ScoutCast

How do you explain the benefits of merit badges to a boy? Sure, you’re the adult, you get it, but how do we explain it so the Scout gets it? And what if all he wants to do is earn the outdoor badges like Camping and Kayaking? How do you pique his interest in ones like Chess, Law, or Reptile and Amphibian Study? Zach Chopp-Adams, advisor for the C2 section of the Michigan Crossroads Council, wrote one of his Wood Badge tickets on motivating Scouts to earn merit badges and shares his insight right here on ScoutCast.

The post February 2015 – How to Motivate a Scout Along the Merit Badge Trail appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

If you’re a seasoned Scoutmaster, assistant Scoutmaster, or Venturing Advisor, you know what we’re talking about. Awkward situations and the discussions that need to take place because of them is a common occurrence in Scouting. But, the Scout or Venturer is not your child, so first you have to have an awkward conversation with the parent or guardian to get permission to have that discussion. It takes some experience to know how to handle these situations tactfully, so longtime Scoutmaster and current Venturing Advisor Peter Self shares the microphone with us to discuss in great detail how to get permission to handle awkward situations.

The post January 2015 – Getting Permission to Handle Awkward Situations appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

Scouts in Action is the most popular feature of Boys’ Life magazine so we thought it might be nice to end the ScoutCast year with a discussion about the different lifesaving awards and how they get awarded. Chuck Ezell, department manager for Regional Operations Support, joins us for this engaging discussion.

The post December 2014 – Lifesaving Awards appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

Boy Scout founder Lord Baden-Powell once said, “The Patrol (method) is the one essential feature in which Scout training differs from that of all other organizations, and where properly applied, it is absolutely bound to bring success. It cannot help itself!” So before accepting the position of area director for Area 5 of the Central Region, Mark Griffin was tasked with developing training and a big part of that was helping leaders understand the patrol method and how to get the most from it. He shares a lot of that understanding right here on ScoutCast.

The post September 2014 – The How and Why of the Patrol Method appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

Scott Woolery is the chartered organization representative for a troop in Plymouth, Minnesota, that can boast that it has 104 registered boys and has been continuously chartered since 1916. We were fairly certain that not all of these boys transitioned from Webelos, so how did he do it? How is it possible that the troop has 104 boys? We invited Scott to ScoutCast to answer those questions and more; his answers may surprise you!

The post August 2014 – Recruiting Older Scouts and Venturers appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

Mike Goldman, editorial director of Boys’ Life magazine (who gets paid to think like a 12-year-old boy) likes to say “if it’s in a boy’s life – it’s in Boys’ Life.”  Join us as he shares his passion for the magazine that not only gives leaders all kinds of great ideas for having  successful units; it is the ultimate advancement tool.

The post July 2014 – How Your Troop Can Get the Most From Boys’ Life Magazine appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

A priest and a rabbi walk into ScoutCast…to talk about Duty to God. No, it’s not a joke; Father Don Hummel and Rabbi Peter Hyman join us to explore the concept of Duty to God in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America. How does the BSA define religion? Do you have members in your troop or crew who are of different faiths? How do you deal with that? If you want the answers to these questions, just click the download button.

The post May 2014 – Duty to God – It’s More Than a Patch appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

Jeff Kearney of Downington, Pennsylvania, has been very active in Scouting for over 10 years; Founder and Cubmaster of Pack 91, NYLT Course Director, Scoutmaster, and the list goes on. His lovely wife, Deborah, is left behind to take care of all the day-to-day family stuff.

So how do you handle it when your spouse is not around, spending most of his or her time helping the youth of America build character? It’s for Scouting, after all, so what can you do?

Jeff and Deborah engage us in a fabulous discussion in how to be deeply involved in Scouting and still be happily married.

The post April 2014 – Scout Widows (and Widowers) appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

As a young man grows from Life Scout to Eagle Scout, he goes through a set of prescribed requirements that must be met in order to earn the esteemed award. Sounds reasonable enough, right?  Well, Wayne Huddleston, Eagle rank and Palm specialist on the National Advancement Committee, shares with us that sometimes the road to Eagle Scout doesn’t go as smoothly as it should.  Click the Download button to find out more

The post December 2013 – Unique Challenges With the Eagle Scout Process appeared first on BSA Podcasts.

We asked 56 experienced Scoutmasters from across the country, “What do you know now that you wish you knew as a new Scoutmaster?” The overwhelming response was not handling issues with the kids, but with…their parents!

So with the help of Zach Chopp-Adams, who has been a Scoutmaster or assistant Scoutmaster since he was only 18 years old and serves as Advisor for the new Section C2 in the Michigan Crossroads Council, we discover how the grown-ups can be the problem and how to handle it when they are.

The post November 2013 – Working With Problem Parents appeared first on BSA Podcasts.