December 2013 - On Scouting

Here are the three big changes in the BSA that happened on Jan. 1, 2014

December 31, 2013 85

Before you watch Times Square’s big countdown tonight, take a look at three big changes coming to the Boy Scouts of America at the stroke of midnight. Effective Jan. 1, 2014, you’ve got a new list

Ask the Expert mailbag: Merit badges, blue cards, First Class Requirement 10

December 23, 2013 32

In the season of Wise Men, you won’t find many wiser than Chris Hunt, advancement team leader for the Boy Scouts of America. Whatever advancement-related question I throw at him, he answers right away. He’s one

Minnesota Boy Scout halfway to goal of sleeping outside for an entire year

December 23, 2013 20

Update (Jan. 8): Read Rudy’s blog to learn more about the conditions he faces on a nightly basis during his quest to spend an entire year sleeping outside his Minnesota home. His sister and his

Greatest hits: Counting down my 13 most-read blog posts of 2013

December 23, 2013 7

Where did 2013 go? For Scouts and Scouters, it went to new merit badges, Eagle Scout journeys, the 2013 National Scout Jamboree, a nationally televised TV show about Boy Scouts, a family discussion on our membership policy,

Coming soon: Scouting Around, a new TV show from Boys’ Life magazine

December 20, 2013 3

Call it real reality TV. Take all the excitement and education found in Boys’ Life magazine and transport it to your television. That’s the clever concept behind Scouting Around, the new show from the century-old mainstay in the

Feast your eyes on the new requirements for Cooking merit badge

December 18, 2013 123

The sound of the kitchen timer can only mean one thing: The new Cooking merit badge requirements are done. For the new Cooking merit badge, which became Eagle-required on Jan. 1, 2014, Scouts will prepare meals using

Tuesday Talkback: Getting more Scouts to attend Order of the Arrow events

December 17, 2013 93

The Order of the Arrow is not a secret society, but in some troops it might as well be. These troops go through the first steps of getting Scouts elected into Scouting’s national honor society and

Remembering George Rodrigue, Blue Dog artist and Distinguished Eagle Scout

December 16, 2013 4

If you don’t know George Rodrigue by name, you certainly know his work. You’ve probably seen his iconic, whimsical Blue Dog paintings, and if you have, they’ve probably brightened your day. But today I want

Nearly 50 years later, ‘Follow Me, Boys!’ still a leader in movies about Scouting

December 12, 2013 43

Follow Me, Boys! is Disney’s tribute to the Boy Scouts of America, and nearly five decades after its release, it’s still one of the best BSA-related films.

Tuesday Talkback: How do you organize belt loops, pins, other recognition items?

December 10, 2013 42

When Cubmaster Lee inherited the position earlier this year, he was pumped to make an even bigger difference in the lives of youth. That is, until he saw the shape of his pack’s advancement and