Bryan on Scouting

With more clubs, student organizations and intramural sports than there are hours in the week, college offers more than enough opportunities for young people to stay involved. But college-bound Scouting alumni who wish to continue serving others in meaningful,...

This story is shared here from the Scouting magazine app. For more of the content you’re used to from Scouting magazine, download the Scouting magazine app today! It’s available now in the App Store and Google Play. “What is the greatest disappointment in your life?”...

A few years ago, 22,000 Britons registering to access a free Wi-Fi hotspot neglected to read the fine print before clicking “OK.” They didn’t realize they had each agreed to 1,000 hours of community service, including cleaning toilets, scraping gum off the streets and...

Scouts who visit the Cosmosphere, a science and space museum in Hutchinson, Kan., for its summer Scout camps get to program robots, build rockets and fly drones, all while working on merit badges, NOVA STEM activities or Cub Scout Adventures. Sound fun? It’s just one...

Mere prose cannot express the gratitude we feel toward our teachers for their heroic, life-changing work over the past year. But a song just might. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3–7, 2021), Donald Gee, a Class of 2016 Eagle Scout from Iowa, brought...

Adventure is for everyone. Both Scouts and their families can now enjoy the amazing experiences Philmont Scout Ranch, Sea Base and the Summit Bechtel Reserve offer by attending the BSA Family Adventure Camps held at those three high-adventure bases. You and your...

It’s been nearly two years since the BSA debuted Preview Adventures, elective Adventures for Cub Scouts that count toward advancement just like other Adventures, but haven’t yet made their way into the printed handbooks. During the preview period, these Adventures...

Is your Scout a “dinomaniac?” A passion for dinosaurs opens the door to learning other related sciences, including animal science, biodiversity, biology, geology and more. Plus, Scouts can dig deeper into paleontology through awards like the Geology merit badge or...

In Beaverton, Ore., Troop 618 was “just kind of jarred.” In Columbia, S.C., volunteers with Troop 900 were “really angry.” And in Louisville, Ky., Troop 72’s leaders called what happened “really disappointing.” As far as we can tell, the Scouts and Scouters in these...

To participate in Scouting events, campouts and high-adventure trips, Scouts and Scouters must complete the Annual Health and Medical Record. Now is the time to make sure your and your Scout’s records are up-to-date and complete, especially if your unit has summer...

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...

Colorado is the ultimate outdoor playground, but there’s one thing you won’t find there: easy access to the ocean. The Centennial State is one of 10 states that are doubly landlocked, meaning a person has to travel through two other states to get to the Pacific,...

Spencer Buddington and his friends Tanner Humbert, Clayton Ball and Bryce Vandergriff were shopping for college room decor in January when a general store owner approached them, pleading for help. The store owner’s friend, James Ward, who was at the store helping out,...

This gives a whole new meaning to the term “creature comforts.” For his Eagle Scout service project, Jaime Latorre of Troop 2 from Rye, N.Y. (Greater Hudson Valley Council), created an eco-friendly bug hotel. Jaime and his fellow Scouts built the hotel by hand at a...

Slade Caltrider came home from a summer canoeing trip with his troop with his legs covered in mosquito bites. Over the next five months, the itching and discomfort never went away. It was definitely odd. What the 16-year-old didn’t know was that he had mediastinal...

The first thing Milana Nostrand noticed about Shacktown Falls was its natural beauty. Water cascades down in wide stairsteps before settling into a peaceful pool 10 feet below. The second thing she noticed was all the litter. “It would be a great place to take a walk...

This is the 35th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here and submit your own here. COVID-19 note: Some of these Eagle projects were completed before the pandemic, meaning the photos may not...

Every year since 2000, a group of kayakers paddle from Miami to Key West, Fla., to raise money in the fight against cancer. Over the years, the group, called Castaways Against Cancer, has raised more than $1.3 million, and this year’s trek might be its most...

The trail to the Eagle Scout Award has been conquered more than 2 million times, and yet no two Eagle Scouts are the same. Elaine Mitchell had that in mind when planning the Eagle Scout court of honor for her children, Marina and Grant. She wanted next month’s...

Welcome to Scouts Then and Now, a Bryan on Scouting blog series. The premise is simple. We share two photos of the same Scout or Venturer: once in his or her early Scouting years (Cub Scout, younger Scout, younger Venturer) and again in his or her later Scouting years...

The New River Gorge in West Virginia, a wild and wonderful adventure playground conveniently located in the Summit Bechtel Reserve’s backyard, has officially become our country’s 63rd national park. That’s great news for the Summit, which already takes full advantage...

After an Eagle Scout court of honor, with all the air-fives exchanged and all the red, white and blue cupcakes reduced to crumbs, it might feel like the end of a young person’s character-building journey. But for many newly minted Eagle Scouts, their Scouting...

Before hitting the trail, you want to Be Prepared. And if you’re driving an off-road vehicle (ORV), part of being prepared is wearing a helmet. A properly fit off-road vehicle helmet is your most critical piece of safety gear, according to Polaris Industries, the...

It’s been 11 years since Tim Burns first spotted the Eagle Scout badge in his Scout Handbook. He knew he wanted it — though, like most new Scouts, he didn’t fully understand all the hard work it would take to get there. He does now. Last month, Tim earned the Eagle...

Do your Cub Scouts love to create and build? Then, they’ll be thrilled with the new Modular Design Cub Scout Preview Adventure presented by Snap Ships. Preview Adventures launched two years ago to deliver new adventures on Scouting.org instead of in a handbook. They...

We’re not fully back in the woods just yet, but momentum is building toward a return to normal Scouting adventures. This month, the Order of the Arrow wants to help you and your Scouts continue that momentum, recommit yourself to the joys of camping and prepare for a...

It started as a father-son activity — a way for Hassnain Malik to spend more time with the older of his two sons. Before long, as often happens, Scouting became something for the entire family. It became a place where Malik, his wife and their two sons could grow...

Douglas McDonnell will complete his project on Mars. All Eagle Scout service projects are helpful, friendly and kind. Some are out of this world. Later this year, Douglas McDonnell, a 16-year-old Life Scout in the Circle Ten Council, will become the first Scout to...

When asked about his favorite memory in Scouting, Derek Porter, the national chief of the Order of the Arrow, recalled a two-week, 180-mile-plus trek at the Northern Tier high-adventure base. It was “tough, but rewarding.” “I think that sums up what we do in...

Summer camp is a big Scouting step. It is a time for fun, growth, newfound freedom, responsibility and learning — for both Scouts and parents. The more knowledge you have on the front end, the more impactful this experience can be. Here are some tips and advice on how...