Can Tiger Cubs attend resident camps?

22 February 2013

That’s a trick question. Yes, they can.

Effectively immediately, the policy forbidding Tiger Cubs from attending resident camp has been reversed.

As Scout Wire first reported yesterday, the change allows Tiger Cubs to go to resident camp with their adult partner or guardian. What’s a resident camp? The BSA defines it, at least for Tiger Cubs, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts, as “a council-organized overnight camp of at least two consecutive nights in duration that operates under council-retained leadership.”

Overnight camping by Tiger Cub, Wolf, and Bear Cub Scout dens as dens is still not OK.

The language in the Guide to Safe Scouting and other publications will be updated as those documents are reprinted. In the meantime, the Age Guidelines in the Guide to Safe Scouting now read: Continue reading »

Does Scouting build character? Here’s one way to find out …

20 February 2013

20 Comments

Do Cub Scouts have improved character, health, and academic achievement over boys who aren’t in the program?

Empirical evidence says yes, but soon we’ll have scientific data to support what we all think we know.

This September, a three-year study by Baylor University and Tufts University will seek to answer that question and more.

You may remember the Baylor University study from last year that documented statistically significant differences between Eagle Scouts, former Scouts who didn’t make Eagle, and men who were never in Scouting. The overall finding: Eagle Scouts contribute to society in ways men who were never in Scouting do not.

Now it’s Cub Scouting’s turn. Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion is joined by Tufts’ Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development for this new study, funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

The universities will survey 3,880 boys from the economically and ethnically diverse Philadelphia area. It will compare boys ages 7, 8, 9, and 10 from these three groups:

36 randomly selected Cub Scout packs with full-time Scout executives
36 randomly selected Cub Scout packs without full-time Scout executives
Comparable samples of boys who are not in Cub Scouts

The same boys will be surveyed in September 2013, May 2014, September 2014, and May 2015 to document their progress. Results will measure the importance of Scouting in a boy’s development — as well his contribution to his community and democracy. In addition, the study should provide insight into the effectiveness of full-time Scouting professionals who assist Scout troops by training the leaders, recruiting and retaining youths, and raising money.

Researcher Byron Johnson, director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, had this to say about the study’s potential in a news release:

“The program could become a model for recruitment and retention of diverse youth — especially boys from inner cities — in Boy Scouts, especially if the study shows that involvement in the Scouts enhances the youths’ character.”

I’ll have the results on Bryan on Scouting when they’re published.

Photo: Some rights reserved by jonahbonahhandmade

Amateur radio fans: How does free sound?

19 February 2013

4 Comments

icom-kit A complete amateur radio station in a box can be sent to your council for free*!

Too good to be true? Nope. That’s the offer from Icom America, the BSA sponsor I told you about in June that will supply radios to the 2013 jamboree.

For only the cost of shipping ($20 to $50), Icom will loan your local council all the equipment it needs to get an amateur radio station up and running for a council event. We’re talking Radio merit badge workshops, camporees, or Jamboree on the Air events.

That’s a $2,700 kit that your council can borrow for next to nothing.

Details, including an application for your council’s use, are available at this official BSA page. Contact your council to recommend they apply for one of these stations for a future event.

What’s in the box? Watch the video below to find out…

Watch the video

Continue reading »

Learn to handle troop discipline on this episode of ScoutCast

8 February 2013

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How so you handle discipline issues in your troop without spoiling the fun or spending all your time going over rules and regulations?

Well, you start by listening to this month’s ScoutCast, a monthly podcast for Boy Scout leaders that debuted last month.

In this episode, organization psychologist Betsy Eubanks, also a Venturing crew Advisor and assistant district commissioner in Montana, explains the difference between discipline and punishment. Eubanks teaches a class at the Philmont Training Center called “Boy Management,” so she’s more than qualified to share her expertise.

Cub Scout leaders, you haven’t been forgotten. The long-running CubCast series continues this month with an episode about Scout Sunday (Feb. 3) and on Scout Sabbath (Feb. 9). There’s also a discussion of the changes to the religious emblems program and the connection between a Scout’s faith and the values of Scouting. The guest is Mark Hazelwood, who teaches a course on religious emblems at Philmont Training Center.

Listen to the ScoutCast and/or CubCast at this link.

Boy Scouts of America to reconsider national membership policy

28 January 2013

2,113 Comments

Update (Jan. 31): The BSA has provided this page for leaving feedback about the membership policy. Alternatively, you can email feedback@scouting.org.

Update (Feb. 5): Thanks to everyone for their valuable feedback. After more than 2,100 comments in the past week, I’ve determined that it’s time to close the comment thread on this post.

The Boy Scouts of America is discussing whether to remove the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation, the organization announced today.

If approved, the move would end any national policy regarding sexual orientation of members and hand the responsibility of accepting members and selecting leaders to chartered organizations. Chartered organizations could then handle this task in accordance with their mission, principles, and/or religious beliefs.

The news was announced in an email sent by Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock to all National Council employees this afternoon and confirmed through a media statement posted to Scouting.org.

“Let me be clear that the change under discussion would allow chartered organizations to determine how to address this issue,” Brock writes. “The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.”

Discussion on the proposed policy change will continue during the National Executive Board meeting in Texas next week.

If the board takes action related to the membership policy, Brock says, it will be promptly communicated to all professionals and volunteers.

And I’ll post the news here on Bryan on Scouting, as well.

Greatest hits: My 12 most-read blog posts of 2012

31 December 2012

14 Comments

For Scouts and Scouters, 2012 had plenty of ups — and a couple of downs.

We welcomed changes: new merit badges, new Eagle Scout requirements, a new Chief Scout Executive, and a new high-adventure base in West Virginia, to name a few.

We celebrated 100 years of the Eagle Scout award and learned 46 ways that Eagle Scouts are different from non-Eagles.

We mourned together when news broke that two of the young victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting were Tiger Cubs.

And we healed together when superstorm Sandy struck close to home for some Scout units on the East Coast.

I tried to chronicle these important BSA happenings throughout the year here on Bryan on Scouting through 229 new posts. I’m thankful for readers like you who contributed to the 850,000 views in 2012. Statistically, it was the best year of the three full years I’ve been blogging about all things Scouting.

So thanks for helping me share what I found newsworthy, interesting, or fun.

But which of these posts caught your attention most this year? Let’s find out by revealing the 12 most-read blog posts of 2012, after the jump… Continue reading »

Monthly Core Values? Roundtables? Let Cubcast explain

28 December 2012

6 Comments

For new Cub Scouters, the terms “monthly core values” and “roundtable” might as well be in a foreign language.

We’ve all been there, and Cubcast knows it.

For newbies or anyone needing a refresher in those two essential Cub Scouting subjects, listen to the January 2013 edition of the monthly podcast.

Your hosts are Sam Thompson, regional operations manager and past leader of the Cub Scout Division, and Cub Scout volunteer extraordinaire Janet Griffin. Sam and Janet chat with Assistant Council Commissioner Cheri Pepka of the Chief Seattle Council. She explains implementing the core values and monthly themes fun and the joys of participating in roundtable.

Listen to Cubcast each month right here.

Are You a Boy Scout Leader?

As I mentioned yesterday, there’s now a Boy Scout version of Cubcast, called ScoutCast. Don’t miss it!

Two Connecticut shooting victims were Tiger Cubs; here’s how to help

17 December 2012

94 Comments

It breaks my heart to report that the horrendous school shooting in Connecticut has hit the Scouting family.

The Boy Scouts of America learned that two of the victims, 7-year-old Chase Kowalski and 6-year-old Benjamin Wheeler, were new Tiger Cub Scouts with Pack 170 in the Connecticut Yankee Council.

Three other families in Pack 170 lost children at the school, and Tiger Cub Den Leader Peter Baressi was a first responder hero who stayed with the families throughout the ordeal.

Victoria Soto, one of the heroic teachers who was killed, was an Explorer as a youth in Stratford EMS Post 4911.

When you live several states away from those in pain, it’s easy to feel helpless. In addition to keeping the families in your thoughts and prayers, I’ve learned of an opportunity to send cards, letters and donations to those in mourning.

The Pack 170 leadership has asked Connecticut Yankee Council to set up a Memorial Fund to support the five families. Donations can be made out to “Pack 170 Memorial Fund” c/o Connecticut Yankee Council, P.O. Box 32, Milford, CT 06461.

Your family or your Scout unit may wish to send condolence cards and letters. Those can also be addressed to “Pack 170″ c/o the Connecticut Yankee Council, P.O. Box 32, Milford, CT 06461.

After the jump, a letter from Wayne Brock. Continue reading »

Youth Protection: It really does begin with YOU

6 December 2012

12 Comments

You might not enjoy reading this.

But it could be the most important thing you’ll read today.

As stated in The Boy Scout Handbook, “Child abuse is a serious problem in our society, and unfortunately, it can occur anywhere, even in Scouting. Youth safety is Scouting’s No. 1 concern.”

Child abusers are out there. They come in all shapes and sizes.

That’s not meant as a tabloid-style scare tactic. It’s just the truth.

The good news is that you’re not alone in your efforts to help identify, report, and, thus, prevent offenders from harming your kids.

The BSA has the tools and information you need. That’s why even though you only take the training once every two years, Youth Protection is a 24-7, 365-day-a-year operation. That’s as true for Scouters and Scout parents as it is for all of us who work for the Boy Scouts of America.

As a youth organization, the BSA isn’t alone in its efforts to help prevent abuse. Did you know that the Boy Scouts of America hosted the first-of-its-kind National Youth Protection Symposium in early November? I did, and I wanted to know more about what took place at this event.

So this week, I sat down with Michael Johnson, the BSA’s Youth Protection director, to talk about the symposium, discuss current and emerging threats to children, and learn what parents and Scouters can do to make the movement safe. Continue reading »

An easy way to honor one of your everyday heroes

4 December 2012

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medal-of-honor The heroes I know don’t wear capes, and they can’t fly. Their utility belts hold pocket knives, not grappling hooks.

But the heroes I know often have secret identities. That is, they’re the volunteers who dedicate every free second to Scouting—even when no one is watching. I’ll bet there’s one of these unsung heroes in your unit.

Give that person the credit he or she deserves by nominating him/her for the Citizen Service Before Self Honors, presented by the members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Nominations are open for ordinary Americans who become extraordinary through “a single instance of bravery or through a lifetime of service to others.” Sounds right up the BSA’s alley.

Deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, Dec. 28, 2012.

Then, on March 23, 2013, three U.S. citizens will be awarded Citizen Service Before Self Honors near the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery. They will receive this award from a group of men who have received our nation’s highest and most prestigious award for valor: the Medal of Honor. Continue reading »

Bryan on Scouting

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

Category Archives: Cub Scouting