January 2012 - On Scouting

How to find a great idea for an Eagle Scout Service Project

January 31, 2012 33

My Eagle Scout project was hardly a unique idea — a lot of Eagle projects are construction-based — but it had one key element: It meant something to me.

Check out Welding merit badge requirements, launch info, video

January 30, 2012 35

Update (March 5, 2012): As of Feb. 24, the merit badge is now “live”! The pamphlet should be in your local Scout Shop, or you can order it through ScoutStuff by clicking here. Once it’s earned,

U.K.’s newest Scouter: Kate Middleton

January 27, 2012 8

No shock that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, is making headlines again. But what may surprise you is why: She just joined the global Scouting movement as a volunteer with the U.K. Scout Association. The

The 20 most (and least) earned merit badges of 2011

January 25, 2012 81

What were the hottest merit badges last year? I’ve got the answer. Maybe. So first, a caveat: The friendly folks at the Supply Division tell me there’s no way to determine exact numbers of merit

Calling all young inventors! (deadline May 7)

January 24, 2012 4

The next big thing: Will one of your Scouts invent it? Encourage that future Ford, Fulton, or Bell to enter the Boy Scouts of America and Edison Nation Challenge, where creative thinkers could get help turning

For No Name-Calling Week, a reminder that words can hurt

January 23, 2012 10

Idiot! Retard! Geek! Has a Scout in your unit called another Scout one of these names—or worse? If so, did you take action? No Name-Calling Week begins today, so it’s an excellent time to remind

Deadline for NESA scholarship applications is Jan. 31

January 20, 2012 8

Update (Feb. 1, 2012): The 2012 deadline has passed, but check back for info on the 2013 scholarships at the end of the year. Know an Eagle Scout headed to college? Then read on: Tuesday, Jan.

“Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?” debuts fall 2012

January 20, 2012 12

In a test of outdoors skills, who would win: Boy Scouts or adults who are out of Scouting? Though the answer seems obvious, it’ll sure be fun to see those adults try. That’s the promise

Open for debate: To snack or not to snack at den or pack meetings

January 20, 2012 22

Here’s a question to chew on: Should you serve snacks at den meetings? Why or why not? And if you do, what is served? I posed that question to our Facebook friends and got an

Eagle Scouts: Tell your story in a new book

January 19, 2012 1

What’s the greatest story never told? Yours. Specifically, your trail to Eagle and the ways it changed your life — both during and after. Whether you earned Scouting’s top honor six days or six decades