Two recent events prompted me to make a lightning safety infographic. Yesterday evening we held our Scout meeting at a park nearby during a powerful thunderstorm. We took shelter and played games for most of the hour and a half (this was one of our ‘summer sessions’ and we usually play a bunch of games […]
Program Methods
Membership Resolution Approved
The Boy Scouts of America Statement: “For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, with a focus on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. “Based on growing input from within the Scouting family, the BSA […]
Messages from BSA National Executive and BSA National President
National Executive Wayne Brock’s message on the policy resolution; Anticipation and emotions are high as we prepare for the membership standards vote this week. Regardless of which way the vote goes, the important question for each of us is, where will we stand after the ballots are counted? To help provide some perspective, I’d like […]
Scout Games – Isotope
This ranks pretty high on my list of Scout games. On a recent trip we retreated to a cabin for a few hours when it started raining. The Scouts played this game too many time to count! The scenario presented to them is that A highly radioactive isotope has been discovered and it must be […]
Balanced Scouting Activities
What are balanced Scouting activities? This time of year I get colorful brochures in my actual mailbox (if you look outside your house there’s probably a little tin container that people put paper documents called ‘mail’ in periodically, it’s a quaint custom) and my email inbox from amusement parks, sporting venues, whitewater rafting companies and all manner of similar […]
Alligator River Pioneering Game
Give this pioneering-themed game a try. An alligator infested river, a few Scout staves and some ropes, one Scout must get across the river without feeding the alligators! You can get this infographic along with OVER 50 other infographics and helpful PDF documents here If you’d like to print this infographic download the PDF file below BEFORE YOU CLICK THE DOWNLOAD […]
Ten Ways to Avoid Bears While Camping
If you are travelling in bear country follow these ten ways to avoid bears: Keep your cooking areas and sleeping areas separate (100 yards or so is the rule of thumb). Hang food and items with strong odors (ie, toothpaste, bug repellent, soap, etc.) at least 10 ft above the ground or use airtight, bear-proof containers. Don’t […]
Scout Games – Ships in the Fog
Here’s another idea to put in your file of Scout Games – we’ve had great fun with this one by creating a maze of chairs and tables for the ship to navigate, or as an inter-patrol competition. It’s a foggy night at sea, a ship full of passengers must reach a safe harbor. The captain is steering the ship through […]
Ten Causes of Scouting Disasters in the Wild
Scouting disasters in the wild loom when things start to get sketchy, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you get that feeling that something is not quite right. It’s time to stop, sit down and think. Bravely pushing ahead against all obstacles, having the grit and determination to keep on going, not giving in are all qualities […]
The Thurman Throw
The Thurman Throw, named after Scouting’s own John Thurman, is a great game recommended by Walter Underwood Equipment: For each patrol, a Scout stave or broomstick handle. Procedure: The patrols line up in relay formation, with the patrol leader of each holding the stave about 5 feet in front of them. On signal, he tosses the stave to […]
35 Years Later Scoutmaster Gets Her Due
35 years ago, Kathy Hall was a single mother of three in search of a male role model for her then 7 year-old son. She decided to enroll him in her neighborhood Boy Scout troop, under the Grand Towers district. When she found out that there were no parents whatsoever involved in the troop, she […]
BSA Membership Policy Decision Slated for May.
This statement concerning the BSA membership policy decision was released today from the Executive Board (Link): For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, providing it’s youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. In the past two weeks, Scouting has received an outpouring of feedback […]
BSA Membership Policies to Change?
Are BSA membership policies about to change? No doubt you’ve heard about or read the following statement from the Boy Scouts of America: Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations “For more than 100 years, Scouting’s focus has been on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development […]
Bold Scout Neckerchiefs
Here’s a selection of some pretty bold (!) neckerchiefs from Scouts UK . When we were in Switzerland I got a good look at, and swapped for some, pretty colorful neckerchiefs. Before you ask the Facebook neckerchief on eBay, and no I do not have the slightest idea about how to find one. You’ll pay some pretty high shipping rates but most of thee are available at Scout Shops […]
Autism and Scouting
Karen and John Krejcha head up Autism Empowerment and Autism and Scouting to promote Acceptance, Enrichment, Inspiration and Empowerment within the Autism and Asperger communities. They serve all ages and all abilities and seek to improve and enhance the lives of individuals and families impacted by autism. John volunteers as a Tiger Cub Den Leader in […]
Webelos Troop Visit
Just last night we hosted a Webelos troop visit. While the visiting Webelos went off with the Scouts we asked the parents to come with us into another room and meet with the troop’s adult volunteers. The committee chairman talked to them for a bit about the basic functions and administrative things involved with having a son […]
The King of Sweden and Scouting
I have long admired the association of the King of Sweden and Scouting. This article was recently published by the WOSM; His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden, has been actively involved in Scouting since his childhood days. In 1955 he joined as a Cub Scout with the name (totem) Mowgli and progressed […]
Developing Good Safety Habits
The long history of the “buddy system” in Scouting has shown that it is always best to have at least one other person with you and aware at all times of your circumstances and what you are doing in any outdoor or strenuous activity – Guide to Safe Scouting “Where’s your buddy?” is a pretty common question when we […]
Retention of Wilderness First Aid Knowledge
An article from Wilderness & Environmental Medicine Journal examines the retention of skills for those trained in wilderness first aid and concludes: Without additional training, regular use of the course content, or efforts to refresh thinking on key topics, the ability of WFA students to effectively apply their learning will likely decrease as time from […]
Current First Aid for Venomous Snake Bites
We camp in the kingdom of the timber rattler and the copperhead so I keep up on current best first aid practices for treating venomous snake bites in the field. Dr. Paul Auerbach, author of Medicine for the Outdoors, recently published an article about venomous snake bites: read the full article here. Dr. Auerbach observes; “Most bites, […]
Understanding Risky Behavior in Scouts – Part Three
The first two parts of this discussion deal with why Scouts make poor decisions and how we can help them decide well. How do we react to bad decisions? If we understand the way our Scout’s brains are working we know that reactive punishment is going to have little effect on their future ability to make better decisions. […]
Understanding Risky Behavior in Scouts Part Two
Yesterday we looked at why otherwise intelligent Scouts sometimes make incredibly bad decisions. We understand that this has a lot to do with their developing brains. How do we help them? Asking adolescents to contemplate trade-offs between risks and benefits is ineffective because their decision making capabilities are underdeveloped. Stating the facts not only won’t […]
Understanding Risky Behavior in Scouts Part One
Every once in a while a Scout does something so stunningly foolish and reckless we stop and ask; “He’s such an intelligent kid, why did he do something so stupid?” Emerging brain development research explains the sometimes stunningly bad choices adolescents make. Understanding how the developing adolescent brain works will help us help our Scouts avoid risky behavior and […]
Polish Scout, Resistance Fighter
Julian Kulski was a Polish Scout when the Nazis invaded his nation in 1939. He was only 10 years old when the war began. After the invasion the Nazis directed that all schools be closed and that any patriotic clubs and organizations be disbanded under penalty of death. Concerned about his son’s safety, Kulski’s father urged […]
