– Bryan On Scouting
How this Cub Scout den earned all 27 Webelos and Arrow of Light adventure pins
Call it aiming high, call it completionism or call it the carefree ambition of youth. Whatever you call this Cub Scout den’s mission to earn all 27 Webelos and Arrow of Light adventure pins, you’ve got to call it mighty impressive. This year, an entire den of Cub Scouts from Pack 522 of Blaine, Minn.,…
Read MoreMeet the Eagle Scout sportswriter who saved a life at a St. Louis Cardinals game
Somewhere in Colorado, there’s a merit badge counselor who can smile with pride. When he was a Scout in Colorado, Derrick Goold earned the Emergency Preparedness merit badge while attending summer camp at Ben Delatour Scout Ranch in the BSA’s Longs Peak Council. “I learned the importance of reacting calmly, with purpose, and assuredly,” Goold…
Read MoreNew to Scouting as a Webelos Scout? Yes, you can wear the Bobcat badge
Unlike other Cub Scout diamond-shaped rank badges, the Webelos badge is an oval, similar to Scouts BSA rank badges. Webelos also wear tan uniforms instead of the blue ones that younger Cubs wear. But all Cub Scouts must earn the Bobcat badge before earning any other rank. So, what if you’re new to Scouting and…
Read MoreMeet the MERK: A Scouting service project on wheels to help feed first responders
Wherever you find neighbors in need in Paramus, N.J., you’ll find the MERK. For the past three years, a group of Scouts and Venturers from New Jersey has operated a Mobile Emergency Response Kitchen, or MERK, to help feed first responders and disaster victims. The MERK is staffed by a group of dedicated Scouts, Venturers…
Read MoreDid you remember to do your daily Good Turn today?
Photo by Tom Copeland It’s not the arrival of red cups at Starbucks or endless Black Friday emails that does it. For me, proof that the holidays are near comes from the spirit of service that seems to bubble up around this time each year. Acts of service become overt and mainstream during the holidays.…
Read MoreFour Scouts work together for impressive war memorial Eagle Scout project
Military service especially strikes a chord for four Scouts from Kendall, N.Y. Ryan Barrett, Noah Rath, Jayden Pieniaszek and Brian Shaw all have family members who served or who are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. So, it seemed natural when the four were thinking of Eagle Scout project ideas, they all settled on…
Read MoreThis Scout is trying to earn a merit badge in all 50 states, and she’s having a blast
Michaela Witgen’s initial reaction to the news that girls could join the BSA had nothing to do with merit badges. “The first thing I thought was, ‘Holy cow! I can get my Eagle!’” she says. “Both of my brothers are Eagle Scouts, and I want to be one, too.” But her second thought? Yeah, that…
Read MoreFly south for the winter for a Florida Sea Base’s volunteer development conference
Enjoy the warm weather of Florida while acquiring the latest tools to help your Scout unit succeed. That’s the promise of a volunteer training conference at the Florida Sea Base. Pick from six weeklong conferences, each held in January 2020 at the BSA’s Florida home. During your week in the Keys, you’ll learn new things…
Read MoreBoys’ Life Wants to Tell YOUR Story
Do your Scouts want to land on the same pages as some of the most famous Scouts of all time? Here’s their chance! Whether you’re carving out the adventure of a lifetime in a snow-filled wonderland or staying warm by spending time with seniors in a retirement home, tell us about the unit outings you…
Read MoreIt’s time for #Campsgiving, a great outdoor Thanksgiving tradition
Scouts go on outdoor adventures all year long, including around Thanksgiving. We like to call it #Campsgiving, a time when the Boy Scouts of America encourages units go hiking, camping and cooking traditional Thanksgiving meals outside. It’s not a new tradition for some units. For example, Troop 66 of West Suffield, Conn., hosts a Thanksgiving…
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