June 2012 - Aaron On Scouting

Happy mountaineers: Create a hydration slogan, win a limited-edition water bottle

June 29, 2012 1

“A happy mountaineer always pees clear.” That simple, off-color rhyme does its job by reminding Scouts, Scouters, and other outdoor lovers about the importance of proper hydration. It stems, of course, from the fact that

Test yourself with a ‘Jeopardy!’ category about Boy Scout knots

June 28, 2012 52

The Boy Scouts of America’s century-old ties to the world of knots became its own “Jeopardy!” category. Can you get all five questions?

My Two Cents: Does the BSA offer too many merit badges?

June 27, 2012 69

Whenever a new merit badge comes out, a handful of well-meaning volunteers usually ask that question. “If you’re adding Welding merit badge,” they write, “which one will you take away?” For me, though, the beauty

Watch a sneak peek of ‘Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?’

June 26, 2012 45

UPDATE (June 29): While the viewing period for the sneak preview clip is now over, stay tuned to Bryan on Scouting for more details on the show as soon as I get them! If seeing is

May-June ‘Where Am I?’ winner and location revealed

June 26, 2012 1

The May-June “Where Am I?” contest was tough, judging from the relatively small number of guesses. Only 315 entries were received, compared to 666 in the March-April contest. Many readers guessed “Arches National Park.” However,

Give your advice to a parent whose son wants to drop out of Scouting

June 25, 2012 124

If your son told you tomorrow that he’s thinking of leaving Scouting, what would you say? For “Dave,” a concerned parent from an East Coast troop, that’s no hypothetical question. The parent, whose name I

This summer, make safety on the water your top priority

June 25, 2012 3

Most of my best memories from summer camp involved the water. Where else but Camp Cherokee’s epic waterfront could I swim, canoe with my friends, or sit on a massive airbag called “the blob” and

New Tumblr site takes you inside Boys’ Life

June 22, 2012 2

For Scouts who read Boys’ Life (and the Scouters who steal their son’s copy), the BSA’s premier monthly magazine for youth can’t come soon enough. Take some of the sting out of waiting with the

Find the tools to make recruiting for your Venturing crew easy

June 19, 2012 2

Have you ever slept 300 feet underground? Stood atop a 14,000-foot peak? Created a robot? The BSA is betting those questions and other enticing messages will help bring prospective members to your Venturing crew. It’s

Points in the Paint: Ohio troop’s trailer a slam dunk for the BSA

June 18, 2012 19

Want to get your unit’s recruiting up to speed? Consider hauling your “Join Scouting” message everywhere your pack, troop, team, or crew travels. Start by taking a page from Canton, Ohio, Troop 4’s playbook, which