– Bryan On Scouting
Can Cub Scouts get extra time to finish requirements after school year ends?
In many packs, Cub Scouts finish their rank advancement just in time for the blue and gold banquet in February. This approach lets families gather to celebrate the Cub Scouts’ accomplishments well before the end of the school year. It also signals that it’s time for Webelos Scouts to begin their transition to Boy Scouting and troop involvement. June 1 is…
Read MoreEarn the National Summertime Pack Award, because summer’s not the time to hibernate
Just because school classrooms go dark in the summer doesn’t mean Cub Scouting has to. Extend the fun of Cub Scouting into the year’s hottest season by earning the National Summertime Pack Award. To be eligible, your pack must hold one activity per month in June, July and August. Do that, and you’ll get a streamer for your pack…
Read MoreInner-city Scout troop forms three Special Olympics basketball teams
The best way to break down stereotypes about a person is to spend as much time with them as you can. In the case of Troop 4 of Worcester, Mass., that meant forming not one but three Special Olympics Unified Sports basketball teams. What started as another big Troop 4 service project has grown into…
Read MoreEagle Scout praised for bravery, service after London terror attack
Tobias Ellwood, the politician gaining praise for his heroism after a fatal stabbing outside the U.K. Parliament in London, is an Eagle Scout. Ellwood, born in New York City to British parents, was a member of the Boy Scouts of America’s Transatlantic Council, which serves American Scouts living overseas. He earned Scouting’s highest honor on May 25,…
Read MoreEverywhere you look, enthusiasm for the Welding merit badge is heating up
Troop 387, like all the best Boy Scout troops, is youth-led. The adults are there for support and safety. So when the Scouts from Kingsport, Tenn., decided they wanted to earn the Welding merit badge, the adults simply said, “sounds good, how can we help?” Help came from the good folks at Lincoln Electric. The Cleveland-based manufacturer of…
Read MoreBoy Scout leaders can now get trained anywhere at any time
It’s midnight, you’re in pajamas and you’re sitting on the couch scrolling Facebook on your tablet. Sounds like the perfect time to get trained. With the launch of Scouting U’s eLearning content for Boy Scout leaders, Scouters now can get trained on their own schedule — anywhere, any time. The courses are conveniently organized by role…
Read MoreBSA’s Tour and Activity Plan eliminated
Be prepared to spend less time filling out forms and more time having fun. The Boy Scouts of America has eliminated its Tour and Activity Plan, shifting the focus away from paperwork and toward creating a safe space for Scouts to enjoy the program as designed. The Tour and Activity Plan was a two-page document submitted to your…
Read More2016 Merit Badge Rankings unveiled: These were the most and least popular
Scouts and Scouters, meet your repeat champion: the First Aid merit badge. After losing its top spot to the Cooking merit badge in 2014, First Aid retook the crown in 2015 and defended its title in 2016. That means more Scouts earned the First Aid merit badge in 2016 than any other badge. It was something…
Read MoreSea Base crew reunites 36 years after trek to re-create photo
The Scouts of Troop 251 — now full-grown adults with Scouts of their own — wanted to host a reunion of their 1981 Sea Base crew. They read the Bryan on Scouting post about the Philmont crew from Tennessee that re-created a photo taken 34 years earlier, and they wanted to do the same. But there was…
Read MoreHere’s a complete list of 2017 Boy Scout requirement changes
The BSA’s 2017 Boy Scout Requirements book, detailing major and minor changes to Boy Scout ranks and merit badges, is now available. Inside you’ll find: Modifications to the Second Class and First Class ranks The new Exploration merit badge Major changes to four merit badges Minor changes to 32 merit badges The changes are the work of volunteers…
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