Confessions of a Scout Leader...

08/29/2016

Do you know how to load your Scout trailer properly? And what could happen if you don't?

08/23/2016

Who was your summer camp counselor crush?

No one truly understands how to love like a camp counselor.

07/05/2016

I hope everybody had a great Independence Day. Since it's Tuesday, time to get back to the office with STEM Scouts.

"The Boy Scouts mean camping, right? Not coding. Fitness — not physics.
Over the years, the Boy Scouts have thrived by appealing to youth's natural curiosity and love of adventure — largely in the context of the outdoors.

But what about young people who are less interested in building a fire than building a robot? What about kids who are not interested in the secrets of the forest but who are intrigued by the beauty of mathematics?

To provide more opportunities for those kids — and to bring them the values of Scouting at the same time — the Boy Scouts of America have developed STEM Scouts. It's an innovative program that focuses on the frontiers of science, technology, engineering and math. We think it's going to be great both for those kids and for our country."

What do you think?

Co-ed STEM Scouts will bring boys more interested in science than camping, while helping address gender inequality in engineering and computer science.

11/17/2015

"In a nod to the BSA’s century-old emphasis on preparing young people to spend time outdoors, the number of campouts required for First Class in Boy Scouting will double beginning in 2016."

Well, good. Boys join for the camping, and BSA would do well not to forget that.

In a nod to the BSA's increased emphasis on the outdoors, the number of campouts required for First Class in Boy Scouting will double beginning in 2016.

07/04/2015

Happy Independence Day! (photo from scouting.org)

02/10/2015

What's the best role or position at each of the following levels to get new adults involved in (with or without prior Scouting experience)?
- Troop level
- District
- Council

01/24/2015

Here's some Americana for you - Norman Rockwell's BSA prints. Very Duty, Honor, Country.

Norman Rockwell Boy Scout Prints like "Scout Master", "Can't Wait", Norman Rockwell's "Forward America", Norman Rockwell's "I Will Do My Best" and many more!

01/04/2015

Here's a list of discontinued merit badges. Should BSA bring any back? Which new ones should be introduced? (Dibs on Invention, earned by only 10 Scouts!)

It's really interesting to see the names and gists of the badges evolve - First Aid to Animals to Veterinary Science, for example, but I wonder what was in the substance of the badge that prompted the change.

This is a list of merit badges formerly offered by the Boy Scouts of America. In some cases, the entire subject has been dropped from the merit badge roster. In others, the merit badge's name has been changed, with or without significant revision to the badge's requirements.

01/04/2015

Part of the Scouting experience is being in the outdoors, but it's hard when it's really cold out! What sort of camping do you do in the winter?

06/11/2013

Scouting equipment poll: your #1 source for camping gear is a) Wal-mart, or b) Amazon, or c) Other...

06/05/2013

You might be a Scouter if you build an extra large custom boat trailer AND you unload it at 10pm after a day at the lake so that you can re-purpose it for NYLT the next day.