Amateur radio operators: Wear your smarts on your sleeve

24 January 2013

With apologies to the Buggles, I’m happy to report that the radio star is alive and well.

Well, the ham radio star, at least. And now the BSA offers a special patch for licensed aficionados of amateur radio. The Amateur Radio Operator Rating Strip, above, shows others that you’re available for communication services for events, like Jamboree on the Air, and emergencies.

The requirements for the strip couldn’t be simpler: You must be a registered youth or adult member with a valid amateur radio license, of any class, issued by the Federal Communications Commission, known to you and me as the FCC.

That’s it. If you’re eligible, grab the $1.59 strip (Supply No. 617431) from the Boy Scout Supply Group at 800-323-0736 or scoutstuff.org. The strip’s release date is Feb. 15, and you can’t preorder it. So mark your calendars to fire off an order the day after Valentine’s Day.

BSA’s Scott Teare takes the reins of World Scouting

8 January 2013

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Scouting is global. The movement was created outside of the U.S., and BSA members make up just 10 percent of Scouts worldwide.

So it’s big news when one of the BSA’s own is tapped to lead the World Organization of the Scout Movement and its 30 million members in 161 countries.

A big BSA huzzah to Scott Teare, who left his post as director of the Boy Scouts of America’s International Division to serve as Secretary General of World Scouting. That makes Teare the CEO of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, a job that tasks him with “promoting and safeguarding the interests of the movement.” He’ll do so from the World Scout Bureau’s Central Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

Teare, who has earned World Scouting’s prestigious Bronze Wolf Award, takes office at a crucial time for World Scouting as it undergoes changes in its current management and relocation processes.

The American Teare follows past secretaries Luc Panissod of France, Eduardo Missoni of Italy, Jacques Moreillon of Switzerland, and László Nagy of Hungary.

In an interview published on World Scouting’s official Web site, Teare explains his humble beginnings in Scouting:

“I joined the Cub Scouts at the age of eight,” he writes. “I remember sitting in the back of the school bus with my buddies learning the Cub Scout Promise and Law of the Pack. At that particular moment in time, the center of the entire Scouting universe was right there in my little neighborhood where I sat with my best friends. Who could ever have guessed that joining the Cub Scouts would lead me to a lifetime of friendships that would eventually span the globe?”

And now, decades later, Teare gets the chance of a lifetime as he helps guide World Scouting and “do everything possible to reach more young people with the ‘magic’ that Scouting brings to change lives.”

Help me extend well wishes to Scott from the US of A!

BSA Chief visits Newtown, presents Spirit of the Eagle Award to Tiger Cubs’ parents

20 December 2012

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newtown In a touching gesture, the two Tiger Cubs killed in last week’s shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School have been awarded the Spirit of the Eagle Award.

BSA Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock and other top professionals presented the families of Chase Kowalski and Benjamin Wheeler with the award, “an honorary, posthumous special recognition for a registered youth member who has lost his or her life in an accident or through illness.”

Wayne shared with the BSA family some details from his emotional visit. I can’t imagine the overwhelming heartache he witnessed as he attended three wakes and a funeral for Tiger Cubs Chase and Benjamin, as well as for two girls who were sisters of Cub Scouts in Newtown’s Pack 170.

The photo above, shared by CBS Reporter Paula Reid, shows Scouts saluting 6-year-old Benjamin at one of those events. What a powerful image. (Note: Paula tells me the Scouts will likely be featured in her story on The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley at 6:30 p.m. Eastern today, Thursday.)

Take a moment to read Wayne’s heartfelt letter below. In it, you’ll find details on the outpouring of support that’s already been felt in Newtown — phone calls, e-mails, and letters from Scouting families from all over the world.

And Wayne shares info on how to send supportive cards and letters or make a donation to a memorial fund established by the Connecticut Yankee Council.

Here’s the letter: Continue reading »

Jamboree calls on Carly for opening stadium show at the Summit

19 December 2012

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The hits just keep on coming.

Exactly one month after the BSA locked in Train to close the 2013 jamboree, we now know who will kick things off at the Summit Bechtel Reserve next summer.

It’s Carly Rae Jepsen, the 27-year-old Canadian songstress whose single “Call Me Maybe” won MTV’s Best Song Of 2012 honors and has been seen more than 360 million times on YouTube — and counting.

Carly, who’s up for two Grammy Awards in February, will headline the “Welcome to the Summit” show on Tuesday morning, July 16, at the stadium (the area known as the arena at past jamborees).

If, somehow, you’ve missed the video or the dozens of spinoffs it spawned — from the USA Olympic Swim Team, NASA, Sesame Street, and the U.S. Armed Forces, to name a few — you can watch the original below. But fair warning: The infectious tune will stick in your head till July.

Need proof that Scouts are Carly fans? Watch thousands of Arrowmen at NOAC 2012 singing their hearts out to Carly’s hit: Continue reading »

Does an early start ensure Blue and Gold success? Oh, yeah!

3 December 2012

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Is December too early to start planning for the Blue and Gold banquet?

Nope. Though February seems forever away, planning ahead ensures you don’t fall behind.

Start with the December Cubcast, which contains some handy tips for making your next banquet successful and stress-free.

Listen up as hosts Sam and Janet learn from Darlene Sprague, member of the national commissioner support team and board member of the Greater Niagara Frontier Council.

Boy Scout leaders: The wait is almost over! The Boy Scout version of Cubcast, which I mentioned in September, debuts January 2013.

Pack or troop having trouble at school? Try this

28 November 2012

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When I was in Cub Scouts, my elementary school — just down the street — was the perfect pack meeting place.

The gym was spacious, the location convenient, and the closet full of equipment for games and activities.

These days, not every pack, troop, or crew has it so lucky. Many school districts have essentially banished all Scout units and told them to meet elsewhere. That’s frustrating, but instead of complaining, let’s act.

Enter the BSA’s Adopt-a-School program. It flips the traditional relationship between a school and a Scout unit upside-down.

Instead of a Cubmaster or Scoutmaster approaching a principal and saying, “Here’s what we need,” the Scouter starts by asking, “How can we help?” It’s a win-win for the community — Scouting gets stronger, and the schools are improved.

Here’s how it works: Continue reading »

Train on board for closing stadium show at 2013 jamboree

19 November 2012

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Three-time Grammy winners Train will headline the closing stadium show at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, the Boy Scouts of America announced today.

For my money, this is the biggest musical act to perform at a national Scout jamboree since the Beach Boys in 1985. And I’m told it’s the earliest in the jamboree planning cycle that a headliner has signed on. That’s good news for participants and staff already registered for the jamboree, and it’s yet another enticing reason for Scouts and Scouters not registered to join us next summer in West Virginia.

You surely know Train, the pop-rock group from San Francisco that has performed together since 1994. And you know their hits, including “Meet Virginia,” “Drops of Jupiter,” “Calling All Angels,” “Hey, Soul Sister,” and recent singles “Drive By” and “50 Ways to Say Goodbye.”

Train — consisting of Pat Monahan (vocals), Jimmy Stafford (guitar), and Scott Underwood (drums) — will perform Saturday, July 20, at the closing event, called the “Celebration of Scouting” show. They’ll light up the new stage at the stadium (the area called the arena at past jamborees) in front of tens of thousands of excited Scouts, Scouters, and visitors.

Train’s a big name for the jamboree, but they certainly aren’t the first recognizable people to speak, sing, or perform on the event’s big stage.

This isn’t a complete list, but here are some big-name guests at past arena/stadium shows (note that I’m only including in-person guests, not those who appeared via video):

In Sandy’s wake, BSA Chief relays call for help

9 November 2012

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I mentioned a few ways to help Scouts and Scouters affected by superstorm Sandy on Tuesday, but today we’re getting more details about the toll on local Scout councils and what some units are doing to help.

In a letter sent this morning, BSA Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock said that council camps in the northeast have suffered downed trees and destroyed buildings. Council offices have been severely damaged. And Scouts, Scouters, and BSA professionals have lost personal property and valuables.

Brock writes that Scouts and units have almost certainly lost “camping gear, uniforms, trailers and other supplies.”

In addition to suggesting ways to help through donations of money and time, he also spotlights two examples of Scout units doing what Scout units do whenever there’s a tragedy: cheerfully serving others.

Read our Chief’s complete letter below: Continue reading »

Help Scouts and Scouters affected by superstorm Sandy

6 November 2012

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People in the northeast still suffer without power and shelter after last week’s devastating storm. The emotional and financial toll of superstorm Sandy grows each day.

What we do know is this: Thousands of Scouts and Scouters are among the millions of people affected, as well as local councils that serve them.

Many of you who weren’t affected have asked how you can help. I’ve got a couple of ideas:

Give to the Boy Scouts of America Disaster Relief Fund. This fund helps rebuild Scouting in those areas of that have been affected by ongoing, weather-related damages, including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires. You can give to the general fund, contribute to a specific local council, or select combination of both. The funds will go toward helping councils and their members rebuild.
Give to the Red Cross. You’ve no doubt heard this plea on TV and elsewhere, but a donation to the Red Cross goes a long way in crises like this. Whenever Scouting gets involved in and supports relief efforts, the organization typically does so in conjunction with the Red Cross or Salvation Army.

Willing to Help? Need Help?

If you have a Scout unit that’s willing to offer its services, please post below. Alternatively, if you’re a Scout unit in need, please share details below.

Together we’ll get through this and come out stronger on the other side.

Cooking, Sustainability merit badges to become Eagle-required

17 October 2012

222 Comments

UPDATE (11/1): Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about these changes.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, this badge will get a silver border.

Moms and dads, prepare the needle and thread!

Sustainability and Cooking merit badges will join the list of Eagle-required merit badges over the next 14 months, the Boy Scouts of America’s National Executive Board announced today.

Sustainability, a new merit badge, will join Environmental Science as an Eagle Scout option after its debut at the 2013 jamboree.

Cooking, meanwhile, will become Eagle-required as of Jan. 1, 2014.

The total number of merit badges required for the Eagle Scout Award will remain at 21. In other words, instead of 12 Eagle-required badges and 9 elective badges, a Scout must earn 13 Eagle-required and 8 elective badges.

Why the change? The goal is to “reflect a better balance of the needs of youth and our nation today and in the future,” according to the BSA’s resolution. Personally, I like it. Keeping up with the ever-changing world means questioning the way things have always been done.

Sustainability becomes more important as our population increases while resources decrease. And a boy who reaches Eagle without skills in cooking and healthy eating habits hasn’t become fully “Prepared. For Life.” in my opinion. I think the BSA’s board got it right on here.

What do you think?

For the list of Eagle-required merit badges as it looks now — and as it will look in 2014 — follow the jump. Continue reading »

Bryan on Scouting

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

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