Scouting magazine

Cracker Barrel returns June 8

Time for us Cracker Barrelites to get up and stretch our legs a bit. But we’ll be back after a short break on Monday, June 8, with more great stories about Scouters, weekend adventures, square knots, and more.

In the meantime, browse our archives for posts you might have missed. And now is a great time to e-mail Cracker Barrel, too. Tell us if you have:

• Nominees for Scouter Spotlight, a weekly look at a superb volunteer.
• Stories and photos from a recent campout to share for What a Weekend.
• Questions for BSA experts.
• Other blog ideas that might interest your fellow Scouters.

Happy Scouting!

Name That Council: May 21, 2009

OK, this one’s tough. You see a river, some tents and canoes, and a scenic mountain range. That could be lots of places, right? But it’s only one.

Find any clues you can and play Name That Council.

Think you know? Send us an e-mail with your name, unit number, position, and hometown. We’ll give a shout-out to the first person who comes up with the correct answer. Good luck!

Knot of the Week: Whitney M. Young Jr. Award

Who should have access to opportunities like Scouting? Whitney Young knew the answer to that question: everyone.

The famed Civil Rights leader once said: “Every man is our brother, and every man’s burden is our own. Where poverty exists, all are poorer.” To honor his legacy, Young’s name graces a prestigious—and selective—square knot.

As a recognition for people who help spread the Scouting program to youth from rural and low-income backgrounds, the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award is available to volunteers of any race, income, or level in the Scouting program.

Simply submit the name of a worthy colleague to your local council. The council will forward the candidates to the national office for approval. You can’t nominate yourself.

After a screening and review process that can take up to 60 days, recipients get a plaque featuring Young’s image—and the knot. It’s a red, white, and black square knot like the one shown above.

Click here and get an application form, as well as more information on the requirements and criteria the selection committee uses to choose worthy Scouters.

Do your part to honor Young’s legacy by helping a deserving Scouter gets his due.

Achieve Scouting goals in your community

Did you ever have to make up your mind—between Scouting and sports? You’re not alone. Get input from fellow volunteers in Front Line Stuff from the current issue of Scouting magazine.

Some great advice there. But here’s another option: Soccer and Scouting. Designed for first- through fifth-grade boys, the program combines the fast-paced competition of soccer with the time-tested ideals of Scouting. It’s the perfect option for your Cub Scout-age boys.

Councils set their own prices for the structured, 12-week program. Most charge around $20 to $30. Parents, volunteer coaches, and boys attend a one-week orientation, and then start having fun.

Busy? No problem. The program’s schedule of 10 midweek practices and 10 weekend practices—each under two hours—makes it doable. Practices feature a Scout opening ceremony, a 25-minute soccer-skills clinic, and a 25-minute Scout activity. After a short break, the boys divide up into teams, play a half-hour soccer game, and then take time to reflect on the values they’ve learned.

At the end of the 12 weeks, the boys compete in a “Futbolito” tournament with other teams their age.

If Soccer and Scouting sounds like something you’d be interested in, contact your local council or click here for more details.

For equal doses of fun and fellowship, it’s a kick.

Name That Council: May 15, 2009 solution

Last Friday, we showed you this patch (above) and asked you to identify the council whose members wear this shoulder strip. Did the mountain scene look familiar?

Follow the jump to find out if you were correct.

Name That Council: May 15, 2009

That's a nice council shoulder patch there, eh? But wait; something appears to be missing.

Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. We've removed the council's name, leaving only the colorful scene behind. Your job: Name That Council.

Think you know it? E-mail us your guess along with your name, unit number, and hometown.

We'll have the correct answer and winner on Monday. 

Knot of the Week: Hornaday

Yes, you recycle, drive a hybrid car, and plant trees on Earth Day. You’re doing your part to help protect our planet. But a select few are driven to make an even bigger impact.

Those people are eligible for the William T. Hornaday Award for Distinguished Service in Conservation. And despite its lengthy name, the award’s list of honorees is short. Only about 1,200 people have received the medal since its creation in 1914. That’s why it’s often called “An Olympic medal bestowed by the Earth.”

Hornaday, whose name is synonymous with conservation, founded the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. He’s also responsible for saving the American bison and Alaskan fur seal from extinction. But while Hornaday paid some serious dues, you won’t need to save an endangered species to earn a Hornaday award. You should be prepared, though, to work more than a week or two. Unlike many knots, this award can take months or even years to earn.

There are several levels of Hornaday awards, though not all of them come with the right to wear the blue, green, and white knot pictured above. Unit certificates and bronze medals exist. But the knot doesn’t accompany those awards. Only Scouts who receive the silver medal or Scouters who receive the gold medal may wear the knot.

Nominations come from your local council and must be approved by the Boy Scout National Office in Texas. The national conservation committee will contact you if you can earn the prestigious award.

Not everyone can earn the award, but every little step you take for the environment can have a marked impact on the Earth. Even if you’re not ready for a yearlong conservation effort, you still have a responsibility to future generations. So start now and maybe one day you’ll make the short list.

Make Philmont a family adventure

In the past weeks, we’ve introduced you to the high-level leadership training offered at Philmont Scout Ranch. You learned about NAYLE for Scouts and the Philmont Leadership Challenge for Wood Badge-trained adults.

Now, you’re ready to hit the road for Cimarron, N.M. Right? But wait! Aren’t you forgetting something? We’re talking about your family. Experiencing the beauty of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains while your family is stuck at the municipal pool this summer is hardly fair. 

While your boy is at NAYLE or you’re at PLC, your family can enjoy quality Philmont programs, too. There are plenty of exciting and enriching programs designed specifically for spouses and kids who aren’t in Scouts or aren’t old enough for NAYLE.

Here’s a look at what your family can expect:

Nursery (boys and girls, infant to 2 years old): During program times, parents may leave their young children with the trained staff at the Philmont nursery. Care is provided according to a parent’s instructions.

Small Fry (boys and girls, 3 to 5 years old): These tykes will enjoy activities, games, pony rides, and supervised play.

Cowgirls and Cowpokes (boys and girls, 6 to 7): They’ll participate in nature hikes, picnics, pony rides, lawn games, songs and skits, day hikes, sports, museum tours, and handicrafts.

Ropers (girls, 8 to 10): Similar to the activities for Cowgirls. During weeks of low attendance, this group merges with the Cowgirls and Cowpokes.

Deputies (boys, 8 to 9): These guys will enjoy hikes, visits to the Villa Philmonte and museums, archery, pony rides, air rifle target practice, sports, nature hikes, games, and crafts.

Sidewinders (boys, 10): This group does everything the Deputies do, but it adds a parent-child overnight camping trip on Philmont property.

Mustangs (girls, 11 to 13) and Trailblazers (boys, 11 to 13): These groups participate in Villa Philmonte and museum tours, hikes, field sports, handicraft projects, nature activities, a horseback ride, outdoor cooking, games, and an overnighter.

Mountain Trek (boys and girls, 14 to 20): They take a 20- to 30-mile backpacking trip into Philmont’s famous backcountry, including stops at several camps along the way. Before they hit the trail, Philmont Rangers divide participants into smaller crews based on age, ability, and gender.

Broncos (boys and girls, 14 to 20): If your teen doesn’t choose to go on the Mountain Trek, sign ’em up for this. They’ll have a blast during a week that includes Philmont's COPE course (a team-building ropes course), day hikes, a horseback ride, and an overnighter.

Silverados (men and women, 21 and up): Husbands, wives, and other family members who aren’t in a Philmont training program will take part in museum visits, local-history lessons, Indian arts programs, pottery-making demonstrations, guided nature walks and programs, Villa Philmonte tours, trips to nearby towns, COPE course participation, and fishing.

So bring your family to Philmont and eliminate the guilt you’d feel as you breathe in the mountain air while your spouse and kids are stuck at sea level. 

Scouter Spotlight: Meet Sven Rundman

After more than four decades of involvement in Scouting, Sven J. Rundman III can stand proudly in this week’s Scouter Spotlight. Before you meet him, though, take a moment to e-mail us with the name of a great volunteer for a future Spotlight.

Sven, the assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 199 in Fredericksburg, Va., serves as a national Health and Safety Committee member and on several district- and council-level committees. He has staffed Wood Badge and served as a Scoutmaster for three national jamborees. His “trademark phrase”: “It’s another grand and glorious day in Scouting, where every day is a holiday and every meal a feast. Thank you, Lord Baden-Powell.”

Read on to find out more about Sven.

Name That Council: May 8, 2009 solution

Most council shoulder patches have some clues about their location. Usually it's a state flag, a natural landmark, or a skyline. In Name That Council, your job is to use those clues to, well, name that council.

Friday's challenge is pictured above, and it was probably a piece of cake if you recognized the skyline. Andy Mullaly of El Cajon, Calif., certainly did. He was the first to e-mail us with the correct council. 

Follow the jump to check your work.