It’s been more than 113 years since our organization’s flagship youth publication — formerly known as Boys’ Life, now called Scout Life — made its debut.
Since then, the world has changed considerably, and the magazine has changed with it. (I doubt that George S. Barton of Somerville, Massachusetts, the magazine’s founder, ever could have imagined that one day the publication could be read by kids and adults alike on phones that people carry in their pockets.)
One thing that hasn’t changed: The magazine is still one of the best sources of fun, engaging, entertaining content out there for kids. To put it another way: If it’s in a Scout’s life, it’s in Scout Life.
Technically, the content is aimed at boys and girls ages 6-17, but between you and me, Scout Life is for all of us. Come for the dad jokes, stay for the Scouts in Action, and read all the stories about Scout adventures, achievements and service projects in between.
What’s in the October 2024 issue of Scout Life?
The October 2024 cover story is about a Scouts BSA troop that successfully executed a canoeing expedition through Congaree National Park in South Carolina. The park, known for its deer, foxes, beavers, alligators, amphibians and birds, is about one hour from the troop’s meeting place, making it the perfect location for a weekend getaway.
“It’s an amazing place,” says one Scout.
Did the Scouts have to work on proper paddling technique so they didn’t tire during the 6½-mile paddle? Yes. Did they keep their cool when a snake dropped out of a tree right into one of their canoes? Also yes.
“We were able to keep going no matter what was in our path,” says another participant. “A Scout never quits on his dreams.”
Scout Life Headliners
One of the most interesting sections of Scout Life is called “Headliners.” It’s the part of the magazine devoted to kids with significant accomplishments outside of Scouting.
For example, there’s Xander Hawkes, an Eagle Scout from Tallahassee, Florida, who won the 2024 Florida High School Athletic Association Wrestling State Championship in the 175-pound classification. It was the first-ever male state wrestling title for Xander’s high school.
There’s also Traxton Richards, an Eagle Scout from Perry, Ohio, who won the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s 7th– and 8th-grade track and field state championship in pole vault, setting the state meet record at 13 feet, 9 inches in the process.
And, finally, meet Aryan Ganglani, Aarav Mehta and Ahaan Thota, three Scouts from Sugar Land, Texas, who took home top honors at both the regional and state levels of the Texas Science and Engineering Fair in Biomedical and Health Sciences. The trio also won the Best of State award in Life Science.
Their project, “Automatic Diabetic Retinopathy Screening,” focused on the application of artificial intelligence in diagnosing eye damage from diabetes.
(If you know of an outstanding Scout who would make a great SL Headliner, tell us about them here: https://scoutlife.org/contact-us/headliners/)
A Spooky Fun Time
Another October feature tells the story of R-Boo-C, an annual Halloween family camp for Cub Scouts hosted by the Grand Canyon Council.
More than 450 people attended last year’s event at the R-C Scout Ranch. They enjoyed a campsite-decorating contest, making jack-o’-lanterns, Halloween-themed science experiments and crafts, range sports, an evening movie and fishing for crawfish.
Cub Scouts and their parents dressed up in costumes.
With the help of several Scouts BSA troops, there were opportunities for Cub Scouts to work on the Webelos First Responder and Castaway Adventures.
How do I get Scout Life magazine?
Click here to learn how to get Scout Life delivered to your door and device for a full year or more.
And don’t forget: Scout Life wants to know about your unit’s plans for this fall.
Click here for ideas on promoting Scout Life to Scouts in your unit.
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