Bryan on Scouting

Decorating Christmas trees can do more than raise spirits. It can raise money, too. For the Wonderland of Trees event last month, the Summit Bechtel Reserve decked its halls, showed off its breathtaking views and helped the United Way of Southern West Virginia rebound...

Scouting teaches you new skills. It takes you outside your comfort zone. It helps you trust yourself — and others. It builds perseverance. And it’s a ton of fun. Ask five Eagle Scouts why this country still needs the values-packed programs of the BSA, and you’ll get...

Daniel Pate will always remember the date he completed his board of review and officially became an Eagle Scout. It was Tuesday, Sept. 8, 1998 — the same day Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run of the season, breaking the single-season record. “I’m a bit of a baseball...

One of the most important things you can do to stay healthy during a pandemic is to wash your hands on a regular basis. But what if you don’t have reliable access to clean, running water? That was a problem for some elderly members of the Navajo and Hopi communities...

You won’t find this adjective in the Scout Law, but it might as well be sculpted in stone, painted on a wall or embroidered in the finest thread. A Scout is creative. Yes, this means Scouts find unique ways to solve problems, serve others and explore the outdoors. But...

Morgan Phillips was a shy 14-year-old when she attended her first Venturing meeting. She left that meeting unconvinced that Scouting was for her. But her dad encouraged her to keep at it, providing that gentle nudge all teenagers eventually need. Morgan’s glad he did,...

A lot of things have been cancelled, pared down and changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but your pack’s Pinewood Derby season can totally still happen. There are a couple of ways to make this favorite Cub Scout event happen. First and foremost, be sure to follow...

Some of the most indelible non-Scouting memories from my childhood are of watching Jeopardy! with my parents. This wasn’t entertainment; it was competition. After school, we’d fire up the VCR to watch the latest episode as a family. I’d grab a yellow legal pad and pen...

Many Scouting units have leaders who have volunteered for decades. Few though have erected a monument in honor of their leaders’ years of service. Last month, past members of Troop 584 of Olney, Texas, met at a new park and monument in town. Olney is a town of about...

Bridget Schlossberg won’t let anything — not even a worldwide pandemic — stop her from fulfilling the Scout Slogan’s charge to “Do a Good Turn Daily.” The 11-year-old, who goes by the nickname Gidget, has been helping her best friend’s brother cope with the stresses...

Scouts have been working to conserve our planet since the organization’s inception. Now, they can be honored for their work through the BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Awards program. Scouts BSA members, Sea Scouts and Venturers can earn the youth version of...

This is the 32nd 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 the nonprofit Camp Carefree in North Carolina, children with chronic illnesses like cancer, epilepsy and spina bifida are given a free week of summer camp — seven days “where kids can just be kids,” to borrow the camp’s motto. But three years ago, a favorite Camp...

As Yvonne Lindquist designed her son’s retirement gift — a quilt featuring squares of meaningful moments in his life — one organization quickly came to mind: the Boy Scouts of America. Col. Robert Bertrand of Carlisle, Pa., retired this past summer after nearly 30...

At long last, a cure for Zoom fatigue. A troop in Texas now ends each virtual meeting with a special guest: a troop alumnus with a cool job, inspiring story or interesting skill. Troop 308 from Waco, Texas (Longhorn Council), invites past members to give a five-minute...

Food, family and fellowship are Thanksgiving traditions. If you’re a Scouting family, enjoying the Great Outdoors is already something you appreciate. Adding a little outdoor adventure to your Thanksgiving this year will make it memorable, a lot of fun and could start...

When he started brainstorming Eagle Scout service project ideas, Ryan Kelley got a lot of advice. He heard from friends, family members, Scout leaders — each with suggestions for how Ryan could make a lasting impact on the community of Old Town, Maine. These generated...

Alejandra Opdyke wears an “Español” strip because she wants Spanish-speaking parents of prospective Scouts to know “that somebody might help them in their language.” Mike Anderson’s “Deutsch” strip, earned as a Scout five decades ago, caught the attention of an...

Five letters can say a whole lot. By simply calling someone a “Scout,” you’re saying that person has strong moral character, is confident in the outdoors and has experience leading a team. In fact, the Scouting name is so synonymous with positive attributes that...

This Election Day, make your voice heard: Encourage your Scouts BSA troop, Venturing crew or Sea Scout ship to try ranked-choice voting. When you switch to ranked-choice voting in the next election for senior patrol leader, Venturing crew president or Sea Scout ship...

It’s 2499, and humanity is locked in an epic battle for survival against an alien race. They have a secret weapon that your youth can construct to save the day: Snap Ships. Scott Pease and Jeff Swenty created the toy-building system after years of designing video...

If you’ve watched the national nightly news during the pandemic, you’re familiar with the formula. They give you 29 minutes of stories about all the problems in the world, followed by a 60-second dose of positivity. (Like this CBS Evening News piece about an aspiring...

The COVID-19 pandemic closed Philmont Scout Ranch this past summer, but the high-adventure base is ready for its biggest season in 2021 with new construction of trail camps, trails, staffed program areas and other infrastructure, which will allow Philmont to enhance...

Skateboarding, whitewater rafting, shooting sports, rock climbing — you can do it all at the Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. Scouts can select world-class action sports or take a trek in and around the...

Nearly 100 years ago, Scouts made their first treks into the wilderness on the Minnesota-Canada border. You can register for special Northern Tier High Adventure treks in 2022, celebrating the Minnesota base’s 100th anniversary. Canoeing and fishing is a major part of...

Ahoy! Adventures await at the Sea Base. Sea Base, stationed in the Florida Keys, operates 19 different programs in the Bahamas, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys and U.S. Virgin Islands. Scouts can choose to camp, paddle, sail, scuba-dive or participate in multi-adventure or...

The BSA’s Outdoor Adventures team is gearing up to welcome Scouts and Scouters to high-adventure bases for the 2021-2022 seasons. To help you manage registering for these life-changing experiences, you can log on to a new Find Your Adventure info portal. Registration...

Sometimes the Philmont belt buckle makes it obvious. Other times, Mike Huneke casually brings up Scouting in conversation only to hear someone say, “I’m an Eagle Scout, too.” No matter how it happens, it pretty much always happens: Huneke discovers...

Liberty Bell doorknob hangers from 1952. In 1952, an army of Scouts — all too young to vote themselves — launched an unprecedented campaign to get out the vote. They added crepe-paper streamers and homemade “Vote” signs to their bicycles. They...