Scouting Magazine

“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...

Tens of thousands of Scouts and Scouters from around the globe will attend this summer’s World Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. But international Scouts and Scouters have been coming to America since the BSA’s earliest days, bringing with...

Jan Helge Bøhn joined Cub Scouting in the second grade, as did all but two of the other 13 boys in his grade-school class. Eight were still active when they graduated from high school. That’s no surprise, considering how the Norwegian Scout program combined rugged...

Marcelo Guerra Hahn’s memories of Scouting in Uruguay revolve around camping, games and lots of singing and clapping. “What you hear at campfires here we do there all the time,” he says. Earning badges, which is so important to many BSA youth, was far less meaningful...

Natasha Brand has no trouble remembering what Scouting was like back home. That’s because she and her youngest child, Sam, spend two months in the U.K. each summer. Sam is a Cub Scout in both countries, while his mom is a den leader here and a group section assistant...

Frank Fernández was on the path to Boy Scouting when revolution intervened. In 1961, Fidel Castro’s government disbanded the Association of Scouts of Cuba, replacing it with the state-controlled José Martí Pioneer Organization. A year later, the former Cub Scout and...

Osama Mourad became a Cub Scout when he was in the fifth grade. Before he left high school, he was an assistant Scout leader, helping younger Scouts. The Egyptian Scout Federation, like many national Scouting organizations, puts a premium on leadership by older Scouts...

This is a landmark year for the Boy Scouts of America. From July 22 to Aug. 2, the BSA will co-host the 24th World Scout Jamboree alongside Scouts Canada and Asociación de Scouts de México. Scouts from around the world will journey to the Summit Bechtel Reserve in the...

Scouting is a window to the rest of the world. So many kids in our units are familiar with their hometowns but not much beyond that. Scouting offers opportunities for them to broaden their horizons. The merit badge system introduces Scouts to career and avocation...

If you’ve remembered the Scout motto — “Be Prepared” — you won’t be too alarmed when your phone blares a severe weather alert during a Scout outing. Savvy Scouters plan for the possibility of bad weather, knowing tornadoes, lightning, hail, flash flooding and heavy...

Let’s go fly some kites, a sport every Scout can enjoy even though there are always strings attached. Kites can be the focus of STEM activities featuring the science of weather, technology of flight, engineering of aeronautical design, and math for figuring angles and...

The Dilemma Born three years apart, siblings Tyson and Taylor are sometimes the best of friends and sometimes the worst of foes. Tyson, 15, can’t seem to decide whether to treat his 12-year-old sister as a sidekick or as a kid. And Taylor, truth be told, can’t seem to...

“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...

Most of us see the footage of a disastrous event on the news. Wildfires blazing. Mass evacuations. We watch it; we feel terrible about it; we go back to our lives and move on. But when the burning neighborhoods on TV are your neighborhoods, it’s not that simple....

When members of the Palmetto Council in Spartanburg, S.C., committed to an aggressive multicultural marketing program several years ago, they weren’t messing around. They promoted Scouting to predominantly African-American communities where it wasn’t already a staple....

Hats off to the Palmetto Council for reaching out to the deaf community through Scouting! What an awesome opportunity for these kids. (Read about this great program here.) As I think about it, I’m reminded of Scouting individuals who have reached out to groups of kids...

Perhaps no gear category has witnessed more rapid improvement in recent years than backcountry tents. Here are some of the best: SlingFin 2Lite Trek: The 2Lite Trek shines for its balance between minimalist weight, strength and livability. When pitched properly —...

One of the many things I appreciate about the Scout Motto is the way it demands self-reliance. To “Be Prepared,” one must take personal responsibility. Self-reliance is one of the main values we work to instill in Scouts, and our program is uniquely positioned to help...

When Paula Castleman looked at her district’s track record for Webelos-to-Scout transition a couple of years ago, she was not impressed. “We only had about 25 percent of our boys going from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts,” she says. “There was a problem there, and we needed...

For more than a century, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society, has recognized Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Scout Law in their daily lives. More important, it has helped them deepen their commitment to those values....

Lose weight! Feel better! Be more alert! In fewer than 30 minutes per day, you — yes, you! — can make a colossal change to your health. But wait; there’s more! Did we mention it’s free, nontoxic and has no dangerous side effects? Obnoxious infomercial approach aside,...

Near the top of a climbing route deceptively named “The Butterfly Patch,” Lauren Gogal pauses to catch her breath. She has found a narrow ledge where she can stand, lean against the wall and give her aching arms a break. The 14-year-old from Venturing Crew 91 of...

Linda Potvin has done it all. With four children, she has spent nearly two decades as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America. Her heaviest involvement started with her youngest son, whom she followed from Cub Scouting all the way to the rank of Eagle Scout. Today,...

Beyond dedicating time to prepare the route, camping spots and meals, unfortunately too few outdoor enthusiasts consider possible survival situations. If your adventure involves remote areas, then extensive pre-trip planning is vital. It’s not pessimistic to...

“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...

Coleman Adjustable Comfort Sleeping Bag: Need a bag for car camping and don’t want to miss a mortgage payment to cover the cost? Fitting adults up to 5 feet, 11 inches (there’s also a big and tall version), this versatile bag “adjusts” to temperatures ranging from...

This is a season of change and opportunity for our movement. With the February launch of our new program for older boys and girls, we enter a new era. And yet, in a way, we simply continue a tradition of serving young women and young men that has been in place for...

Each summer, more than 1,000 young people from all over the world travel to Cimarron, N.M., to work at Philmont Scout Ranch. Their mission is monumental: deliver wilderness adventures people will remember for the rest of their lives. Philmont Scout Ranch is world...

Climbing the highest peak on every continent — the “Seven Summits” — presents a worthy challenge for serious mountaineers. If traveling around the world seems a little daunting, you can try to scale the “Seven Summits of Scouting.” Choose any of the following...