World’s Best: Natasha Brand
Natasha Brand has no trouble remembering what Scouting was like back home. That’s because she and her youngest child, Sam, spend two months in the U.K. each summer. Sam is a Cub Scout in both...
View ArticleWorld’s Best: Marcelo Guerra Hahn
Marcelo Guerra Hahn’s memories of Scouting in Uruguay revolve around camping, games and lots of singing and clapping. “What you hear at campfires here we do there all the time,” he says. Earning...
View ArticleWorld’s Best: Jan Helge Bøhn
Jan Helge Bøhn joined Cub Scouting in the second grade, as did all but two of the other 13 boys in his grade-school class. Eight were still active when they graduated from high school. That’s no...
View ArticleWorld’s Best: International Scouters enhance BSA
Tens of thousands of Scouts and Scouters from around the globe will attend this summer’s World Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. But international Scouts and Scouters have...
View ArticleStep In, Speak Up: 10 actions you can take to help eliminate bullying
The latest research is startling: More than half of all children have been involved in bullying as a perpetrator, target or both. Those who aren’t directly involved often witness others being bullied....
View ArticleTwo awards honor those who help Scouting grow
Now that all BSA programs welcome all members of the family, new Scouting units are popping up across the country. Two special awards recognize those who start or join new Scouts BSA troops, Cub Scout...
View ArticleThis California Scouter shares how Scouting crosses cultural and generational...
Tiffany Ta didn’t get the chance to be a Scout when she was growing up in Vietnam. So when she moved to the United States in 1975, Ta had limited awareness of Scouting’s many benefits. That changed...
View ArticleRecruit families to your pack using a blend of online and real-world means
Picture a stack of 174 newspapers, each 85 pages thick. Back in 2007, researcher Martin Hilbert calculated that’s how much information the average person received every single day. And that was before...
View ArticleScouting helps these families make the most of their time together
From New York’s steel towers to the bayous of Louisiana, these five Scouting families make their world a better place. In the process, Scouting helps them become stronger together. The Castle family...
View ArticleA path to earning the Hiking merit badge in a big city
District chairman and former Scoutmaster Mike DiTrani has completed five Philmont treks and frequently hikes in the Adirondacks, but some of his favorite hiking happens much closer to his Staten Island...
View ArticleGuiding girls inspires this Pennsylvania Scouter
When Erin Blank’s brother, Patrick, was a Cub Scout, she would play Akela for him and pretend to check off requirements. She became Akela for real years later when her son Ethan’s Wolf den leader quit...
View ArticlePlan now for a great crossover ceremony
A technical glitch silenced the soundtrack for Pack 183’s crossover ceremony last winter. Despite the hiccup, the Scouts had a great time and the ceremony was a success, according to Laura Dombroski,...
View ArticleGet time on your side for work, life and Scouting
The 1,440 minutes in each day disappear quickly. Let’s say you spend 480 of those minutes asleep and another 480 at work. That leaves one more chunk of 480 minutes — eight hours — for meals, commuting,...
View ArticlePhilmont’s Family Adventure Camp lets everybody in on the fun
This is Philmont Scout Ranch. On any given summer day, there are around 3,500 Scouts BSA members and Venturers somewhere in the 220 square miles of pristine New Mexico backcountry exploring the...
View ArticleScouting’s core leadership awards can help you be a better leader
Since kids don’t grow up overnight, it can sometimes be hard to tell from week to week how much of a difference you’re making as a Scouting volunteer. The BSA’s training awards and keys can help you...
View ArticleTips for managing a Cub Scout megapack
Fort Leavenworth, Kan., is home to 14,000 people, three elementary schools and just one Cub Scout pack. Pack 1 isn’t just any pack, however. It’s one of the oldest packs west of the Mississippi, and...
View ArticleBarriers to Abuse: The finer points of the BSA’s Youth Protection policies
Youth Protection policies are central to the BSA’s commitment to keep our members safe. Every adult volunteer must complete Youth Protection Training when they register and must retake the training...
View ArticleHow one council is improving pack-school relationships
It was the sort of phone call every Cub Scout leader dreads. Mark Beard, the principal of Stone Lake Elementary School, was on the line, calling to notify Robert Rhymes, Pack 255’s committee chair,...
View ArticleThis Scouter makes a splash in Sea Scouts
Growing up in rural Arkansas, T.W. Cook spent only a year in Cub Scouting. But adult involvement was pretty much inevitable once he joined a Scouting family — his father-in-law, Verl Underwood, was a...
View ArticleAnswers to FAQs About Merit Badge Counselors
To earn a merit badge, a young person must work with a registered merit badge counselor. Here are some frequently asked questions about these important adult volunteers. What are the requirements to...
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