Crawfordsville Indiana Area Scouting

06/01/2026

Scouting America, the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts, is giving scouts the chance to earn two new merit badges: one in artificial intelligence and another in cybersecurity.

05/31/2026

A den leader asks, "How can I encourage parents to actively participate during den meetings instead of sitting in the back of the room on their phones?"

Many parents disengage during den meetings because they assume the leader already has everything covered, they are unsure how to help, or they think volunteering requires a major time commitment.

The best way to increase involvement is to make participation easy, specific, and expected from the beginning. Setting the tone early helps establish that Cub Scouts is a family-supported program, not a drop-off activity.

Rather than making broad requests for volunteers, it is far more effective to give parents small, clearly defined tasks during meetings, such as helping with a craft station, organizing supplies, supervising a game, or assisting with cleanup. Most parents are willing to help when they know exactly what is needed and understand that the commitment is manageable. Some refer to this as "micro volunteering."

It also helps to structure meetings so that adults naturally participate rather than sitting on the sidelines. Hands-on activities, parent-child challenges, team competitions, and rotating stations keep both Scouts and parents engaged.

Publicly thanking parents for helping reinforces a positive culture and encourages others to participate as well. Over time, assigning parents ownership of small responsibilities, such as advancement tracking, snack coordination, camping support, or communications, creates a stronger investment in the den’s success.

One-on-one conversations are often the most effective way to recruit help, since many parents respond better to a personal invitation than a general announcement.

Ultimately, the goal is to create the understanding that the den does not belong to one leader alone, but to all of the families working together to create a great experience for the Scouts.

What do you think? What advice can you offer to this den leader?



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05/28/2026

Eagle Scout Harris Poll study at:
https://www.scouting.org/about/research/eagle-scout-2026/

05/21/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮. 𝟭𝟭𝟬 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗱𝘀. 🦅
At 16, David Clark turned his own experience as a patient into something extraordinary. After years of IV treatments at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, he recruited 223 volunteers to build, paint and decorate 110 wooden "lily pads" for children to stand on during their own treatments, bringing a little joy to some of the hardest moments of their young lives.
For his efforts, David received the 2026 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award.
And he’s not done yet. He’s now expanding the project to hospitals in Florida, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.
🔗 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
Photo: Courtesy of Katie Chen

First Comment: 🔗 Read the full article here:

For his exceptional efforts, David Clark received the 2026 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. For his exceptional efforts, David Clark received the 2026 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award.

05/15/2026

03/24/2026

03/20/2026

Mayor Todd Barton proclaimed March 18, 2026 as "Crawfordsville Day of Scouting" at his annual breakfast fundraiser.