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  • [ July 17, 2025 ] Is this the best merit badge for new Scouts BSA members? Advancement
  • [ July 15, 2025 ] Which Scouting America Family Adventure Camp is for you? App Feed - For Parents
  • [ July 14, 2025 ] It is time to nominate deserving volunteers for the 2026 Silver Buffalo Award App Feed
  • [ July 11, 2025 ] Marines and Scouts partner to expand camp, plus other news in Scouting this week Scouting Tips
  • [ July 9, 2025 ] In case you missed it: Every merit badge pamphlet is now available for free online App Feed - Scouts BSA

Open for Debate

Open for Debate

Scoutmaster wants to remove a certain four-letter word from Scouting

October 2, 2015 184

New York Scoutmaster Michael Montemarano is on a mission. His goal: eliminate a particularly irksome word from the Scouting vernacular.

Open for Debate

Tuesday Talkback: When youth leaders aren’t allowed to make decisions

September 24, 2013 105

Father (or Mother) knows best? Maybe, but that’s not how a Scout troop, Varsity team or Venturing crew is supposed to work. Scouting is a youth-led, youth-run organization. Your responsibility as an adult leader is to

Cub Scouting

Tuesday Talkback: What do you do when a Scout has a patch sewn on wrong?

September 17, 2013 163

You’ll notice it right away, of course. You’ll see Tristan across the room at your pack or troop meeting this week and instantly spot the unit numerals on the wrong sleeve, the rank patch on

Open for Debate

‘That’s Mr. West to you, mister’: Are your Scouts on a first-name basis with leaders?

July 11, 2013 154

If BSA founder James E. West were around today, how would your Scouts address him? Mr. West? James? Mr. James? Jimmy E.? The way Scouts and Venturers address leaders was on the mind of Scouter

Open for Debate

Is it ever time to say, ‘Sorry, our troop’s full’?

November 1, 2012 53

Quality trumps quantity when it comes to Scouting. A well-run unit of 15 to 20 boys or girls beats a dysfunctional unit of 80 to 100 Scouts every time. (Many larger troops thrive, but only

Cub Scouting

Judgment call: Who should get access to your unit contact list?

October 22, 2012 28

In your unit, is a Scout’s contact info freely available or guarded like nuclear launch codes? Two forces are competing here: Effective, efficient communication between families — and privacy. How do you straddle the thin line

Cub Scouting

Should you compete against other units for Scouts? If so, how?

September 25, 2012 54
Memorabilia

Should an adult trade patches with a Scout?

September 18, 2012 73

Scouts trade with Scouts; adults trade with adults. Along with “trade one for one,” “always shake hands,” and “don’t bring money into a deal,” it’s one of the central tenets of patch trading. But does

Eagle Scout

Why are so many boys taking so much longer to reach Eagle Scout?

August 14, 2012 270

You can’t blame this one on inflation. More than 60 years ago, the average age of a boy earning Eagle was 14.6. Today it’s 17.1. As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Eagle Scout

Cub Scouting

Make your point: What’s your unit’s knife policy?

August 6, 2012 128

In Scouting, knives are a double-edged sword. Used safely, they’re part of a rite of passage for boys and a chance for leaders to impart important lessons to help Scouts become “Prepared. For Life.” But

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  • An image of three fingerprint types on white background
    Is this the best merit badge for new Scouts BSA members?
    July 17, 2025 2
  • A photo of a family camping at Philmont Scout Ranch
    Which Scouting America Family Adventure Camp is for you?
    July 15, 2025 1
  • It is time to nominate deserving volunteers for the 2026 Silver Buffalo Award
    July 14, 2025 0
  • Marines and Scouts partner to expand camp, plus other news in Scouting this week
    July 11, 2025 0
  • Close-up of sash with merit badges
    In case you missed it: Every merit badge pamphlet is now available for free online
    July 9, 2025 0

Aaron on Scouting Contributors

Aaron Derr

Aaron Derr is the senior editor of Aaron on Scouting and Scout Life magazine, and also a former Cubmaster and Scouts BSA volunteer.


Michael Freeman

Michael Freeman, an Eagle Scout, is an associate editor of Scout Life and Scouting magazines.


Sheniece Chappell

Sheniece Chappell is an associate editor of Scout Life and Scouting magazines.


Bryan Wendell

Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting (now Aaron on Scouting).

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