Top 5 merit badges to help you celebrate Halloween at home - ISNL 20-40

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Published: Oct 12, 2020

 

 

 

 

With all the craziness going on in the world, is there something small, anything we can do as Scouters to help Scouting stay strong and grow? What is it that Scouts are looking for from Scouts? Friends, social time, outdoor adventure, to have fun, or maybe, to sit around a campfire having smores and telling crazy ghost stories?

 

There are so many things they look for and desire, but are we giving it to them? What can we do to make Scouting more fun and exciting? How can we encourage our young leaders to put on a stronger and more amazing program? Do you let them fall down and get back up bit battered but proud to try again?

 

All Scouting is local, and thus the answer to this question will be different not only by where you are located but also the leaders and youth in your units. We should take the time to reflect on how Scouting is different for everyone everywhere. At the same time, we have a common framework for us to work within that allows us to bring a lot of joy, adventure, and so many other things to them, even if only impacts one scout or many.

 

As you start to ponder my words, maybe you can find it in your heart to also support InsaneScouter by checking out what Knapsack has to offer. https://insanescouter.org/p/5875/0/Knapsack.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

IS
 

 (From "Patches and Pins..." by Mike Walton (c) 1994. )When I was growing up in Rose Terrace, just about everyone did car washes to raise money for some organization or another. A car wash was cheap to run....get some detergent, some sponges and old shirts, towels and some dishwashing liquid. And lots of water. Go out someplace hopefully on a sunny, clear day, set up the signage, and you're in business!Not a lot of people spend time like they used to washing their cars. It used to be a Saturday morning or afternoon ritual....but then, that's why we made a ......
 
 

Image by Van Huy Bui from Pixabay Do you wonder what Cub’struction is? Basically, it's having cub scouts construct something--anything--out of everyday household items. Here are five really cool projects you can do with your Scouts, whether you’re at home or attending a den meeting. All five of these cub’structions can be made from things that almost all of us have in common use around the house. We will start by making a hat out of a newspaper. Here is a video to help you make the hat. How about making a telephone out of some string and two plastic cups? Watch the ......
 
 

Image by Joshua Miranda from Pixabay Several of our readers have mentioned that they wished that someone would post a list of the abbreviations and acronyms that are regularly used in Scouting… So we got to thinking that this would be an excellent place to do just that. Also, it may be that as your kids who gotten involved in Scouting, you have already discovered that Scouting is full of abbreviations. If you like abbreviations, they can make getting information across a bit easier; for those who are forgetful, they can make life a little harder. To make the first group ......
 
 

Image provided and used by permission of Elizabeth Reid Here's a good illustration of why *meeting the requirements as written* and not shortcutting them for any reason is important.  This is a good example also to those of you NOT in Scouting as to why you need to assess your team members periodically and ensure not only that they *say* they have the skill sets you need but ask them or review their *application* of that knowledge.A friend of mine is the Committee Chair of a Troop in a nearby town.  She contacted me and asked for some advice. One of ......
 
 

Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be part of a medical trauma unit working in an emergency room? What about being an automation engineer at a cereal factory? What about getting to see firsthand what it's like to be a fireman who is going to respond to a blazing fire somewhere in your city? We thought it would be useful to you to provide a list of potential field trips that you could take your Scouts on. One of the Scout themes for a month is “When I Grow Up.” You could use this information ......
 
 

Image by Thomas B. from Pixabay I remember when I was in Cub Scouts and Webelos, and we always had our Pack meetings in the gym of my elementary school. That usually worked out well, especially when there would be some physical activity that was a part of the Pack meeting, like Dodgeball (yup, that’s how old I am). According to Wikipedia, a gymnasium, also known as a gym, is a covered location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek gymnasium. ... The word gym is also slang for a fitness center, which is often an area for indoor recreation. Scouting ......
 

 
Comics

Scouts orienteering

https://www.the-cartoonist.com/knots/

EDGE explanation

https://www.facebook.com/CoveyLogic/

Blog
 


How far would you go for the place you love? For Clint Buxton, the answer is exact: 272 miles. Buxton, 61, is camp director at Mount Norris Scout Reservation, the beloved Vermont camp where he served on staff as a teenager and shared great memories with his Eagle Scout son. But when Mount Norris was forced to close for the season because of COVID-19, Buxton suddenly had a free summer. So he decided to fulfil a lifelong dream of hiking Vermont’s Long Trail, a 272-mile path that runs the length of the state. This hike, however, was about more than ......
 
 


A couple of years ago, graphic artist Rita Thurman’s company offered its employees five paid days to creatively pursue a passion. She and her friend decided to try blacksmithing, something she had always wanted to do. So, they visited a local living history museum to learn. “We spent the day making hooks, ” Thurman says. “It took me several hours to make my first hook; it was a huge waste of coal.” Fast forward to last spring and viewers of Forged in Fire, a metalwork competition show on the History Channel, saw Thurman, dressed in a BSA field uniform and ......
 
 


Maybe your Halloween plans this year include pumpkin decorating, virtual costume contests or other lower-risk ways to celebrate this fun family holiday. Or perhaps you, like me, are just planning a sugar binge until you crash at the crack of 9:30 p.m. Either way, allow me to suggest a Scouty addition to your spooky season schedule: earn one of the merit badges on the list below during the month of October. Adding a little something extra to a merit badge by connecting it to a holiday or other major event isn’t mandatory. But neither is finishing off the entire bag of ......
 
 


The Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet are the largest Scouting events in the world with more than 1.5 million Scouts from more than 160 countries annually participating. If you’ve never experienced the digital or amateur radio events before, this might be the perfect time to attend, especially with many of us Scouting at home. These events will be held concurrently Oct. 16-18, and will allow Scouts to connect with other Scouts, locally, nationally or globally. You can register here. For the Jamboree-on-the-Internet, all you need is an Internet-enabled device, like a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. If you have a ham radio, you ......
 
 


Kids can learn about citizenship with this mock election game where they cast their ballot for their favorite candy bar....
 
 


Congratulations to Wendy Shaw, who will serve as Scout executive of the Longhorn Council in Fort Worth, Texas, effective November 2, 2020. Wendy began her Scouting career in 2000 as a district executive at the Pikes Peak Council in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She held a variety of positions with the council including senior district executive, district director, field director, and assistant Scout executive prior to her departure. In 2010, she was promoted to director of field service at the Three Fires Council in St. Charles, Illinois, and in 2014, was selected as Scout executive of the Coronado Area Council in ......
 

 
News
 

Now, he is completing his final task to become an Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America. His Eagle Scout project was inspired by his grandmother, a resident of Tallahassee ......
 
 

That's what one Oklahoma City Boy Scout is doing with his Eagle Scout project: Plexiglass cubicles that will allow those in assisted living to spend time ......
 

 
Youtube
 
 
 
 
 


Volunteer Vacation engages adult Scouters in volunteer work in a similar fashion to the trail crews during the summer. Volunteers spend one week working and living in the Philmont backcountry constructing trail. These participants work with staff from the Philmont Conservation Department to develop trail construction skills and use them to leave a lasting impact for the thousands of participants who will use the trail in the future. Phil Winegardner, one of the National Directors of the Philmont Staff Association shares a bit of his perspective in this video....
 
 


The Scouting On Demand Team is excited to introduce Adventure Boxes! This is an INNOVATIVE way to help families Scout together while staying safe and having fun at home. Each box is tailored to your Scout, full of games, gadgets and tools to help your child earn their next Adventure! These boxes will be available for purchase starting in October 2020 and will be delivered right to your door! How it works: Pick a grade. Order one box or subscribe and save! Our boxes are age specific. Delivered Quarterly. Choose your plan. Order 1 box or subscribe and save ......
 

 
Pin
 


Many kids with ADHD (also known as ADD) are messy most of the time, which can cause problems at home and at school. Learn why many kids with ADHD struggle so much with messiness....
 
 


Ever wondered how arctic animals stay warm in icy water? This fun science experiment shows how a layer of fat makes a huge difference in body temperature!...
 
 

 

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Baked Apples are a delicious dessert recipe that can be made in the oven or on the grill! Apples stuffed with a sweet filling then topped with caramel and ice cream. Perfect for camping or enjoying any night! #baked #apples...
 

 
Jobs
 

Prep Girls Hoops has over 100 writers in 30 states and produces 1, 000 + articles a month on high school and grassroots girls basketball. Give you what you need.From Prep Network - Tue, 06 Oct 2020 23:29:51 GMT - View all Richmond, VA jobs...
 
 

Girl Scouts Vision Mission Girl Scouts is a non-partisan, inclusive organization. These girls will have the opportunity to participate in Girl Scouts having…From AmeriCorps - Tue, 06 Oct 2020 18:01:03 GMT - View all Kansas jobs...
 
 

Prep Girls Hoops has over 100 writers in 30 states and produces 1, 000 + articles a month on high school and grassroots girls basketball. Give you what you need.From Prep Network - Tue, 06 Oct 2020 23:29:51 GMT - View all Virginia Beach, VA jobs...
 
 

The Girl Scout AmeriCorps Troop Specialist will work to serve girls through in-school, after-school, and community group settings by providing the Girl Scout…From City of Davenport, IA - Tue, 06 Oct 2020 21:22:44 GMT - View all Davenport, IA jobs...
 

 

 

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