Scouting Magazine

Camp Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan, Northeast Illinois Council, Pearson, Wis. Last summer, a severe thunderstorm hit Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation, shearing off trees, uprooting tents and sending branches crashing into buildings. Thanks to the help of devoted volunteers, the camp...

Quit tripping over stones, tent guylines or your own feet when trying to walk around camp in the dark. Turn to some reliable camp lighting, which basically falls into two categories: Lanterns, flashlights and other lights for drive-in campgrounds, when weight and bulk...

“Scouters in Action” subjects come from the National BSA Court of Honor. If you know of an act of heroism that should be recognized, contact your local BSA council office for a lifesaving or meritorious award application. Note: Consult approved safety guidelines, as...

As she drove the girls in her new Scouts BSA troop to a campout last spring, Heather O’Bannon heard plenty of stories of family distress and dysfunction. “I’m sitting there going, ‘Wow, Family Life merit badge is going to be really interesting,’ ” the Hilliard, Ohio,...

Fort Leavenworth, Kan., is home to 14,000 people, three elementary schools and just one Cub Scout pack. Pack 1 isn’t just any pack, however. It’s one of the oldest packs west of the Mississippi, and it serves more than 150 boys and girls who attend the U.S. Army...

Since kids don’t grow up overnight, it can sometimes be hard to tell from week to week how much of a difference you’re making as a Scouting volunteer. The BSA’s training awards and keys can help you track your progress and help you be more successful. WHAT IS A...

This is Philmont Scout Ranch. On any given summer day, there are around 3,500 Scouts BSA members and Venturers somewhere in the 220 square miles of pristine New Mexico backcountry exploring the wilderness, testing themselves both physically and mentally, and in the...

The Boy Scouts of America’s publications, policies, procedures, guidelines, rules and regulations are designed to provide a safe and consistent program for Scouts across the country. Trustworthy adult volunteer leaders would never knowingly allow their units to engage...

“No knives! Not allowed!” Scouter Jonathan Wiik loudly announces over the hubbub of Scouts rooting through their backpacks pulling out gear before the Survivorman Challenge. “No multitools, no rope, no cord, no whistles. I want to see that bag get full. Let’s go!”...

The 1,440 minutes in each day disappear quickly. Let’s say you spend 480 of those minutes asleep and another 480 at work. That leaves one more chunk of 480 minutes — eight hours — for meals, commuting, after-school activities, exercise, chores, errands and perhaps...

A technical glitch silenced the soundtrack for Pack 183’s crossover ceremony last winter. Despite the hiccup, the Scouts had a great time and the ceremony was a success, according to Laura Dombroski, committee chair for the Vernon, N.J., pack. “That’s when you know...

We are entering the “most wonderful time of the year,” starting with a feast focused on gratitude and ending with a countdown to the new calendar. In between is a time that hopefully is joyful, reflective, and full of fun, love and memories. But it’s also incredibly...

Merit badge classes, fairs and universities allow Scouts to pursue several badges in one day or weekend, often working with highly qualified counselors in unique settings. However, organizers and unit leaders must make sure Scouts and counselors aren’t taking...

When Erin Blank’s brother, Patrick, was a Cub Scout, she would play Akela for him and pretend to check off requirements. She became Akela for real years later when her son Ethan’s Wolf den leader quit unexpectedly. (Her younger son, Adin, is also a Cub Scout.) Blank...

“Scouters in Action” subjects come from the National BSA Court of Honor. If you know of an act of heroism that should be recognized, contact your local BSA council office for a lifesaving or meritorious award application. Note: Consult approved safety guidelines, as...

What type of fire warms twice? The friction fire! A friction fire not only keeps you warm once you get it going, but it also gets you warm while you’re trying to make the fire. If you find yourself without matches, it’s important to know other fire-starting methods,...

After the Omaha Symphony’s family concert last March, most musicians headed home or to dinner, or perhaps to a freelance gig. Not assistant principal bassist Bill Ritchie. The longtime Scouter walked down the hall to teach the Music merit badge alongside principal...

If you’re looking for the most affordable high-performance rain jacket, the REI Drypoint GTX ($249) might be just what you ordered. Constructed with Gore-Tex Active three-layer membrane, the Drypoint delivers solid protection in any weather, coupled with breathability...

When Life Scout Phillip Bolick told people he planned to ride a bike 4,200 miles across the United States, they reacted in one of two ways. “I was either told, ‘That’s incredible. I wish I could go,’ ” he says, “or, ‘You couldn’t pay me to do that.’ ” At 15, Phillip...

District chairman and former Scoutmaster Mike DiTrani has completed five Philmont treks and frequently hikes in the Adirondacks, but some of his favorite hiking happens much closer to his Staten Island home. “Urban hiking turns sidewalks into trails,” he says....

If you live in or near Jackson, Wyo., you know all about Elkfest. Thousands of residents and visitors gather each spring in Jackson Town Square for the weekend-long community celebration and its premier event: the hugely popular Boy Scout Elk Antler Auction. The...

From New York’s steel towers to the bayous of Louisiana, these five Scouting families make their world a better place. In the process, Scouting helps them become stronger together. The Castle family Pack 68, Charleston, W.Va. Dianna and Shawn Castle describe...

It’s a season of first pages, blank notebooks and new shoes. A time to share stories of adventures with old friends and meet new faces in unfamiliar halls. For the Boy Scouts of America, the new school year is a time of hospitality and invitation. This is our...

A ninth-grader at Provo High School in Utah gave his watch to his best friend, saying he wouldn’t be needing it anymore. He told five other friends he planned to kill himself, but no one told an adult. The young man committed suicide the next day. Tragedies like this...

Jake, Meredith and John Jack BoozerAs I travel across the country I am always introduced to Scouters I haven’t met before, and many times in the course of the introduction I hear the phrase, “This is a great Scouting family.” There are literally thousands and...

The Dilemma Life in the Flaming Scorpion Patrol is good. All seven members came up through Cub Scouting as a den, they enjoy hanging out together and they work well as a team. On campouts, patrol leader Maya rarely has to give orders or even worry about who’s on the...

Picture a stack of 174 newspapers, each 85 pages thick. Back in 2007, researcher Martin Hilbert calculated that’s how much information the average person received every single day. And that was before Instagram, Snapchat and an endless stream of hashtags. Is it any...

Tiffany Ta didn’t get the chance to be a Scout when she was growing up in Vietnam. So when she moved to the United States in 1975, Ta had limited awareness of Scouting’s many benefits. That changed when her son, Philip, became a Cub Scout and her daughter, Breigh,...

“Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” These words from Theodore Roosevelt fittingly describe what Scouts from Troop 6 in Bismarck, N.D., were up to last summer. There was some work worth doing in Medora, N.D.,...

The latest research is startling: More than half of all children have been involved in bullying as a perpetrator, target or both. Those who aren’t directly involved often witness others being bullied. Bullying affects kids of every race, gender identity, grade and...