Darkness. Close spaces. Underground tunnels. Most people do what they can to avoid these environments. Bill Steele seeks them out in caves around the globe. Instead of claustrophobia, “I have claustromania,” laughs Steele, director of BSA’s alumni relations and the National Eagle Scout Association.

Steele’s love for caving began in Southern Indiana and Kentucky as a young Scout. Since then, he’s spent countless days underground in caves across the globe with world-renowned explorers. Scouting magazine even covered some of Steele’s travels in a 1986 feature story. (Click to see the feature at this link.)

In this feature story, Steele mentions his long-term dream of exploring a hard-to-reach Chinese cave system. “At the time, you couldn’t  travel to non-tourist areas of Red China,” he explains. “Now it’s accessible to cave explorers on certain expeditions.”

Steele’s hunger for adventure came full circle in December 2011 when he set off to visit the caves he’d dreamed of exploring in 1986. These caves, what he calls the “Carlsbad Caverns of China,” or Er Wang Dong and San Wang Dong, are both located in the Wulong Province of China. Continue reading »

It’s not too late to plan a way for your Scout unit to honor the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.

Gather together, grab a big screen, and watch the film New York Says Thank You at 8 p.m. EST shown here. You can view the movie on television, too; just check these listings for a showing in your city.

The documentary features a group of New Yorkers who turn the tables on America—giving back to local communities as a way to say thank you for the country’s support in the years following the devastating terrorist attacks. One service project includes the reconstruction of the tornado-ravaged Little Sioux Scout Ranch in Iowa.

But, besides watching this movie, Scouts around the nation are giving back to local communities as part of Scout Surge 9/11, a movement of patriotism that helps youth understand the significance of the date by dedicating a service project in honor of the anniversary.

Does your unit have something planned? If so, share photos and details about your acts of service on the Scout Surge 9/11 Facebook page. This page is also an excellent source of ideas if you’re searching for quick events to replicate in your own city.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since that gut-wrenching morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Here, at Scouting, our solemn thoughts are lifted by the uprising of so many Scouts doing good deeds to remember 9/11 victims and their families. Keep up the great work.