Scouts were missing out on because of a series of simple mistakes?
Well, not anymore, if Long has anything to do with it.
Starting with a class he taught at the recent 2022 National Order of the Arrow Conference called “Free Money,” Long is on a mission to educate Scouts and their families on what they can do to increase their chances of earning one of those precious few available scholarships, not just for those applying to NESA, but for those applying anywhere.
“We have Scouts with great things to share, but they don’t always know how to do it in a way that resonates with reviewers,” he says. “How can we help them make these essays better going forward? Not just for Scouting, but as a life skill.”
Long, the chief operating officer at Sigma Alpha Epsilon National Fraternity in Evanston, Illinois, encourages applicants to break the process down into four steps:
Follow directions. “Read over the entire application,” he says. “Have a complete understanding of what all is required and what is to be submitted.” This might include submitting required supporting materials such as transcripts and letters of recommendation.
Don’t procrastinate. “Give yourself plenty of time,” he says. Many applications will require the applicant to obtain items from third parties with a timeline that is outside of their control. “Get those items well in advance to meet the application deadline,” he says. “Essentially, Be Prepared.”
Write a great essay and proofread it. (More on this below.) “This is your time to share things about yourself with the selection committee that they might not have gotten from other parts of the application,” says Long. It’s important that the essay is edited for grammar and spelling, and that it addresses the essay prompt they’ve provided. Don’t recycle an essay that you used in another application, because the prompts in different applications almost always vary, even if it’s subtle.
Make sure your essay meets the guidelines. There is likely a minimum and maximum required word count. To make sure the essay reads well, read it out loud. Again, make sure it addresses the prompt from the application.
Long has served Scouting in a variety of roles. He is currently the vice president of alumni relations for the Pathway to Adventure Council and serves on the BSA Alumni Association National Committee. He has earned a Silver Beaver award for his service. Photo courtesy of Spencer Long
When it comes to writing the essay itself, Long encourages applicants to use the STAR method
S = situation. “Many times, these essays are behavior-based, and the prompt is asking the applicant to tell about a time or a situation in which they applied a specific skill or addressed a specific problem,” says Long. “So think about a similar situation in which you have found yourself.”
T= tasks. Next, write about the tasks that you were required to achieve to address these situations.
A = actions. After that, address the actions that were involved. Basically, “After you have outlined the tasks that you knew you needed to do, share the actions that you took,” says Long.
R = results. And, finally, share the results that were achieved. “Share what you learned,” he says. “And share anything you’ve learned since then that might shape what you’d do if a similar situation was presented again.”
When applying for a scholarship from NESA or any other organization, chances are the competition is going to be stiff. That’s why it’s important that the applicant go above and beyond to stand out from the crowd.
One easy way to do that is to do some research on the organization that will award the scholarship.
“It’s important to understand the purpose of the organization and what it values,” Long says. “As you write the essay, anytime you can align your response with the values of that organization, the more favorable they will likely view your application.”
Ultimately, Long says, it’s important that you appropriately address the prompt given in the application, which is why consideration of the prompt comes up several times in his suggested process.
“Take time to reflect on the prompt,” he says. “Then reflect on your own experience and how it aligns with the prompt.”
Eagle Scouts may apply for NESA scholarships beginning in their senior year of high school through their junior year in an undergraduate program or by the halfway point of their associate degree program or skilled trade program. (Yes, a NESA scholarship can be applied to trade schools.) To apply for a NESA scholarship this year, your Eagle board of review date must be on or before Jan. 24, 2023.
The application portal opens Dec. 1, 2022, and closes Jan. 31, 2023. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates.
Other organizations, however, may start the process sooner. In addition to scholarship opportunities offered by the institutions themselves, Long encourages Scouts to look into opportunities through other community organizations like Kiwanis International, Lions Club International, Rotary International and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Long has one last bit of advice for those applying to NESA.
“It’s probably not the best idea to share about your Eagle Scout project, because everyone who’s applying for an Eagle Scout scholarship has done an Eagle Scout project,” he says. “You could, however, talk about how what you learned in doing your project might help you in another situation.”
Long, with his Cub Scout son. Photo courtesy of Spencer Long
The Chan family owns 10 honeybee hives. This past summer, the colonies produced 600 jars of honey.
That’s a lot of honey.
Eagle Scout Rico Chan with Troop 7 in Grapevine, Texas, had an idea of what to do with all that sweet stuff.
This past summer, he shared the idea with Save the Children, a humanitarian organization that helps feed hungry children around the world. He would conduct a fundraiser at school, offering jars of honey in exchange for donations to Save the Children.
He aimed to raise $5,000, creating a QR code that people could scan and go directly to the organization’s website to donate. He met that goal. Afterward, Save the Children featured him on the cover of its summer “What’s Up” newsletter.
The fundraiser hasn’t been the only way Rico has shared his hobby.
Rico’s family was introduced to beekeeping a few years ago through Chris Coy, a Scouter in his troop. Coy gave a presentation during a meeting, and the family was interested. Beekeeping used to be a merit badge, available from 1911 through 1995. Interest in it dwindled, leading to its discontinuation; however, Scouts can still learn about the art of beekeeping through the Insect Study and Nature merit badges.
“Taking care of bees is nothing like taking care of goats or other animals,” says Rico, who recently turned 18. “Beekeeping is cultivating an entire society of animals, which have their own hierarchy, customs and sweet products.”
Handling insects armed with a stinger can be intimidating, but Rico learned some tricks, the primary of which is mental.
“I always remind myself that as long as I stay calm and do what I need to do, the bees won’t be able to sting me in my bee suit,” he says.
Dispelling others’ similar fears became another goal for Rico after the agriculture elective teacher at his school asked him to give a beekeeping presentation.
“This presentation evolved into me inviting my class to my house where I would give live demonstrations on how to care for bees and how to harvest honey,” he says. “All my classmates enjoyed learning about bees and enjoyed the honey they harvested even more.”
He’s also taught for his troop.
Rico recommends anyone interested in beekeeping to seek advice from a local beekeeper or your state beekeeping association. Many beekeeping clubs exist around the country that could connect you to resources or chances to work with someone’s hive.
“There’s no better way to learn about beekeeping than through hands-on experience,” Rico says. “Beekeeping courses are also very popular and can teach you everything about bees. Bees and the intricacies of their hives is a fascinating subject everyone should get to know.”
An important precaution is ensuring you and everyone else around you does not have a bee allergy. Anyone who is allergic to bees should not handle them, Rico says.
Another precaution is staying hydrated and taking breaks when needed, he says. To help bees stay calm, make deliberate actions and use a handheld smoker, which puffs smoke onto the bees, making them less hostile and less active for a short time.
As a mechanic assigned to the Navy’s USS Illinois submarine, Jason Buffi and the rest of his team had an important job: keeping the air in the submarine breathable as it spent three weeks under the Arctic ice.
When it comes to living in a submarine, having air to breathe seems like … kind of a big deal?
“It’s actually a lot simpler than you’d think,” says Buffi, an Eagle Scout from Troop 70 in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. “COH2 burners burn off all the hydrocarbons and everything we really don’t want to breathe in the air. CO2 scrubbers use a chemical composition that removes the CO2 from the air. And then the integrated low pressure electrolyzer uses the process of electrolysis to zap deionized water and separate the molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
“And the oxygen we put into the ventilation system.”
We’ll take your word for it, sir.
Ice Exercise 2022, or ICEX 2022, was a three-week exercise designed to research, test and evaluate the operational capabilities of the USS Illinois and one other submarine.
Since everyone had plenty of air to breathe, we can conclude that Buffi and his coworkers accomplished their mission.
Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Illinois surfaces in the Beaufort Sea, kicking off Ice Exercise 2022. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Alfred Coffield
Buffi is a machinist’s mate auxiliary second class. Due to their long work hours and extremely large workload, the MMAs have earned the nickname “A-gang.”
“Auxiliary is a broad word,” says Buffi. “We do what seems to be everything under the sun.”
Under the Arctic ice, the MMA engineers were responsible for all non-nuclear mechanical systems, such as the trim and drain systems (how water is moved to control ballast), all auxiliary tanks and voids, the high-pressure air system, sanitary, service air and all ship hydraulic systems (pressured oil that moves through most of the valves on the sub).
“All of us are in charge of all those things,” says Buffi. “And the big thing we own is the atmospheres – how we breathe. We maintain the atmosphere on board.”
As the rest of the crew went about its business — testing sonar technology, testing the weapons system torpedoes tracking … basically testing the ship’s systems to see how it would react under the ice — the A-gang went about theirs.
“Those machines are manned 24/7 through machinery watch,” says Buffi.
A typical day for Buffi meant eight hours watching the machines that control the ship’s atmosphere, eight hours doing other duties and eight hours of sleep.
“It was pretty fun,” he says.
The Northern Lights illuminate the Arctic sky over the Navy’s Ice Camp Queenfish during ICEX 2022. Photo by Lt. Seth Koenig
“The Arctic region can be unforgiving and challenging like no other place on Earth,” says Rear Adm. Richard Seif, commander of the Navy’s Undersea Warfighting Development Center in Groton, Connecticut, and the ranking officer of ICEX 2022. “It’s also changing and becoming more active with maritime activity. ICEX 2022 provides the Navy an opportunity to increase capability and readiness in this unique environment, and to continue establishing best practices we can share with partners and allies who share the U.S.’s goal of a free and peaceful Arctic.”
A few times during the mission, the sub would surface through the ice, giving the crew time to get out and walk around. At one point, the temperature was minus 37.
“It was the most desolate place I’ve ever been in my life,” says Buffi. “There was nothing else around, other than the other boat. If you looked around, you were completely alone.”
Buffi says he was inspired to join the Navy by his family — his grandfather was a World War II vet and his father served shortly after the Vietnam War — but Scouting taught him many of the skills he uses to this day.
“There were people in my boat who didn’t even know how to fold the American flag,” he says. “I taught them how to fold the flag. That was one of the first things I learned in Scouting.”
After spending four years assigned to the USS Illinois, Buffi is now on shore duty in Virginia, but the things he learned in Scouting and as a member of the Order of the Arrow continue to serve him well.
“Preparation, planning … as a lodge chief, I got to experience public speaking and I learned to be confident,” he says. “And then there’s the idea of hard work, determination and seeing things to the end.”
Buffi, in friendlier weather conditions at U.S. Fleet Activities installation in Yokosuka, Japan. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Litzenberger
October is here, and that means tons of Tiger dens across the country are jumping into action.
A great way to start the Tiger year is by attending an event hosted by your district or council focused mainly on Tigers.
Contact your local council for information on events like this near you, then read our story about one such event from the September 2000 issue of Scouting magazine.
Putting together a TV news show takes teamwork, hard work and creativity. It probably shouldn’t be surprising that a group of Scouts would be so good at it.
Scouting on Air, based in the Detroit area, features segments on service projects in the community, product reviews, cooking and interviews with Scouting’s state and national leadership. Each episode is developed by Scouts from the Michigan Crossroads Council under the guidance of media professionals.
The show can be viewed on five different public access channels in Michigan. One of those channels, Orion Neighborhood Television (ONTV), also shares the show on its YouTube channel.
Scouting on Air was developed out of conversations between ONTV and Brandon Kathman, senior district executive and operations marketing lead at the Michigan Crossroads Council. ONTV had several Scouts on as guests for other shows, and the idea to give Scouts their own show was born.
“At the beginning, I would go through the basics of how to conduct an interview, and things like that,” says Brandon Kathman, who graduated with a journalism degree from Appalachian State University. “As time has progressed, I am typically only serving when needed. I help secure guests. I do some of the video editing, but the kids are doing a good bit of everything now.”
Scouting on Air is officially Exploring Post 1, chartered by ONTV, which provides them with all the equipment they need. Kathman recruited members by reaching out to local Scoutmasters to see if they knew any youth who were interested in getting experience in television. He found the rest of the staff at courts of honor and other local events where he was impressed by a Scout who was comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.
Every member of Post 1 is required to stay active in their traditional Scouting unit. The post meets twice a month. The first meeting is a pre-production meeting (often virtual); the second is a meeting at the ONTV studios to record their show.
The Scouts take on different roles, depending on what is needed at the time. Duties include hosting segments in the studio, going out and recording interviews with subjects, editing footage and directing the show itself.
Michaela Witgen, from Troop 366G out of Saginaw, Mich., joined the team after originally appearing as a guest in an earlier episode, when she was asked about her quest to earn a merit badge in all 50 states.
I instantly bonded with the other members and knew I wanted to be part of what they were doing,” Michaela says. “The coolest thing I’ve done was my segment on the aviation camporee in Oscoda, Michigan. I got to go up in a plane and film, and the footage I took at the event was used in a segment on WBKB-11.”
Kathman met Teodoro Gammons at a National Youth Leadership Training session. Teodoro, from Troop 51 in Waterford, Mich., says he joined Scouting on Air to help raise the profile of Scouting in his area.
“The best part for me is the people I have met,” he says. “I enjoy meeting new people … people who are in the post, the Orion TV crew, the people we work with, and more.”
Teodoro was recently in the studio when the show interviewed a BSA member who lives in Poland who was hosting some Ukranian refugees who had been forced to flee their country. He also interviewed our very own Bryan on Scouting.
“The biggest thing I have learned is how to be myself and work with other people,” says Teodoro.
Casey Houlihan is an Eagle Scout from Troop 128 in Lake Orion, Mich. Casey, Scouting on Air’s oldest participant, is a film student. He serves as the post’s co-producer, along with Kathman.
“The coolest thing to me will always be helping the youth put on the show Scouting on Air,” says Casey. “Even though this includes hard work and effort, we get to have a blast and see amazing sights.”
Like any Scout unit, Exploring Post 1 will have to recruit new members as older ones leave. The group most recently lost their first member, a high school graduate who moved away to go to college.
Yes, Kathman may have to send out more recruiting emails at some point, but the work Scouting on Air has done is starting to speak for itself. ONTV says the shows have received lots of positive response, and Kathman says there’s no reason why Scouts in communities across the country couldn’t do something similar. Some of the Scouts have even branched out and produced print articles.
“Everyone has public access TV — local, amateur-produced content,” he says. “There’s nothing about the model that can’t be replicated.”
What may have seemed like a far-fetched concept to Scouts 50 years ago is a serious passion of many Scouts today. We’re talking gaming and esports!
That’s why the BSA has teamed up with Rally Cry to bring Scouts a tournament series this fall. While this isn’t the first time Scouting and gaming have struck a harmony (we’re thinking of the Game Design merit badge and last fall’s Rocket League tournament featured in Scout Life), this is the first time we’re hosting a tournament series.
The idea? Between Rocket League, Madden 23 and Smash Ultimate, Scouts will find a video game (or three) that draws their interest to the competition and the $100 Scout Shop gift cards that are up for grabs.
Throughout October, Scouts can join in on the fun by competing in one of two age groups: 8-12 and 13-17. Each leg of the tournament is a single-day competition and offers a $100 Scout Shop gift card to a winner in each age bracket.
Check in for each competition begins at 2 p.m. ET. Game play starts promptly at 3 p.m. ET.
Check out the series lineup below.
When? Saturday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. ET
What platforms can I use? PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Ages 8-12 can register here.
Ages 13-17 can register here.
When? Saturday, Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. ET
What platforms can I use? Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S
Ages 8-12 can register here.
Ages 13-17 can register here.
When? Saturday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. ET
What platforms can I use? Nintendo Switch
Ages 8-12 can register here.
Ages 13-17 can register here.
“Have you ever had anyone tell you that the people you love the most are dead?”
Erin Dewell, mother of Trenten Dewell from Troop 316 in Paradise, California, and wife of Don Dewell, says she’ll never forget the call she got on Nov. 8, 2018.
“I hope you never experience a situation in which you think the people you care about the most – your child, your family – have perished,” she told me by phone when I asked her what she remembers the most about that day.
Nov. 8, 2018, was the day of the Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Erin, a Troop 316 assistant Scoutmaster, had been working about 45 minutes away, in relative safety. Trenten and Don, however, were stuck at their home in Paradise, right in the middle of it all.
Thanks to what Trenten had learned while earning the Emergency Preparedness merit badge, the Dewells had designated a friend’s house as the place to meet if there ever was an event like this. But while Erin had made it there, Trenten and Don had not.
“Don managed to get a phone call out that the fire was there, they were surrounded, and they couldn’t get out,” says Erin. “And then he said goodbye.
“We never say goodbye. We always just say, ‘love you.’ ”
Later that day, Erin heard from the search and rescue team. They had made it to the house next door to the Dewells but couldn’t get to the Dewells’ property due to the massive destruction.
“They said they didn’t have time to recover their bodies, but there was no way anyone could have survived that,” she says.
Troop 316 was chugging along with about 30 active families, doing all the things that healthy Scout troops do. Then came Nov. 8, 2018.
“The fire affected everyone’s life within a 100-mile radius, and certainly anyone who lived in Paradise,” says Scoutmaster Wally Seidenglanz. “Your friends moved away. Your community changed. Every aspect of life changed. Even if your house didn’t burn down, it was still a different place than it was.”
Seidenglanz says he remembers early on making a promise with the other troop leaders: Troop 316 was going to continue. Scouting in Paradise was going to continue.
“We made a commitment that we were going to maintain our program at the highest level we could,” he says. “Everything else in the kids’ lives had been radically altered and it was our stated goal to not let this be altered.”
Kids in Paradise were going to school in grocery stores or shopping malls. Churches were meeting at restaurants or in someone’s living room. There were no school plays or school musicals or band practice or football practice.
“Nothing was normal,” Erin says. “A lot of Scouting families moved to other communities, or to other states. There was no housing available. They couldn’t see themselves hanging on hanging on hanging in a state of limbo, so they moved.”
Troop 316 lost about half of its membership, but Scouting continued.
“As fast as we could, we got back to doing a monthly camping trip,” says Seidenglanz. “Weekly meetings … Rank advancement … You know, there’s only so much you can do. You can’t change what has happened. But you can influence that little circle of kids by making sure they have a Scout meeting.”
Troop 316 stored its equipment in the local Elks Lodge. When that burned to the ground, the troop lost everything.
But Scouting continued.
Scouts from nearby and from across the country rose up to help. Troop 316’s district helped provide new uniforms. The troop got some grants from local agencies.
“People really stepped up to support the Scouts, both inside and outside of Scouting,” says Seidenglanz.
Kids started to go camping again. They advanced in rank. Some even earned their Eagle.
“It was nice to go back,” says Seidenglanz. “It was a nice break from dealing with insurance companies and the smoke and all the other garbage that was around.”
The Camp Fire, named after its place of origin on Camp Creek Road, was one of the world’s costliest natural disasters in 2018. Photo by Josh Eledson/AFP via Getty Images
It wasn’t until much later in the day on Nov. 8, 2018, that Erin knew for sure that her son and husband were alive.
Trenten had dug a pit in the ground and protected his father from the brunt of the flames. At one point, Don was overcome by the smoke, but Trenten revived him.
When the flames passed, Don and Trenten helped their neighbors get out, too. The Dewells’ truck, miraculously, still worked. Eventually, Don was able to call Erin and let her know they would be at their emergency meeting place shortly.
Trenten earned an Honor Medal with Crossed Palms for his actions.
Hours after the fire had passed, the Dewells were reunited.
“I was euphoric almost,” says Erin. “It was just a glorious moment.”
Don and Trenten were so dehydrated that the soot from the fire was still stuck to their teeth. Don told Erin that at one point, he thought the pit Trenten had dug would be his grave.
Erin says the first time Don was able to completely express what happened was at a Troop 316 meeting weeks later.
“None of the Scouts knew what Trenten had done,” says Erin. “Don said, ‘I need to tell you guys what happened in the fire. I didn’t have the respect for the fire that I should have.’
“The whole room was absolutely silent. I think everybody was just blown away.”
Most of the vehicles in Paradise — like the ones shown here — were destroyed by the fire. Thankfully, the Dewells’ truck survived. Photo courtesy of Cal OES
It’s been almost four years since the fire, and life around Paradise still isn’t normal. Seidenglanz lives in nearby Oroville, California. The Dewells are in Chico, California.
And Troop 316 continues to recover, along with the rest of the community.
Sometimes, Erin thinks back to when she signed Trenten up for Cub Scouts more than a decade ago.
“I had no idea what I was getting into,” she says. “The Cubmaster said, ‘About 1% of you will make it to Eagle.’ And on the way home, Trenten said, ‘Mom, I’m going to be in that 1%.”
Last spring, Trenten earned his Eagle. Since the fire, five other Troop 316 Scouts have either earned Eagle or are in the final stages of earning the highest rank in Scouts BSA.
And Scouting continues.
Troop 316 on a hike at Table Mountain in Skamania County, Washington, earlier this year. Photo courtesy of the troop
This year’s Silver Buffalo recipients have been exceptional leaders in their communities and within Scouting. Some have helped the Boy Scouts of America navigate through its Chapter 11 restructuring. And many have bravely told their stories, helping the BSA strengthen its youth protection practices.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the award ceremony took place virtually. You can watch the virtual ceremony here:
2022 Silver Buffalo Awards from Boy Scouts of America on Vimeo.
The Silver Buffalo Award is the BSA’s highest recognition for adult volunteers, presented annually to those who give noteworthy national-level service to youth. The award was first presented in 1926; it comes with a red-and-white Silver Buffalo Award medal and a square knot for wear on the uniform. It has been bestowed to the founders of Scouting, professional athletes, business leaders, musicians and astronauts. See the list here.
The Silver Antelope, created in 1942, is a territory-level honor for Scouters who have provided distinguished service within one of the BSA’s 16 territories. It comes with an orange-and-white knot to wear on the uniforms and an orange-and-white ribbon medal. The Silver Antelope ceremony was also held virtually and can be watched here:
2022 Silver Antelope Awards from Boy Scouts of America on Vimeo.
If you want to nominate someone for next year’s awards, see how by clicking here.
The job is to get up in front of a group of people — sometimes it’s a lot; sometimes it’s a little — and perform.
The job is to have a positive attitude, and to spread that positive attitude to others.
The job is to be helpful, kind, cheerful and friendly, among other things.
The job is performing as a college mascot, and when you look at the requirements, maybe it’s not surprising that four of them at different colleges within just a few hours of each other are all Eagle Scouts.
“We jokingly call it the fur-ternity,” says Daniel Wood, Eagle Scout, former mascot and current mascot coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “We have similar personalities. We’re very social. We like sports. We’re passionate about our schools. We like being friendly, helpful, cheerful and helping people.”
Wood, 22, graduated from UNC last spring after serving as Rameses, the school’s mascot, for four years. He now lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where he works a fulltime job in sales. Part time, he’s UNC’s mascot coordinator, helping the current mascot with scheduling and other tips only a former mascot would be able to provide.
We’re able to reveal Wood’s identity because he’s a former mascot. The current mascots at Wake Forest University, North Carolina State University and Appalachian State University are all Eagle Scouts, but since they’re current mascots, their true identities cannot be revealed.
It’s mascot tradition, and who are we to mess with tradition?
“Mascot programs are very tight on identity,” says Wood. “You’re supposed to keep it secret, so it doesn’t ruin the magic. You don’t want to distract from the magic of the character.”
Daniel Wood as Rameses. Photo by John Roberts/UNC-Chapel Hill
The mascot at Wake Forest is named The Demon Deacon. The Eagle Scout who plays him is in their second year as the mascot.
“It’s been great,” they say. “The opportunities you get are not like anything else. You’re the person at the forefront of the university. It’s very unique.”
When someone becomes a mascot, they are in many ways playing a character, which means they have to learn to act the way that character acts. Many people will play the mascot over the years, but the mascot’s personality must stay the same.
“The character of The Demon Deacon … he has energy,” says the Eagle Scout. “He also knows he’s the handsomest man around. He doesn’t show off if he doesn’t want to, but he can if he needs to.”
Standing at the 50-yard-line or at halfcourt surrounded by thousands of screaming fans is great, says this Eagle Scout, but there’s something else that’s even better.
“Having a kid come up to you and just stand there in awe,” they say. “Them asking you to autograph their T-shirt or the cast on their arm. That really puts everything in perspective. It makes me remember why I do it.”
The Demon Deacon. Photo by Brian Westerholt/Sports On Film
The mascot at NC State is named Mr. Wuf. (NC State’s athletic teams are known as the Wolfpack.)
For the Eagle Scout who plays him, getting into character is not all that difficult.
“Mr. Wuf’s characteristics include perseverance and staying true to yourself,” they say. “Honestly, he embodies what it means to be an Eagle Scout. It embodies our mantra of always fighting, and that there is always strength in the pack.”
Mr. Wuf is part of NC State’s ultra-successful cheerleading squad. Last spring, they won the ACC Gameday Division championship.
In addition to showing up at athletic events, Mr. Wuf, like other mascots, will make appearances throughout the NC State community.
“That’s the best part of the job,” says the Eagle Scout. “You get to be part of the local community. You get to do things that aren’t available to the average person. You could be at a concert one night and you could be filming a commercial two days later.”
The human inside Mr. Wuf says they learned two things in Scouting that have paid off when serving as mascot: time management and maintaining a positive attitude.
“I liked the weekly Scout meetings — all your friends coming together and working on the same goal,” they say. “That’s when you get things done.”
Mr. and Ms. Wuf. Photo courtesy of NC State University
The mascot at Appalachian State is named Yosef. (ASU’s athletic teams are known as the Mountaineers. The name Yosef comes from “yourself,” but spoken with the accent of a true mountaineer.)
Just a few weeks ago, the Eagle Scout found themselves baking inside their outfit on the field in College Station, Texas, in the middle of ASU’s historic upset over Texas A&M.
Some of that outdoors Scouting training definitely came in handy on that day.
“I was dying,” they say. “It’s a relatively heavy suit. And once you start sweating, it gets heavier.
“You’re supposed to be larger than life. So, because of that you can get exhausted pretty quickly. But you still have to be high energy. You just have to power through.”
Like other mascots, Yosef appears at fundraising events, banquets, ceremonies and other local events. What surprised them the most, though, was the weddings.
“A lot of people like to hire Yosef to go to their wedding,” they say. “You never know if the bride is going to be happy or upset, because sometimes it’s a surprise. You can tell after they take a picture, if the bride starts dancing with you, then it’s OK. But sometimes, they just walk away, and you have to go do something else.”
The Eagle Scout says one of the things they liked the most about Scouting was meeting new people at events where Scouts from other units were present.
“One of the biggest things is Scout spirit,” they say. “Mascoting is like that, without talking. It’s a lot of high energy and high emotion. You do a lot of that in Scouting. It transfers right over to being a mascot.”
Yosef. Photo by Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports
Among the highlights of Wood’s career as a mascot were an appearance on The Tonight Show and a commercial for Rocket Mortgage.
He says that Scouting brought him out of his shell at an early age and led to him being comfortable in such situations.
“Working as camp staff, NYLT staff … that gives you so much confidence in yourself,” he says. “I was able to translate that into being in front of a crowd and getting people to cheer.”
No longer serving as Rameses, Wood is instead content to help current and future UNC mascots. Five of the last seven have been Eagle Scouts, by the way, including the current one, who, of course, we can’t name.
“You really feed off energy from the crowd,” says Wood. “It shoots you into a new stratosphere.
“But for every one of those opportunities, we have five appearances where there’s only five people there, and those are the real memory-makers for those people. You never know the effect you can have on people’s lives. A little kid comes up and he’s so excited to see Rameses. You’ve got to be able to appreciate those moments also.”
Rameses and friends. Photo by Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill
On Sept. 25, 1957, Eagle Scout Ernest Green Jr. and eight other African-American students walked through the front doors of Little Rock’s Central High School and onto the pages of history. Their simple action capped off months of planning, weeks of legal battles, a handful of street-level skirmishes, and a high-stakes showdown between the governor of Arkansas and the president of the United States.
Five years ago, Green sat down with a writer from our own Eagles’ Call magazine. Learn more in our story from 2017.
We all play a role in keeping our communities safe.
As Scouts, we do things like pick up trash, learn basic first-aid skills, know what to do in case of severe weather, and otherwise promise to help other people at all times.
It’s easy to see why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s If You See Something, Say Something® campaign is a perfect fit.
Originally implemented by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the slogan is now used as part of DHS’s nationwide anti-terrorism campaign to remind the public that they play an important role in reporting suspicious behaviors to law enforcement.
As leaders in our communities, it makes perfect sense for Scout leaders, parents and Scouts themselves to understand that we can all help if we know what kind of suspicious activity to look for and how to report it. The Boy Scouts of America is proud to partner with DHS to help raise awareness of this critical initiative.
Suspicious activity is any observed behavior that may indicate that someone is planning an attack or terrorism-related crime. With the help of the National Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, DHS has identified several common signs of terrorism-related suspicious activity. Please note that some of these activities could turn out to be innocent, which is why you should report it to law enforcement officials who are trained to determine whether the behavior warrants further action.
Here are some examples to look out for:
Someone threatening to commit a crime that could harm or kill people or damage a facility, infrastructure or secured site.
Someone with a prolonged interest in or taking pictures or videos of personnel, facilities, security features or infrastructure in an unusual or covert manner.
Someone stealing or diverting items — such as equipment, uniforms or badges — that belong to a facility or secured site.
Unauthorized personnel trying to enter a restricted area or impersonating authorized personnel.
Disrupting or compromising an organization’s information technology systems.
Collection or discovery of unusual amounts of weapons including explosives, chemicals, or other destructive materials.
Click here for DHS’s complete list of signs of suspicious activity.
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Remember: If you see something that looks suspicious, it’s not your job to investigate. Report what you saw, and leave the rest up to the pros.
If you see suspicious activity, report it to law enforcement and describe specifically what you observed, including:
Who you saw;
What you saw;
Where you saw it;
Why it seemed suspicious.
Every state has its own suspicious activity tip line. Click here to find out how to report suspicious activity in your area.
If there is an immediate emergency, call 911. Do not report suspicious activity to DHS. Instead, notify your local law enforcement.
Click here for a printable pocket card with information on reporting suspicious activity.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated September 25 as “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day, also known as #SeeSayDay. DHS and its campaign partners, such as the Boy Scouts of America, come together on #SeeSayDay to remind the public to be aware of suspicious activity and how to report it to law enforcement. Click here to learn more about how you can participate in #SeeSayDay.
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The first-year patrol is planning its menu for the upcoming campout: cereal for breakfast, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and hot dogs for dinner.
This isn’t the Scouts’ first time camping; this is the third outing in a row with such simplistic fare. This might be an opportune time to introduce them to the wonders of Dutch-oven cooking. Traditionally, camping Dutch ovens are heavy cast-iron pots that make baking outdoors easy. You can also steam, fry, sauté or boil food in them.
If your Scouts need a little help concocting some creative dishes, show them these recipes from Scout Life magazine. The recipes include how to make pizza, breakfast casserole and turkey. The latest entries, which will be featured in the October 2022 issue, feature troop-submitted ideas that can satisfy your sweet tooth.
You can find Dutch-oven cooking instruction videos here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
Use Dutch ovens on the ground and on durable, fireproof material, like rock, gravel or dirt. Always have a bucket of water handy to douse any wayward flames or extinguish coals when you’re done cooking.
How do you control the temperature in a Dutch oven? Change the number of hot coals on top and underneath the oven. Check out how many coals you need for different temperatures in this conversion chart for ovens from 8 to 16 inches in diameter.
After you’re done cooking and enjoying your meal, properly clean the Dutch oven. For a well-seasoned oven, you can use a sponge or nonmetallic scrub pad and warm water for washing and rinsing. You can also use salt and a paper towel to wipe it clean. Don’t use metal scouring pads, which will damage the oven’s coating.
You don’t generally use soap, but check the manufacturer’s instructions; small amounts of mild detergents could be OK to use.
After you’ve cleaned your oven, add a thin layer of food-grade oil over its entire surface, including the legs and handles. For storage tips, click here.
If you have a tasty recipe, like this one below from Troop 163 of Washington, Ill., feel free to share it with Scout Life magazine here or with Scouting magazine here. They might be featured in a future post.
Cook time: 35-45 minutes, temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ingredients:
2 cans cherry pie filling
1 can apple pie filling
1 yellow cake mix
1 chocolate cake mix
1 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions:
Line your Dutch oven with a double layer of foil. Pour cans of pie filling into bottom of Dutch oven. Mix the chocolate cake mix with 2/3 of the water required in the mix instructions. Pour it over the filling inside the Dutch oven.
Mix the yellow cake mix with 2/3 of the water required in the mix instructions. Pour over the chocolate layer. Mix the oatmeal, sugars and cinnamon and sprinkle over the cake mixes.
Slice the stick of butter into pats and cover the top of the cobbler. Place the lid on and bake until done. It should take between 35 and 45 minutes at 350 degrees. That’s with about 10 coals on top and five on bottom.
One of the most common questions we at On Scouting get is, “Where do you come up with your story ideas?”
And the most common answer to that question is, “We get them from readers like you!”
And so it went with one reader who responded to a story from a few weeks ago on forming new Cub Scout dens with a terrific question:
I am a longtime volunteer with a Scout troop, and I am always looking for tips in recruiting the older boys (and girls for our sister troop). There is, understandably, a greater proportion of attention paid to bringing in the younger children. I see the wisdom in doing so. But our troop has had several Scouts over the years who joined us as older boys and they made Eagle. So, besides word of mouth and special events, how would you all approach this situation?
Great question! Please respond in the comments with any advice you guys can share and read on for a couple of thoughts from us.
Many of the youth members in the BSA’s programs for older kids — Venturing, Sea Scouts, Exploring and Scouts BSA — come from nearby Cub Scout packs. That’s why it’s important for units that serve older kids to stay in touch with your local packs — and not just when it’s time for them to cross over into Scouts BSA.
Venturers, Sea Scouts, Explorers and Scouts BSA members can help Cub Scout packs in many ways. And when an older kid puts on their uniform and talks to a group of Cub Scouts about camping, sailing or whatever … what they’re really doing is promoting that program.
Trust us: Den leaders and Cubmasters would love to have an older youth stop by a meeting and give a quick talk on setting up a tent, or casting a fishing line, or packing a backpack … or anything that older Scouts do.
And if your Scouts BSA troop or Venturing crew doesn’t already promote the Den Chief program, now’s the time to start!
BSA file photo
There are plenty of reasons why a young person may have never enrolled in Cub Scouts, including the possibility that they were simply never asked. Don’t give up on them!
Instead of a traditional “join Scouting night” or similar recruiting-focused event that you see in Cub Scouts, consider inviting older kids to join any fun, practical Scouting activity that you already have planned. Since BSA medical forms are required from any non-members for an overnight camping event, it might be best to invite them to something simpler: bowling, fishing, outdoor movie on a big screen, or cookout … something fun that gets them outdoors on a nice day for just a few hours.
Where do you find the older kids to invite to such events? Start with friends of your current members. (The Recruiter Strip is a nice incentive for older Scouts to invite their friends.) Then, go to the BSA Brand Center for fliers, logos, posters, web banners and tools to promote your unit via social media.
And remember: Non-Scouting families — especially those who weren’t in Cub Scouts – likely have no idea what terms like “First Class” or “Citizenship in the Nation” mean. So don’t worry about that stuff for now. Instead, focus on letting them have a good time with their new Scouting friends, and then see how it goes after that.
Click here for more tips on recruiting Sea Scouts, and here for advice on recruiting Venturers. And bookmark the BSA’s Recruitment Resources page.
How do you recruit older kids to your Scout unit? Let us know in the comments!
Last year, Hurricane Ida slammed into the U.S., leaving a wake of destruction across many states. You can read how Scouts in Louisiana and New Jersey responded to the deadly storm in Scout Life magazine.
In Pennsylvania, Michael Saturnino, his wife, Victoria, and their 6-week-old daughter, Eretrea, were staying at a hotel just northwest of Philadelphia on the banks of the Schuylkill River. They had flown in for Saturnino’s brother’s wedding.
“The weather had been pretty terrible,” Saturnino says. “Tornado warnings were going off the whole time.”
Another danger came from the river. As the remnants of the hurricane dumped rain, the river was quickly rising, flooding the nearby roads. Saturnino would soon have to rely on his Coast Guard training and Scouting experience to protect not only his family but also everyone in the hotel.
Floodwaters from Hurricane Ida.
Saturnino joined Cub Scouts as a Wolf with Pack 355 in St. Charles, Mo. He crossed over to Troop 351, climbing the ranks to Life before his family moved to California. He joined a troop there, but it disbanded before he could complete the requirements for Eagle.
The 17-year-old reached back out to his old troop in Missouri and rejoined 351 to finish a couple of merit badges, remotely serve as a scribe and lead a service project for a church in California. He flew back to Missouri for his Eagle board of review.
After Scouting as a youth, Saturnino went to community college and then enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served nine years (eight on active duty). During that time, the second-class petty officer served in multiple roles, primarily on marine environmental response teams. He’d inspect ships for safety and was trained to respond for natural disasters, like hurricanes. Today, he’s stationed in Anchorage, Alaska.
Floodwaters rise outside the hotel.
While the remnants of Hurricane Ida poured rain in the Northeastern U.S., the Saturninos went sight-seeing before the wedding. When they returned to the hotel that night, the front desk clerk instructed them to not park in the parking lot and instead find higher ground to leave their car, per the local police’s recommendation.
Wouldn’t the hotel guests need to find higher ground, too? Confused, Michael called the police department, but didn’t receive clarification. He then called the local office of emergency management. Again, no clear instructions. Meanwhile, the nearby river was rising and water collected on the streets.
“There was two or three inches of standing water on the roads,” Saturnino says. “Over 30 minutes, it rose three more inches. The current was moving pretty fast.”
Soon, the hotel began filling with water. Within a few hours, floodwaters had engulfed the first floor.
“The river rose 24 feet above the capacity of the riverbanks,” Saturnino says. “It was the biggest flood in the history of that region.”
Saturnino’s family and more than 100 hotel guests were caught in the middle of it.
The first floor of the hotel flooded.
With his emergency management background, Saturnino stepped up to help the hotel manager coordinate a plan to evacuate everyone and figure out how to ration the hotel’s food and supplies. He knocked on room doors, alerting guests to the situation. He stayed in contact with local first responders, providing them with updates.
“A lot of it comes back to what I learned in Boy Scouts,” he says. “The motto is Be Prepared.”
He also called upon the points of the Scout Law, like A Scout is Cheerful. Saturnino tried to crack jokes to keep guests’ spirits high during the troubling ordeal. His light-hearted response helped keep everyone calm.
“Guests were asking if I was a lifeguard,” Saturnino says. “I’d tell them, ‘Kind of,’ but that I was on vacation. It’s something that seems so ingrained; it’s foreign not to act. In Scouts, you’re trained to help people.”
He knew that flooding can take days to recede, so it’d be important to keep everyone’s morale up as evacuation logistics were worked on. Saturnino hardly slept as he helped solve problems and stayed in contact with first responders. In all, he worked with five different municipalities and 11 different agencies that responded to the flooded hotel. He called a nearby hotel to see if they could accommodate the stranded guests.
Michael Saturnino holds his pack prior to leaving the flooded hotel.
Fortunately, the waters began to recede the next day, but it wasn’t safe to stay in the hotel as the current had moved cars and pressed them against the building. Saturnino helped remove the hotel doors so rescue boats could approach and start evacuating people — first those with medical issues, and then families and others. Guests could only bring one bag with them, but they were all able to get out of the waterlogged hotel.
“The way I measure success isn’t, ‘Did we accomplish the mission?’” he says. “We accomplished the mission, and no one got hurt. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
The Saturninos took as much as they could but left a lot of their belongings at the hotel, including his tuxedo and his wife’s gown for the wedding. After they arrived at the new hotel, they learned a SWAT team had retrieved their belongings and delivered them to the family.
Michael Saturnino and his wife, Victoria, leave the flooded hotel.
The family attended the wedding, which went on without incident. Later, Saturnino was awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal for his part in the hotel rescue.
“You never know when you’ll be called to act,” he says.
Ben Jones had no background in filmmaking or screenwriting. Instead, he had a vision — an idea for a story he wanted to tell.
After many years, and many twists and turns, Jones’ original idea has turned into a movie called Peace River, and much of it was filmed at Philmont Scout Ranch.
The idea for the story first came to Jones more than a decade ago, when he was working as a cowboy at a friend’s ranch in New Mexico. Cowboying is something Jones knew plenty about. He worked on his family ranch as a child and rodeoed for four years in high school.
Jones also knew a few things about history. He considers himself an amateur historian.
Then came the moment.
“I was aware we had special operations soldiers who rode horses in Afghanistan,” Jones says. “I was enamored with the historical anachronism of that.
“I mean, look. We sent a man to the moon. And in the 21st century, we’ve got soldiers riding into battle on a horse. It seemed like an intriguing, historical scenario. So, I’m on this spring roundup one day and this idea came to me for a movie script. Within 72 hours, I had it outlined in writing.
“And, of course, it only took me 12 years to get from that point to this point. It’s a pretty wild adventure that we’ve been on here.”
Watch the trailer below, and read on for more on how the filmmakers took advantage of all that Philmont has to offer.
Peace River tells the fictional story of a wounded U.S. military veteran who has returned home from the Afghanistan War. The film chronicles the young man’s attempts to put his life back together, relying on his faith, and the support of a childhood friend and his World War II-veteran grandfather.
Click here for information on how to stream or purchase the DVD of the movie.
Even though he doesn’t have a background in the movie business, Jones has long considered himself a storyteller. Growing up in the small North Louisiana town of Ruston, Jones played college football at LSU in the early 1970s and graduated with a degree in engineering. (His older brother is LSU legend Bert Jones, who went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL.)
But it was after five years at Dallas Theological Seminary that Ben Jones found his calling as a lay minister who uses stories in his sermons.
He might have made a living in the energy industry, but it was telling faith-based stories that Jones really lived for.
“I wrote the script before I read any books on script writing because I really didn’t want to be influenced,” says Jones. “I felt very confident in the core story that I had. I wanted to be sure and get it on paper the way I envisioned it before I got too much outside influence.”
Ben Jones, producer, writer and real-life cowboy, at Philmont. Courtesy of Peace River Films LLC.
Another thing Jones had was a clear vision of what the film should look like. Not just the story, but the scenery behind the story. And that’s how he ended up back in New Mexico, more than a decade after the idea had first popped into his head.
Jones estimates that around 48% of the movie’s filming was done at Philmont. The rest was done at other ranches nearby.
“Man, that is a natural filmmaking facility,” Jones says. “All that raw land. All those facilities to house people and feed them. I mean, it’s a natural filming location and a natural film production facility. It was just fabulous.”
Entering the fall of 2020, there definitely was not a lot of commotion at Philmont Scout Ranch. All non-essential activities in the state had been shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. There were no Scouts trekking across Philmont’s pristine backcountry. Philmont Training Center remained mostly empty.
Then Ben Jones came calling. The film industry was considered essential, so they’d be allowed to work mostly uninterrupted.
“We had the time, we had the space,” says Philmont general manager Roger Hoyt.
The cast and crew stayed in the Philmont facilities. During the days, they’d go into the backcountry to shoot the movie. In the evenings, they’d eat at Philmont’s dining hall and sleep in their dorms.
Another scene from the movie that shows off Philmont’s mountain range in the background. Courtesy of Peace River Films LLC.
Philmont Scout Ranch is still a working ranch and basically a small town of its own. Even with no Scouts or adult volunteers present, there were already employees there to keep the water running, keep the lights on … things like that.
Then came an entire movie crew.
“We would take some food to them on site when they requested it,” Hoyt says. “They had a scene where they needed lights and sirens, so we brought in our ambulances and fire truck.
“We have a lot of resources that allowed them to be able to quickly put a scene together out there because we are kind of a small city in itself.”
“The whole staff couldn’t have been nicer,” Jones says. “They were so accommodating.”
Jones might have thought the adventure of bringing his vision to the screen would end once the movie started filming. Turns out, there was one more twist in the story still to come.
On the first day of the filming, the actor slated to play the grandfather had to drop out of the movie. The production team had a serious decision to make: shut down the production and find another actor, or …
“The director, Doug Vail, says to me, ‘I think you should play the role,’ ” says Jones.
“We were trying to decide what to do. Do we shut the production down and go home? Do we wait a year? It was already October 7. We were trying to beat Old Man Winter.
“And Doug said, ‘I think you ought to play the role. You wrote it. You know it better than anybody else.’ ”
And just like that, Ben Jones, the man with no filmmaking experience – much less acting experience – was playing the role of Bo Shane, a World War II vet, who, according to the movie’s official synopsis, pours his life’s love and wisdom into his grandson Casey.
He is joined by Chase Garland, who plays Casey; Jessica Nunez-Wood, as Casey’s childhood friend Maria; and R.W. Hampton, singer, real-life Eagle Scout, former Philmont staffer and Philmont Staff Association Distinguished Staff Alumni Award winner from 2018, who plays a rodeo coach and pastor.
“It was pretty incredible,” says Jones.
Peace River is rated PG-13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may not be appropriate for younger viewers.
Some of the film’s actors discuss the day’s filming under a shelter in the canyon on the south side of the Tooth of Time. Courtesy of Peace River Films LLC.
Who doesn’t get a thrill looking up at the moon?
Whether you see it as a giant, glowing orb rising from the eastern horizon at dusk or as a slender, silvery crescent hanging on the black-velvet backdrop of a pre-dawn eastern sky, Earth’s tag-along partner always has inspired mystery and awe.
Learn how to wow your family and Scouts with some impressive knowledge of the moon by reading our story from the November-December 2008 issue of Scouting magazine.
One of the most accomplished movie directors of all time is an Eagle Scout, and he has a new film coming out this fall.
His most famous flicks have covered topics such as World War II, dinosaurs coming to life, aliens coming to Earth and killer sharks.
This time, it’s personal.
The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical drama written and directed by Steven Spielberg. Although the main character’s name is Sammy Fabelman, the story is based on Spielberg’s life from ages 7-18 — this would have been the mid-1950s to mid-1960s — when he was living in Arizona and active in his local Scout troop.
(We’re guessing Spielberg just couldn’t resist the play on words: fable = a story, typically a supernatural one incorporating elements of myth and legend.)
Although the movie technically premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last weekend, most of us won’t get to see it until its wide release this November. We have, however, seen the trailer, and yes, it does appear that Spielberg’s time in Scouting – and the impact it had on his decision to make movies – will be a big part of the film.
In real life, Steven Spielberg was a member of Troop 294 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“Before Scouting, I was wimpy and always inside myself,” Spielberg told a captive audience of Scouts at the 1989 National Scout Jamboree, according to this story in The Washington Post. “I got into Scouting . . . and it opened a new realm for me. … It taught me how to make eye contact, to speak out when I had something important to say.”
Moviemaking was not a merit badge back then (more on that in a second), but Photography was. One of the requirements was to tell a story with pictures, and the ever-inventive Spielberg had an idea: He asked his counselor if he could tell his story with moving pictures, and thank goodness the answer was yes.
In some interviews, Spielberg says the movie he made was called Gunsmog, probably a riff of what might have been one of his favorite TV shows at the time. Other sources report that he called the movie The Last Gunfight.
What we do know is that he made the movie with the help of his fellow Scouts. And he sure as heck earned that merit badge.
“I took my movie camera and made a little Western three minutes long, using friends of mine from the same Boy Scout troop,” Spielberg said in a 2010 interview with the Flickering Myth website. “I showed it to the Boy Scouts a week later. Not only did I get my merit badge, but I got whoops and screams and applause and everything else that made me want to do it more and more.”
Spielberg was 14 when he earned the rank of Eagle, and the rest is history.
At the 1989 Jamboree, the now-famous Spielberg helped introduce the brand-new Cinematography merit badge, which would later become Moviemaking. At the time, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, a movie that featured its own connection to Scouting, was sweeping the nation.
Steven Spielberg directs River Phoenix, playing a young Indiana Jones when he was a Life Scout, on the set of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. Photo from the Everett Collection
In the 2-minute, 25-second trailer, I counted four appearances by Scouts. (Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments!)
The first occurs about a minute in, when the teenage Steven … er, Sammy … played by Gabriel LaBelle, is sitting in what looks like a theater, surrounded by members of his troop. One of his fellow Scouts leans over and says, “What kind of movie are we going to make?”
We cut immediately to a shot of at least five Scouts riding bikes through their Arizona town. No dialogue here, just stirring music.
Seconds later, we see an out-of-focus Sammy in what appears to be a projection booth, as his movie plays on a big screen. You can clearly make out Sammy’s red Scout neckerchief.
Following several shots of what looks like they could be scenes from Gunsmog/The Last Gunfight, we get one more closeup of Sammy running the projector, still wearing his Scout neckerchief.
The movie’s IMDB page lists “Scout Father,” “Boy Scout” and simply “Scout” as characters in the movie. Its Wikipedia page says actor Gabriel Bateman plays “a member of Sammy’s Scout troop who helps him make films” with Nicolas Cantu “as another member of Sammy’s Scout troop who helps him make films.”
Based on all this, it certainly seems like The Fabelmans will stay at least somewhat true to Spielberg’s real-life experience as a Scout.
The Fablemans opens November 11. In addition to LaBelle, it stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen and, in an unknown role, fellow Eagle Scout David Lynch. It’s rated PG-13 and has already received a number of positive reviews on review aggregator sites Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes.
Courtesy of Universal Studios
The National and World Scout Jamborees will offer chances for Scouts to unite in the spirit of Scouting and have tons of fun next year. You can find registration information for the national event here; youth registration has closed for the World Scout Jamboree.
But before then, Scouts can participate in two other large Scouting events: the Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet. This year’s digital and amateur radio events are slated for Oct. 14-16. That’s when more than 2 million Scouts from more than 170 countries will connect with other Scouts, locally, nationally or globally by logging online or turning on a ham radio. You can register here.
For the Jamboree-on-the-Internet, all you need is an Internet-enabled device, like a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. If you have a ham radio, you should be good for the Jamboree-on-the-Air, too. However, many Scouts opt to visit a local amateur radio operator’s ham shack or a ham shack at a council camp.
One of the highlights of the Jamboree-on-the-Air/Jamboree-on-the-Internet is the live show. You might be featured during it on the Youth Got Talent Stage.
Your Scout can showcase his or her talent by submitting a video by Sept. 30. It can be playing music, cooking his or her favorite recipe, dancing or demonstrating a skill. Find all the guidelines here.
Circle back to this World Organization of the Scout Movement page for more details on the official program.
The Jamboree-on-the-Internet and Jamboree-on-the-Air not only provide opportunities to try fun activities and talk with Scouts from around the country and world, but participation can fulfill requirements for Cub Scout adventures, the Citizenship in the World merit badge and the International Spirit Award.
To help your Scouts fully enjoy the events, see these leader guides for the Jamboree-on-the-Internet and Jamboree-on-the-Air.
Juan and Angelica Urbina are both first-generation Americans — proud of their country, and proud of their heritage. They live in the Cielo Vista area of El Paso, Texas, where they are surrounded by families of similar backgrounds.
When the couple began looking for extracurricular activities for their three children, the choice was easy.
“It’s about passing on our values and being good citizens,” Juan said. “There just aren’t many organizations like that.”
The only problem? There were no Scouting units in their neighborhood. So, they started their own: Pack 44, with boys and girls. Juan served as Cubmaster.
And when the Urbina’s oldest child aged out of Cub Scouts, they started two Scouts BSA troops: 44B and 44G.
Now, Juan is Scoutmaster of Troop 44B. Angelica is Scoutmaster of Troop 44G. They’ve turned Pack 44 over to Cubmaster Nohemi Salas and assistant Cubmaster Vanessa Monsisvais.
They say Scouting has been perfect not just for their family, but for all the families in their community.
“I think an organization like the BSA is an ideal place for our families because it helps establish a foundation of values that have great worth to us,” Angelica says. “It truly takes a village to raise our kids. I cannot think of a better village to surround our youth.”
Scouts prepare their next meal at a recent campout. Photo courtesy of Juan and Angelica Urbina
Juan remembers his first ever Cub Scout meeting as an adult leader. It was 2017, and they had about 20 families. He was never a Scout as a kid growing up in Chicago, but he knew he had found a new home.
“I remember seeing neighborhood friends in their Scout uniforms, but I never had the chance to do it myself,” he says.
After serving 14 years in the U.S. Army, Juan moved to El Paso, where he met Angelica.
“As soon as my son was old enough, I threw him into Scouts,” he says.
Within just a few months, their brand-new pack grew to around 60 families.
The Urbinas say the pack just kind of recruited itself.
“So many people saw what we were doing, and they wanted to do that, too,” Juan says. “It just took off.”
The same went for the parents.
“We didn’t really recruit them,” he says. “They just came along.”
“At first, I took my son because he wanted to be a Scout,” says Mayra Zamora, father of Star Scout Jonathan Zamora. “But we’ve grown into a big family, and it’s nice to see our neighbors and family friends from the schools our children attend.
“We take care of each other.”
Scouts participate in a flag ceremony at a recent meeting. Photo courtesy of Juan and Angelica Urbina
When Juliette Salcido was younger, her mom used to take her to get free books for an organization that collects used books. Now, as a member of Troop 44G, Juliette is the one gathering and donating books to that same organization.
“What I like most about being a Scout is that I’ve been able to help the community,” she says.
Juliette’s sister, Katherine, is also a member of the troop. Their brother is a member of a nearby Scouts BSA troop for boys.
“I joined because I wanted to follow in my brother’s footsteps,” Katherine says. “He always got to try and learn new things and in general he is a better person because of Scouting.
“He’s a better citizen and also a better brother.”
In 1953, a U.S. Air Force B-36 bomber crashed in Franklin Mountains in El Paso. The plane was struggling to land in Biggs Airfield due to a blizzard. Nine lives were lost.
“There are still pieces of that plane on the mountain,” Juan says. “So we took the Scouts up there. They were in amazement that this really did happen.
“If it wasn’t for Scouts, a lot of these kids wouldn’t get to see that kind of stuff.”
Angelica and Juan Urbina
Says Jonathan Zamora, son of Mayra: “I get the chance to do new things that I have never done before and also learn new things.”
Like a lot of units across the country, the memberships of Pack 44 and Troop 44B and 44G have dipped in recent years, due in large part to the coronavirus pandemic. But Angelica is more optimistic than ever that Scouting is right for her family and community.
“Scouting not only reminds us of all these great values and makes it part of the curriculum and initiatives within each pack and troop,” she says, “but it also challenges our children to rise to the occasion and be good citizens.”
We’re always on the lookout for Scouting success stories. Know any units or leaders who have gone above and beyond expectations? Email us and let us know! We might feature them in our next “secret of their success” story.
Alan Stern has been busy these last few years.
The engineer, planetary scientist and Eagle Scout is the principal investigator of the New Horizons mission to Pluto, the Kuiper belt and beyond.
In July, he took part in a dive to explore the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, more than 12,000 feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean.
And next year, he’s scheduled to fly to space to conduct a suborbital research mission for NASA.
“Just like the exploration of space I have participated in during my career, our exploration of the Titanic was impactful to me both as a scientist and as a human,” writes Stern in a recent article for The Hill. “Exploration … is something that brings benefits beyond measure. After all, past waves of exploration gave birth to vast economic expansions, to human and societal inspiration beyond measure and even to modern democracy itself.”
If you’re interested in space exploration, deep sea exploration, or, basically, the future of humanity, Stern’s article is a worthwhile read. He notes that the exploration of the oceans and space is poised to dramatically accelerate, thanks to private-sector companies such as Oceangate and Virgin Galactic.
“Exploration of all kinds – from the arctic to the Antarctic, from deep sea to the highest mountains, from our Earth to the Moon and planets – is something uniquely human,” writes Stern. “No other species on Earth explores — exploration is truly a defining trait of our species.”
Stern is one of many Eagle Scouts who worked on the New Horizons mission. That spacecraft produced the best images of Pluto any human has ever seen and eventually paid a visit to Arrokoth, the most distant and most primitive object ever explored by a spacecraft.
Back in 2018, I had the pleasure of interviewing Stern by phone, and he made it pretty clear that his experience in Scouting played a large role in overcoming the challenges that come with space exploration.
“There have been a lot of challenges,” Stern told me. “It has been an issue of persistence. This project has been around-the-clock work for 52 weeks a year for more than 15 years now. And that takes persistence.
“We’ve had lots of problems and we overcame them.”
Stern seemed especially proud of how he and his team handled what sounded to me like a particularly stressful incident back in 2015. Just 10 days away from when New Horizons was scheduled to reach Pluto, the spacecraft went offline.
The ground team back on Earth was sending the probe’s primary computer nine days’ worth of instructions. At the same time, the computer was compressing science data on its recorder.
It was more than the processor could handle and, much like your home computer or smart device might do when it becomes overloaded, it glitched.
In July 2015, Stern (middle) celebrates with the New Horizons flight controllers after they received confirmation from the spacecraft that it had successfully completed the flyby of Pluto. Photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls
Stern and Glen Fountain, an electrical engineer on the New Horizons team and, of course, also an Eagle Scout, were prepared.
Long before New Horizons launched, Stern and Fountain had gone over a list of things that could go wrong.
“We came up with something like 246 different risks with probably 100 of them with explicit contingency activities,” Fountain says. “ ‘If this should happen, this is what we’re going to do.’ ”
Because of all that planning, they knew exactly what to do when they lost contact with the probe on July 4. They knew the computer had likely gone into “safe mode,” which should prompt it to turn an antenna toward Earth and wait for further instructions.
By calculating the probe’s exact location, they knew that in a short time the probe would be available to communicate again if they looked in just the right spot. When the time came, sure enough, New Horizons was ready and awaiting further instructions.
“The spacecraft and all the instruments are operating flawlessly,” Stern said at a news conference a few days later. “We came a long way to explore Pluto, and all indications are that Pluto is not going to let us down.”
It didn’t. As you read this, New Horizons is still soaring through outer space. Scientists expect to be able to keep in touch with it until sometime in the 2030s, when it will likely run out of power.
In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Scout units from coast to coast and around the world went into action to help those in need.
Their efforts, an extraordinary combination of self-sacrifice, efficiency, and community spirit, not only provided immediate relief for victims and rescue workers, but also helped to heal national wounds.
Learn more in this story from the January-February 2002 issue of Scouting magazine.
The BSA’s youth and adult leaders are trained in basic first aid so they can recognize if someone is in trouble. Your level of training may determine how much you can do right away, and how much you should leave to others.
The same thing can be said about recognizing someone who is having thoughts of suicide.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and it’s important to note that suicidal thoughts can affect anyone.
“Youth suicidal behavior is a problem that you may encounter in Scouting or with friends of Scouting youth, but it is often preventable,” according to the BSA’s Safety Moment on Youth Suicide Prevention.
Similar to how you can put your basic first-aid training into action — like making your friend stop and drink water if they appear to be dehydrated, or encouraging your buddy to add a layer of clothing if they appear to be hypothermic — you can also learn to recognize the signs of someone who is thinking about suicide, and then take some basic steps to help them.
By simply having enough knowledge to recognize and be aware of a serious situation — and then turning it over to an expert — you’ve performed a heroic act.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 90% of people who die by suicide may have experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. By making an effort to be aware of these symptoms — and responding appropriately — you could quite literally save someone’s life.
Some warning signs may indicate if someone you know is at risk for suicide.
They include:
Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
Talking about being a burden to others
Acting anxious or agitated
Withdrawing or isolating themselves
The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the folks behind the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, lists five “action steps” for communicating with someone who may be suicidal.
Ask the question, “Are you thinking about suicide?” It’s a scary thing to ask, but using that word in a direct manner can open the door to a meaningful conversation. This will not cause the person to think about suicide for the first time.
Be there for the person who is at risk. This doesn’t mean you have to solve this problem by yourself; in fact, you should not commit to anything you are not willing or able to accomplish. But simply showing support for someone at risk can be lifesaving.
Keep the person safe. Ask if the person has already done anything to try to kill themselves before, and if they have a specific plan. The goal of this step is to put distance between the person and their chosen method (firearms, medications, etc.). Do not leave the person alone if they appear to be in imminent danger.
Connect them with qualified, ongoing supports, like the 988 Lifeline. You should never, ever promise to keep this discussion a secret just between the two of you. The 988 Lifeline is for those contemplating suicide and also for those worried about someone else. In short, if you need help for yourself or a friend, call it. Their website also has additional resources for the hearing impaired, veterans and those affected by a natural disaster.
Follow up to see how they’re doing. Just sending a short text message can increase their feelings of connectedness, which in turn can reduce their risk of suicide.
Photo by Getty Images/Istockphoto
Further reading from On Scouting: What you need to know about bullying and the risks for suicide
It’s important to note that someone who is having thoughts of suicide should not be told to simply “cheer up” or fight through it, any more than someone who is dehydrated should be encouraged to fight through that condition without drinking water.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts about suicide, and 9% report a suicide attempt.
Pretty scary, especially when you think about your own Scouts BSA troop, Venturing crew or Sea Scout ship.
But there is hope.
By identifying those at risk, and connecting them with the support they need, we can prevent tragedy.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 1 in 10 young people have thought about suicide, compared to 1 in 10,000 who will die by suicide. That means for each young person lost to suicide, there are 1,000 more who are thinking about it.
That’s 1,000 opportunities for Scout leaders, parents and other Scouts to save a life.
Photo by Getty Images/Istockphoto
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, you can call or text 988, or chat with them online at any time. There is also a dedicated number in Spanish: 1-888-628-9454.
This is the 44th in an occasional series where we 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. That’s why we ask to see Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos — the same photos prospective Eagles are asked to include with their post-project report.
The latest batch of eight projects — from seven different states — includes improved outdoor meeting places at churches, veterans memorials and sidewalks at schools.
What’s great is that you can multiply each individual act of stupendous service by roughly 50,000. That’s how many Eagle Scout projects get completed every single year.
Who: Owenn, Troop 343, Huntsville, Ala.
What: Owenn and his helpers refinished a M115 howitzer for the U.S. Veterans’ Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Ala.
Who: Reece, Troop 999, Plano, Texas
What: Reece and 15 of his helpers put in 200 volunteer hours collectively to install a 60-foot long concrete paver sidewalk for children who walk to Haun Elementary School.
Who: John, Troop 20, Delafield, Wis.
What: John and his helpers built a patio and meditation garden for Christ the King Church. This area was intended to be used for small group meetings, but during the pandemic, it also served as a place to meet safely outdoors, including Sunday services.
Who: Kimberly, Troop 1, Arkabutla, Miss.
What: Kimberly, along with helpers from her troop and eight other units, renovated a structure that was an Eagle project from Troop 97 in 2010. She pulled up rotting and broken wood from the platform, podium and benches, replaced the wood and put in a new firepit.
Who: Nicholas, Troop 1396, Woodbridge, Va.
What: Nicholas and his team from several Scout units replaced deteriorated fencing around his church’s air conditioning units at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. This included digging out the old fence posts and upgrading the foundation with cement footers to ensure the stability of the new fence.
Who: Kaleb, Troop 101, Brazil, Ind.
What: Kaleb and his helpers remodeled an outdoor stage and built an ADA-compliant ramp along the side.
Who: Michael, Troop 405, Omaha, Neb.
What: Michael and his helpers put in close to 1,000 volunteer hours to create a memorial at Camp Ashland. The memorial is dedicated to those fallen heroes from Nebraska who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
Who: Mason, Troop 113, Gloucester, Va.
What: Mason and his helpers improved an outdoor meeting area at a church by building a gazebo over a firepit.
By going here.
Go here to learn how to send them to us.
Yes! The Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award honors outstanding Eagle projects. An Eagle Scout, their parents or any registered BSA volunteer (with the Eagle Scout’s permission) may submit the Eagle Scout service project for consideration by filling out the nomination form found here.
Check out the Scout Life Eagle Project Showcase.
Unless otherwise listed, all photos are courtesy of each Scout and their family.
Helping other people at all times is what we as Scouts do, and there are few opportunities to make a bigger impact than National Public Lands Day.
Scheduled for September 24, it’s the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, according to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), which leads and coordinates National Public Lands Day.
As if that wasn’t enough to get you motivated, September 24 is also the next entrance fee-free date for our national parks, forests and seashores.
Looking for a place to have a unit meeting on September 24? For free?!? You’re welcome.
(FYI your next opportunity to visit one of these locations on a fee-free day will be Veterans Day — November 11.)
Thousands of Scouts, parents, other family members and adult volunteers will be participating in projects at sites across the country, according to data that NEEF was kind enough to share with us.
Looking for a straightforward, well-managed service project that your entire unit and their families can participate in? Click here to find an event near you.
Non-Scout volunteers remove a tire at Plumb Beach in Brooklyn at a recent National Public Lands Day event. Photo by Matt Malina
The types of projects offered on National Public Lands Day include activities such as trash pickup, trail maintenance, shoreline cleanup and planting wildflowers.
In terms of sheer size, one of the more impressive efforts is the H2Ozarks Shoreline Lake Cleanup, during which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host volunteers at 50 different sites. Around 500 people are expected to help clean up the shores along Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo and Bull Shoals Lake in Missouri and Arkansas.
Although this project is officially associated with National Public Lands Day, it’s so extensive that it will run until October 8.
At West Point Lake in Georgia, around 400 people will clean areas of shoreline, construct habitat structures, paint facilities and perform vegetation management along nature trails.
And at California’s Lake Sonoma, around 200 people will pick up trash on the lake’s shoreline and in the surrounding parking lots and trailheads.
Group service projects are a great way to build your unit’s comradery, especially if you’ve just added a ton of new members, like so many Cub Scout packs have done recently. And if you’re nervous about organizing your own event, joining a National Public Lands Day event near you just might be your answer.
The BSA has been a proud supporter of National Public Lands Day for many years. Established in 1994, the theme of this year’s event is Giving Back Together. Over the last decade, the event has drawn more than 1 million volunteers who have combined to work 5 million hours. NEEF estimates the value of that work to be $133 million.
Many packs set up tracks for Cub Scouts to race wooden cars that they and their parents created.
Cub Scouts not only compete in the Pinewood Derby, but some also do the Raingutter Regatta. Does your pack host a Raingutter Regatta?
To help parents and Cub Scouts get ready for this fun-fueled boat racing event, the Scout Shop has curated a quick list of five helpful tips to craft a winning sailboat:
You can read a breakdown on each of these tips here.
If you want instructions on building a boat, see this page from Scout Life magazine.
Here, we’re going to look at point No. 2. In the Raingutter Regatta, sailboats are raced down a length of water-filled rain gutters, powered by the Cub Scout blowing into the sail through a soda straw.
Each Cub Scout races in several heats, and the fastest time determines the winner. The best technique for winning is focusing on a small, concentrated area. But keep close watch over your Cub Scouts so they don’t lose their breath!
Coach your Cub Scout on testing his or her sailboat at a pond or pool before the race, concentrating on the airflow or taking deep breaths to maximize air output.
If you want to practice in the backyard or host a race any time of year, you can purchase a Raingutter Regatta Inflatable Raceway from the Scout Shop. It’s great for the official Raingutter Regatta, but you can have this raceway ready in just five minutes to create some instant fun anytime and anywhere.
Congratulations! You’ve just volunteered to be a new Cub Scout leader, and you’re about to embark on one of the most satisfying journeys of your life. If you’ve never done this before, it can seem a little overwhelming at first.
Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.
We surveyed a handful of people with a wide range of experience in Cub Scouts about what new leaders need to know and do. What we found was revealing: Whether it was a volunteer with just a few years of experience, a volunteer with tons of experience or the professionals who literally helped create the current program, their answers were remarkably the same.
We’ve compiled them into the list below for your convenience.
Get trained. The online training modules are specifically designed to help you Be Prepared for leadership positions such as den leader, Cubmaster, pack committee chair and pack committee member. Most modules are only eight minutes long, just in-depth enough to tell you all you need to know, but not so long that they become a burden. They will educate you on what you need to know about the Cub Scout program to get started and what your role as leader will involve. You can complete all the modules for most positions in about two hours, but you don’t have to do it all at once. You can complete a module on your smartphone when you have 10 minutes as you are waiting to pick your child up from school or during a break at work.
Use Scoutbook. Scoutbook is the official record of your Scouting activities. It provides access to valuable tools and resources that will help with the day-to-day management of your Cub Scouts. For den leaders, Scoutbook’s Den Leader Experience gives you the tools to plan a year’s worth of meetings in around five minutes and allows you to track the progress of your Cub Scouts as they advance through the program. You can also use it to communicate with the families in your unit, but more on that later.
Photo by Matthew Allen
Safety first. The Guide to Safe Scouting and the Health and Safety section of scouting.org are non-negotiable. Be aware of age-specific activities. What’s good for a 15-year-old member of Scouts BSA isn’t necessarily good for an 8-year-old Cub Scout. These guidelines are the result of years and years of studies and analysis by experts. They exist for a reason. Follow them!
DON’T STOP! It’s important to note that, after you have completed the online training and have earned your trained patch as a Cub Scout leader, you could stop right there — as long as you continue to stay up to date on all things Cub Scouting. However, there are lots of other resources available to help you! So read on to learn about those.
Pay regular visits to the official Cub Scout website. You’ll find a resource page for each rank in Cub Scouting to help den leaders deliver a great program, as well as an overview of the aims and methods of the Cub Scout program. This is also a great place to send new parents who want to learn more about Cub Scouts.
Stay in touch with your district. Your Cub Scout pack is part of a district that includes all of the packs around you. This can be a very valuable resource. Roundtables are monthly groups (meeting either virtually or in person) where your district leaders share ideas with the latest Cub Scouting news. You have a district commissioner and a district executive who are there to help. Contact your local council to get in touch with them. Roundtable videos are best viewed with a group of parents and leaders, but can be viewed by anyone. These videos are about eight minutes long and are designed to help with specific topics. Here’s a great one to get you started!
Join us every Friday at 2 p.m. Central for #CubChatLive. This interactive show allows you to ask questions directly to the experts. While you’re waiting for the next episode, scroll through the archives on that same page to see what you’ve missed!
Photo by W. Garth Dowling
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Communicating with other parents in your pack or den is so important that some units have an entire volunteer position dedicated to nothing but communications. Scoutbook has a built-in communication tool. If you’re active on Facebook or other social media sites, use them, too. Parents will appreciate you keeping them up to date on future plans. Speaking of social media …
There are a lot of unofficial Cub Scout social media sites out there. Most of them are great. Some might not be. Make sure that any information you get from them is backed up with current official BSA documentation. If you find a site that allows individuals to be un-Scoutlike, it is probably not a good source of information.
Get outside. Most kids spend their days in classrooms or on their computers learning from home. When appropriate and when the weather permits, get outside! Family campouts are a great way to let kids run free in a safe environment while mixing in some Cub Scout-approved activities. Not comfortable organizing your own campout yet? Sign up for camping opportunities with your council and district (see No. 5). Service projects can be another great outdoors activity.
Photo by Michael Hanson
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from other parents. When it comes to being a Cub Scout leader, you absolutely do not have to go it alone. Recruiting different parents to help with one chore each could make a huge difference. If everyone does their part, no one gets overworked.
Do Your Best. That’s the Cub Scout motto, and it applies to Cub Scout leaders, too. Parents will understand if you have to cancel a meeting at the last minute due to a sick kid or if the weather doesn’t cooperate during a planned outdoor event. As long as you communicate (No. 6), stick to the program (No. 3) and plan in advance as much as possible (No. 2), you’ll have a bunch of happy Cub Scout families.
BONUS! Make sure all your Scouts subscribe to Scout Life. The BSA’s official youth magazine will keep your Cub Scouts entertained and educated throughout the year. (And by the way, with all the great program and activity ideas in every issue, there’s nothing that says you can’t get a subscription for yourself, too.) Anyone can use the special promo code DIRPAS to get the special $15 member rate.
What did we leave out? Let us know in the comments!
Wherever you do it — a mountain ridge, an open field, the shore of a lake — there are few invitations as satisfying as, “Let’s sleep out under the stars.”
Looking ahead can make camping without a shelter a highlight of many Scout journeys. It all starts with checking the weather forecast.
Learn more in our story from the November-December 2020 digital edition of Scouting magazine.
The BSA is proud to announce that it has renewed its licensing agreements with its three biggest popcorn suppliers, meaning that Scout units across the country will continue to have the opportunity to raise funds with some of the organization’s most trusted partners.
All three partners — Trail’s End, Pecatonica River Popcorn and Camp Masters — have a long, proud history with the BSA. They are the only companies authorized by the National Council to produce popcorn nationally for the purpose of fundraising.
“Councils and units who work with officially licensed suppliers can know that these companies are contractually committed to working under the brand and product safety requirements that the BSA has established,” says Greg Winters, the BSA’s head of licensing. “These popcorn companies have been working with our councils for many, many years and we are thrilled to continue our long-lasting partnership.”
Your local council has already selected the popcorn supplier it prefers to use for its units. If you aren’t selling popcorn already, now is the time. Contact your local council to get everything you need to get started fundraising in time for the fall.
Photo by Shutterstock
Since 1980, BSA members have sold popcorn to offset the costs of experiences such as day camps, summer camps, high-adventure camps and exciting activities at the unit level. Scouts can even sell popcorn to pay for a trip to the National Scout Jamboree or a trip overseas.
One Scout used popcorn sales to fund his way to Antarctica last December. Another group of top-selling Scouts paid their way to visit Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland this summer, all by selling popcorn.
Not only does selling popcorn through a licensed BSA supplier result in a higher percentage of the commission being returned to your local council, it has consistently proven to be the best method for Scouts to raise the money they need to fund an entire year of programming.
The smartest way to sell popcorn as a fundraising tool for your unit is to follow the guidance of your local council. That way, you’re guaranteed to be partnered up with an authorized, licensed supplier, which helps support the brand, and Scouting itself.
Popcorn sales helps your council fund camp scholarships, maintain and improve camp properties, and provide quality programs for Scouts. Scouting families benefit by funding the cost of Scouting activities. Unit leaders benefit by having more youth participating in the program. And your community benefits by retaining more youth in the program.
The process of selling popcorn also teaches skills that Scouts can take with them into adulthood, like decision making, money management, goal setting, business ethics, entrepreneurship and people skills.
Requirements for the Salesmanship, Personal Management and Communication merit badges can also be earned by selling popcorn.
Photo by Shutterstock
Units should not engage in other product fundraising opportunities without consulting their local council first. Only official BSA licensees are allowed to use the BSA names, words, phrases, logos, emblems or other designating marks on their products, marketing materials and sell sheets.
All fundraising projects need to be approved by your local council service center by turning in a money-earning application form.
“Any manufacturer that puts any of the BSA brands on products needs to have permission from the National Council to do so,” says Winters.
Companies interested in exploring licensing opportunities with the BSA can learn more at the official BSA licensing website.
Whenever you’re looking for something to show off your BSA pride, always shop for official products either at your local Scout Shop, scoutshop.org or from an official BSA licensee.
The Boy Scouts of America has been licensing its marks, words and phrases since 1921. To protect the name and values of the BSA, as well as the many reputable companies already licensed with us, only companies that can exhibit a commitment to the BSA brand, have established production and distribution capabilities and/or offer a new or unique product are granted the opportunity to obtain a BSA license.
Click here for a list of current BSA licensees.
Click here to submit a BSA license application request.
Welcome to Scouts Then and Now, an On Scouting blog series. The premise is simple. We share two photos of the same Scout or Venturer: once in his or her early Scouting years (Cub Scout, younger Scout, younger Venturer) and again in his or her later Scouting years (Life Scout, Eagle Scout, older Venturer).
Find Chapter 25 below. And click here to learn how to submit your photos.
Click here to send in your photos. Click here to see more in this series.
Of all the valued public servants in our communities, you’d be hard pressed to find any whose duties affect more people than water system operators. Every single one of us relies on them, for they are the ones tasked with ensuring that the public has access to clean drinking water, and safe drinking water is critical to the overall public health of everyone.
“As a colleague likes to share, a drinking water operator will influence the lives of thousands more people than a medical doctor by providing safe drinking water,” says Chris McMahon, one such operator who earned his Eagle from Troop 321 in Hutchinson, Kansas.
McMahon started his career in the industry as a laboratory technician monitoring drinking water, storm water and wastewater in Hutchinson. It was during this time that he became a certified drinking water and wastewater operator.
Later, he managed the wastewater treatment plants for the city of Junction City, Kansas, and at one point was responsible for all drinking water production and wastewater treatment for Fort Riley, a U.S. Army installation in Kansas.
He currently serves as an area manager for Woodard and Curran, an integrated science and engineering firm that specializes in water and environmental projects, overseeing several projects operating facilities.
The McMahon family. Photo courtesy of Chris McMahon (on the left)
The valuable role of water professionals is spelled out in the Public Health merit badge pamphlet:
Unsuitable water can cause infection and disease. Some water can contain contaminants like lead, mercury, and pesticides. It can also harbor microorganisms that cause diseases such as cholera, salmonellosis, and hepatitis. Drinking water must be treated and monitored.
Requirement 3 of Public Health is to discuss the importance of safe drinking water in terms of the spread of disease. Requirement 5a is to visit a municipal wastewater treatment facility.
Unsafe drinking water can cause methemoglobinemia in infants (often called “blue baby” syndrome because it affects the color of their skin).
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals used in a variety of consumer products, but if they make their way into our drinking water at unsafe levels, they can cause cancer.
Hazardous algal blooms release toxins that can also affect humans if not removed from drinking water.
Without the diligent work of water and wastewater operators, these chemicals and nutrients would cause immense public health concerns.
“It provides a great sense of pride that I can be directly responsible for providing a community safe, clean drinking water and am able to protect the environment through treatment,” says McMahon.
The prehistoric tardigrades (shown here in a color-enhanced microscopic image) are one of the heroes that help break down and remove excess nutrients from wastewater so it can be released back into streams and rivers. And, “they look really neat under the microscope,” says McMahon. Photo by Getty Images/Istockphoto
How drinking water is treated in your community depends on the quality of the water that enters the treatment plant. Think about how you would filter water from a stream in the backcountry — only on a much, much larger scale.
Water from all city water supplies is tested regularly. Federal and state governments have strict standards that must be maintained for pH (acidity), color, particulates (small particles), taste and chemicals.
Drinking water is not the only water that must be treated. The treatment of wastewater is just as important. After all, the water you flush down the toilet ultimately — after a lot of treatment — finds its way into our waterways.
“Who wants to swim in sewer water?” says McMahon.
The heroes of the wastewater treatment process are what professionals like McMahon call the bugs — tiny organisms that break down sewer water. It’s complicated, but basically, several different kinds of microscopic life can make wastewater safe again.
It’s the job of McMahon and other professionals to monitor treatment plants to make sure all the bugs are doing their jobs.
“The water industry offers a unique ability to affect the communities that you work in,” says McMahon. “Water — in one way or another — touches nearly every aspect of life.”
For years, the Great Rivers Council’s winter camporee didn’t have great attendance.
As part of his Wood Badge ticket, Aaro Froese, a district executive in the council, wanted to change that. Wood Badge is an advanced adult leadership training course. Many Scouters call it one of the best courses they’ve ever taken. As part of the course, you come up with a “ticket,” which is a set of goals for improving your Scouting unit.
As Froese studied the council’s winter camporee, he thought about taking a different approach: make the experience exclusive, make it unique, offer something Scouts might have a hard time finding anywhere else.
Froese’s solution to the council’s camporee conundrum: Solstice Camp, a weekend camporee on the longest night of the year.
Attendance would be capped at a few dozen Scouts. That way, they could have plenty of individualized merit badge instruction from local experts the council would recruit. Each Scout would receive catered gourmet meals, a swag bag full of cool stuff and their name engraved on a new brick plaza at the Lake of the Ozarks Scout Reservation.
Froese and his team also reviewed On Scouting’s annual lists of earned merit badges. The Solstice Camp would offer badges Scouts didn’t earn as often. For the first camp, it was Art, Astronomy, Painting and Animation.
To fund it all, the individual price tag would be pretty high: $200. Despite the price, the event sold out, and the camporee’s staff made sure the Scouts had a great time. They gazed through telescopes and heard from an astronaut who had been to the International Space Station.
“It was all Wood Badgers that were on the staff,” says Jeff Goran, camp director. “It was very unique to see these Wood Badgers come together and make it happen. They understand what servant leadership is, and they wanted to be a part of it.”
The council wanted to duplicate the success of the 2019 winter camporee. Two years later, the council offered Equinox Camp, another space-themed weekend camporee, this time during another celestial event.
An equinox and a solstice result from the tilt of the Earth. An equinox happens when the sun shines directly over the Earth’s equator, creating an equal amount of daytime and nighttime. This happens twice a year, around March 20 and September 23.
Solstices also happen twice a year, around June 21 and December 21, when the Earth is tilted the most, either away or toward the sun. On those days for us in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, and the winter solstice is the shortest.
For Equinox Camp, attendance would be set at 64 Scouts. The merit badges offered would be Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Space Exploration and Signs, Signals and Codes.
Word had gotten around about the council’s last themed camp.
“It filled up within hours of registration opening,” Froese says.
In addition to local attendees, Scouts from Arkansas, Illinois and Kansas also registered. Again, they were treated to catered meals and a swag bag filled with a personalized mug, backpack, shirt, multitool and flashlight.
Scouts also did space-themed activities, like building a wooden sundial and watching Hidden Figures, a movie about three Black women who worked at NASA during the Space Race.
Again, the price tag didn’t deter Scouts from signing up; they saw what they were getting in return.
“That shows you the value of Scouting,” Goran says.
The council is planning a fall Equinox camp for 2023.
If your Scouts subscribe to Scout Life magazine, they read about this camporee in the May 2022 issue. Each issue is filled with cool outings, how-to projects, fiction, and features about everything from science and nature to gear and Scouting tips. And, of course, lots of hilarious jokes and comics.
You can subscribe online at any time. Use promo code DIGPRT15 to get the special $15 Scout rate.
The numbers are in, and the numbers are good: Cub Scout membership is up.
“It’s hugely up,” National Director of Cub Scouting Anthony Berger said during a recent episode of #CubChatLive. “We’re very excited about that. We’re going to be serving more kids and more families across the country.”
Special thanks to all the Cub Scout volunteers out there. Maybe they followed our advice on adding more members this spring, following in the footsteps of the successful fall 2021 recruiting season.
With fall 2022 recruiting off to a rip-roaring start, there’s another thing volunteers are going to have to consider: Where are all of those new Cub Scouts going to go?
If they’re older Cub Scouts, they’ll probably be joining existing dens. But if they’re Lions or Tigers, they’re likely going to be part of brand-new dens.
For many Cub Scout leaders, creating new dens from scratch is one of the more stressful parts of the entire process. Watch the discussion with Berger on this exact topic in its entirety below, and read on for the highlights.
The No. 1 reason Cub Scout families drop out of the program is because they’re unhappy with their den. Often, this is the result of a den leader who reluctantly agreed to take the position — perhaps due to the pressure of them being put on the spot to agree to be a leader right then and there.
“When you close the doors and say, ‘somebody has to be the den leader,’ you are really rolling the dice on what you’re going to get,” Berger says.
The No. 1 goal should not be to name a new den leader on signup night. The No. 1 goal should be to find the right person to be the den leader, even if it takes a little more time.
One option is to have a current volunteer organize an activity or two for the new den. Maybe they work on advancement. Maybe they don’t. The important thing is to put these new families in a fun, relaxing environment, and see who emerges as a potential leader.
“When you see them starting to interact with each other, that’s when you’ll start to see the parent who has the right skillsets to be that den leader,” Berger says. “Maybe it’s a craft. Maybe build rockets together. Is there someone who isn’t only really good with their child but also with all the other kids? Maybe they’re willing to help the other parents, too.
“That’s the kind of person that probably has the skillset you’re looking for in a quality den leader.”
How you ask a new Cub Scout parent to be a den leader goes a long way toward getting the response you want.
“It’s not, ‘oh by the way do you want to be the den leader?’ ” Berger says. “That makes it seem like it’s not that important. Instead, invite them for coffee. Show them what you’re asking. Show them the resources that are available to support them.
“That will dramatically increase the chances of them saying yes.”
It’s important to be flexible when adding a new den — and the new families that come with it — to your pack.
Maybe every other den in the pack meets on the same night at the same time, and that works out great for all of them. But if you’ve got a potentially great den leader who can’t make that night work, maybe consider letting them meet another time?
“There is no standard for how often a den meets or how long those meetings have to last,” Berger says. “The den needs to best meet the needs of its families.
“Maybe if you have kids active in a particular sport, you can have lots of meetings in the offseason, then slow down once you get to that sports season or band season or whatever it might be. It should be flexible.”
For more information on finding new den leaders, check out the Selecting Cub Scout Leadership pamphlet. And for more information, check out the Den Leader Resources page. And, as always, anyone interesting in joining any BSA program can find a unit near them at BeAScout.org.
When the World Wildlife Fund, the Boy Scouts of America and other World Scouting organizations launched the World Conservation Award in 1975, the patch was just for Scouts BSA (known at the time as Boy Scouts).
Since then, the award has expanded to include Cub Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts. The requirements have been updated along the way to reflect changes in the advancement program.
Learn more about the World Conservation Award in our story from the September-October 2017 issue of Scouting magazine.
Have questions about the BSA? We’ve got answers.
And if we don’t have the answers, we’ll find someone who does.
Below are a handful of questions we’ve recently gotten from readers (some of them, multiple times), along with the best answers we can provide.
Leave your question in the comments below, or send us an email, and we’ll answer in a future post.
Q: In the BSA Handbook, it says that youth and Scouters can have multiple registrations, for example, Venturers, Sea Scouts, Scouts BSA, etc. My question is, can a Cub Scout belong to multiple packs? Can a Scout belong to multiple troops at the same time? If so, does one unit have primary stays or authorization over the other unit, for advancement (for example, for a Scoutmaster conference, or a board review)? Can you have multiple assistant Scoutmasters from different troops signing off on different requirements? Can you have a Scoutmaster conference with one unit and then have a board of review with the other?
A: Scouts can be registered in multiple units at the same time. From the BSA’s registration guidebook: “Individuals who are registered with the BSA may multiple register in another BSA unit … by completing a new BSA youth application.” This is especially convenient in a situation in which a youth might be splitting time in two different households far away from each other. What this requires is communication and cooperation between the two units. All decisions on advancement, Scoutmaster conferences, boards of review and other mechanisms of the BSA program should be discussed and decided between the two units. There is no single right way to handle it. The key is for leadership in both units to do what is best for the Scout.
Q: I keep coming across an “old Scoutmaster myth” that a Scout needs to be a specific rank before becoming a den chief. Can you dispel this?
A: This is, indeed, a myth. A den chief helps Cub Scouts advance through Cub Scout ranks and encourages Cub Scouts to join a troop upon graduation. All Scouts BSA members and Venturers are eligible to serve as a den chief. They are selected by the senior patrol leader and Scoutmaster and approved by the Cubmaster and the pack committee for recommendation to the den leader. In order to earn the Den Chief Service Award, the den chief must advance one rank during their time in the position, but the BSA does not specify a minimum rank requirement.
Q: The Life rank requirement states that for a position of responsibility: “a leadership project can be completed instead of a position of responsibility for Star or Life.” Does this leadership project need to be the same four-to-six-month length of time as for the other positions of responsibility? (Or used in conjunction with other positions to fulfill the time period?) Or can the Scoutmaster assign a project that takes say, a month, and consider that fulfilling the entire requirement in and of itself?
A: There is no set time length for how long the leadership project should take. The unit leader should consult the unit committee and unit advancement coordinator to arrive at suitable standards. The experience should provide lessons similar to those of the listed positions of responsibility, but it must not be confused with, or compared to, the scope of an Eagle Scout service project.
Q: After nine years of holding the position of COR, a new member of the pack’s committee has brought up the question of who is allowed to vote on the committee. I gave her my response, but it was questioned. We have been doing it that way since we started the units. Please list all members who can vote.
A: There are no national guidelines on who is a voting member of the committee. This would ultimately be up to the chartered organization, as they are the ones who approve the committee chair.
Q: We suddenly have a unit commissioner for an exemplary troop with girls of about 90 members. Why do we need a unit commissioner? Our committee chair has been unable to attend for a couple months so this UC has taken over meetings. Is a unit commissioner registered to a particular troop? If not, how can he be in the committee?
A: Unit commissioners are volunteers who help units succeed with a good program that attracts and retains youth members. They are considered “non-unit registrants,” meaning they register directly with the council and not with any specific unit. Some commissioners might work with several units at the same time. Unit commissioners are some of the BSA’s most highly valued volunteers; however, if you feel like yours is overstepping their bounds, initiate a conversation with your district executive. There’s a good chance your commissioner is just trying to help and doesn’t mean to be intrusive.
At the top of the world, Evan Green stood in rare company. Only a few thousand people have been able to conquer the 29,032-foot-tall Mount Everest, and fewer than 10 were Black climbers. The first Black climber reached the summit in 2003, 50 years after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay completed the first recorded ascent.
This past May, the 34-year-old freelance photographer from Albuquerque, N.M., added his name to the list of Black climbers to climb Everest, along with the rest of his crew. The Full Circle Everest Expedition made history by becoming the first Black climbing team to complete the task.
“I hope it’s the opening of the floodgates,” Green says. “Hopefully, it becomes the norm.”
While he hopes his crew’s journey inspires others to explore the outdoors, Green knows that love for adventure and the environment can also begin in Scouting.
Green joined Cub Scouts as a Webelos Scout and crossed over into Troop 288 in Plano, Texas. His troop went to Sea Base, the BSA’s aquatic high-adventure base in Florida. He loved it so much, he went back to work there as an island mate, helping guide Scouts on kayaking adventures. He also worked as a waterskiing instructor at Camp Constantin, a Circle Ten Council camp in Texas.
“It’s a great way to get outside,” he says of Scouting. “It’s great to get out of town with your friends and play and hang out.”
Green earned the Eagle Scout rank, and then went to college at Kent State University to study geology. That desire in the geological field began at Sea Base, where Green worked with a geologist. After school, Green moved to Colorado to work as an environmental consultant.
“I got more into mountaineering doing that,” he says. “It really built on what I learned in Scouts.”
During many of his treks up the state’s fourteeners, Green developed his talent for photography. While in Colorado, he met Phil Henderson, an explorer who had climbed multiple peaks and who was putting together the Full Circle Everest Expedition.
The goal for the expedition was two-fold: make history and demonstrate that Black people can be in the world of mountaineering. When people see those who look like them, especially in fields, sports or hobbies traditionally underrepresented, they’re more inclined to pursue those interests and activities.
“It’s super important,” Green says. “It seems like recognition that you belong there. It makes you feel like you’re part of something.”
Henderson asked Green to be a part of the team, primarily serving as the photographer. It would be a major commitment. You don’t fly into Nepal and immediately start climbing the mountain. The crew did an initial trip there to train and check out the route. And then, before the attempt in May, the group arrived two months early to train more and prepare.
“The Scout motto is the best advice you could have,” Green says.
The preparation served to acclimate the crew to the drastic change in elevation.
“We played board games and music. It’s mostly eating and sleeping,” Green says. “It’s a patience-waiting game.”
When everyone was ready, they made the trek to the Everest base camp, which sits at more than 17,500 feet in elevation, where the group acclimated some more.
Although the preparation was slow-going, once the ascent begins, the trek moves fast. The weather can turn deadly in an instant on the mountain, so the crew was constantly monitoring the signs of when to advance.
The estimate was the group had about three days of good conditions to reach the summit. A lot of other climbers saw the same window.
“It was pretty crowded,” Green says. “It did thin out as the climb went on.”
As the crew reached higher and higher camps, exhaustion began to set in. The last leg to the summit would be a long one, starting at 8 p.m. and getting back the following day.
“It was 24 hours of being on my feet,” Green says.
Of those 24 hours, only 30 minutes were devoted to standing at the top. The air is so thin, the climbers needed oxygen bottles to help them to breathe.
“Just realizing it was going to happen was surreal,” Green says. “The timing was perfect. We got to see the sun come out and light up all the peaks and see Everest’s shadow.”
When they reached the summit, the team unfurled a “Full Circle” flag and Green grabbed an ice sample. With his geology background, he noticed some interesting elements about Everest, especially considering the peak was once part of the sea floor 470 million years ago.
“There’s fossils up there,” he says. “The last 1,000 feet, the limestone transitions to more shale. Most everything else is metamorphic rock.”
The successful expedition made headlines, and the team received many congratulatory comments.
“It’s really cool,” Green says. “We almost doubled the number of Black climbers. It doesn’t seem real sometimes.”
Green credits Scouting to helping him prepare, not just with the love for the outdoors, but with working with a team. As a Scout, he served as a patrol leader.
“The group dynamics of camping with 10 to 20 people was useful,” he says. “And the Scout motto helps with your gear and mental state – it was the biggest help I thought.”
Growing up in the late 1800s, Charles Daniels found himself in a tough spot. His parents were divorced, so Daniels was raised by his single mom. As a teenager, he suffered from crippling anxiety.
But he found solace in two activities: swimming and Scouting.
Daniels went on to win eight Olympic medals, held world records in two freestyle swimming events, and was one of the early innovators of the front crawl, a swimming stroke now so common you’ll find it in a couple of the Swimming merit badge requirements.
Daniels wouldn’t have earned the Swimming merit badge — his experience in the Scouting movement pre-dated the creation of the BSA. But still, the principles and ideals of the movement that would later result in the formation of the Boy Scouts of America played a critical role in Daniels’ success, according to Michael Loynd, author of The Waterman, the meticulously researched new book about one of America’s least famous pioneer athletes.
“(Scouting) taught Charles a lot about taking charge of his own life and being a responsible adult,” Loynd says. “It was later noted by one of his swimming coaches how Scouting saved him.”
The Boy Scouts of America was established in 1910. But the seeds of the Scouting movement had begun spreading across the world years earlier.
BSA founder W.D. Boyce was inspired to create the BSA based on his experience with Robert Baden-Powell’s Boy Scout Association, now called simply The Scout Association, which is still the largest Scouting organization in the United Kingdom.
Scouting programs began popping up in the United States in the early 1900s. Ernest Thompson Seton’s Woodcraft Indians started in 1901. Daniel Carter Beard’s Sons of Daniel Boone started in 1905. Other early organizations included the Boy Scouts of the United States and the National Scouts of America.
Many of these early programs eventually dissolved or became part of the Boy Scouts of America.
One of those early organizations was called the National Sportsman’s Association, and that was the group with which Daniels would spend much of his time as a youth. (This organization is not related to the current National Sportsman Association, a Virginia-based hunting club established in 1975.)
Daniels’ mom was eager to find a way for her son to grow physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight, so she signed him up.
Photo by LOC/LC-DIG-ggbain-01445
For several years, Daniels spent much of his free time learning to be self-sufficient. As time passed and his experiences grew, he gained more and more confidence.
“During the summers of 1900 to 1903, the boys would pitch camp in the Adirondacks for two months and engage in numerous Scouting and outdoor activities, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life,” Loynd says.
Scouting also allowed Daniels time to swim. Access to public swimming pools was not necessarily common back then, but in the Adirondacks, Daniels had time to hit the water almost every day.
In 1904, he became the first American to win an Olympic medal, earning three golds (in the 220-yard freestyle, the 440-yard freestyle and the 4X50-yard freestyle relay), one silver and one bronze in the St. Louis Olympics.
In 1908, he took home another gold and bronze from the London Games.
At one point or another in his career, he held every freestyle swimming record. He finished with 33 U.S. national championships.
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum credits Daniels as “catapulting the United States into a swimming power.”
Later in life, his family owned a private estate in the Adirondacks, near the same woods where he had learned so much. That property is now Sabattis Adventure Camp, where Scouts from the Patriots’ Path Council gather to learn the same lessons as Daniels all those years ago.
“Scouting always held a special place in his heart, as did the Adirondacks,” says Loynd.
The Waterman is available online and wherever books are sold near you.
Before Camp Arrowhead became a favorite spot for Scouts to have summertime adventures, Native Americans hunted the land in southwest Missouri for at least 8,000 years.
Scouts don’t even have to take the Archaeology merit badge to see evidence of this history. The camp, which was founded in 1924, has an expansive display of Native American arrowheads, knives, spearheads and tools – all of which have been discovered on the nearly 600-acre property.
It’s hard to quantify how many artifacts have been found at camp over the years, but the camp’s display showcases more than 300 tools.
“I was reading about the history of the camp and the very first story I read was of Scouts camping in 1926,” says John Feick, Ozark Trails Council’s Scout executive. “When a Scout cleared leaves away to set up a tent, he found a ‘perfectly formed arrowhead.’”
Taking the Archaeology merit badge can help a Scout develop an eye for what to look for. That technique is what Troop 999 of Plano, Texas, learned this summer.
Scouts with Troop 999 of Plano, Texas, in the camp’s archaeological display room.
The Texas troop decided to go out of state for summer camp this year to Missouri’s longest-running Scout camp. Along the way, the Scouts stopped by a nearly 30,000-square-foot restaurant spanning the Will Rogers Turnpike in Vinita, Okla., and the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo.
But the biggest highlight was a week at Camp Arrowhead in the Ozark Mountains. There, the Scouts cumulatively worked on nearly two dozen merit badges, enjoyed a pool party and watched their assistant Scoutmaster win the Scoutmaster belly-flop contest.
On the last day of camp, some of the Scouts met with the camp’s archaeologist, Steve Volz, who led them around the grounds and to a dig site, looking for artifacts. After a couple hours of looking, they found several Native American tools, including a knife. The dig site is near a cave and a creek: water and shelter – a prime location for hunting back in the day, and a prime location for seeking artifacts now.
“The great thing is that when something is found, our archaeologist can tell us what the item is, how it was used, who likely made it and the approximate range in years of when it was made,” Feick says.
Scouts at a dig site at Camp Arrowhead.
Camp Arrowhead was named after an arrowhead found on the property, although it wasn’t actually an arrowhead.
A tool Scouts with Troop 999 discovered at camp this past summer.
“The arrowhead was really a knife, which is still displayed at camp, but at the time, the council leaders who found it did not know what they found,” Feick says.
Properly collecting and displaying the artifacts has been part of the camp’s archaeology project for the past couple of decades. Studying and showcasing them helps Scouts and Scouters learn more about the area and the people who previously lived there, which include those from the Osage Nation.
To look up the updated requirements for the Archaeology merit badge (or any merit badge), check out this page.
The BSA recommends that Scouts do not dig for artifacts unless they are working under the direction of a trained archaeologist who has proper permits. If you’re on an outing without an archaeologist and you find what you think is an artifact, leave it alone. Report your find to a park ranger, if appropriate, or state historic preservation officer, so they can properly evaluate the discovery.
When you “Leave No Trace,” that means cultural artifacts, too. It’s illegal to disturb or remove archaeological digs or items on public lands.
A display of artifacts found on the camp’s property.
To tell the story of how Troop 1299 in Allen, Texas, just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help prevent the tragic death of a young woman, you have to start from the beginning.
Because this story goes further back than their decision at that moment to pull into that particular parking lot; further back than their decision to go to Yellowstone National Park at all that day; and further back even than their decision almost a year earlier to travel all the way up to Cody, Wyo., for summer camp in the first place.
Indeed, this story begins with a decision made back in 2015, when some of the unit’s leaders were taking a wilderness first aid class and learned of a local organization that offers automated external defibrillators to youth-serving organizations.
“We recognized how having an AED to assist with a cardiac event can make a difference in saving someone’s life,” says Joe Vanek, an active adult volunteer with Troop 1299 both then and now. “Also, we knew that we are frequently in places that are not easy to get to by emergency responders.
“Having an AED with us could allow us to render aid to a victim earlier than having to wait for EMTs, and even just a few minutes might make the difference in resuscitating a victim.”
Living for Zachary is a Texas-based nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in youth. It was founded in honor of a young man named Zachary Schrah, who collapsed and died during football practice in 2009. He was 16.
Zachary’s mother founded Living for Zachary two months later, with a focus on youth heart screenings, CPR/AED certification classes, scholarships, awareness events and AED donations.
Troop 1299 applied, and their application was accepted, under the condition that the Scouts and adults take the proper training.
“We received the AED and began to take it with us on monthly campouts, summer camp, fundraising events and other Scouting events,” Vanek says.
Though many of the youth and leaders from that time are no longer in Scouting, the troop has established a culture of having multiple adults and youth trained in CPR, first aid, WFA and AED use at all times.
The Scouts travel to one of the BSA’s national high-adventure bases every summer, an outing that requires at least one adult to be WFA trained, but Troop 1299 encourages all adults on the trip to take the course, in case the one person who is trained happens to be the one person who is injured.
That AED traveled everywhere with Troop 1299 for seven years. All those summer camps, all those high-adventure trips, all the weekend campouts and even all the regular Scout meetings.
And not once did they ever need to use it. Until their trip to Yellowstone earlier this summer.
Members of Troop 1299 learn to use their new AED. Their instructor (in the green shirt) is Mike Reisinger, a Dallas-area BSA WFA instructor whose own life was saved by an AED that was donated by Living for Zachary to his church years earlier. Photo courtesy of the troop
Each August, Troop 1299 holds its annual planning event that covers the next 12 months of activities, including the next year’s location for summer camp. The leadership will usually present three or so options, and the Scouts get the opportunity to vote.
In 2020, they went to Camp Constantin in Graford, Texas. The next year, it was Camp Alexander in Lake George, Colo. And this year, it was Camp Buffalo Bill in Cody, Wyo., just an hour or so from Yellowstone National Park.
Well, you can’t go to summer camp an hour from Yellowstone without visiting the park itself, right? So, the Scouts arrived in Wyoming a few days early to explore.
In three days, they had seen just about all of the park they had planned to see, but there was a portion of the northern loop they still wanted to check out.
On Wednesday, July 13, the group had a day off from summer camp, so they took their chartered bus into the park. They didn’t have a specific destination in mind. They just wanted to see the sites in that area.
“We were on our way to lunch, and we were passing by these falls, and we were like, ‘let’s just stop real quick and let the adults take some pictures,’ ” says Brian Conway, an adult volunteer who was on the trip.
They parked their bus, and as the first few adults got off, a man ran up to them and asked if there was a doctor on their bus. A woman nearby was just that minute experiencing a medical emergency.
A handful of Troop 1299 adults were walking toward the scene when they heard someone say, “she isn’t breathing.” Scoutmaster Jason Dlugosch immediately ran back to the bus and grabbed the AED.
Their bus driver called 911.
Within seconds, the Scout leaders reached the scene. They saw a young person lying on the ground, unresponsive. Over her, a woman was already performing chest compressions. A crowd had already gathered around to watch.
A bystander told them the woman was a nurse and had started CPR minutes earlier. At this point, it appeared to not be working.
The Scouters told the nurse they had an AED, and she asked to use it. She probably knew that the chances of surviving a cardiac event greatly increase when a bystander is able to use an AED instead of waiting for emergency responders, and AEDs in general have a better chance of success than CPR alone.
Dlugosch handed over the device, and the nurse took over.
AEDs designed for the general public give verbal instructions out loud, so everyone who had gathered around the scene could tell what was happening. Not only does it deliver an electrical shock (or defibrillation), it also analyzes the rhythm of the victim’s heart and tells the user what to do next.
After the nurse used the AED once, the device told everyone to wait for 30 seconds while it looked for a pulse.
“We were all waiting with bated breath,” says Conway.
Then came the next message.
“Pulse detected.”
Troop 1299 at Yellowstone. Photo courtesy of the troop
First responders arrived in just another few minutes. This, by itself, is remarkable.
Cellphone service is hard to come by in this part of the park. The Scouts’ bus driver swears she didn’t have a signal when they first pulled into the parking lot, but when she recognized the severity of the situation, she pulled out her phone, and there it was: one bar.
The 911 call went through flawlessly.
Then the woman checked her phone again: no service.
And the nurse? She told some bystanders she was a member of the Israel Defense Forces. She just happened to be vacationing with her husband in Yellowstone, and they just happened to be in that parking lot, at that date, at that time.
One of the EMTs used a walkie-talkie to arrange a helicopter to take the victim to the nearest hospital. As the other EMTs secured the woman to a stretcher, one of them looked up and asked, “Who brought the AED?”
The Scouters answered, “It belongs to our Scout troop.”
“That yellow box saved her life,” the EMT said.
The Scouters of Troop 1299 don’t know what happened to the victim. She seemed to be in good hands when she left in the ambulance. A spokesperson from Yellowstone says they can’t give out that kind of information.
Conway estimates that the entire ordeal lasted around 15 minutes.
When it was over, the adults returned to their bus. The Scouts were only vaguely aware of what had been happening, so the adults filled them in, and took the opportunity to talk about the lessons they had learned, and why the skills and habits they teach in Scouting are so vital.
“When you mumble and grumble and moan and groan about how you don’t understand why you have to learn this stuff, this is it,” Conway told the Scouts. “Look around you. This person could have died on this mountain today, but they didn’t because we were prepared with an AED. And we helped.
“You never know when it’s going to be your turn to help. And you can either be one of the people who stands there and looks and hopes everything is going to be OK, or you can be the person who knows what to do and has the resources.
“Which do you want to be?”
AEDs are available for purchase from the Red Cross and other organizations. Living for Zachary continues to donate AEDs to youth-based organizations across Texas. Ask your local BSA wilderness first aid and CPR experts about programs near you that might offer AEDs for free or at reduced cost. Photo by Getty Images
The White River Canoe and Kayak Race is a three-day, 120-mile marathon that’s been held annually in Arkansas since 1966.
After taking a couple of years off due to the COVID pandemic, the race returned this summer. Learn more about this cool event in our story from the September-October 2011 issue of Scouting magazine.
When 14-year-old Fedote Garbuz, a member of Scouts BSA Troop 980B in Kyiv, Ukraine, awoke to the sound of explosions one morning earlier this year, he knew he was going to have to act fast.
Indecision and hesitation would not be options.
This is what it means to Be Prepared.
You hope you never have to use that first-aid training you got a year or so back, or those lifesaving methods you learned at summer camp, or the knowledge you got from that one wilderness survival class.
But you also know it’s there, just in case you need it.
Sometimes, just having those skills in your back pocket can give you the confidence to act in an emergency, instead of panicking and making a poor decision that could make everything worse.
Sometimes, a single decision — like knowing when to stay or when to go — can make all the difference.
When Fedote’s family turned on the TV and saw reports that Russians had entered their country, they knew right away what they had to do. In the most critical moment of his young life, Fedote immediately fell back on his Scout training.
“I instantly started packing,” Fedote says. “I grabbed my backpack and gathered the 10 essentials.”
Fedote, in the center of the front row, with the rest of the Kiev Scouts. Photo courtesy of the Garbuz family
Fedote was living in Ukraine with his mother, father, younger sister and two cats. All six of them needed to get out, and fast. Only they didn’t know exactly how long their journey would take, and how much access they’d have to basic necessities.
“I grabbed my 10 essentials because that is what I have been told to do for survival since I was 6 years old and a Tiger Cub Scout,” Fedote says.
The family picked up Fedote’s older cousin, then headed for the border.
Fearing the major highways would be dangerous, they chose to travel on the back roads. They quickly realized that everyone else was doing the same, causing a major traffic problem.
They spent that first night in a hotel, disturbed at one point by emergency sirens wailing nearby.
“One thing you do not want to hear are those sirens, because in most cases they mean someone is going to die,” Fedote says. “Thankfully, the sirens ended after a minute or so, which meant they were just there for people to stay alert.”
The next day, they joined up with more members of their family. The men — who they knew would not be allowed to leave the country — went in one car. The women and children — including Fedote, his mother and sister — went in another.
About 20 kilometers from the border, they got in line. And then they waited.
Fedote, at right in the orange jacket, at a Scout campout with U.S. Special Forces. Photo courtesy of the Garbuz family
Slowly, the line trickled forward. Sometimes, it would pass through a settlement where food was available. Most of the time, they had to rely on what they had with them.
Sometimes there were bathrooms nearby. Often, there weren’t.
“As a Scout, I know about the risk of ticks,” Fedote says. “I spotted one on my sister’s pant leg, so I removed and disposed of it. After that, I made everyone check for ticks.”
Eventually, the other members of Fedote’s family joined back up with them. They would take their chances together.
At one point, Fedote and the other men ventured into a nearby village to find food. They found a store, and the owner gave them free sandwiches and tea.
After another several days of waiting in line, they finally made it to the border. Heartbreakingly, the adult men — including Fedote’s father — and all of Fedote’s cousins were forced to stay behind. Fedote and his mom, sister and two cats walked safely across.
“After five days, we had escaped Ukraine,” Fedote says.
Fedote, with his sister Jane, in Berlin. Photo courtesy of the Garbuz family
Fedote is currently living with his mother and sister in Berlin, Germany. He has been participating in Scouting with Scouts BSA Berlin Troop 46.
“Scouts was one part of my schedule that I could maintain in Berlin, so I wanted to stay active,” he says.
The cats are doing fine, but Fedote, his mom and sister remain separated from several members of the family. His mother, Helen, says they hope to return to Ukraine when it is safe.
“We are all desperate to reunite,” she says.
During their evacuation, they might not have needed every single one of those 10 essentials, but it sure was comforting to have them.
“I wasn’t really stressed because I had a clear idea of what I needed to do,” Fedote says. “We didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that the contents in my backpack would prepare me for anything.”
UPDATE: Just hours before this story was published, I received an update from Fedote’s mom, who reports that the family has indeed been reunited in Ukraine, living together out in the country, and only venturing into Kyiv when they have to.
She reports that the cousins they were traveling with made it to Poland, though the cousin’s husband had to stay behind.
“We grow organic fruit and vegetables at our cottage, and have been donating them to feed the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” she says.
Sea Scouts, the BSA’s on-the-water and high-adventure program for young people ages 14-20, are represented nationally by youth leaders who comprise the national Sea Scout quarterdeck.
Each year, five Sea Scouts are selected to serve on the national quarterdeck. These Sea Scouts are the public face of the program. Like the national Venturing officers do for Venturing, the national quarterdeck’s primary role is to support its overall program and work with the 16 territory boatswains, who in turn support council-level quarterdecks.
The multiple levels can help provide Sea Scout ships with resources to facilitate training, promote programming, boost social media presence and provide networking. Though the national quarterdeck is made up of youth, they have the support from adult leaders on the national Sea Scout committee as well as the national commodore, the volunteer chair for the national Sea Scout committee and a professional Scouter who serves as the national Sea Scout director.
Let’s meet who is on the quarterdeck this year.
Jewell Norris, national boatswain
Jewell Norris
Unit: Ship 502, Houston, Texas, Sam Houston Area Council
Jewell is an Able Sea Scout (the Sea Scout ranks are Apprentice, Ordinary, Able and Quartermaster). This year, she will be the national boatswain, the top youth member of Sea Scouting. Prior to being selected to the national role, she served as a territory boatswain. She is a graduate of Sea Scout Experience Advanced Leadership Training, and has served as the senior patrol leader during her council’s National Youth Leadership Training course. She is an Eagle Scout, a Brotherhood member of the Colonneh Lodge in the Order of the Arrow and is an assistant Scoutmaster for her troop.
Tyler Clendenning, mate of program
Tyler Clendenning
Unit: Ship 5297, Hanover Park, Ill., Pathway to Adventure Council
Tyler has achieved the Sea Scout rank of Ordinary and is an Eagle Scout. He’s also a Brotherhood member of Takhone Lodge in the Order of the Arrow. He hopes to reach the Able rank soon, and he’s working on Supernova awards, which are STEM-related BSA awards. Tyler also earned the Pope Pius XII Catholic religious emblem. Previously, Tyler served as a territory boatswain and marketing chair for Weekend on the Water, a Sea Scouts event hosted by the Alamo Area Council.
Matthew Irsfeld, mate of communication
Matthew Irsfeld
Unit: Ship 444, Littleton, Colo., Denver Area Council
Matthew is an Ordinary Sea Scout, an Eagle Scout and a Brotherhood member in the Order of the Arrow. In the Order of the Arrow, he serves as the Tahosa Lodge chief and helped with Momentum Discover, a national virtual OA event in 2021. Previously, Matthew served as a territory boatswain and as the mate of communication for his council.
Marina Bahamonde-Partlan, mate of Western territory support
Marina Bahamonde-Partlan
Unit: Ship 100, San Francisco, Calif., San Francisco Bay Area Council
Marina is an Apprentice Sea Scout. Previously, she has served as a boatswain’s mate on the territory level, and she is active in her ship as a yeoman. Within a ship, Sea Scouts take on positions of responsibility; a yeoman’s duties include publicity and communications.
Erica Menasco, mate of Eastern territory support
Erica Menasco
Unit: Ship 846, Cypress, Texas, Sam Houston Area Council
Erica is an Able Sea Scout. Previously, she has served as a territory boatswain. She organized and executed in-person and virtual long cruises to help Sea Scouts advance in rank. She has been recognized with a council Sea Scout Leadership Award and a territory Sea Scout Leadership Award.
At Philmont Scout Ranch, four Scouts BSA members and the rest of their crew trekked through the pristine, rugged wilderness of the New Mexico backcountry.
At Florida Sea Base, the same four Scouts learned to live on a sailboat, exploring the Florida Keys both above and under the water.
At Northern Tier, the four paddled around The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and then decided they didn’t want it to end.
So, finally, they made it to the Summit Bechtel Reserve, where they tried whitewater rafting, mountain biking, skateboarding, archery and other activities offered at the BSA’s newest high-adventure base.
When they were done, they had earned the BSA’s Grand Slam of National High Adventure award.
It wasn’t something they had set out to do from the beginning. Instead, it just kind of happened naturally, as the Scouts were all in the same Cub Scout pack, then joined the same troop at the same time, then mastered most of Scouting’s introductory skills, and then found themselves eager for more.
“We have experienced some awesome things together,” says Grant Rainbolt. “We were able to experience some really hard challenges on these trips and help each other when one of us struggled.”
From left to right: Jonathan Yost, Matthew Harrop, Grant Rainbolt and Zachary Fillault, near the completion of their time at the Summit, with a piece of wood branded at all four high-adventure bases. Photo courtesy of Troop 889
The Grand Slam is awarded to Scouts, Venturers and adult leaders who participate in a qualifying high-adventure program at all four of the BSA’s national high-adventure bases. (Those who participate in three such programs can earn the Triple Crown.)
For the four Scouts of Troop 889 in The Woodlands, Texas, it started back in 2016, when Grant, Jonathan Yost, Matthew Harrop and Zachary Fillault joined the Lynx Patrol as the unit’s newest recruits. Over the next three years, the Scouts did what Scouts do: went to summer camp, earned merit badges and worked on Scout skills.
“As the boys were getting older, tying knots and all that stuff wasn’t really floating the boat anymore,” says Matthew’s father, Neil, a Troop 889 assistant Scoutmaster. “They wanted to get on to bigger things, so we asked which high-adventure camp they wanted to do.”
Under the guidance of Scoutmaster Tim Yagley, the group came up with a plan: They would go to Philmont Scout Ranch in the summer of 2019.
“We signed up for that at age 14, not really knowing what we had signed up for,” says Matthew. “Sometimes it was hard. We all had to rise to the occasion, overcome challenges. We had to really be there for each other.”
Then, a funny thing happened. The guys had so much fun together, they wanted to try another high-adventure base the next year.
The same four Scouts — Jonathan, Matthew, Grant and Zachary — after one of their first Scouts BSA events. Photo courtesy of Troop 889
A trip to Northern Tier scheduled for the next summer was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. The group was on somewhat of a time crunch — they didn’t want to risk letting upcoming high school graduations and possibly moving away for college get in the way of their plans.
That meant they needed to tackle two high-adventure trips in the summer of 2021: Northern Tier and Florida Sea Base. They only had six days at home from the time the first trip ended and the next began.
“It was cool, but a little exhausting doing two high-adventure trips back-to-back,” says Zachary.
With the qualifications for the Triple Crown complete, they decided to get the band back together for one last performance: a 2022 trip to the Summit Bechtel Reserve, completing the Grand Slam of high adventure.
“The big zipline was so much fun and so fast,” say Grant.
When the Lynx Patrol got together for one of the first events back in 2016, they stood together for a photo commemorating their achievements.
Six years later, near the end of their time at the Summit, the group posed for another photo, this time commemorating another achievement. By a complete coincidence, they were standing in the same positions as the photo taken all those years ago.
“One thing that make the high-adventure bases so special is the variety of experiences,” says Jonathan. “From climbing trees with spiked boots at Philmont, to seeing incredible marine life at Sea Base, or having control of your own adventure at Northern Tier and all sorts of new things at Summit. … They’re all great in their own way.”
The Scouts participate in a whitewater adventure with some friends at the Summit. Photo courtesy of Troop 889
During their time at Philmont, the group participated in a conservation project that involved the removal of vegetation that could turn into fuel for a wildfire. Working alongside professionals, they watched as dead trees were cut down to make room for new vegetation that would be much less likely to burn.
At one point, they asked the forest workers to slice off a section of the tree’s stump so they could keep it for a souvenir. The worker kindly obliged.
Later on the trip, they had the wood branded with the official mark of Philmont. They didn’t realize it at the time, but they had just obtained one of the best mementos ever. They ended up taking that same piece of wood with them at every stop, where it would receive the official brand of every high-adventure base.
“We’re going to burn our names on it and then make it into a plaque,” says Matthew.
No word yet on which of the four will get to keep it, but with how close this group has grown during their time in Scouting, we’re thinking it won’t be a problem.
“It feels great that I was able to go to all four high-adventure bases,” says Zachary, “and I’m mostly grateful that I was able to do them with my friends.”
The Grand Slam and Triple Crown awards are administered by the Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association. Approximately 1,500 individuals have earned the Grand Slam of National High Adventure Award since the opening of Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base at The Summit, according to a spokesman for the organization. Have you completed the requirements for the Triple Crown or Grand Slam? Click here to apply for the awards online.
Just as important as going to college is going to the right college. That’s where The College Tour comes in.
Eagle Scout Burton Roberts is the executive producer of the series airing on Amazon Prime (along with a dozen or so other streaming platforms, including their own website) that takes people on behind-the-scenes tours of college campuses — giving students an in-depth perspective on college life from the comfort of their homes.
Roberts is already a veteran of reality TV. The former Survivor contestant teamed up with seasoned producers Lisa Hennessey (executive producer of Eco-Challenge) and Alex Boylan (The Amazing Race season 2 winner) to create the series.
“The three of us have filmed shows all over the world, but we wanted to do something focusing on the United States that would be a free resource to help the younger generation reach their potential,” Roberts says.
As an executive producer, Roberts oversees all aspects of the production, including financing, creative decisions, business relationships, distribution and marketing.
“It’s a bit more of a business-focused position, but it’s still fun,” he says.
Roberts doesn’t always get to travel to the campuses himself. He leaves that exciting work to Boylan, the host of the series. However, Roberts says he did get to visit a few of the schools on the show.
Photo courtesy of Burton Roberts
“I have been to many of the schools, and it has been so inspiring to see all the hardworking young people and the amazing campuses that provide (students) such incredible resources to really thrive,” he says.
The team has also launched The College Tour class, a free tool to help students and parents identify what to look for when choosing the right school, including th
e type of school, location and field of study.
Given the chance to experience college life himself, Roberts earned dual degrees in business and philosophy from SMU in Dallas and later earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois.
Then came his stint on Survivor, where he made it all the way to Day 36, just three days from the final.
“I never dreamed I would be working on television,” he says. “Sometimes your dreams look different than when you set out to achieve them. In my opinion, that’s the point of higher education. We want students to always be open to learning, exploring, reaching new heights and being prepared for anything.”
Burton attributes his success on Survivor to the life skills and lessons he learned from Scouting.
“Being on Survivor was life-changing,” he says. “It was an incredible experience that really tapped into all I learned as an Eagle Scout. That grit is what kept me going throughout the season.”
Roberts has created other TV series, including an online interactive travel show series called Around the World for Free, and Camp Reality, a reality show that features Burton and other reality TV alums competing in more challenges.
Roberts also had the chance to stand on the main stage at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.
“My first Jamboree was in the 1980s, and back then, I was working hard to get patches and earn my Eagle Scout rank,” he says. “But this time, I rode up onto the main stage inside an Army Stryker with over 80,000 Scouts looking on — all reminding me of how meaningful Scouts have been throughout my whole life. It was one of my greatest honors.”
Roberts (right), competes in one of the many challenges on Survivor. Photo by Robert Voets/CBS
Roberts says Scouting taught him a lot, including tenacity and the ability to think critically and have patience.
“It’s more important to do something right than to do something fast just to get it done,” he says. “Scouts gave me this tremendous confidence in myself that enabled me to believe I could do whatever I put my mind to.”
At age 14, Roberts earned the rank of Eagle after completing his Eagle Scout service project, which was building bluebird houses for a local park in St. Louis, Missouri, to help bring the bluebird population back to its home state.
“Earning my Eagle was one of the best feelings of my life,” he says. “I had worked hard for so many years, and it showed me that by setting goals and working hard, things in life pay off.”
Roberts says the two biggest things he continues to carry with him from his Scouting days are the philosophies of always being prepared and never giving up.
“Never giving up means you are committed to finding new ways to problem-solve,” he says. “It’s important to always want to advance yourself. I may not be receiving physical badges anymore, but every time I achieve something new and exciting, I have that same feeling of pride.”
While most Scouts who earn the Art merit badge probably do so at summer camp, the badge is a great offseason option. In fact, art museums across the country offer workshops to Scouts, often in conjunction with other classes they teach.
Interesting in adding some color to how your Scouts earn the Art merit badge? Check out our story from the September-October 2017 issue of Scouting magazine.
Mickman Brothers has worked with Scout units for nearly 50 years to achieve their fundraising goals. The fresh holiday evergreens offered are easy to sell because these products are items most families purchase each year to decorate their homes for the holidays.
Over the decades, Scout units have utilized the well-organized fundraising programs Mickman Brothers offers to finance their adventures throughout the country. They offer two popular fundraising programs:
Troop 379 on an adventure paid for with earnings from their Christmas wreath fundraiser.
Using the Traditional Program, Scouts and unit leaders sell Christmas wreaths and other holiday evergreens locally in September and October. Final orders are then submitted in early November and the products arrive during a week each Scout unit selects. The Scouts then pick up the products and distribute them to their customers.
The Online Fundraising Program at www.GiftItForward.com is an online store through which the Scout unit earns $8 for each item purchased. This dynamic fundraising website tracks the sales of each Scout and allows members to sell holiday evergreens throughout the country using emails and social media to reach out-of-town friends and family. Sales through this online fundraiser continue into November and early December – just when most families are ordering gifts for their out-of-town friends and families.
Using the Traditional and/or Online Fundraising Programs, each Scout unit can expect to earn significant profits; some units earn thousands of dollars in profits each year!
Chris and John Mickman on site at a forest they planted.
One of the reasons Mickman Brothers is a popular choice with Scouts is because the company understands conservation. The fresh evergreen boughs are harvested in a sustainable manner — by simply trimming the tips of the lower branches so the trees will continue to thrive in the forests.
In 2007, Mickman Brothers founded their Million Tree Planting Program. Each year the company funds the planting of tens of thousands of tree seedlings in state and federal forests and parks. To date, over 800,000 have been planted in 49 states.
You and your customers can help the environment, too. Two sizes of tabletop Christmas trees are live spruce trees that can be planted after the holidays are over.
Every fresh beautiful product —wreaths, trees, centerpieces, garlands and door sprays — are adorned with festive decorations, including pinecones, jingle bells and ribbons.
For the wreaths and door sprays, customers have their choice of several different sizes and decorating styles: Classic, Victorian, Cranberry Splash and Wintergreen — all made from freshly harvested evergreen boughs. The indoor décor items such as tabletop trees and centerpieces, are perfect for adding that special touch inside the home.
Mickman Brothers understands that Scout leaders are volunteers. For this reason, they are committed to their mantra, “Maximizing your profit while minimizing your effort.”
Each leader is assigned to a professional fundraising coach who works hand-in-hand with the Scout unit throughout the fundraising season. Free sales aids, posters and other helpful brochures make it easy for the Scouts to achieve their individual sales goals – and the fundraising goals of their unit.
To learn more about the Mickman Brothers fundraising programs, please visit www.HolidayFundraiser.com.
A person zooms around the bend of a BMX course … then another flies down a gigantic zipline … then another takes off on a kayak.
Young men and women throw tomahawks, climb rock walls, shoot bows and arrows, play on an aquatic play structure, and much more.
All this stuff you can do at the 2023 National Scout Jamboree.
All this stuff you can see in a series of 23 videos posted to the official BSA YouTube channel over the last couple of months. It’s the perfect way not only to learn more about the Jamboree yourself, but also to spread the news to your friends, family members and Scouts in your unit.
With the exception of one video designed specifically to reveal the new Jamboree logo, the videos are between 45 seconds and two minutes long, perfect to show at Scout meetings or to share via social media.
I encourage you to watch them all when you have about a half-hour to spare, because they’re all great, but in the meantime, I’ve embedded my favorites below.
The best one to start with is the general promo vid, entitled “National Jamboree 2023.” The last National Scout Jamboree was five years ago, meaning some of the youngest BSA members at the 2023 event would have barely been old enough to be Tigers back then.
Scouts of this age might never have heard of the Jamboree, or the high-adventure base that hosts it. This video is perfect for them and their families.
From there, we’ve got different videos that highlight all the activities offered at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. (Spoiler: There’s a lot of activities offered at the Summit.) Mixed in with these videos are personal testimony from past Jamboree attendees. In some cases, their words are just as powerful as the video that accompanies them.
Take, for example, Cathie Seebauer, who recounts her experience as the emcee of the Jamboree stadium shows.
“I just remember walking out onto the stage and seeing this sea of Scouts from all across the country … and it just looked like this big patchwork quilt of everyone that was in Scouting from different backgrounds and cultures, but they’re there to celebrate,” she says.
Of all the places you can visit in Scouting, none offer a wider variety of activities than the Summit, and the best way to experience many of those activities is by attending the National Scout Jamboree.
Take, for example, The Trax, an off-road course that takes bikers up and down and around as they race against their friends.
Similar videos are up for Water Reality, The Ropes, The Rocks and The Canopy.
One of the Summit’s signature landmarks is the Big Zip — five zip lines that allow riders to reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour as you soar over the appropriately named Adventure Valley.
“One second you’re there, the next second you’re just flying down,” says Eagle Scout Michael Hall. “You can feel the wind flying in your face. All the trees are whizzing by. It was exhilarating.”
“What are your plans for next summer?” asks Ray Rodriguez, a staff member from the 2017 Jamboree.
He’s not just talking to youth, either. There are lots of openings for rewarding and fun adult volunteer experiences at the National Jamboree.
“Are you tired of your 9-to-5 grind?” Rodriguez asks his fellow Scouters. “Why don’t you come out to the next National Jamboree and work as staff. You’ll have the time of your life, and it’s a worthwhile, rewarding experience.”
And, finally, there’s an interview with everyone’s favorite blogger, the original Bryan on Scouting, who shares his experiences attending the 2005, 2010, 2013 and 2017 Jamborees.
“I like to think about the fact that you are writing the history of Scouting,” says Bryan Wendell. “If you can possibly find a way to be there, you’ve got to do it. You’ll always remember the Jamborees.”
Click here to sign up for the 2023 National Jamboree.
“Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.” That’s the motto every Eagle Scout lives by — not only as a youth, but also beyond. Eagle Scouts go on to do some amazing things, and the National Eagle Scout Association would love to highlight them.
NESA recently launched a new online feature called Faces & Places. The page is designed to showcase the contributions NESA members make across the country and the accomplishments they reach on every level.
It’s a great way to highlight the difference Scouting makes. You can send in family or unit accomplishments, like multiple generations of Eagle Scouts or joint courts of honor, or professional achievements, such as job promotions, military service and awards received. You can send in a story about how you’ve recently retired after decades of service to your community or just share a photo of how your son or daughter earned the Eagle Scout rank — every story from one’s Eagle trail is worth celebrating and recognizing.
Check out what’s been shared already on the Faces & Places page and click here to share your story.
The National Eagle Scout Association, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, offers many member benefits from networking to college scholarships. If you aren’t a member already, click here to join.
The programs of the Boy Scouts of America are designed to help young men and women Be Prepared to help other people at all times.
Because the fact of the matter is, you just never know when someone is going to need your help.
For Rylan Bradfield, an Eagle Scout of Troop 128 in Huntington, Texas, that moment came on an otherwise ordinary Thursday morning when he was driving to pick up his girlfriend. Ahead of him, an 18-wheeler carrying wood chips rounded a turn and briefly went out of Rylan’s sight.
There was no sign of anything amiss, until Rylan saw a cloud of dust rise out of the trees. At that point, he knew something had gone wrong.
“When I made the turn, I saw the 18-wheeler overturned, and my first instinct was to get him out,” Rylan told KLTV 7 News at 10 in Waco, Texas.
No, there is no specific merit badge that trains Scouts on how to respond to 18-wheeler wrecks. But what the BSA does is empower young people to do what they can to safely and responsibly render aid in emergency situations.
Rylan pulled over, exited his vehicle and cautiously approached the scene.
“Where you’re standing right now is where the motor was,” Rylan told the KLTV reporter. Behind Rylan, you can still see piles upon piles of wood chips that were dumped from the vehicle.
The driver was trapped inside his truck, so Rylan used a set of tools to break the windshield. Eventually, he saw the driver stir and begin kicking the windshield out from the inside.
Rylan helped the man out, got him to a safe spot, and began administering first aid on a series of cuts the man had suffered on his arms. (Of course, there is a merit badge pamphlet for that.)
“I’m glad that he knew what to do and that he was able to help that man out,” Rylan’s dad, Randall, told the TV station. “God put him in the right place at the right time.”
Rylan earned a Youth Hero Award from American Legion Auxiliary Unit #113 in Lufkin, Texas, for his actions.
Are you new to Scouting and need a uniform? Or maybe your Scout has outgrown their current uniform. Or, perhaps, during summertime adventures, their uniforms took a beating and have to be replaced.
Whatever the need, the Scout Shop is here to help.
Starting this month and running through Oct. 30, when you buy a uniform shirt, you get a 10% discount on the bottoms, which includes either pants, shorts or skorts.
This discount applies to uniforms for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and adult leaders. The uniform shirt and bottom you purchase must be from the same program. For example, if you buy a Scouts BSA shirt, the offer only applies to Scouts BSA pants, shorts or skorts.
The sale started Aug. 1 and will run until Oct. 30. Here’s how to take advantage of it:
Go to the Scout Shop’s online store or your local Scout Shop. (The sale terms and prices are the same in-store and online.)
Select any uniform top.
Select any uniform bottom from the same BSA program.
Enjoy the discount.
If you need help selecting uniform items, the Scout Shop’s helpful Uniform Builder tool can help you put it all together.
Your purchase supports Scouting; 35% of every purchase supports the BSA’s mission of helping equip and enable young people for lifelong adventures and fulfilling lives. Plus, it helps you and your Scout show up for the next meeting in style.
During my days as a den leader and Cubmaster, I had many conversations with other Scouting leaders about the publication known at the time as Boys’ Life magazine.
Every single one of my mini-focus groups went the same. I would ask them to estimate how many of their Scouts subscribed to the magazine. If the answer was “a lot” or “almost all,” I would thank them for their efforts.
If the answer was “very few” or even “none,” I would ask, “Well, how much do you promote the magazine to your Scouts?” And in those cases, 100% of the time, the answer was, “we don’t.”
I tried to be as open and honest as I could be: As an employee in the publishing division of the BSA’s National Council, of course I’m biased! I love the magazine! But as a Cub Scout leader, I also saw firsthand what years and years of research has told us: Kids who read the official youth magazine of the BSA stay in Scouting longer and have a more positive experience in the program overall.
No bias there. It was happening right in front of me.
The cover of the August 2022 issue
Boys’ Life is now Scout Life, but the value of the magazine remains the same. It’s not an exaggeration to say we’ve been a vital part of youth culture for more than 100 years.
One of the few things that has changed over the years: Scout Life is now a true multichannel platform, with not only a print magazine but also a popular website with active social media channels and live video events, all of which are designed to keep kids engaged in Scouting.
And the fact of the matter is, it doesn’t take much to promote Scout Life to your unit. By my estimation, you could cover the following talking points in 2-3 minutes during your annual recruiting night, or any Scout meeting:
Kids who read Scout Life are more likely to advance up the ranks of any BSA program than kids who don’t.
Reading in general is good for kids! Kids who like to read do better in school, and Scout Life gives kids something to read that they’ll enjoy.
While Scout Life provides a ton of good information about the Scouting program, it also includes jokes, comics and general-interest stories that aren’t necessarily about Scouting.
Your child can also read Scout Life on their favorite device via our app. But if you’re trying to get your child off their device, the old-fashioned print issue is still here for you.
The Scout Life website is a safe place for your kid to play games, learn fun facts and find just the right joke to tell their family at the dinner table.
One of the most popular pages of the magazine — for youth and adults — is the jokes.
Many units choose to make subscriptions to Scout Life part of their standard operating procedure for every member. By including the cost of each subscription in their annual fundraising plan, their Scouts get to enjoy the benefits of the magazine throughout all their years in Scouting.
As I was preparing to help one Cub Scout unit with their recruiting night years ago, I casually asked the Scoutmaster if he normally promoted the magazine to his Scouts. He answered honestly that he did not.
“No worries,” I replied. “Do you mind if I get a very short little plug in tonight?”
The man was nice enough to let me speak for 3 minutes, and in that time, I hit all of the topics above. And that’s all it took for the percentage of Scouts who subscribe to go up from around 5% to 90%.
Youth can subscribe to Scout Life by checking the appropriate box on their youth applications. Or they can subscribe online at any time. Use promo code DIGPRT15 to get the special $15 Scout rate.
How do you promote Scout Life to your unit? Let us know in the comments below.
Try your hand at this crossword puzzle to kill some time this weekend testing your Cub Scouting knowledge.
Read our article from the September-October 2014 issue of Scouting magazine for the clues and answer key.
Good luck!
Kana Walsh, a Sea Scout and Scouts BSA member, appreciates how first-aid skills are part of the BSA’s advancement programs.
At the same time, she argues, we should all consider doing more.
“Through preparations for outdoor trips and rank advancement requirements in the BSA, I had learned the basic principles and procedures for treating someone who is injured,” Kana wrote in a guest column for the Portland Press Herald. “But we did not tackle emergencies where a person would need to be able to save somebody who is in critical condition and more than two hours from a hospital.”
Kana took a wilderness first aid course from Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO) in Maine. A WFA course — whether it’s through a respected organization like SOLO, the American Red Cross or the BSA itself — prepares participants to identify and address medical issues that can arise in the backcountry that go beyond basic first aid.
If your goal is to Be Prepared, WFA is your answer.
“We learned how to treat and stabilize more acute injuries, such as scalp fractures, heat strokes and spinal injuries,” Kana writes. “Furthermore, we learned how to assess the scene of the accident, making sure that we were not putting ourselves in danger while trying to help someone else.”
WFA training includes relatively simple scenarios such as severe allergic reactions, heart attacks, heat-related illness, respiratory distress, snakebites and wounds that become infected; along with more complex scenarios such as altitude illness, deep wounds with severe bleeding, hypothermia and orthopedic injuries.
They are skills that can come in handy in both the backcountry and your own home.
“Through the training, we were able to play out scenarios and responses, learn how to build splints with objects that one would carry on a remote trail, demonstrate how to evaluate both the current injuries and potential hazards, and more,” Kana writes. “The WFA and CPR course unequivocally taught me so much about the importance of first aid, as well as how I can make the most difference in the case of a calamity.”
Kana is a First Class Scout with Troop 1 in Portland, Maine, and an Apprentice Sea Scout with Ship 243 in South Portland. Her passion for first aid comes both from her experiences in Scouts and the significant amount of volunteer work she does for the American Red Cross.
Kana is a Sea Scout and a member of Scouts BSA. Photo courtesy of the Walsh family
In her role as Youth Engagement Lead of the Red Cross’s Northern New England Region, she works with a team of Red Cross staffers and volunteers to educate and engage youth in all aspects of the Red Cross mission in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
She recently met with Tom Abello, a senior policy advisor in the Maine governor’s office, where she presented a series of recommendations that she feels could increase youth volunteerism across the state.
“First, I wanted the state to create more awareness about youth volunteering programs in schools,” she says. “Through awareness for youth volunteer programs, I argued that youth would be able to fulfill their high school service requirements, while simultaneously gaining life skill sets that would catapult them to successful careers in their futures.
“Second, I wanted the state to support and fund more youth preparedness programs in schools.”
For her volunteer work, Kana has earned a Congressional Award “for outstanding contributions to their community and undertaking the values of initiative, service and achievement.”
Kana says she wants to eventually become a certified wilderness first aid responder and a wilderness EMT.
In the land known as “Almost Heaven,” in the fires stoked at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, thousands of Scouts, who had trekked from across the globe, left their mark upon a steel blade. The blade, bestowed the name Cáirdeas, is now complete. And it may soon return to the place from whence it was forged.
OK, enough of my attempt at Tolkien. But the “friendship sword” project, which began at the 24th World Scout Jamboree, was just as epic.
Bill and Taylor Mathews operate Edge of Normal Workshop, a sharpening service in Central Illinois. They are a Scouting family. Bill has been involved in the movement for nearly 40 years, reaching the Life rank as a youth and serving as an adult leader in Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA and Venturing as his boys, Joe and Taylor, advanced to the Eagle Scout rank. Today, they’re involved with Venturing Crew 1791 of Mackinaw, Ill., Order of the Arrow lodge and with W. D. Boyce Council’s National Youth Leader Training and camp committees.
In 2010, Bill took Taylor, who had just crossed over from Cub Scouts into a troop, to visit the National Jamboree during the BSA’s Centennial year. On their way to Fort A.P. Hill, they stopped to check out New River Gorge.
“While at the Jamboree, we visited a tent that showed the site of the new Summit Bechtel Reserve — and as we looked at the map, we realized we had been practically looking at it from the overlook,” Bill says. “That got us thinking about going to the next Jamboree.”
They went in 2013 — Bill on the staff, working at the Scottish Highland Games program area, and Taylor as part of his council’s contingent. Afterward, the staff and Bill began brainstorming how to improve that program area for the next Jamboree. Since he had decades of blacksmithing expertise, he thought about introducing a Scottish Highland arms and armament element.
“I thought to myself, ‘What Scout wouldn’t want to see sharp things and fire?’” he says.
The idea was approved, and Bill started working on a plan.
Scouts and Scouters learn to Be Prepared. To put on a fun, educational station at the National Jamboree, Bill and Taylor, who turned 18 before the big event, studied and worked on their craft for four years, creating knives, swords, long bows and blacksmith bellows — everything to show Scouts what these items were like during the time between the 1300s and 1600s.
At the 2013 National Jamboree, the first at the Summit, the Mathews served at the Highland Games area on Mount Jack. They had two tents, one displaying 20 hand-crafted armament replicas, the other where Scouts could see how these items were made as the duo used a basic anvil, handcrafted forge and bellows.
Bill talked about blacksmithing as he created iron points for longbow arrows so Scouts could learn about the craft. They also showed the entire process of creating an arrow, including attaching the points and fletching.
The Mathews were invited back for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree.
“The thing I really wanted to improve was the blacksmith area, to make it fully interactive rather than just a demonstration,” Bill says. “So I had the idea for us to forge a sword together.”
The World Scout Jamboree, the first in the U.S. since 1967, saw more than 40,000 Scouts meet at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. About half of them stopped by Mount Jack during the week to help forge a 3-foot steel sword. With the help of Jamboree staff member and Scottish Gaelic instructor Laura Buckner, the Mathews called the blade “Cáirdeas,” a word from the Scottish Gaelic language that means “friendship.”
The interactive experience built upon previous demonstrations — this time with Scouts taking a hammer to the blade, helping shape it. During the World Scout Jamboree, the Mathews got a request to finish the sword so it could be displayed at the Summit.
“There was quite a bit of pressure put on us by ourselves, knowing that this sword will be on display for years to come,” Taylor says. “We wanted this to be something we can look back on and be proud of.”
After the Jamboree, the bladesmiths took Cáirdeas home and began working on it.
“The sword was extremely rough, and we had to do a lot of work to turn it into a museum piece,” Taylor says.
So began a more than 2-year process to install a birch wood handle and etch the name on one side of the blade and details of the project on the other. The bladesmiths embedded a gold coin from the World Scout Jamboree in the handle. When it was finished, the sword measured 4 feet long and weighed more than 5 pounds.
The Mathews plan to head back to the Summit to deliver Cáirdeas so it can be on display for future visitors.
“This has truly been forged in Scouting!” Bill says.
When Noah White became aware that there was a lack of inclusion for people with disabilities in some public venues within his community, it hit different. Noah, from Troop 107 in Cincinnati, has a sister who has Down syndrome and is hard of hearing.
For his Eagle Scout service project, Noah came up with the idea to install a sign at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — a place he visited frequently — that would make it easier for visitors of different abilities to enjoy the exhibits.
Noah, who took an American Sign Language class in school, wanted to include information on his sign in ASL and a handful of foreign languages. And he wanted to include a section that used the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), an alternative communication system designed for people with cognitive, physical and communication challenges.
“I noticed that animal exhibits did not have any forms of communication on them aside from English,” Noah says. “A sign was the perfect way to place these forms of communication because it offers a space for colors and multiple communication methods to be displayed in one spot.”
As the project progressed, the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired hopped on board and offered to add Braille.
The finished project was installed in the children’s playground area with text that reads, “This sign aims to foster inclusivity by providing translations that aid communication and understanding between our visitors.”
Noah worked with representatives from the zoo to make sure his sign fit in with the zoo’s current style.
The sign lists six “playground phrases” along with translations for each.
“Designing the sign layout did take some time to configure, but we settled on a comic strip-style so we could show all of the different ways to say the same word in a table,” says Noah.
Underneath the word “slide,” for example, is the word in Braille, a PECS illustration of a child going down a slide, an illustration of someone communicating the word in ASL, and translations of the word in French, German and Spanish.
“Each of these words are tied to the different ways people communicate,” says Noah. “I hope it encourages interest in learning the various ways people communicate. Even though we may communicate differently, we are still the same.”
Noah discusses his sign with Greg Hanson, the zoo’s graphic manager. Photo courtesy of the White family
It was important to Noah that he get everything right on his sign, so he enlisted help from teachers at his school, from people who are blind or deaf and from people who have experience with PECS.
Very few Eagle Scout service projects go off without a hitch. Noah’s was slowed by the coronavirus pandemic. It took him around two years to get it all done.
The good news is, he raised more money than he needed for just the one sign, so he’s working with the zoo on installing more.
“I felt ecstatic when the project was done,” Noah says, “and I’m going to work with the zoo to install more signage.”
There are lots of effective ways to market your unit to the families in your community.
Whether you prefer the old-school brochure or the fancy new social media asset — or maybe a little bit of both — the BSA Brand Center is here to help.
“Years ago, we said, ‘We need a place where people can find copies of logos, flyers … all that marketing and promotional stuff that we need to spread the word about Scouting,” says Michael Ramsey, the BSA’s director of marketing and brand management. “So, we created the BSA Brand Center.”
The Brand Center is your source for BSA logos, photographs, promotional videos and templates you can use to promote your Scouting unit. And all of it is free. Creating a username and password will give you access to additional features, but even that isn’t required.
Ramsey recently stopped by #CubChatLive to discuss all the benefits of using the BSA Brand Center to promote your unit to families in your community. Watch our conversation in full below and read on for the highlights.
Focus groups conducted by the BSA’s National Council have shown that while most families who aren’t involved in Scouting have a positive overall impression of the BSA’s programs, most of them also have no idea if there’s a BSA unit nearby.
That’s why doing what you can to promote your unit to families at your school, place of worship or neighborhood can be a total gamechanger when it comes to growing Scouting.
Looking for an official BSA logo to slap onto a flier you’ve already created? The Brand Center has that.
Looking for a 7-second promotional video you can share on your unit’s Facebook page? The Brand Center has that, too.
Looking for a photo of a Scouting activity that you can use for any Scouting-related purpose you can think of? The Brand Center has you covered.
Here’s one example of how you can make the Brand Center work for you:
Let’s say your Cub Scout unit is really into archery. You can search the Brand Center for photos that show kids participating in archery. And you can narrow it down by age, BSA program and gender.
Now substitute “archery” for whatever Scout activity you like, and you’re getting the idea of what the Brand Center can do for you.
“It’s a resource hub,” Ramsey says, “and a collection of stuff you can download.”
An example of the categories of assets available at the BSA Brand Center
Yes, you can find things like merit badge logos through a simple Google search, but how do you know they’re the most recent, official, BSA-approved merit badge logo? Only if you get it from the Brand Center.
There are lots of out-of-date Cub Scout logos floating around the internet. Use the ones on the Brand Center to make sure you’re always official.
The Brand Center has assets for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Exploring, Venturing and Sea Scouts. There are also photos and graphics that will help you promote popular Scouting events, such as Pinewood Derby, summer camp and the National Scout Jamboree.
The Brand Center is one of several resources available at the BSA’s Recruitment Resources hub. You’ll also find a social media calendar containing suggested dates and topics you can use to promote Scouting, a recruiting campaign kit you can use to invite families to join your unit, and a link to the BSA’s 2022 Marketing Boot Camp video.
When you see someone wearing a neckerchief over their collar (or under their collar), that person very may well be a Scout. Across the globe, the neckerchief serves as a universal identifier for Scouting.
Every year on Aug. 1, everyone involved in Scouting is asked to wear their neckerchiefs in public. It’s called Scout Scarf Day, a time to proudly make Scouting visible wherever you are. And yes, you can wear it when you’re not in uniform.
Scout Scarf Day is also a time to show how we’re all connected through Scouting. As the Scout Association’s Chief Scout Bear Grylls shared at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree, “We are all bound together by this … By our scarf! … And you know what this is? This scarf is a promise to serve our community and create a better world.”
The neckerchief can be more than a symbol of Scouting. Lord Robert Baden-Powell suggested a few uses for it in Scouting for Boys, the original handbook published in 1908.
When you get up in the morning, remember that you have to do a Good Turn for someone during the day. Tie a knot in your handkerchief or neckerchief to remind yourself of it.
For binding a broken limb, you want a good large three-cornered bandage, such as your Scout neckerchief.
The scarf protects your neck from sunburn…
Wearing a Scout neckerchief is optional, according to the Guide to Awards and Insignia. But typically, every troop chooses its own neckerchief with a distinctive color and sometimes unique design. Cub Scouts often wear a different colored neckerchief based on what rank they are. Neckerchiefs can also designate Sea Scouts and Eagle Scouts.
You can fasten the neckerchief around your neck by tying a knot (like the friendship knot, see below), or by using a slide or woggle.
So, wear that neckerchief with pride and feel free to share a photo with us and tell us how wearing it shared the spirit of Scouting with others. Scouts can share photos of their neckerchiefs with Scout Life magazine here.
The 1911 Handbook for Boys suggested Scouts avoid long ventures, citing weighty canvas tents, cast-iron pans and heavy personal gear anchoring most troops to campsites accessible by automobile.
Thankfully, things have changed since then.
Learn about smart packing in our story from the September-October 2018 issue of Scouting magazine.
June 6, 1944, will be forever associated with one of the most significant military events in history.
The BSA’s Normandy Camporee was designed to not only respect and remember those who participated in the day that changed the course of history, but also to honor the peace and freedom in which we live our lives today.
It’s vital to recognize the more than 150,000 allied troops who participated in D-Day — and the 4,415 (according to the National D-Day Memorial Foundation) who gave their lives — and it’s just as important to do everything we can to maintain peace going forward.
“The ending of World War II resulted in peace for all nations involved,” says Dick Meijaard, Normandy Camporee chair for the 2022 event held earlier this year. “And peace must be kept and maintained.”
The Normandy Camporee, along with other projects over the years, has earned the Transatlantic Council (TAC) a recognition by the French Republic as one of the official custodians of Omaha Beach.
It’s a significant honor.
“We are basically one of the caretakers of Normandy,” says TAC vice president Mike Walton. “We care for and help the communities in Normandy to promote, build and sustain the area.”
A Cub Scout shows respect for a fallen soldier. Photo courtesy of the Transatlantic Council
The Normandy Camporee is a volunteer-driven event that started in 1994 and regularly includes around 3,000 Scouts. Most of the attendees are members of the TAC, but the most recent event also featured more than 700 French Scouts.
Like the 2019 event, the 2022 camporee offered camping, games and other traditional Scout activities. But mostly, the camporee is designed to build relationships and respect among Scouts from all over the world — the TAC itself has members from 50 different countries.
One of the highlights is an early morning campfire on Omaha Beach, designed to stir images of the invasion that started around 6:30 a.m. local time.
“It was really an international campfire,” says TAC Scout Executive Tom Jansen. “French Scouts recited their law and oath and sang their songs. British and American Scouts shared their Scouting songs.”
There are lots of opportunities for Scouts to spend time with each other, learn about their different cultures and cherish what it means to live in peace. Many of the organized ceremonies and activities are conducted in both English and French.
“Our message is to facilitate dialogue and interaction from Scouts all over the world in the spirit of Messengers of Peace,” says Jansen.
British Scouts lead a memorial service at Bayeux War Cemetery. Photo courtesy of the Transatlantic Council
Throughout the camporee, Scouts pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice by visiting a series of memorials. There are services at the Bayeux War Cemetery and at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer. Scouts attended a service for the French at the Kieffer Commandos Monument in Ouistreham. And this year’s camporee included a ceremony at the German cemetery in La Cambe that included both representatives from the German and American embassies.
Back in 2014, as preparations commenced for the Normandy Camporee that would commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, then TAC Scout Executive Vince Cozzone worked closely with French officials to plan the event.
The French government had a different event planned for veterans, but it was scheduled to be held during a time when most French youth would be taking their exams for school. So the Normandy Camporee, held on a more convenient date, became the official youth-focused D-Day commemoration for that year. It also became one of the custodians of Omaha Beach for the foreseeable future.
“For a nation to ask for and receive assistance from an American-based nonprofit leadership, citizenship, and character-development organization speaks extremely highly of the French people and their confidence in what TAC has done in the past and what we pledge to do in the future to keep their confidence,” says Walton.
For his sustained efforts to advance the cause of protecting the legacy of the Normandy beaches and battlefields, Cozzone received the French Legion of Honour Award, one of the French government’s highest awards.
The sun rises over the Normandy Camporee’s closing ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Photo courtesy of the Transatlantic Council
In spite of all the activities, there is, believe it or not, some free time at the Normandy Camporee.
Many Scouts choose to visit nearby museums and historical sites. There’s an official Normandy Camporee app that provided regular updates on activities, places to go, and information on which museums and stores were offering discounts.
This time is also valuable for just hanging out, talking and getting to know Scouts from other areas of the world. Patches are traded, songs are sung, stories are told and new friendships are born.
It’s during this time that Scouts can grow to truly appreciate what it means to have peace.
“Typical for the Normandy camporee is that many Scouts and units visit us more than once,” says Meijaard. “It is definitely not a seen-it-done-it event. There is so much to see and do that it will take multiple visits to be able to satisfy your interest.”
The next Normandy Camporee is scheduled for 2024 and will recognize the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Check back regularly at the official website for updates.
Before his Eagle Scout project, Andrew Dowden didn’t know how to play chess. Now he’s falling in love with the game as his project helped commemorate his state’s bicentennial and attracted the attention of the governor.
Andrew, 17, of Troop 6 in Jefferson City, Mo., didn’t know what he wanted to do for his Eagle Scout project. While his troop was camping on Jeanne Sinquefield’s property, she approached the Scouts with a project idea. Sinquefield is a supporter of Scouting and was instrumental in the creation of the Chess merit badge. With the state of Missouri’s 200th birthday taking place last year, Sinquefield thought a bicentennial chessboard would make a fun and educational site for visitors.
Andrew liked the idea. Working with Sinquefield and the city, he planned on making a 14-foot granite chessboard with laser-engraved images of the state’s historical figures and events that would be installed at Adrian’s Island Park, a short walk from the state capitol building.
To complement the chessboard, Maya Thomas of girls Troop 242 in Columbia, Mo., would install two wooden benches made from 200-year-old oak for her Eagle Scout project. The wood was cut in 1910 to be used for a barn, and she would help repurpose it for the park benches.
Like with many Scout projects, Andrew faced challenges that he and his team of volunteers had to overcome.
First, he was doing this project during the COVID-19 pandemic, and material shortages caused delays. He faced more delays as he waited for the city to build a bridge to the island park. He also met with an engineer to make sure that, in case the island flooded, the chessboard would stay put after being installed on its 18-inch concrete foundation.
“I learned many things, but I think the most important thing I learned was to plan out every detail of the project,” Andrew says.
The 32 images around the chessboard depicting Missouri’s history and figures, included President Harry S. Truman, Dred and Harriet Scott, and George Washington Carver — along with music, railroads, farming and sports.
“What I enjoyed most was working with my fellow Scouts and mostly seeing how happy it makes people to learn about the history of Missouri and play a game of chess,” Andrew says.
The project was ready to unveiled in May. Missouri Governor Michael Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson, as well as members from the World Chess Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Chess Club, were there to see it. After a brief ceremony where the governor, Maya and Andrew spoke, attendees and Scouts stood on the chessboard.
The governor and his wife moved the king and the queen pieces, and they and the Scouts played an inaugural game while two state chess grandmasters called the moves.
“I will be able to go and see my project that will be there for the rest of my life,” Andrew says. “I hope tourists that come to Missouri will come to the capitol, and they will walk across the bridge and learn the history of Missouri and also have fun with a game of chess. It is a great place to hang out for the day.”
The Chippewa Valley Air Show is a big deal. It takes months of planning before it even starts. It takes hours upon hours to set everything up.
And then there’s the event itself. On the ground below, thousands of visitors mill about the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wisc., interacting with exhibits that include a Huey helicopter, F6F-5 Hellcat, C-47 Placid Lassie and KC-135 Stratotanker. In the sky above, aircraft such as the F-16 Viper, P-51 Mustang and Blue Angels jets zoom back and forth across the sky.
And when it’s all done, there are more hours devoted to tearing everything down and cleaning everything up.
And in the midst of it all, there are more than 100 volunteers holding everything together, most of them Scouts and Scouters from the Chippewa Valley Council.
The Chippewa Valley Air Show is part Scout fundraiser, part public event, part recruiting opportunity, and 100% fun.
“It takes an incredible amount of planning and organizing to pull it off,” says Chippewa Valley Council Scout Executive Tim Molepske. “It is amazing to watch everything come together through a lot of coordination with volunteers who know what to do and put in a lot of hard work.”
Photo courtesy of Tim Abraham Photography
The Chippewa Valley airport has been hosting an air show since the 1980s, but it wasn’t until 2008 that the Chippewa Valley Council got involved. Tim Olson, board president at the time, had experience working on air shows. When he approached the council leadership with the idea of becoming the event’s sponsor, it seemed to be a match made in heaven.
The 2008 show was awarded the Blue Angels “air show of the year” award, according to the airport’s website.
Since then, the show has grown and evolved, and the Scouts have been there every step of the way. More shows followed in 2010, 2015, 2018 and 2022.
At each event, volunteers are called on to help secure sponsors, work out contracts with performers, sell tickets, physically set up the event, and help as needed during the two-day airplane extravaganza.
Proceeds from the show not only benefit the local council, but also more than 60 other area nonprofits.
“Our objective is simple: to put on a great event for our community that helps raise awareness of Scouting,” Molepske says.
Photo courtesy of Tim Abraham Photography
Of course, it’s not a true Scout event if there isn’t camping. The council hosts a camporee in conjunction with every air show. Scouts camp on the airport grounds not far from the airfield.
When the air show gates open in the morning, the Scouts switch into volunteer mode. Some might help visitors find seats. Others might answer questions or provide directions to guests who have never been there before.
And then there’s the Scout Zone — an area where troops and packs set up Scouting-related displays and activities that are open to the public. It’s a great way to market the program to an audience that’s aware that none of this would be happening without the Scouts.
One troop sets up a rope bridge and helps escort children of all ages across it. Others will demonstrate Scout skills and coordinate other fun activities.
“It’s a lot of Scout-related displays and demonstrations,” says camporee chair Chris Lee, “and they are extremely well attended by the public.”
When the last air show visitor has left in the afternoon, the Scouts return to their campsite to prepare their evening meals, and to get ready for their guest speaker.
At the most recent event, the speaker was a Blue Angels pilot who is also an Eagle Scout. The man took his time to answer questions, sign autographs and talk about how being in the Navy has affected his life.
“I can say without any hesitancy that these times are met with rapt enthusiasm and generous respect,” says Lee.
Photo courtesy of Tim Abraham Photography
The air show is a big part of the Eau Claire community. Volume One, a magazine based in Eau Claire, calls it “a flock of fantastical flying, ground show displays, and more. It’s the perfect kickoff to a sunny summer break.”
Local TV stations give it plenty of coverage.
But when the Blue Angels have left town, all the displays have been removed, and all the folding chairs put away, it could be the local Scouts who benefit the most.
L.E. Phillips Scouts Reservation features outdoor opportunities for Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA, along with parents and even members of the community who aren’t Scouts.
The camp’s shower house and dining hall were funded in large part from proceeds from the air show.
“It’s very rewarding to go out to Camp Phillips and see something our youth get the benefits of,” Molepske says.
Photo courtesy of Tim Abraham Photography
Do you know of a big event like this one in your community that relies heavily on Scouting volunteers? If so, drop us a note in the comments, or send us an email and tell us all about it.
When Jewell Norris received a phone call from a number she didn’t recognize, she got so excited she forgot to answer it.
She knew Cassidy Christian, the national Sea Scouts boatswain at the time, would be calling her successor the weekend that Jewell was at an outdoor leadership training camp. When there was a break in the training, she called the number back, and it was indeed Cassidy, who delivered the news that Jewell had been selected to be the 2022-23 national boatswain.
“Instantly, I had so many ideas running through my head,” Jewell says. “I started a note on my phone and wrote down anything and everything that came to mind. When I got home after camp, I was on fire to start planning what my term would look like.”
The national boatswain (pronounced BO-sun is the top youth member of Sea Scouting, a BSA on-the-water high-adventure program for young people ages 14-20. Jewell’s term began June 1, and she’s already been busy putting her plans into action.
She recently spoke at the Order of the Arrow Summit Experience banquet at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, and she’s been serving at Camp Strake, a council camp in Texas that has Sea Scout Fridays. On those days, Sea Scouts on staff serve as the color guard at camp.
Jewell joined Sea Scout Ship 502 in Houston, Texas, when she turned 14. The biggest factor in joining the ship was the friends who invited her.
“This is one of the reasons I am pushing ‘friends’ so much this upcoming year,” she says. “Asking your friends to come to a meeting really can make a difference for them and your ship.”
Jewell has loved the variety of activities she’s done as a Sea Scout. She’s gone on long cruises, sailed, canoed, kayaked and earned her lifeguard certification. One of her favorite memories came while she was sailing with her fellow Sea Scouts on Galveston Bay. When they pulled up the anchor, it was covered in mud.
“So, what do we do? We all ‘Simba’ each other by swiping a stripe of mud across each of our foreheads,” she says, referring to the opening scene from The Lion King.
She’s also been on staff for five National Youth Leadership Training courses, and she has attended Wood Badge, Sea Scout Experience Advanced Leadership Training and Sam Houston Area Council’s Sea Scout and Order of the Arrow events.
The recent high school graduate is an Able Sea Scout (the Sea Scout ranks are Apprentice, Ordinary, Able and Quartermaster). Jewell is also a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow and an Eagle Scout. Older youth can join multiple programs like Scouts BSA. She joined girls Troop 156 in Cypress, Texas, where she served as its first senior patrol leader and supports the troop as an assistant Scoutmaster.
During her term, Jewell plans to increase Sea Scouting’s visibility by highlighting its fun activities and the friendships youth can make. She would also like to encourage fundraising within ships.
“We want Sea Scouts to be available to every youth in the country no matter their financial situation,” she says. “This year, we will encourage ships to start looking into fundraising opportunities to support both their members and their ship’s program.”
Sea Scouting isn’t reserved for those living on the coast. You can start or join a ship in a landlocked state. Jewell encourages Scouts to invite a friend to a meeting and show them the fun that the program offers. To find a local Sea Scout Ship near you, go to beascout.org, click the Sea Scout logo and enter your ZIP code.
“Ask your Scouts what they want to do and do it!” she says.
We asked Jewell to share a few things she wants people to know about Sea Scouts.
I want everyone to know how life-changing it is. It’s very rare in any other organization or just by yourself to be able to experience the diverse programming Scouting provides. Where else can you learn methods — like the EDGE method for teaching or the stages of team develop — turn around, and apply them by leading a crew of eight people sailing a 40-foot sailboat or a fleet of kayaks?
I am a huge proponent of Scouting’s High Adventure programs. I believe in giving youth opportunities to experience activities they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, like sailing, motorboating, mountain biking, ropes courses, zip lining, or even ATVs. I believe in leveraging these activities to allow youth the opportunity to experience personal growth in an environment that requires them to step out of their comfort zone. This is something so unique to Scouting.
Scouting is whatever you make it, which is the best part. Your Sea Scout ship can have a heavy focus on shooting sports if that is what the Scouts enjoy. Or you can focus on hiking around the country if you have a group of travelers. It is completely your own.
2021-2022: Cassidy Christian
2020-2021: Aven Alexander
2019-2020: Hannah Carter
2018-2019: Jack Otto
2017-2018: Mercedes Matlock
2016-2017: Rachel West
2015-2016: Edward Campbell
2014-2015: Peter Schmidt
2013-2014: Billy McElligott
2012-2013: Matt Miller
We were thrilled last summer when Isaiah Vargas, at the time a Star Scout, was selected to compete in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Fla.
We’re over the moon to report that Isaiah, now a Life Scout, brought home a silver medal from the Games this summer.
Isaiah, from Troop 210 in Winter Garden, Fla., was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at age 3. He joined Cub Scouts a few years later, and a few years after that, he discovered a love for surfing.
Competing on a giant stage like the Special Olympics didn’t bother him a bit.
“Special Olympics was awesome,” he says. “I had a lot of fun. I was not nervous. I was brave.”
The joy Isaiah gets from surfing is pretty clear to see. Photo by Milea Verock for Special Olympics USA Games 2022
The competition was held at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, a water park located at the Walt Disney Resort.
Isaiah competed in the level 2 surfing division. Level 1 is for athletes who are able to surf on their own with zero assistance. For level 2, athletes get pushed into the wave by their surfing coach but are on their own as they attempt to catch the wave and stand on the board.
Judges score athletes based on how far they ride, how steady they are on the board and how they maneuver once they stand up.
There are multiple heats, each of which consists of anywhere from four to 10 waves an athlete can attempt to ride. Isaiah earned a 11.66 on his final heat, good enough to earn him the Silver Medal.
“I did a good job and I’m going to do my best for next time,” he says.
As soon as the Games concluded, Isaiah was off to summer camp with his Scout troop.
Isaiah’s other favorite thing to do? Scouting, of course. Photo courtesy of the Vargas family
Isaiah’s parents noticed a dramatic change in Isaiah shortly after his first Cub Scout meeting all those years ago. The combination of Scouting and competitive sports, they say, has been just what their family needed.
“Special Olympics and Scouting provided an opportunity as special-needs parents that we were not anticipating,” says Isaiah’s father, Rolando. “That is, Isaiah becoming self-sufficient and independent with the skills he learned from Scouting, and us — my wife and I — learning to let go.”
An event like the Special Olympics can be challenging for a child with autism. Isaiah says all the activity caused his autism to “work overtime.” But there’s a reason Isaiah’s favorite point of the Scout Law is “brave.”
“It was different and challenging, but I had fun,” he says. “The food was great, and I met new people.”
Isaiah joins other medal-winning Scout Olympians like Ryan Held, Steven Holcomb and Chris Fogt, and David Blair.
Isaiah with one special medal, flanked by proud parents Lisa and Rolando. Photo courtesy of the Vargas family
There are few places in North America where you can safely drink water from a lake or stream. So unless you camp where safe drinking water is readily available, you’d best bring your own. But at about 8 pounds per gallon, water can be a real drag if you have to carry it far. The alternative is to go light and purify what you need.
Learn more in our story from the September-October 2015 issue of Scouting magazine.
Have questions about the BSA? We’ve got answers.
And if we don’t have the answers, we’ll find someone who does.
Below are a handful of questions we’ve recently gotten from readers (some of them multiple times), along with the best answers we can provide.
Leave your question in the comments below, or send us an email, and we’ll answer in a future post.
Q: We are aware of the Citizenship in Society merit badge being required as of July 1. This makes 14 Eagle-required badges. Is the total for Eagle now 21 or 22?
A: The Citizenship in Society merit badge does not increase the number of merit badges required for attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout — it remains 21. With the addition of the Citizenship in Society merit badge, the Eagle Scouts will now have 14 required merit badges to earn and seven that they may select for a total of 21.
Q: Can one of my Scouts bring a friend, who is not a Scout, on a camping trip to try and recruit him to the troop?
A: Yes. As a reminder, leaders need to inform parents of those youth about the activities and obtain parental permission and consent. The “F” in SAFE stands for “fitness and skill” and requires leaders to obtain and review an annual health and medical record on the recruit and make sure the planned activities are age and skill appropriate (For example, would a swim test be needed?). In many cases, this may limit recruiting visits to meetings or more routine outdoor activities, not overnight or extended campouts.
Q: My son earned a recruiter strip as a Cub Scout. It is one of the awards that carried forward in Scoutbook when he bridged. Is he still authorized to wear it? Or must he recruit another Scout?
A: There is no rule that says your son would have to remove his recruiter strip at any point. He can continue to wear it as long as the shirt it’s attached to still fits him. Great job by him of adding another member to the BSA!
Q: Can a Scout working on AOL in a pack be dual registered with the pack to complete AOL rank and with a troop, as long as they are at least 10 years old and in the 5th grade after March 1st? Meaning, they would show up on the official roster with both units — the pack and troop?
A: A youth cannot be a registered member of a Cub Scout pack and a Scouts BSA troop at the same time. We would advise the youth to complete their Arrow of Light requirements with their pack, then join a Scouts BSA troop.
Q: We have an issue with an activity counting toward a merit badge. Do Scouts BSA family event activities count toward merit badges? For example, our troop took a 5-mile canoe trip on a designated Scout family event. Can my son count this towards his merit badge? We desperately are trying to solve this dilemma.
A: Scout activities that include other family members are still official Scouting events and must be operated under the same rules, guidelines and regulations as every other Scouting activity, including youth protection requirements, the collection of medical forms, and the presence of qualified, engaged leadership. Therefore, the presence of family members should not by itself disqualify an activity from counting toward a merit badge requirement. (We once figured out that there are around 58 merit badges a Scout can earn without leaving their home!) The only thing that could disqualify an activity from counting towards a merit badge requirement would be if it’s conducted without regard for BSA rules. Before a Scout works on any merit badge, they should meet with their unit leader and merit badge counselor to make sure the activity will qualify. Whether it’s a family event or not, swimming and watercraft activities such as canoeing must be conducted in accordance with BSA Safe Swim Defense and BSA Safety Afloat and supervised by trained, mature and conscientious adults at least 21 years old. As long as the Scout is working with a registered merit badge counselor and completing the requirements under proper supervision — and as long as the activity itself is conducted in accordance with the SAFE checklist — it should count toward the earning of the merit badge.
Photo by Michael Roytek
When a Scout earns the Eagle Scout rank, encourage them to become a National Eagle Scout Association member.
Membership provides networking resources, direct NESA communications, members-only offers and the chance to apply for college scholarships funded by multiple endowments. Funding for these scholarships comes from the National Eagle Scout Association, the Lawrence S. and Mabel Cooke Scholarship, Hansen & Mary Hall Scholarship Fund, the Lester S. McElwain Eagle Scholarship Endowment, and the Robert and Rebecca Palmer Eagle Scout Scholarship Endowment.
“Providing scholarships to our members is one of the most tangible ways the National Eagle Scout Association helps further the mission and values of Scouting. I am confident these young men and women will call on the skills they’ve developed on their journey to Eagle,” says David Ehrlich, NESA vice president of finance and scholarships. “While they have just begun their life journey, the leadership and character learned in Scouting has prepared them for this educational adventure and for life.”
More than 5,000 young men and women applied for this year’s scholarships. The funds, totaling $536,000, were recently awarded to 65 Eagle Scouts, including the Lawrence S. and Mabel Cooke Scholarship national recipient Eden Tillotson, 19, of girls Troop 555 in San Diego, Calif.
“I am incredibly grateful for everything Scouting has given me, and especially this scholarship, which will help me immensely with my education,” she says.
Eden is attending the University of California, San Diego, majoring in human biology with plans to become a doctor and serve in Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian organization that helps in countries in conflict or those affected by endemic diseases.
She is an honors student and has started working at a university lab focusing on how microbes affect neurological tissue. This work will better help researchers understand the interactions of neurodegenerative diseases, like leprosy, Parkinson’s and tuberculosis, with the nervous system, Eden says. The scholarship will help her devote time to her studies, lab research and volunteerism.
Eden is starting a college club to raise awareness about human trafficking in San Diego, a cause she was passionate about in high school. She also hopes to volunteer in a hospital while attending UCSD. And she’s still involved in Scouting — she’s helping found a troop in Coronado as an assistant Scoutmaster.
As a youth, she joined a maritime Exploring club before joining a Venturing crew and Sea Scout ship.
“I absolutely loved all three of these programs,” Eden says. “Each program was unique in their opportunities, some focusing more on maritime activities, like sailing, and others more on backpacking and land activities.”
In 2017, she represented Venturing as a delegate to the Report to the Nation, an annual BSA report to the U.S. Congress. In 2019, when girls could first join Scouts BSA, she became a founder and the first senior patrol leader of girls Troop 555.
“Helping create my troop has been the most rewarding experience of my life,” Eden says. “We created a community for girls that I haven’t seen in any other organization. A community where girls are empowered as equals to be leaders in their communities, change-makers through service, adventurers in the wild, to raise their voice through public speaking, and encouraged to explore the various fields that merit badges cover.”
For her Eagle Scout project, Eden led volunteers in putting together 1,160 masks to donate to refugees in her hometown.
You can see the full list of NESA scholarship recipients here. To read more about eligibility requirements for the scholarships and how to apply, click here. To support scholarships for Eagle Scouts, please click here.
The September 1911 issue of Boys’ Life (now Scout Life) magazine featured an exciting bit of news:
Through the incentive of the Boy Scout activities, many lads throughout the country have saved the lives of their comrades or of strangers.
The Boy Scouts of America had only been in existence for a year. Units across the country were just getting up and running as the Scouting movement spread. And yet, kids were already using the skills they learned in Scouts to save lives.
On a lake in Minnesota, a young man saved the lives of two younger boys who were struggling to stay afloat after falling out of a boat.
On the Mississippi River, two Scouts saved the lives of two boys who were caught in a section of fast-moving water.
And in a truly remarkable story that sounds like it could be straight out of an action movie, one boy fell off a ledge when the ground gave way below him. Thankfully, a Scout grabbed him by the wrist, and as the boy’s momentum threatened to pull them both over the edge, the Scout was able to grab a tree and pull himself and the falling boy to safety.
All of these incidents were reported to the National Council’s Court of Honor, which would eventually review the materials and officially approve the presentation of an official BSA lifesaving award.
Since then, the name of the award has changed, but the process of nominating a Scout or adult is basically the same.
The BSA’s lifesaving and meritorious action awards program is designed to recognize youth and adults who have performed an attempt to save a life, or to recognize notable acts of service that put into practice Scouting skills or ideals. (Individuals who perform a lifesaving act in the line of duty — such as an EMT, lifeguard or doctor — are not eligible.)
Nominations are made to your local council by filling out this form. Please include as many details about the incident as you can – including statements from witnesses, if available — so the council’s meritorious action awards committee can properly decide which of the BSA’s awards is appropriate.
Councils can award a Medal of Merit or Certificate of Merit. The Certificate of Merit goes to a youth or adult who has performed a significant act of service that deserves special recognition. A Medal of Merit may be awarded to a youth or adult who has performed an act of service that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others.
However, if the meritorious action awards committee and the council’s executive board feel that the nominee should be considered for a National Council award, they can submit it for consideration.
There are three lifesaving awards that can only be approved by the National Council’s Court of Honor:
The Heroism Award may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save life at more than minimal personal risk to self.
The Honor Medal may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated unusual heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save life at considerable risk to self.
The Honor Medal with Crossed Palms may be awarded in exceptional cases to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save life at extreme risk to self.
The Court of Honor makes the final determination and sends the award and certificate back to the local council for appropriate presentation.
Since 1947, Boys’ Life/Scout Life magazine has been featuring select lifesaving award winners in a comic book-style illustration called Scouts in Action and More Scouts in Action.
The lifesaving award nomination form includes a release agreement that gives Scout Life permission to consider the story for Scouts in Action or More Scouts in Action. If the nominee is awarded an official BSA lifesaving award, no further action is required. Every winner is automatically considered for publication.
Not every winner will be chosen. Subjects are selected from a lengthy list of award winners, and often we must leave out worthy candidates simply because we don’t have room for all of them.
Sometimes an award winner will ask not to be considered for Scouts in Action because the event may still be traumatizing to them. This is totally understandable.
But the much more common reason Scouts have for not wanting to be included is that they don’t feel like heroes.
“I don’t feel like I did anything all that special,” one Scout told us years ago, just a few months after single-handedly dragging a nearly unconscious grown man out of a ferocious rip current.
But the purpose of the BSA’s lifesaving awards program — and Scouts in Action, for that matter — isn’t only to recognize the heroic Scout. It also helps inspire other Scouts who see their peers being recognized in such a way, and helps them to know that they, too, are capable of acting heroically should the situation call for it.
Click here to learn about the BSA’s lifesaving and meritorious awards program.
We’re officially one year away from the National Jamboree.
If your Scout wants to attend the big event, but you’re hesitant on the price tag, the BSA offers scholarships that could cover any requested amount up to the full national fee of $1,285.
The BSA wants to ensure that every eligible Scout who wants to attend the Jamboree can do so — regardless of financial background. Scouts are encouraged to fundraise as much as they can to cover fees, travel expenses and other costs. Councils can provide scholarships to Scouts who need them, and some national money is available to supplement those scholarships.
Full scholarships will only be given in the most extraordinary cases; most scholarships will total less than half the national fee. Scholarships are only available for youth participants or unit leaders up to age 33. Jamboree staff members are not eligible for a scholarship; all staff members ages 16-33 receive a reduced fee.
The initial deadline to apply is July 31, 2022, with those applicants being notified if they’ve been approved by mid-September. A second scholarship deadline will be Dec. 31, 2022, with those applicants being notified by mid-February.
To be considered, you will need to submit an online application and be approved by your council to attend by July 31 (for first-round applicants) or Dec. 31 (for second-round applicants). Check here for full eligibility requirements and steps on the application process.
Ready to sign up for the Jamboree now? Click here to get started! Interested in attending as part of the Jamboree service team? Click here to learn more.
Many people stay updated about what’s going on in the world via social media. You can do the same with the National Jamboree. Find updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Click the links below to find the exact pages for the Jamboree:
National Jamboree 2023 Facebook
National Jamboree 2023 Twitter
National Jamboree 2023 Instagram
On those platforms, you can find posts through the official hashtags, #NatJamboree23 and #SummitOn.
By following those pages, you can already see patch mock-ups, historical videos and links to webinars. If you missed the webinars when they aired, you can still watch them.
You can help share the excitement for the big event. You can also share by using these marketing resources.
The Jamboree page has social media graphics, logos, videos, photos and web banners you can use online. It also has postcards, posters and fliers for you to print locally.
The page also links to early release Jamboree shirts, available to buy through Amazon.
In case you missed it, The World Games — an international, multisport event consisting of sports that aren’t in the Olympics – concluded yesterday in Birmingham, Ala.
Among the competitions you’ve probably at least heard of: drone racing, parachuting, bowling, racquetball and roller sports.
There are some that are variations on Olympic sports you already know: archery, canoeing, karate and powerlifting.
There are some you’ve probably never heard of: boules (it’s French for ball and includes games called lyonnaise and pétanque), dance sport (there are categories for rock and roll, Latin and “breaking”) and floorball (basically, floor hockey).
And then there’s the one that makes you go, “Wait, that’s a sport?” That’s right: The sport of lifesaving, not to be confused with the Lifesaving merit badge that’s earned by nearly 20,000 Scouts per year, is a competitive event at The World Games.
According to The World Games website, the sport of lifesaving originated in Australia. It’s played in indoor swimming pools (though the 2005 and 2009 World Games featured beach lifesaving competitions) and consists of a series of competition disciplines intended to develop and demonstrate lifesaving skills, fitness and motivation.
The governing body of the sport of lifesaving is the International Life Saving Federation. (Based in Brussels, Belgium, the organization prefers to make “life saving” two words. Webster’s would argue otherwise, which is why the BSA uses one word.)
A lifesaving competition looks a lot like competitive swimming, until the athletes pick up their rescue tubes and, in some cases, a lifesaving dummy called a manikin.
A lifesaving competition replicates common water rescue techniques, including swimming and diving to recover a submerged manikin and carrying it to the finish line, and swimming to a manikin, affixing the rescue tube around it and towing it to the finish line.
Manikins can be either partially or completely filled with water to better simulate the weight of a real person.
Dustin Massey Studio/The World Games 2022
I watched a couple of hours of World Games 2022 lifesaving highlights online (but not during work hours, Boss), and I have to say: Not bad!
Just like in Olympic swimming competitions, there are different lengths of lifesaving races: 50, 100 and 200 meters. There are also relay races, in which one athlete has to pass off the manikin to another.
Maybe the most interesting are the races that include obstacles the swimmers must dive down to swim under, simulating a situation in which a real-life lifesaver might have to swim under a dock or other structure to perform a rescue.
Another thing that becomes clear when watching these competitions: The skills required to compete in lifesaving align very closely with the skills learned in BSA Lifeguard training. The United States did not have a water rescue team in Birmingham; however, there are similar lifeguard competitions held in the U.S.
Youth enrollment in Olympic sports such as gymnastics and figure skating tends to increase during Olympic years. If international lifesaving competitions help increase interest and awareness in what it takes to save someone’s life in a real near-drowning situation, I say go for it.
Know of any former Scouts who have participated in lifesaving or lifeguard competitions? Let us know in the comments!
Dustin Massey Studio/The World Games 2022
Some Scouts are naturally adventurous, always willing and excited to try new things. Others? … Not so much.
One is not necessarily better than the other. (I’ve seen plenty of the first type get themselves in trouble because of their lack of fear.)
Both can be worked with. In our story from the September-October 2011 issue of Scouting magazine, we cover different ways to help inexperienced Scouts get over their anxiety when it comes to the great outdoors.
Humans have been huddling around campfires for a long time. Most scientists believe that early campfires were started by accident but controlled on purpose. For example, a lightning strike could have ignited materials in a nearby field, and early humans would bring those materials to the mouth of their cave, where they were allowed to burn, but not spread.
Eventually, we learned how to start fires ourselves, and the rest is history.
“Socializing around a campfire might be an essential aspect of what makes us human,” University of Toronto archaeologist Michael Chazan told Science News magazine.
Campfires are great. Perhaps the Scouts BSA Handbook says it best:
A fire can warm you, dry your clothes, and provide a focal point for gathering with friends. Bright flames can lift your spirits on a rainy morning. At night, glowing embers can stir your imagination.
This is, of course, all true.
But still, having said all this, the first question that must be asked before you start a campfire is:
That’s right. As great as fires are, they aren’t always appropriate, and in many cases, they definitely aren’t necessary.
Campfires are high maintenance. They require constant, responsible adult supervision until they’re completely out and the ground is cold, and they can only be built in certain places.
The Wolf Handbook advises young Cub Scouts to “cook on a camp stove or grill whenever possible. It’s easier and less messy than cooking over an open fire.”
It is hot and dry throughout much of the country right now. The question of needing a campfire might be answered by whether or not there’s a burn ban in your area. Check with local authorities to be sure.
Campfires can char the ground, blacken rocks and sterilize soil. Vegetation might have a hard time growing where a fire has been. If there’s no burn ban, you should still only build fires in designated or approved places, like an existing fire ring or raised platform.
Photo by W. Garth Dowling
If you decide to build a campfire, there’s still one important question to be asked:
Like every activity you participate in during an official Scout outing, you should be able to point to a specific set of instructions in an official BSA publication or website to make sure you’re doing it correctly and safely.
If you’re attempting to build a fire in a way that isn’t specifically mentioned in an official BSA publication, then you’re doing it wrong.
For example, the Scouts BSA Handbook says you can use matches or a butane lighter to ignite your kindling.
You can use cotton balls rubbed with petroleum jelly to help get the fire going. (To make a cotton ball burn longer, put it in a cup cut from a cardboard egg carton, invert the cup, and light it with a match.)
You can use a magnifying glass, flint and steel or a fire-by-friction set to get that first spark.
The BSA Fieldbook advises using a candle stub, pine pitch or the inner bark of a downed birch to help get a fire going.
You might notice that your favorite method of starting a fire isn’t listed here. If that’s the case, don’t use that method as part of the Scouting program. Improper lighting of fires, often due to improper use of accelerants, has had devastating effects on our Scouting family.
The use of a flammable liquid — such as Coleman fuel or white gas — to start a fire is not part of the Scouting program.
The use of pyrotechnics or accelerants for starting fires is not a part of the Scouting program.
Mixing chemicals to produce fire (or explosions — such as homemade fireworks) is not a part of the Scouting program.
Using liquid fuels for starting any type of fire — including lighting damp wood, charcoal and ceremonial campfires or displays — is not part of the Scouting program.
Just because it’s something that will burn — such as hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol — doesn’t mean it should be used to start a fire.
A good Scout knows how to build a fire, especially in an emergency. A good Scout leader also knows there are often reasons why a fire should not be lit.
Learn more in the BSA’s Campfire Safety moment, and the Guide to Safe Scouting’s Chemical Fuels and Equipment section.
Photo by Beth Wald
At the southernmost tip of our country lies a tropical paradise known as the Florida Keys. It’s the perfect place for a family vacation, and from October through April, the BSA has you covered.
“Driving over the Spanish Harbor Channel bridge heading north from Key West, you may notice a bunch of large, tan tents with quaint porches facing the ocean along a perfect slice of beach,” writes Florida Sea Base staffer Natalie Rembisz in a heartfelt letter that lists all the reasons you should visit Camp Sawyer, the site of Sea Base’s Family Adventure Camp. “A tropical paradise filled with adventure in the heart of the Florida Keys awaits.”
The program is open to families with youth under 18 and to all adults registered with the BSA.
There is no shortage of things to do and see at BSA Family Adventure Camp at Florida Sea Base. You can spend all your time at Camp Sawyer, enjoying the deluxe tents (with electricity! and beds!). Or you can explore the surrounding restaurants, museums and chartered adventures that the Florida Keys has to offer.
You can dive in for a snorkeling outing, explore the shoreline via kayak or take a sailboat out on the water
“Word is spreading about this hidden gem,” writes Rembisz.
It won’t stay hidden for long. Read Rembisz’s entire letter, then reserve your spot.
Since the launch of BSA’s Family Adventure Camps in 2018, the whole family can enjoy the same fun, thrilling adventures that Scouts have loved for decades. At Philmont Scout Ranch, campers can go horseback riding or hiking, tackle a COPE course and more. And at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, ride a zip line, bike along the trails, climb rock walls or cast a line at the family fish camp.
It is time to nominate deserving volunteers for the 2023 Silver Buffalo Award. This year’s recipients were announced here, along with the recipients of the Silver Antelope Award.
As Scouting’s highest volunteer commendation, the Silver Buffalo Award, created in 1925, has been bestowed to those who have given noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth. The service can be national or international, and may or may not be directly connected with the BSA.
For a list of previous Silver Buffalo awardees, see this page. The list includes U.S. presidents, lifelong volunteers and community leaders.
Nomination forms with no more than two recommendation letters must be submitted together electronically to the National Service Center at awards@scouting.org no later Aug. 31, 2022. The candidate should not be notified of this nomination.
When submitting the Silver Buffalo nomination form electronically, please include as much correct and relevant information about the nominee as possible. Incomplete nominations will not be considered. Be sure the nominee’s name is spelled correctly and highlight all contributions to youth inside and outside of Scouting.
Additional endorsement letters from specific areas may be included, provided they feature detailed explanations of the nominee’s contributions.
The nominations for the Silver Antelope aren’t due until Nov. 30. The award, created in 1942, is a National Service Territory level honor. Nominations can be sent to the National Service Center at awards@scouting.org along with no more than two recommendation letters.
When it comes to sheer size and scope, there’s only one official Scouting event that compares to the National Order of the Arrow Conference. While we have to wait another 12 months for that one, NOAC 2022 is just a few weeks away.
If you’ve already signed up … awesome! We can’t wait to see you at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville July 25-30!
If not, no worries … you can experience NOAC from home by registering as a remote delegate.
NOAC is known as the place for Arrowmen to share ideas, attend training sessions and make new friends. Remote delegates get to do all that, too, even though they are unable to attend in person.
“Remote delegates will receive the same conference memorabilia as in-person delegates and will have access to live trainings, panel discussions, special events, activities and each of the nightly arena shows,” says OA communications conference vice chief Eli Hattersley. “As a remote delegate, not only will you be able to stream all of the best NOAC has to offer live, you will also have on-demand access to all streaming content.”
In-person NOAC attendees must be registered members of both the Boy Scouts of America and the Order of the Arrow as of the conference start date. Remote delegates need only be registered members of the BSA with up-to-date Youth Protection Training.
That means attending as a remote delegate is not only a great option for Arrowmen who can’t attend in person, but it’s also a great option for other Scouts and adult leaders to get a glimpse of what the OA is all about.
If you’re a parent who’s registered with the BSA and has a child that is attending in person, you can sign up as a remote delegate to find out what all the fuss is about.
“This option is great for adult Arrowmen who were unable to get time off work to attend, parents of Arrowmen who need to stay home to take care of their other children or Arrowmen who aren’t able to attend because of school or an internship,” says Hattersley.
One of the best parts of attending NOAC in person is meeting new friends and becoming part of a very special community for those five days. Remote delegates will get a similar experience, participating in an online community thanks to a virtual platform designed specifically for the conference. (All BSA youth protection policies — especially those regarding digital privacy — will apply.)
NOAC is known for its friendly competitions. Over the years, there have been dance competitions, OA ceremony competitions and competitions for the best OA-related websites and newsletters.
Remote delegates will be able to participate in a conference-wide game designed especially for them.
“Like a long-anticipated family reunion, it will feel so good to reconnect with each other and celebrate our organization,” Hattersley says.
The remote delegate registration system is open now and will be available throughout the conference. You can register through the National OA Event Registration System.
The cost to attend NOAC as a remote delegate is just $75.
You’re out for what was supposed to be a day hike with a couple of fellow adults and a few Scouts. As evening approaches, you realize you’re not going to make it back to camp before dark. It would be dangerous to try to find your way, so you need to make shelter — fast. What do you do?
Learn about a few of your options in this story from the September-October 2013 issue of Scouting magazine.
After the first day of her Eagle Scout project, Apara Sai Jella received an ovation.
She led a team of volunteers in setting up an outdoor meditation area at Project Pride, a women’s residential rehabilitation center in Oakland, Calif. The residents were impressed by the Scout’s leadership and work.
“They came outside and clapped for us; they loved it,” Apara says. “But they hadn’t seen the other side of the project yet, because it wasn’t all done.”
She still had to build a children’s play area.
Altogether, her project provided residents with a place to both find peace during their rehab and spend time with their children. This consisted of transforming a backyard space by adding a playground, murals, a garden and places to sit.
“The women in rehab needed a space to relax, be in peace and spend time with their children,” Apara says. “This project’s goal was to do exactly that.”
For her exceptional efforts to help the women and children, Apara Sai Jella, a member of girls Troop 36 of Danville, Calif., received the 2022 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. She’s the first female Eagle Scout to be bestowed with the national award.
The 2022 Adams awards, which include 16 territorial winners and a national winner selected from one of those territorial winners, recognize outstanding Eagle projects completed by young people who earned the Eagle Scout rank in 2021. The national winner receives a $3,500 scholarship, which they can use for their future education or to attend a national or international Scouting event.
TIP: Click/tap and drag the slider below each image to see the change.
The most challenging aspect of Apara’s project was planning. It took a couple months for Apara to find a project before she reached out to Project Pride, a place where her parents had volunteered several years prior. The center assists pregnant women and mothers, including single mothers with their children, with substance abuse treatment resources and a place to stay while they recover.
Apara drew up a blueprint for the outdoor area. She and the center’s directors exchanged emails, adjusting the design at least four times to ensure all of the project’s elements would work best for the women and their children.
She set up a GoFundMe page, and fundraising went more smoothly than anticipated, thanks to Apara’s supportive family, friends and community.
“We raised $3,000, about three-quarters of the budget, within the first 36 hours of the page going live,” she says. “This project wouldn’t have happened without the incredible community support.”
Apara shopped around for materials, finding what she needed at hardware stores, a local landscaping supply store and Amazon.
“It took a lot of work to see which materials would be cost-effective, yet quality,” she says. “It was essential to research that everything was the best it could be within the budget.”
The project was split into two parts: the first workday focused on the meditation area, the second on the play area. For the first day, which ended up lasting 10 hours, Apara led a group of 25 volunteers — family, friends and Scouts — in installing sod, a gravel circle and a garden.
Like many projects, Apara encountered some challenges. When they were putting in grass, they uncovered a layer of concrete that’d make it difficult for the grass to survive.
“I made sure to communicate with other Scouts and adults to see if they had any input,” she says. “As a leader, communication is the biggest thing to make a project happen.”
They discovered it was only a thin layer of concrete and easy to remove.
The following Saturday, Apara and her volunteers were back to work on the other side of the outdoor area. They built a playground, painted a mural, constructed benches and painted a hopscotch and racetrack games. Inspired by their work, the women at the center wanted to help, so Apara delegated and they helped paint the hopscotch and racetrack on the concrete.
Apara received handwritten letters from the women at the center thanking her for the updated outdoor space. She, too, is grateful for everyone who helped her complete it.
“More than ‘my Eagle project,’ this is ‘our Eagle project,’” she says. “My family and friends supported me throughout this whole journey.”
A month after completing her Eagle Scout project, she returned to the center. The grass she and her team installed was growing and green; the women were reading and relaxing in the meditation area, and their children were enjoying the new playground.
“It’s so amazing; it’s incredible that this project could help so many people,” Apara says.
This post is part of our series spotlighting Eagle Scouts who received the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award in 2022. Stay tuned for roundups of all the National Service Territory winners. They are:
Nijrell Jackson, Far East Council
Ravindu Vithanachchi, Catalina Council
Apara Sai Jella, Golden Gate Area Council
Johnathan O’Brien, Northeast Iowa Council
Brendan Zahner, Heart of America Council
Zain Dhatwani, Three Fires Council
Cole Kosch, Capitol Area Council
Nicholas Sasseen, Last Frontier Council
Adam Weaver, Dan Beard Council
Jake Christel, Theodore Roosevelt Council
Eric Hense, Mayflower Council
Logan Decker, Mountaineer Area Council
James Stickel, Northern New Jersey Council
Taylor Bell, Middle Tennessee Council
Christian Norris, Indian Waters Council
Jacob Friedman, Central Florida Council
If you know an Eagle Scout whose project is worthy of consideration for the Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year award, please nominate them.
Find a nomination form, judging criteria and more information at this link.
Any Eagle Scout, their parents or any registered BSA volunteer (with the Eagle Scout’s permission) may submit an Eagle Scout service project for consideration. Each council will then nominate one outstanding project to the National Eagle Scout Association.
Your Scouts have been hiking. They’ve been to day camp. They’ve likely been on weekend campouts, and many of them might have been to summer camp.
All of these are great, fun activities for Scouts who are just getting used to being outdoors. At some point, though, they’re going to be ready for more.
So … what’s next?
The key is to keep pushing the limits of your Scouts while continuing to minimize risk. (Good luck getting your Scouts to go out again if, the first time they try something new, they have a miserable experience.)
Consider these five options for upping your outdoor game, and most definitely consult the BSA’s SAFE Checklist while doing so.
Backpacking is the natural next step once Scouts have mastered hiking and weekend camping. What is backpacking if not an extended hike while carrying all the gear you need for camping?
Technically, backpacking is open to Scouts BSA members of all ages (as well as Venturers and Sea Scouts). However, not all brand-new 11-year-old Scouts are built the same.
When planning an entry-level backpacking trek, consider the fitness and experience levels of all participants. It’s not just about mileage. A few hours walking even a short distance uphill can be difficult for first timers.
Take elevation into account as well. A trek at altitude is a completely different experience than a trek closer to sea level. (For more on high-altitude adventures, read the mountaineering section later in this story.)
Conduct practice hikes months in advance — complete with loaded backpacks — and slowly increase the intensity. Encourage any Scout who isn’t involved in a personal fitness program to start one right away.
A backpacking trip requires planning. Anticipating trail conditions, travel distances and campsite locations will help you and your group put together a plan that is right for the conditions you will face. (Photo by W. Garth Dowling)
Most of your Scouts probably already know how to ride a bike. A cycling trek — also known as “touring” — is a great way to cover more ground than you could on foot.
Cycling on the road requires you to master certain skills and maneuvers.
If you aren’t an experienced cyclist yourself, local bike clubs can be a great resource. They exist to encourage and promote biking, so take advantage of them. They might even have trips already in the works that you can join.
Start organizing short rides months before your trek and increase your mileage each time.
It’s very difficult to carry all your camping gear on your bike, so consider recruiting some responsible adults to man support vehicles to carry gear, food, water and supplies to repair flat tires and other breakdowns.
Just like you wouldn’t go backpacking without a map, don’t embark on a cycling trek without a cue sheet that contains turn-by-turn instructions — along with mileage, landmarks and other useful information. Even though you’ll be traveling in a group (or multiple groups), every cyclist should carry one.
Cycling on the road requires you to master certain skills and maneuvers. (Photo by Timothy Fadek)
Paddling down one of America’s great rivers is another wonderful way to catch some gorgeous scenery. The challenge here is often with the vessels themselves — very few Scout leaders own a fleet of canoes just waiting for their troop to take them out.
However, your local Scout camp might have a lake with canoes or kayaks available for Scouts to use. This is a good way to practice paddling and get rookies used to the process.
Eventually, you’ll probably have to work with an outfitter or a Scout council to go on a multiday trek. Start fundraising now.
Make sure every Scout going on one of these treks is a strong swimmer. You might not plan on swimming, but someone will probably end up in the water. It’s part of what makes these adventures so fun — and also why everyone always wears a life jacket.
(When it comes to whitewater activities, a life jacket and a helmet are your most important pieces of safety equipment.)
Make sure your outfitter understands and complies with the Guide to Safe Scouting and BSA Safety Afloat. Scouts must wear helmets on rapids rated Class II and higher, even if your outfitter doesn’t require them. (And if your outfitter doesn’t require them, you should seriously consider getting a different outfitter.)
Unit trips on whitewater sections of rivers rated Class IV are allowed only with a professionally trained guide in each raft. Trips above Class IV are prohibited.
When it comes to whitewater activities, a life jacket and a helmet are your most important pieces of safety equipment. (Photo by Celin Serbo)
Once you’ve mastered backpacking, consider mountaineering. BSA-approved mountain travel falls somewhere between backpacking on a trail and technical mountaineering, which often involves glacier travel and ascents requiring the use of ropes, anchors and technical expertise. (The latter is possible, too, but requires supervision by multiple adults with advanced training.)
Mountaineering may require the skills of route finding, wilderness camping, and ascending snow and ice.
Standard mountain travel may include nights of camping at high elevations. It draws on a mastery of backpacking, wilderness navigation and risk management. Most of all, it demands maturity and good judgment.
Researching a mountain trip before leaving home will give you a sense of the lay of the land. You can then figure out the hiking trails that will lead you to your destination and to designated sites where you can camp along the way.
Strenuous activity at high elevation is very, very serious business. You — and everyone else on the trek — absolutely must be in top physical condition and also able to recognize the signs of acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral edema and high-altitude pulmonary edema. BSA wilderness first-aid training is recommended.
Mountaineering may require the skills of route finding, wilderness camping, and ascending snow and ice. (Photo by Beth Wald)
Perhaps you’ve seen a good cross-country skier skimming over the snow. The traveler kicks forward on one ski, glides on it a moment, then kicks the other ski ahead. One motion flows into the next, and soon the skier is out of sight.
Cross-country skiing is one of the most aerobically demanding sports you can participate in and requires at least the same level of physical fitness as hiking.
It probably won’t surprise you that it might not be that easy for everyone. If your Scouts have some experience on skis, that’s great. Even if they do, lessons from an expert on cross-country skiing will definitely help. A smooth, efficient technique makes cross-country skiing a blast. Poor technique results in tired and possibly injured Scouts.
Like canoes and kayaks and rafts, it’s doubtful anyone in your unit owns enough ski equipment for the whole troop to use. Rent some and get used to it on short day trips. Once the Scouts get acclimated, you can start to explore the possibility of longer treks.
Keep in mind that extended travel in the backcountry on skis requires some additional considerations and preparation. You’ll want to practice carrying a pack, going uphill and downhill, and everything in between. You’ll want to practice on established trails and in fresh powder.
Hut-to-hut ski treks are great. You get the experience of trekking across the snow during the day combined with the luxury of spending the night in a shelter.
Cross-country skiing is one of the most aerobically demanding sports you can participate in and requires at least the same level of physical fitness as hiking. (Photo by Trevor Clark)
We appreciate you wanting to try something new with your Scouts. We like the idea of thinking outside the box. We really do. Just don’t think too far outside the box.
Extreme or action sports and associated activities that involve an unusually high degree of risk and often involve speed, height, a high level of exertion and specialized gear or equipment are not allowed in Scouting. These activities include but are not limited to:
Parkour
Cliff diving or jumping
Tree climbing
Free or solo climbing
Aerobatics while snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding or mountain biking
Parachuting, BASE jumping or wingsuiting
Parasailing or any activity in which a person is carried aloft by a parachute, parasail, kite, flying tube or other device
Participation in amateur or professional rodeo events, council or district sponsorship of rodeos, and use of mechanized bulls or similar devices
Jumping with bungee-cord devices
Bubbleball, Knockerball, zorbing, Battle Balls, bubble soccer, bubble football, and similar orb activities in which participants collide or roll around on land or water
Flyboarding/jet-boarding
Highlining
XPOGO
Trampolines and trampoline parks (exception: commercial facilities that meet or exceed current ASTM Standard F2970-15)
Before planning any outdoor adventure, always review the Guide to Safe Scouting, and specifically the Activity Planning and Risk Assessment section.
The BSA’s Adventure Plan is a tool to guide unit leaders — Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers and Sea Scouts — through all stages of adventure planning. Also, be sure and check the BSA’s SAFE Checklist: Supervision, Assessment, Fitness and skill, and Equipment and environment.
In 2019, the National Forest Foundation announced the annual National Forest Week, a weeklong celebration to raise awareness of this country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System and all its benefits. This year, National Forest Week will be July 11-17.
Polaris, the official all-terrain vehicle (ATV) provider of the Boy Scouts of America, is a partner with the National Forest Foundation. Through its partnership, the Polaris Foundation is donating $5 million to the forest foundation over five years, which will provide grants for outdoor recreation projects and conservation work.
Through its foundation, the powersports company has partnered with organizations and riding clubs to enable environmental stewardship. Responsible ATV riding calls for staying on the trail, following the signs and respecting the rights of others who are using the trail.
You can tune in to Scouting magazine’s Trek On Tuesday Facebook Live broadcast on July 12 as Eagle Scouts Jan Rintamaki, vice president and general manager of Polaris Adventures, and Scott Sender, Polaris finance manager, will talk about Polaris’ ATV safety partnership, environmental stewardship goals and responsible riding.
When you’re driving an ATV, it’s vitally important to wear a helmet. A poorly fitted helmet won’t provide the best protection. You’ll want the helmet to fit snugly on your head, and not shift when you move your head.
So, let’s see your “helmet hair.” Polaris is hosting a contest with the BSA this summer called #HelmetHairDontCare. Simply send a photo of your wild helmet hair, share it on Instagram using the hashtag #HelmetHairDontCare or complete this Scout Life magazine safety quiz for a chance to win awesome prizes, like a helmet, bag, goggles and gloves.
The quiz reviews the ATV Safety Institute’s 7 Golden Rules. For more details on how to enter, visit go.scoutlife.org/Polaris.
Peterloon, a beloved biennial camporee put on by the Dan Beard Council, is coming back after being postponed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s event is slated for Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at Camp Friedlander in Ohio. The last Peterloon, held in 2019, drew about 6,000 Scouts, a stark contrast to the first event in 1927, which attracted 300 Scouts and leaders.
One of the keys to the camporee’s success has been the anticipation. Since the 1950s, the event has been held every other year. This time, there’s been a three-year hiatus, and Scouts will be treated to exciting activities and programs. Plans include an arena show with fireworks, vehicles and simulators from the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, flyovers and more than 60 additional activities.
In past events, troops have come from other councils and even Canada. In 2019, Cub Scouts were invited to camp overnight. They will get to do so again this year. The theme for this year is “Prepared. For life,” with aspects of adventure via COPE and shooting sports, along with career-based elements, like music education workshops and skill stations in welding and plumbing. One of the favorite activities is Peterloon’s patrol competition, which focuses on traditional Scout skills and games.
Early registration for Peterloon is open with regular fees starting Aug. 5.
Often, councils and districts across the country host camporees, inviting many units to come together to have fun and camp. Let us know about your and your Scout’s favorite camporee experience — or better yet, tell Scout Life magazine beforehand. Whether you’re going to attend an awesome camporee or planning a cool unit-only outing, the Scout Life magazine staff can help share your Scouts’ stories if you send in the ideas.
And if you’ve already gone on a fun trip, still send it over to us by emailing onscouting@scouting.org or clicking here.
Remember, for any Scout outing, especially large group gatherings, to follow medical pre-screening procedures before going. For those procedures and COVID-19 precautions, see this post.
Setting off fireworks is an unauthorized activity in the Boy Scouts of America, but watching a fireworks display conducted by licensed experts certainly isn’t.
In fact, some of the most exciting fireworks displays in Scouting happen at one of Scouting’s most exciting events: the National Scout Jamboree.
The 2021 Jamboree was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but, thankfully, the Jamboree is coming back in a big way in 2023. The fun will happen at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, which allows the Jamboree to offer just about every warm-weather Scout activity you can imagine, from rafting to rock climbing, from mountain biking to fishing, and everything in between.
You can sign up for the 2023 Jamboree now. In the meantime, enjoy this photo gallery of fireworks from past Jamborees. (Click any photo to enter the gallery.)
Happy Independence Day, everybody!
After air, water and food, the thing humans need most is shelter.
The same is true for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA members and Venturers. You must feed them and water them, but you must also give them a place where they can grow. Somewhere to learn, to laugh, to play, to plan — and to store all their Scouting stuff.
These three units do more than offer a meeting place. They cultivate a Scouting home.
Read more in our story from the September-October 2018 issue of Scouting magazine.
As the National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation into what allowed a Chicago-bound train to crash into a dump truck in Missouri, this much we do know: The Scouts and adult volunteers that were onboard the train are heroes who performed brilliantly in an unimaginably difficult situation.
More than 100 passengers were injured in the crash. Four people have died, including the driver of the dump truck. Three adult Scouts BSA leaders were hospitalized. All of the youth members from Troop 73, chartered to the First English Lutheran Church’s downtown site in Appleton, Wisc., and Troop 12, chartered to First English Lutheran Church’s north site, had returned home safely by Tuesday evening.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the group. They were on their way home from a high-adventure trek at Philmont Scout Ranch when the accident occurred. The Scouts and adults provided first aid to injured passengers and broke some of the train’s windows to get other people to safety.
In addition to performing like heroes at the scene, the Scouts and adults also performed heroically in interviews with the media in the days that followed.
Troop 73 SPL Eli Skrypczak told Fox News correspondent Garrett Tenney that “I just knew what to do … all of our Scouts did.”
When NBC’s Today correspondent Maggie Vespa told host Craig Melvin that Scouts stayed on site to help injured passengers, Melvin replied, “of course they did — they’re Scouts.”
And when the Scouts arrived in Appleton on a private jet, they were met by not only family members, but also WBAY reporter Jason Zimmerman, who interviewed one Scout with visible injuries to his face.
Photo by mpi34/MediaPunch /IPX
Traveling by train is a popular way for Scouts east of Philmont to get to and from the high-adventure base. Due to damage to the track where the incident occurred, multiple crews have come off the trail to find that their way home no longer exists. Crew advisors and parents back home have had to explore multiple options to get the groups home, including traveling by car, bus or plane.
Some groups planning to visit in the coming weeks have also had to rethink their travel plans. Philmont logistics manager John Bare says he’s heard from some crews who, due to the uncertainty of when the track will fully reopen, have decided to drive, fly or take a bus.
There is at least one train route that can get groups to Denver, from which they can take a bus to Raton, N.M.
Although Philmont has no control over the train schedules, Bare says they do have the ability to alter some backcountry itineraries if a group arrives a day or two late. Units are encouraged to contact Philmont directly if they’re forced to change their travel plans.
Stay tuned to On Scouting in the coming days for exclusive interviews with the Scouts and leaders who were involved in this incident.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
