BSA membership resolution passes with more than 60 percent of vote

23 May 2013

After an extensive discussion within the organization, the Boy Scouts of America’s approximately 1,400 volunteer voting members chose to adopt the membership policy resolution and remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone.

The final vote breakdown was 61.44 percent for the proposal, and 38.56 percent against. The change takes effect Jan. 1, 2014.

Voting results were tabulated and certified by TrueBallot, an independent, third-party voting firm.

Read more at this site, or find the full text of the BSA’s official media statement below:
Continue reading »

Ask the Expert: Can Scouts earn service hours outside of the troop setting?

17 May 2013

44 Comments

expertlogo1 Are all service hours created equal?

If a Scout, say, builds a house with his church youth group or delivers meals with his school’s student council, can those hours count toward Boy Scout rank advancement?

That’s what a Scouter named Andrea wondered this week:

Bryan,

Our troop only allows service hours to accrue if it is a troop-sponsored service event. I think that this is against Scouting principles but understand the difficulty in calculating hours if the boys are collecting hours through school, church, etc. What is the BSA policy for this? Can the boys earn service hours outside the troop and how do we get those to “count” if they are allowed to be accrued by the Scout?

Thanks,

Andrea

Now, nobody will question the value of service to others — even those not conducted with a Scout unit. But what Andrea’s wondering is whether her Scoutmaster is correct in restricting which hours may be applied to rank advancement within Scouting.

The short answer: Continue reading »

How to monitor your Scout’s spending and benefit Scouting

16 May 2013

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With some teens, you might as well give their allowance directly to Best Buy, GameStop, or Cinemark, because it’s going straight there anyway.

There’s got to be a better way. And now, there is. Harness the power of the Boy Scouts of America Discover^® prepaid card, which lets you monitor your kid’s daily spending, teach him or her how to create and manage a budget, and do it all while benefiting the Boy Scouts of America.

I mentioned this program last year, but it’s worth repeating: This isn’t a credit card. Instead, it’s a prepaid, reloadable card that’s safer and more practical than the wad of cash in your Scout’s or Venturer’s cargo shorts.

Parents can monitor purchases through the online or mobile site, giving them instant access to increase or decrease allowance and ensure that said allowance is being spent wisely. There’s also a wealth of financial education materials, including videos, games, and budget calculators that families can explore together.

Scouts get the benefit of instant access to their cash, peace of mind knowing they’re not broke if their wallet goes missing, and live safety and emergency services coordinators, available 24/7 if they’re ever in a jam.

And here’s a cool bonus: Local councils get a piece of the action. A portion of proceeds are sent right to councils so that Scouting in your community can thrive.

To learn more or get a card for your Scouts, go to scoutsarethrifty.com.

Now that the program has been up and running, mFunds has answered some frequently asked questions about the program: Continue reading »

Ask the Expert: Can a troop prevent a Scout from earning a merit badge at a workshop or summer camp?

14 May 2013

165 Comments

Ask the Expert: What happened to Bugling merit badge? Updated May 15 with some clarifications.

Not all merit badges are earned in the traditional troop setting.

Enterprising Scouts can earn them at council-run merit badge “colleges” or workshops, summer or winter camps, or on their own with a registered counselor.

But some troops restrict or even prohibit this practice, insisting that merit badges must be earned under their own roof — with only troop-sanctioned counselors.

True, the Guide to Advancement says Scouts must discuss their choice of merit badge counselor with their Scoutmaster, but some troops take it one step farther, declaring that merit badge workshops themselves aren’t kosher.

Is that OK? That’s what a Scouter named Thomas wondered in an email last week. In his troop, Scouts cannot earn Eagle-required merit badges at events like workshops, instead needing to earn those merit badges in-house. He writes: Continue reading »

10 tips for helping Scouts balance fun and advancement at summer camp

14 May 2013

9 Comments

At summer camp, what’s more important for Scouts, advancement or fun?

Trick question. Scouts who attend the best summer camps and have effective Scout leaders guiding them don’t have to choose.

For these Scouts, advancement is part of the fun.

That said, there are always Scouts who take it to the extreme. There are the overachievers, who cram their schedule with merit badge classes and don’t leave any time to visit the waterfront, horse around with friends, or relax.

And then there are Scouts who do exactly the opposite, choosing to wander around the camp all week or just stay in their campsite and play cards.

Part of the responsibility for maximizing a boy’s time at summer camp falls on you, the Scout leader. With that in mind, here are 10 ways you can maximize both fun and advancement at summer camp this year. They come courtesy of our Facebook friends. Continue reading »

One man’s life: shaped by John Wayne, the U.S. Navy, and the BSA

10 May 2013

1 Comment

Entrepreneur and Eagle Scout Ken Krogue.

Where do our values come from?

For Ken Krogue, the Eagle Scout and Forbes.com contributor, the idea of values first showed up in Scouts, were further developed at the U.S. Naval Academy, and even made an appearance in a classic John Wayne movie.

In this excellent article, posted today, Krogue takes us on his life’s journey. It all started, as it does for many of us who were Scouts as kids, with a great leader.

Krogue writes: Continue reading »

Let’s peek inside 5 great troop trailers

3 May 2013

21 Comments

Even the best-looking troop trailer designs can’t hide ugly insides. You know the ones I mean: cavernous, unorganized spaces into which gear is deposited and never seen again.

That’s why many troops add the Scouting touch to their trailers, installing shelving and other improvements to make storing and finding gear a breeze — even if it’s after dark on Friday night when you pull into camp.

So last month, I asked for troops to send me photos of the insides of their trailers. I wanted to know: How do troops keep things organized and avoid the all-too-familiar sight of 20 boys rummaging through a pile of backpacks, bags, and patrol boxes to find what’s theirs?

Here are five great examples: Continue reading »

Ask the Expert: Can merit badge progress begin before a Scout gets his blue card?

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Ask the Expert: What happened to Bugling merit badge? If a Scout camps several nights with his troop before getting a signed blue card from his Scoutmaster, do those nights count toward his earning Camping merit badge?

That’s what a Scouter, who I’ll call James, wondered last week in an email. James wrote:

I have a question concerning when a Scout must have a blue card. Our troop has a merit badge counselor that told boys that none of their camping nights count prior to them getting a signed blue card from the Scoutmaster.

It seems that I have read that this is contrary to BSA policy. Could you point me to a specific BSA reference for this?

Well, James, there’s no greater authority on this than Christopher Hunt, advancement team leader here at the BSA’s National Office. Continue reading »

Higher score, lower price: Get SAT and ACT test-prep software cheap

29 April 2013

5 Comments

Pay attention, because there’ll be a test later.

Boy Scout families — both current and former — can score $250 SAT or ACT test-prep computer programs for less than $20. That means the study materials, shipping, student support, and streaming content can be yours for less than half what it costs to take the actual tests themselves.

It’s $19.99 for either the SAT or ACT test-program, which includes 11 hours of video instruction, 3,000 files of supplemental test prep material, thousands of interactive diagnostic tools, sample questions, and practice tests.

Have a student who’s taking both tests? Grab both programs for $39.98 — a huge savings over the $499.98 list price.

Mac or PC? Doesn’t matter, because the software — available either as a DVD or streamed online — works on either platform.

Longtime blog readers might recognize this program as a continuation of the eKnowledge and the SAT/ACT Donation Project I mentioned a year ago and in 2010. In the years since it began, eKnowledge, which says its mission is helping Scouts and Venturers to Be Prepared for these important standardized tests, has sent more than 4,500 Scouting families this software. And it has received hundreds of thank-you notes from Scouting families, with comments such as: Continue reading »

The most- and least-popular merit badges of 2012, and what that info tells us

22 April 2013

100 Comments

Which merit badges had Scouts rushing to counselors and Moms and Dads rushing to the sewing machine last year?

Here’s your answer. In January 2012, I presented a list of 2011′s most- and least-popular merit badges based on sales numbers from the Supply Division. This year’s numbers come from the BSA Program folks and are based not on sales but on the actual number earned, meaning they should be more accurate.

As you’d expect, the 12 most-earned merit badges from 2012 were all Eagle-required. Those merit badges provide extra motivation for Scouts to finish them on their journey through the ranks. But the badges that ranked 13 to 130 have some interesting takeaways:

Bryan on Scouting

The official blog of Scouting magazine, a publication of the Boy Scouts of America.

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