– Bryan On Scouting
How this troop honors one of the youngest Americans killed in the Revolutionary War
Scouts from Troop 600B gather at the final resting place of Bugler Boy Gillies. (All photos courtesy of Mike Matzinger) He was unarmed, and his lack of a beard should’ve been an instant giveaway that he was too young to be a threat. But when James Gillies was caught by British troops on a February…
Read MoreNational Youth Leadership Training updated to better serve youth leaders
National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is a six-day, council-offered course that teaches Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts what they must know and do to be effective leaders in their units. Youth, ages 13-20, benefit from the exciting program; it integrates modern leadership theory with the traditional strengths of Scouting. This isn’t a classroom training. Scouts…
Read More5 ways that foreign-based BSA troops do things differently (and one way they don’t)
Geoffrey Morris (standing) with Scottish Scouts at Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland. (Courtesy of Geoffrey Morris) They’ve camped on the D-Day beaches of Normandy, snowshoed across the Swiss Alps and hiked up volcanoes in Japan — all without a single transatlantic or transpacific flight. For BSA families living outside of the United States, the…
Read MoreAll about Alpha Phi Omega, a great way for college-age BSA alumni to stay connected
A tour guide the Iota Phi Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega leads Scouts on a tour of the University of California at Davis. (Pre-pandemic photo courtesy of the Iota Phi Chapter) With more clubs, student organizations and intramural sports than there are hours in the week, college offers more than enough opportunities for young people…
Read MoreThe long, winding road of an 80-year-old would-be Eagle Scout
This story is shared here from the Scouting magazine app. For more of the content you’re used to from Scouting magazine, download the Scouting magazine app today! It’s available now in the App Store and Google Play. “What is the greatest disappointment in your life?” Tyrette Cowan asked her husband one day a couple of…
Read MoreWhat’s in the Scouter Code of Conduct, which every BSA leader agrees to follow?
A few years ago, 22,000 Britons registering to access a free Wi-Fi hotspot neglected to read the fine print before clicking “OK.” They didn’t realize they had each agreed to 1,000 hours of community service, including cleaning toilets, scraping gum off the streets and (eww) clearing sewer blockages. The prank, devised by a British internet…
Read MoreFind summer fun at local museums, nonprofits
A Scout at the Cosmosphere. Scouts who visit the Cosmosphere, a science and space museum in Hutchinson, Kan., for its summer Scout camps get to program robots, build rockets and fly drones, all while working on merit badges, NOVA STEM activities or Cub Scout Adventures. Sound fun? It’s just one example of an organization that…
Read MoreEagle Scout writes heartwarming song for Teacher Appreciation Week
Donald Gee and his parents, Mark and Jeannie, at Donald’s Eagle Scout court of honor in 2016. (Photo by Mark Gee Jr.) Mere prose cannot express the gratitude we feel toward our teachers for their heroic, life-changing work over the past year. But a song just might. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3–7,…
Read MoreWin a trip to one of BSA’s Family Adventure Camps
Adventure is for everyone. Both Scouts and their families can now enjoy the amazing experiences Philmont Scout Ranch, Sea Base and the Summit Bechtel Reserve offer by attending the BSA Family Adventure Camps held at those three high-adventure bases. You and your family will soon have the chance to win a three-night trip at the…
Read MoreThe Data Is In: The Protect Yourself Rules Cub Scout Adventure Is Working
It’s been nearly two years since the BSA debuted Preview Adventures, elective Adventures for Cub Scouts that count toward advancement just like other Adventures, but haven’t yet made their way into the printed handbooks. During the preview period, these Adventures remain under evaluation — and up for possible revision, depending on response from Cub Scouts…
Read More