– Bryan On Scouting
From the Scouting magazine archives: A Halloween-themed recruiting event
When it comes to maintaining a healthy Scout unit, recruiting is king. The ability to consistently bring in new members is the lifeblood of every troop, crew or ship. Check out our story from the September-October 2020 issue of Scouting magazine about how a group of Oklahoma Scouters created their long-running, Halloween-themed Webelos Outdoor Weekend event…
Read MoreScout Ranger program might be the National Park Service’s best-kept secret
From Acadia in Maine to Joshua Tree in California and beyond, our country’s national parks hosted 237 million people in 2020. But despite the continued popularity of these wide-open spaces, there’s one National Park Service offering that remains lesser known. It’s the Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger program, which offers an oval-shaped patch to Cub Scouts…
Read MoreHe and his uncle were featured in Scouts in Action … 51 years apart!
On July 18, 1968, a bulldozer working on a road construction project in Yonkers, N.Y., struck an underground gas line, resulting in a stream of gas shooting into the air. Nearby stood John Kane, the senior patrol leader for Troop 4 in Bronxville, N.Y. It didn’t take long for the 15-year-old to realize the severity…
Read MoreFor Eagle Scout who owns 25 flags, it’s about way more than cloth on a flagpole
Eagle Scout Michael Conner proudly displays the American flag outside his home in Colorado. Everything Michael Conner needed to know about flag etiquette he learned from his 1971 Boy Scout Handbook. “I still have that copy,” the Eagle Scout says. Fifty years later, Conner is now a husband and father. And he still treats the…
Read MoreMerit Badge History: Dentistry gets seal of approval from American Dental Association
When the Dentistry merit badge debuted in 1975, The New York Times covered the news with this clever headline: “A New Drill For Scouts: A Dentist’s.” “Time was when the tools of Scouting were a compass and an ax,” the Times article read. “In the new Boy Scouts, it could help to have a little…
Read MoreHow to broaden your kids’ perspective — and, in the process, your own
Photo by W. Garth Dowling There are a lot of things in common with being a parent and being a Scout leader. Among them: the importance of understanding the perspectives of the younger generation. Jennifer L.W. Fink, author of The First-Time Mom’s Guide to Raising Boys (Rockridge Press, 2021), shares a story that demonstrates how parents and…
Read MoreRockets, robots and recruiting: Maryland Exploring post finds a winning combination
Post 1010 finished in first place at the 2021 UAS4STEM Search and Rescue Challenge, a drone event. Whether in the air or on the ground, the young people of Exploring Post 1010 know how to build impressive machines. Their rockets, quadcopters and robots regularly qualify for — and even win — national competitions. So it’s no…
Read MoreWhat I’ve Learned: A Q&A with the leaders of a 111-year-old Scouts BSA troop in Rhode Island
Photo courtesy of Mike Hogan (second from left) and Brad Orleck (second from right). After working together at Yawgoog Scout Reservation, Mike Hogan and Brad Orleck reunited to lead First Providence Troop, a 111-year-old unit that now serves a mix of working-class and immigrant families in Providence, R.I. Hogan has been Scoutmaster for 11 years;…
Read MoreTwin brothers from Tennessee travel 1,100 miles to complete their Eagle projects
Andrew (left) and Matthew Schramkowski stand inside the completed community center. Andrew and his helpers installed the floors, and Matthew and his team did the walls. (All photos courtesy of Paul Schramkowski) When Scouts put their hearts and minds into getting something done, no distance is too great — not even 1,100 miles. For proof,…
Read MoreCan BSA youth members discuss Scouting in private digital groups?
Photo by Getty Images/Istockphoto (3) A Venturing crew Advisor was doing her job – working with the crew’s youth leaders to help ensure the success, safety and personal growth for all members — when she heard the Venturers mention something that caught her ear. It seems they had recently taken to a popular online gaming…
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