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Thanks, qwazse! It's good to know that launching vegetables was as much fun 5 years ago as it is today! Not so good to know that the previous discussion 5 years ago allegedly had rules about these activities, but I still can't actually FIND relevant written guidelines. ☹️

In Texas, the Buffalo Trail Scout camp offers some excellent "real rock" climbing activities. (Not el lame-o wood walls with plastic knobs nailed in.) In addition to the predictable merit badge class, they offer an advanced rock climbing class so that the kids who loved the basics can get a little more depth... See: http://buffalotrailbsa.org/btsr/climbing/

The Las Vegas Police will be receiving 3,600 boxes of cookies thanks to local Girl Scouts. "Cops eating donuts is such a stereotype," said Jennifer Farland, a brownie in Troop 183, "They eat cookies too!" See more: https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/girl-scouts-donate-cookies-to-las-vegas-police-photos-1675887/

I find this story very alarming. I'm so alarmed that I will go home this weekend and build a catapult to see if launching potatoes is as fun as it sounds. Naturally, I will have to confirm my findings by launching several additional potatoes to verify that it continues to be as fun. My scientific hypothesis is that the fun quotient could be boosted even higher by launching zucchinis, cantalopes, or maybe even seedless watermelons. I doubt that launching portabello mushrooms will be at all satisfying. That will take quite a few fun launches to confirm.

Fascinating post! It sometimes surprises me that so little has been written about the experience of black youth in BSA. I suppose part of the reason for that is that the organization was formed without racial divides and black youth were allowed to join units right from the inception. Interestingly, there was a de facto segregation that happened in the south. Some insight to this can be found in the following article: https://blackthen.com/first-negro-boy-scout-troop-formed-in-elizabeth-city-north-carolina/

BSA's "Guide to Safe Scouting" doesn't give us much guidance around these kinds of activities, though the "Shooting Sports Manual" does specifically prohibit potato guns (no mention of potato catapults though). It's really nigh on impossible to imagine every scenario in which somebody could possibly get injured, and to write that into the guidelines.

Glad to hear that you're encouraging scouts to pursue the Nova awards. I'd just like to say, though, that there is a bit more to earning the Nova award than "simply being a Scout and earning belt loops and pins". While completing activities within the normal Advancement process is a required part of every Nova award, there are additional activities that need to be done to earn the award. It's not an instant "gimme". At the Cub Scout level, each award requires completing certain "Adventures", then digging a little deeper by reading or watching documentaries, doing experiments or other investigation, and going to visit places where science is being done. These things are all fun though, and it's even more fun when the kids can do them together with their friends as a den.

The whole question of cell phone use at camp is kind of tricky. You unquestionably have scouts (and parents) who are firmly tethered to their electronics. You have lots of parents who want to helicopter their kids and will invent excuses around "safety" or "connectivity" or who knows what else. There's good uses for cell phones (I do like to encourage scouts to take lots of photos!) But sadly, there are more than a few scouts who will be unable to apply enough discipline to use the devices appropriately. Allow them and you need to figure out how to make sure they're not being used to text their friends back home all night, play Fortnight all night, and prowl inappropriate content whether you or their parents think they won't. Total electronics bans are hard to enforce and there are some people who will insist on arguing against them no matter how much sense they make. A more practical approach is probably to allow them en route to/from camp, but then collect them and allow their use only for those activities in which they are required. Scouts have lived without constant communication with mommy for generations. They lived and are better off for the opportunity to be independent. Good luck though, it's a "no win" situation with some parents.

One might hope... Unfortunately, "the device" is also the best source of MIS-information. We've all heard about the proliferation of "fake news" sites on the web, and bad information in every realm of human knowledge is equally easy to find online. Few adults know how to judge the quality of information they consume and increasingly, being able to judge information quality is a vital life skill that kids need to be taught in school, just like they need to know how to manage their finances, find a job, navigate the world around them, etc. You're right about good info being available "on the device", but separating the good from the bad is often EXTREMELY difficult to do. Fortunately, BSA has often done the heavy lifting for us. For scouting programs, the "best source of information" is often in the BSA Scout Handbook, the BSA Field Book, and the many merit badge pamphlets. When you use the BSA books, you also don't run into problems like inappropriate advertising, privacy violations, click tracking, etc.

Hmmm. I have mixed emotions about events like this. Publicity is usually a good thing, but the Summit's attraction is that it offers adventure activities in a wilderness environment. Bringing in lots of tourists, church groups, etc., can diminish the outdoor experience and take away resources that could be better used to build stronger programs for the scouts. Just my 2 cents....

I love it when ancient threads percolate their way up the food chain... The Young American Award sounds like a very interesting program, though I imagine it's of limited interest to most scouts and scouters because it's for ages 19-25, and most scouts I know, disengage by that age and move on to college, military and other endeavors. I find it interesting that national discontinued making these awards, but that councils can continue their Young American Award programs. Do very many councils do so?

Have you ever been to a Moot? Have you ever even heard of it? I constantly hear about Jamborees on the horizon, but never about Moots. While poking around on scouting.org, I found a page about Moots --- which are like Jamborees, but for scouts over age 18 (like Venture Crews, Sea Scout Ships, etc.) The next one is planned for 2021 in Ireland. Info: https://www.scouting.org/international/world-scout-moot/

Yeah, I know what you mean. The more you add to the menu, the more you increase your costs and the more you increase your complexity. Keep It Simple S....

Airfare alone must eat half that cost. I just priced tickets from Houston (IAH) to Iguacu (IGU)....cost at that time of the year is $1803 for one passenger. It is definitely a trip for the well funded crowd...

I just know y'all want to catch a plane heading to sunny Foz do Iguacu, Brazil for the week of January 4 - 10, 2020. That's when JamCam --- a combination Jamboree and Camporee --- will gather scouts from across the Americas. Here's the info: https://www.scouting.org/international/events/jamcam-2020/

Many troops over the years have successfully raised money for their unit by hosting a breakfast. Pancake breakfast, omelette breakfast, or even all you can eat feast. Make it your own. Have a few pamphlets around so the event can help recruit new scouts. Here's some news about a troop charging $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Eggs the way you like 'em, bacon, sausage, biscuits, etc. https://fiddleheadfocus.com/2019/05/28/news/community/top-stories/boy-scouts-to-cook-up-breakfast-feast-and-host-silent-auction-fundraiser/

If it's been more than a year since you last explored the idea of using BSA's STEM-Nova program to build science and technology activities into your pack's program, then you might want to take a fresh look. There have been quite a few updates to the entire STEM-Nova program, including some new awards for Cub Scouts that might not be on your radar. About STEM-Nova The Nova awards inspire curiosity about the sciences that make up our natural world. For Cub Scouts, the awards are intended for Wolf, Bear and Webelos scouts (not Tigers). Requirements Most Nova awards are straightforward for Cub Scouts and can be easily finished as a single-day activity. Award requirements vary, but generally, each award will require: Watching or reading about the sciences that comprise an award. Completing one or more related advantures, depending on grade level. Investigating an aspect of the science. Usually, doing some kind of experiment. Go see it: A field trip is typically part of each Nova award. Changes to the STEM-Nova Program Affecting Cubs When the Nova program was initially rolled out in 2011, it included four awards for Cub Scouts: Science Everywhere, Tech Talk, Swing!, and 1-2-3 Go! (corresponding to the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, respectively). The program continues to evolve and several new Nova awards have been added to the program, particularly in the past year. As of May 2019, there are now 10 Nova awards that Cub Scouts can earn. The newer awards, which many scouters may be unaware of, are: Down and Dirty - introduces Cub Scouts to the Earth sciences disciplines, including geology, weather, and oceanography. Nova Wild - Learn about wildlife, threats to their existence, and ways efforts to conserve wildlife, their habitats, and natural resources on which their lives depend. Out of This World - Explore the vast expanses of space as you learn about planets, galaxies, and the vast potential of space exploration and astronomy. Uncovering the Past - Grab your whip and fedora as you put Indiana Jones to shame, exploring the relics of the past. Learn about Archaeology, Anthropology, and whether or not Jurassic Park is ever likely to become reality. Cub Scouts Can Code - Its an ever-increasingly digital world we live in. Will you be one of the people bypassed by technology, or one of the people who makes it happen? Learn how machine logic works as you investigate how to program devices yourself. Fearful Symmetry - Patterns, balance and meaning, in nature and in human creation. What does it all mean? Can we create it or do we simply observe it? Info about STEM Nova awards for Cub Scouts: https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/awards/cub-scout/

La Salle Council is planning a first-of-its-kind "STEM Park". Read all about it... https://www.wndu.com/content/news/SB-area-boy-scouts-shoot-for-nations-first-outdoor-STEM-park-510284151.html

BSA rolled out yet another new STEM-NOVA award for Scouts BSA. This one focuses on the practices and methods of inventors and innovators as they go from idea to product on the shelf. It includes factors like cost, market analysis, and similar "behind the scenes" efforts that go on during the sometimes long timespan from initial concept through box on the shelf. The new NOVA award is called "Next Big Thing" and scouts can start earning it NOW! Requirements for "Next Big Thing" are here: https://i9peu1ikn3a16vg4e45rqi17-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NextBigThing.pdf Official info about BSA's STEM / NOVA awards can be found here: https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/awards/scouts-bsa/

Came across an interesting and timely article about Boy Scouts who spent 5 hours yesterday "properly" retiring flags... https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/boy-scouts-of-america-spent-memorial-day-honoring-flags-that-have-served-their-duty/2032613101

An interesting web site is "Art of Manliness". They have some excellent discussions and ideas for boys to investigate on their paths to manhood. One of my favorite articles there is 23 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do" https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/23-dangerous-things-let-kids/ (None of 'em are really dangerous at all...) BTW: I would add to the list of skills that boys should be allowed to forage for food.

That's why the time and effort we all spend supporting scouting is so worthwhile.

Quite right. While I think scouts (and adults) would benefit from all the exposure to leadership ideas they can get, they should not really be pushed into it, and dry classwork might well be counterproductive. In an ideal world, we'd just toss around nuggets of leadership wisdom while out on a lake fishing for trout, or hiking a 10-mile trail through wooded hills...

Hmmm. Much as I love STEM fields, I can't help but feel like this is yet another effort doomed to do nothing but dilute the scouting brand.

Yes, that's what makes the most sense....but I've seen many scouts who show up for ILST when they become Patrol Leader for the first time, then always manage to have "conflicts" when subsequent ILST is conducted....despite their having accepted new positions of responsibility. Every ILST will be a little different because you have different boys involved in the activities, you'll hear different observations during the reflection moments, etc., etc. Aside from any nitpicking about whether they should remove the trained strip, a youth can definitely grow his leadership skills by continuously revisiting topics and looking at things from a new perspective.