Bryan on Scouting

Scouts shouldn’t be menaces to their neighbors, but according to one cartoon, one got into his fair share of trouble. The “Dennis the Menace” comic debuted in March 1951. Since then, the mischievous 5-year-old that cartoonist Hank Ketcham created has been featured in...

The pandemic didn’t stop Scouts from earning merit badges in 2020, but it did cause a dramatic shift in which merit badges Scouts earned most. Ever since we started publishing merit badge rankings back in 2012, the top of the list has been dominated by merit badges...

From Scouting’s earliest days, adults quickly realized the movement’s ideals would be perfect for youth in their communities. Some formed troops before the Boy Scouts of America was even founded. That makes it difficult to identify the first Boy Scout troop in the...

The saying, repeated at Eagle Scout courts of honor for generations, goes something like this: “The Eagle Scout Award isn’t the end of your journey. It’s the beginning.” It should sound like a challenge — something to remind young people that they remain Eagle Scouts...

For more than 110 years, Scouts have been a positive change in their communities, building a legacy of servant leadership and making a difference in the world. Every year, thousands of these Scouts earn the Eagle Scout Award, the pinnacle rank in the Scouts BSA...

On the night of Dec. 30, 2020, Justin Tate, his sister and his parents were watching TV after enjoying an oven-baked dinner when a sudden loud beeping interrupted their show. Soon after that, a second beeping started. The sound was coming from a pair of carbon...

It’s been nearly two years since young women were invited to join Scouts BSA, the Boy Scouts of America‘s rebranded program for older youth. Scouts, especially those who were already close to their 18th birthday when they joined, have been working on merit badges and...

Chris Simpkins (Photo courtesy of the Simpkins family) At one point during the depths of pandemic-prompted boredom, Chris Simpkins and his family found themselves watching marbles roll down a track. Like the millions who have experienced Jelle’s Marble Runs on...

The blue and gold banquet is a special Cub Scout annual event, celebrating the founding of the Boy Scouts of America on Feb. 8. Packs roll out the red carpet, often hosting themed parties with food, awards and fun. Last year, Cub Scout Pack 555 of Midland, Ga., hosted...

He demonstrated proficiency in Scouting skills like first aid, pioneering and bird study. He earned 48 of the 59 merit badges available at the time. He met James E. West, the BSA’s first Chief Scout Executive. And though he likely didn’t know it at the time, he also...

With more than 50,000 Eagle Scout service projects completed every year, chances are good that you walk, bike or drive past one every day without even knowing it. “If you aren’t actively seeking out Eagle projects, they are easy to overlook because they fit in so well...

The task of the Connecticut-based Housatonic Council committee back in 1990 was simple: choose three candidates to interview for their open Scout executive position. As they pored over the list of applicants, discussing the pros and cons of each, they kept coming back...

During this protracted pandemic, we’ve all spent a lot of time staring at screens instead of interacting with others. It’s a necessary evil that concerns Ava Van Straten — and not just because she loves spending time outside with friends. This Lone Scout from De Pere,...

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...

As the sister of a Cub Scout and daughter of an Eagle Scout, Jenna Scalia’s Scouting story begins in a familiar way. After years spent on the outside looking in, she finally got a chance in early 2019 to join the organization that means so much to her and her family....

In Venturing, young people write their own stories. That’s true at the crew level, where the youth (not the adults) plan weekend and weeklong adventures. It’s true at the national level, where the six young people on the National Venturing Officers’ Association make...

You found a cool link with useful information your Scouts could use for the First Aid merit badge. You could send it out in an email blast or post it on the troop’s social media page, but as time marches on, the link likely would get lost in those busy channels. If...

A lot has changed in the Boy Scouts of America in the past 100 years. In 1921, 1,306 young men earned the Eagle Scout Award. This year, tens of thousands of young men and young women will earn Scouting’s highest honor. In 1921, there were just 61 merit badges...

This is the 34th 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: Most of these Eagle projects were completed before the pandemic, meaning the photos may not...

At first glance, videogames might seem antithetical to the spirit of Scouting. They’re often played alone, inside, in front of a screen. But a recent event put on by Troop 12 of Clinton, Miss. (Andrew Jackson Council), suggests that maybe it’s time to take another...

Greg Bedell had prostate cancer. He didn’t know, though. It was discovered thanks to the BSA physical exam that eventually led to the diagnosis. “Scouting saved my life,” he says. “This is not an exaggeration.” Before joining his son on a Philmont Scout Ranch trek in...

In 1940, Scouting magazine encouraged volunteers to connect with troops in other countries and exchange “cheerful, friendly letters — filled to the brim with chatty, bright good news.” “Let there go out from America a great wish — a prayer that soon all may be well...

Earning the Eagle Scout Award can open the door to many career opportunities, and as Scouts study for those careers, the National Eagle Scout Association can help. Several scholarship opportunities are available to active NESA members (click here to learn how to...

Henry “Hank” Aaron, the baseball Hall of Famer who joined Scouting as a boy and continued to support the movement throughout his life, died on Friday. He was 86. Hammerin’ Hank is often incorrectly regarded as an Eagle Scout, but he was a Scout as a boy growing up in...

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...

There’s a lot about 2020 most of us would like to forget, but protecting ourselves and our Scouts from COVID-19 is something we all must remember to do. In surveys the BSA sent out to more than 14,500 unit leaders, two-thirds of those polled indicated they were...

Benjamin Meybaum was hiking with his family along the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania when he spotted the sign. The modest wooden marker, a little faded by its years outside, read: “This site was made as an Eagle Scout project.” It listed the Eagle Scout’s name...

When he taught merit badge classes at Woodland Trails Scout Reservation in Ohio, Andrew Wheeler wanted Scouts to know the importance of conservation and environmental issues we face. It’s still his mission as the 15th administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection...