Bryan on Scouting

Kate Matthews, who authors the Living the Scout Life blog, shares some camping advice from the Scout Shop, the official retailer of the Boy Scouts of America, in this installment of “Scout Shop Tips.” Let’s be honest here: finding the perfect tent can be a bit...

Note: This is the 29th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here and submit your own here. To fully understand the impact Eagle Scout projects have on communities, you need to see...

Troop 98 of Whitpain Township, Pa., has a strong membership of more than 80 Scouts with several achieving the Eagle Scout rank every year. Scoutmaster Bob Trejo says it’s been a little bit of a conundrum concerning how often the troop should have Eagle Scout courts of...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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,...

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...

Before saying “You’re Welcome” to Moana, jumping into Jumanji or asking wrestling fans if they could “smell what The Rock is cooking,” Dwayne Johnson was a successful football player at the University of Miami. And it was during his years with the national...

This is Unsung Heroes, a Bryan on Scouting blog series celebrating under-reported acts of Scouting heroism. These are stories that don’t make national headlines — but should. That’s doubly true in this world that can always use more good news. Read the latest story...

Step aboard for high adventure at the Sea Base. With treks in the Florida Keys, Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands, the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base offers once-in-a-lifetime adventures customized to the interests of your Scouts and Venturers. Start planning...

Choose your own adventure at the Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. Scouts and Venturers can select world-class action sports or take a trek in and around the majestic New River Gorge National River. With...

After the 2018 Ute Park fire, Philmont Scout Ranch is back in a big way. More than 24,000 campers visited there last summer — Philmont’s largest summer ever. The base is best known for seven- and 12-day treks that challenge participants mentally and physically. Treks...

None of the Cub Scouts in Elijah Cummings’ pack could afford a full uniform. So, in true Scouting fashion, they improvised — cobbling together uniform pieces at bargain shops and the local Salvation Army. Some boys bought unofficial iron-on patches and cut out the...

Grab your paddle and venture into pristine wilderness as part of the Northern Tier National High Adventure Program. During a 6- to 14-night trek of 50 to 150 miles, Northern Tier crews explore the natural frontier of Minnesota and Canada. After loading their canoes...

Scouts are among the first to respond when a disaster strikes. They swoop in to serve, often helping complete strangers without expecting even a simple thanks. This week, though, it wasn’t just strangers who needed helping. It was a fellow Scout. The tornadoes that...

Outdoor skills aren’t just for the monthly campout. There are plenty of ways your Scouts can hone their outdoor skills on a regular basis, like during unit meetings. Here is this week’s tip that the BSA’s national camping subcommittee shared with us. Special thanks to...

Starting next year, the Boy Scouts of America membership fee will be $60 a year for all registered youth in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts. The annual fee for adult members and youth in the Exploring program will be $36. While costs to the...

For a new Cub Scout family, nothing says “we’re glad you’re here” quite like a handcrafted kit containing some items you’ll need during your Scouting journey. Oh, and snacks help, too. A Cub Scout pack in Michigan welcomes new members with cleverly designed bags —...

What does your Scout think of Boys’ Life magazine? Do they have ideas of what they’d like to see more of? Less of? What’s their favorite section? Least favorite? What new stories would they like to see? They can let the Boys’ Life editors know by joining an advisory...

This is Unsung Heroes, a Bryan on Scouting blog series celebrating under-reported acts of Scouting heroism. These are stories that don’t make national headlines — but should. That’s doubly true in this world that can always use more good news. Read the latest story...

While most American kids are busy deciding which Halloween costume to wear this year — Stranger Things or Star Wars? — the Scouts in the BSA’s Western Los Angeles County Council have flipped their calendars forward by two months. Yes, they’re already working on...

A dining fly is one of the first structures you should put up at camp. But what if you’re in an area away from trees, how do you secure one? For the next couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing some camp hacks that the BSA’s national camping subcommittee has shared with us....

The largest Scouting event in the world is set for this weekend: the Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet. In 2017, more than 1.5 million Scouts and leaders in more than 160 countries participated. This year marks the 62nd rendition of the radio event and...

The years weren’t getting shorter, but Ginger Fearey’s children seemed to be growing up faster and faster. Thankfully, the adult volunteer from Grapevine, Texas, found one place where time seemed to slow down. Whenever she went hiking with her son and Troop 7 — in...