January 2014 - On Scouting

Time running out to earn Computers merit badge

January 31, 2014 26

The BSA is replacing the outdated Computers merit badge with a newer model: Digital Technology merit badge, which debuted in April 2014.

When ‘thanks’ just isn’t enough: 13 ways to recognize retiring Scoutmasters

January 31, 2014 62

Scoutmasters can retire or move away, but their legacy lives on. Here are 13 ways to honor these incredible men and women before they retire.

Upon further review, troop’s grocery-bagging fundraiser isn’t permitted

January 30, 2014 182

Update, Feb. 7: See more explanation and answers to questions left in the comments below at this post. I stand corrected. Yesterday I blogged about a troop that raised money by bagging groceries for tips

12 cartoons about Scouting that weren’t first printed in Scouting magazine

January 30, 2014 21

Last week we looked at 20 funny cartoons from the pages of Scouting magazine. But BSA publications aren’t the only places you’ll find Scouting-related cartoons. Artists have been sharing some good-natured laughs about the BSA for years.

You can thank this Eagle Scout for the wind chill (or at least its name)

January 29, 2014 9

OK, so maybe it’s unfair to blame Paul Siple for the cold weather blanketing the country this week, including below-freezing temps from Washington State to the Florida Panhandle and all across the Northeast. But Siple,

This troop has fundraising in the bag (Update: Project not BSA-approved)

January 29, 2014 20

RETRACTION, Jan. 30: Fundraisers like this one are not permitted by the Boy Scouts of America. Please read the official explanation here. The original post is below. Would you like paper or plastic? Or maybe

Show of faith: Ideas for how to honor Scout Sunday and Scout Sabbath

January 29, 2014 14

Sunday will be a big day at churches across the country. And no, I don’t mean Broncos and Seahawks fans stopping by to say a prayer for their teams. I’m talking about Scout Sunday, a chance for

After losing their son, family delivers plea for helmet use while sledding

January 29, 2014 30

Holly and Ron Miller never want another parent or Scout leader to suffer like they have. On Jan. 16, 2010, their 12-year-old son Ian Joshua Miller was on a Scout trip to a north-central Pennsylvania

In Scoutmaster patch poem, an ode to the men who wore it well

January 28, 2014 18

A troop’s tradition of passing the same position patch from one Scoutmaster to the next has been forever encapsulated in a beautifully written poem. The piece, from the pen of Troop 159 Assistant Scoutmaster Nick

How do you keep travel costs down on long Scout trips?

January 28, 2014 63

How does your troop, team or crew reduce travel costs on multi-day trips? What works? Share your ideas for your fellow Scouts and Scouters.