Table of contents for January - February 2020 in Scouting

A sharp blade can be a useful tool when setting up camp, fishing or cooking. It can also be dangerous when used carelessly. Policies vary among packs, troops, councils and camps when it comes to what blade types and lengths are allowed. The BSA sets no official standard on knife length. But there’s one rule everyone agrees on: Pocketknife use requires responsibility. Bears can start carrying a pocketknife after completing the Whittling Chip requirements. Scouts in Scouts BSA must earn their Totin’ Chip, which also gives them the right to carry and use axes and saws. Another important point to remember: The Whittling Chip is a Cub Scout certification and is not equivalent to the Totin’ Chip. It cannot be applied to Scouts BSA — Scouts must earn the proper…

For a new Cub Scout family, nothing says “we’re glad you’re here” quite like a handcrafted kit containing some items you’ll need during your Scouting journey. Oh, and snacks help, too. Cub Scout Pack 3695 of Farwell, Mich., welcomes new members with cleverly designed bags — made by the pack’s current Cub Scouts — that include a few Scouting essentials and an invitation to the pack’s next hike. Their approach makes new members feel welcome, involves the pack’s existing Cub Scouts in the greeting process, and gives the pack’s new recruits a few items they’ll need for their hiking adventure the following week. In other words, everybody benefits. Few families have time to read a thick packet of information — at least not right after joining your pack. But they…

AS A MEMBER OF a struggling troop in Connecticut, John Moriarty made it to First Class rank but no further. Then he discovered Sea Scouts and fell in love with the BSA’s aquatic arm. His ship frequently sailed on the Connecticut River and enjoyed trips to a private camp on the Rhode Island border. He earned the Quartermaster Award — the highest rank in Sea Scouts — as a senior in high school before serving as a mate (assistant leader) for a couple of years. His next Scouting involvement came when his son, Daniel, joined Cub Scouting. He served as chair of the pack committee for several years, and then as an assistant Scoutmaster before gradually getting involved at the district and council levels. Perhaps his most significant service has been…

AS THE FOUNDER of the Flying Seagull Project, Ash Perrin travels the world with a troupe of entertainers, bringing joy to children and adults in orphanages, refugee camps and conflict zones. “Childhood is not a luxury that should be enjoyed by a few,” the former British Scout says. “It is a right that should be accessed by everybody.” And that includes the members of every family, which is why Perrin wrote The Real Play Revolution: Why We Need to Be Silly With Our Kids – and How to Do It (Watkins, 2019). In it, he describes dozens of games, art projects and really wacky ideas for strengthening family ties through sheer silliness. Scouting magazine recently reached out to learn more about his philosophy, what winning really means and why grumpy parents…

LAST SUMMER, a severe thunderstorm hit Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation, shearing off trees, uprooting tents and sending branches crashing into buildings. Thanks to the help of devoted volunteers, the camp will be open for business this year. Stretching across 1,500 acres of beautiful forest, six lakes and one creek, Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan is home to two full-service camps, a wilderness camp, a high-adventure base and a horse ranch. The program areas offer activities such as aquatics, handicraft, Scoutcraft, shooting sports, climbing, horseback riding, cycling and zip lines. At Triangle M Ranch, horses are available for the Horsemanship merit badge and trail rides. Also, at the cycling base, a fleet of fat-tire bikes are perfect for tackling Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan’s trails, which range from beginner to advanced. Troops and individuals alike may sign up for longer trail rides…

Today’s employers are looking to hire someone with problem-solving skills, a strong work ethic and the ability to be a team player. “Sounds an awful lot like the traits we develop in Scouting,” says Peter Boll. When he’s not working as communications coordinator for the American Camp Association’s New England chapter, Boll is an assistant Scoutmaster. In both of his jobs — paid and volunteer — Boll is laser-focused on introducing young people to purpose-packed adventures in the outdoors. That is because he knows Scouting offers more than just incredible experiences — it helps prepare young people to succeed in life. According to an article published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, today’s hiring managers value “soft skills” far greater than technical or computer skills. Technical skills can…

An awesome array of new resources for Cub Scout leaders is designed to help you welcome new families to your pack, learn more about the Cub Scouting program and recruit new leaders. 1 New welcome tools for families. In their excitement about joining your pack, new Scouting families often have lots of questions. As a Cub Scout leader, how you answer those questions matters. You could overload them with information, plunking a packet in front of them and saying, “Just read this.” Or you could try one of the new brochures created by the BSA. The brochures cover the basics of the program and can be used at sign-up events or when a new family joins your pack. The eight-page Welcome New Cub Scout Family brochure covers the basics of…

These days, recruiting more families to your pack, troop or crew means getting out into your community. It means sharing the story of Scouting directly. It means word of mouth. That strategy has helped a new Scouts BSA troop for girls — Troop 283 of Wayzata, Minn. — nearly triple in size in its first six months of existence. “We cannot hide in the church basement and hope people find us. We need to invite others to join us,” says Mike Lawrance, recruitment chair for Troop 283. To help Scouting stand out, Lawrance and his fellow volunteers and Scouts employ the three tactics below. 1 Direct-mail postcards. The three middle schools in Troop 283’s area don’t allow outside groups to distribute flyers at school. So Troop 283, working with its…

Each of the BSA’s four national high-adventure bases has an alumni association, empowering former participants, conference attendees or staff members to stay connected to these Scouting destinations. Through online outlets and in-person gatherings, members share memories, make new friends and learn how they can help prepare their favorite high-adventure base for future generations. The Sea Base Alumni and Friends Association and Northern Tier’s Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association offer memberships to anyone who wishes to support their efforts. The Philmont Staff Association and Summit Bechtel Reserve Staff Association are for Scouts and Scouters who have served on staff at one of those high-adventure bases. All four associations help you feel closer to these iconic Scouting destinations — even when you’re hundreds of miles from Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico or West…

AS SHE DROVE THE girls in her new Scouts BSA troop to a campout last spring, Heather O’Bannon heard plenty of stories of family distress and dysfunction. “I’m sitting there going, ‘Wow, Family Life merit badge is going to be really interesting,’” the Hilliard, Ohio, Scoutmaster and merit badge counselor recalls. In fact, the Eagle-required badge can be both interesting and challenging for many Scouts, no matter what kind of family they come from. In requirement 6 alone, they must discuss with family members such heavy topics as substance abuse, sex, family finances and family crises. Handled well, however, the badge can be one of the most important a Scout will earn. O’Bannon and merit badge counselor Joe Debosik of Peru, Ill., offer some tips. Defining Family Counselors should remember that…

QUIT TRIPPING OVER stones, tent guylines or your own feet when trying to walk around camp in the dark. Turn to some reliable camp lighting, which basically falls into two categories: ▸ Lanterns, flashlights and otherlights for drive-in camp grounds, when weight and bulk are lesser concerns, and the brightness and ease of use take priority. ▸ Headlamps and lights for the back country, which you have to carry while hiking, so weight does matter, along with functionality. Headlamps also work perfectly well when car camping. Want one of the brightest, most versatile, high-performance ultralight headlamps? You’ll want the PRINCETON TEC VIZZ ($53). You could almost drive a car at night with its maximum brightness of 420 lumens. (OK, we don’t recommend that, but you get the point.) It’s waterproof…

THE SCOUT BASIC ESSENTIALS are 10 items to carry on every outdoor adventure. They’ll come in handy if a journey lasts longer than expected or difficulties arise. The 10 Essentials are: ▸ Pocketknife▸ Rain gear▸ Trail food▸ Flashlight▸ Extra clothing▸ First-aid kit▸ Sun protection▸ Map and compass▸ Matches and firestarters▸ Water storage Perhaps there’s room for one more item. That idea goes back to Horace Kephart, a great friend of early Scouting and author of the 1906 classic, The Book of Camping & Woodcraft. While encouraging readers to carry only what they needed, he also wrote that each person could take one nonessential. For Kephart, it was a porcelain teacup that had lost its handle. “It cost me much trouble to find one that would fit snugly inside the metal cup in…

There’s something different in the way Scouts respond to a tragedy in their community. Instead of worrying about their own needs, Scouts exhibit a deep-rooted duty to step up and help people heal. In the very embodiment of the Scout Law, they show what it means to be helpful, friendly, courteous, kind — and even brave. That’s just what the city of Dayton, Ohio, needed last year when a series of 14 tornadoes touched down across the Miami Valley Council area. “Our Scouts are there to answer the call when needed,” says Jeffrey Schiavone, Scout Executive of the Miami Valley Council, which serves Dayton. “I have been extremely proud of the outpouring of support from our Scouting community.” Some of the tornadoes reached EF4 strength — the second-highest designation on…

So what if dogs can’t say the Scout slogan? That hasn’t stopped Ranger from doing his Good Turn daily. For the past few years, Ranger has been helping his best friend, Ethan Warren, cope with the sometimes-violent triggers Ethan experiences as part of his Asperger’s syndrome. The pup’s presence has been especially helpful at Ethan’s boards of review in Scouts BSA Troop 426 of Manchester, Mich., part of the Southern Shores Field Service Council. Normally, these boards might be a time when the stress of answering adults’ questions would be too intense for Ethan. But not with Ranger there. “Ranger has been a lifesaver for Ethan,” Ethan’s mom, Cristie, says. “If Ranger hadn’t been at Ethan’s side for all of his boards of review, then I’m not sure that he…

From 2009 to 2018, the state of Michigan reported seven total human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis, a mosquito-borne virus that can cause brain infections. However, last year, Michigan reported seven cases by the start of the fall season, including three that were fatal. Infections were also reported in Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The uptick in this rare disease is a reminder to protect your Scouts and yourself from mosquitoes, especially during dawn and dusk when the insects are most active. Although mosquitoes aren’t a big threat in some states in the winter, Eastern equine encephalitis also affects Gulf Coast states, where mosquitoes can show up even during winter. And mosquitoes in other parts of the country can carry dangerous diseases, too, such as West…

Whipping a rope can be a little tricky — as can setting up a dining fly or remembering how to tie a clove hitch. The BSA’s national camping subcommittee shared a few tips on teaching your Scouts outdoor skills that can be found on Scouting magazine’s blog, Bryan on Scouting. For advancement, teach Scouts using the traditional methods, but if they’re struggling to master a skill, try some of the camp hacks listed on the blog. For example, if your Scouts are having trouble whipping a rope, show them the “West Country Whipping” way. This method is used for the hundreds of lashing ropes in the pioneering area at National Jamborees, as well as at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree. 1 Start by tying a half-knot, the way you would…

A high-adventure experience includes several days of trekking in the wilderness. The BSA is constantly working to keep the programs at the four national high-adventure facilities fresh and relevant to both youth and adults. Here’s what’s new at Northern Tier, Philmont, Sea Base and the Summit. ▸ Because of the growth of Northern Tier’s popular Okpik winter program, the base has expanded its Okpik offerings to a second location. The Okpik-Kapvik program will take place at Gerber Scout Reservation in Twin Lakes, Mich. While the same basic Okpik program will be offered, some new activities will be available, including snowshoe trekking and fattire biking. (There’s no dog sledding at this location.) The program is the result of a partnership between Northern Tier and the Michigan Crossroads Council. Even though the…

YOU ARE IN CONTROL of your health destiny. And you can take more control with just a fork. Every day, you choose what to eat: apple or apple fritter. Grape juice or lemon water. A grande stuffed burrito or a light salad. Making healthier choices at mealtime is the single most effective way to improve your health. Change your diet An alarming study in the medical journal The Lancet warns that unhealthy eating is responsible for one in five deaths on Earth. Researchers looked at diet and disease trends from 195 countries over 27 years and determined that, in 2017 alone, 11 million deaths worldwide could be attributed to diets high in red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and trans fats from fried and baked goods — and low in whole…

THE CHANCES OF finding yourself in a true wilderness survival situation are fairly slim, even if you’re an avid outdoorsperson. From hurricanes, wildfires and blackouts to earthquakes, extreme heat and cold spells, you have a greater chance of getting caught in a natural disaster close to home. Survival is a state of mind and can apply to everyday life, so it’s wise to prepare for every possible disaster. Prepared at home When surviving a natural disaster, you should employ the same mental and psychological techniques you would in the wilderness-survival situation. Stop and assess the situation; prioritize your needs. Recognize you likely will go through a gamut of emotions, but do not panic. It’s extremely helpful to stay in touch with the outside world during the ordeal, so have a…