Eagle Scout Wins Greater Los Angeles Area Council Project of the Year
When faced with the challenge to complete an Eagle Scout project, Alexander B. knew he wanted to develop a project that would not only make camping more enjoyable, but that could also save lives. Alexander hoped to help keep his community safe and now, thanks to his inspiring efforts, his project has earned the honorable title of Project of the Year by the Greater Los Angeles Area Council.
Alexander B. wins local council’s Project of the Year Award
“I completed my project in the San Gabriel Mountains at a remote backpacking site at a camp ground on the Pacific Crest Trail where I installed seven 330-pound bear lockers in an effort to keep people safe,” the 17-year-old shared with the Daily Breeze.
Alexander says he came up with the idea to install “Bear Boxes” after speaking with David Ledford, a troop leader and volunteer with the U.S. Forest Department.
“Due to the terrible forest fires over the past few years, the bears have had less food to eat, so they are looking for food,” said Alexander. “The project will discourage bears from entering campsites as the people staying there will have all of their smellables and food locked in these boxes, and the bears will not be able to have access.”
The Greater Los Angeles Area Council’s Eagle Scout Association Committee has since selected Alexander as the “Glenn A. and Melina W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award” recipient for the Class of 2017. His project is now in the running for the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the National Eagle Scout Association.
“I am extremely grateful to receive this award. Scouting has so much to offer,” Brey said. “Through every challenge that I have overcome, I have been able to look back and realize how it has shaped me. It is not easy to push yourself to work hard, but becoming an Eagle Scout has truly changed my life like nothing has before.”
Learn more about Alexander’s unique Eagle Scout project by reading the full story on the Daily Breeze. All photo credits: Stephen Brey.
BSA’s Organization Name Not Changing, and Other Facts to Know and Share
The Boy Scouts of America organization name will continue to be Boy Scouts of America. It is not changing.
Reports started circulating on Wednesday, May 2, concerning the update to the Boy Scout program name. That program currently serves boys ages 11 through 17. Beginning February 2019, the Boy Scout program name will change to “Scouts BSA” and will begin serving girls, as well as boys.
Under the new name of “Scouts BSA,” that program, which is the same iconic program it has always been, will continue to offer Scouting in single-gender troops, through which Scouts – ages 11 through 17 – can work to earn the Eagle Scout rank.
Before, during, and after that program name change, the overall organization name will continue to be Boy Scouts of America.
Both male and female participants in the Scouts BSA program will be referred to as “Scouts,” just as boys now in the Boy Scout program are often referred to as “Scouts.”
You can find more information about the announcement at Scouting Newsroom and Scouting Wire. You can find more details about welcoming girls to Scouting at www.scouting.org/familyscouting.
Scouts BSA Troops Will Be Single-gender Troops
Concerning the single-gender troop structure in the Scouts BSA program, it will be as follows:
Troop structure will remain single gender, meaning a Scouts BSA troop will be made up of all boys or it will be made up of all girls. There will be no co-ed or mixed troops. Boys and girls will not be in troops together. Boys will be in troops with only boys, and girls will be in troops with only girls.
This will take effect during a scheduled launch on February 1, 2019.
Find more information about Scouts BSA at www.scouting.org/familyscouting.
Cub Scout Dens Will Be Single-gender Dens
The Cub Scout program, which serves youth ages 5 through 10 and had been available to boys since 1930, started serving girls in January 2018 through an Early Adopter program. Cub Scout registration will become available to boys and girls and in all councils starting in the Summer of 2018.
At the Cub Scout level, den and pack structures are as follows:
There will be three types of Cub Scout packs: all-boy packs, all-girl packs and packs that include a mix of girl dens and boy dens. Cub Scout dens will be single-gender: all boys or all girls.
This hybrid model builds on the benefit of a single-gender program while also providing character and leadership opportunities for both boys and girls.
For more information about the Cub Scout program, please visit www.scouting.org/programs/cub-scouts.
BSA Launches ‘Scout Me In’ Campaign, Announces Older Youth Program Name
The BSA is making history with two big announcements: First, we are unveiling the new “Scout Me In” campaign featuring girls, as well as boys, in our iconic Cub Scout program for the first time. The campaign speaks to kids and their friends by putting them in the middle of the action. This also engages parents who are looking for ways to make the most of the time they have with their kids and help them to be Prepared. For Life.
As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible. That is why we’re proud to announce that Scouts BSA is the new name for the Boy Scout program. Scouts BSA perfectly represents the new, inclusive program for older Scouts that the Boy Scouts of America is proud to offer. The name change will be effective in February 2019, when Scouts BSA will begin welcoming girls and boys.
Why Scouts BSA? Because it builds on the legacy of the Scout name. The Scout meetings, Scout camp, the Scout handbook, Scouts themselves — we have more than 108 years of heritage and tradition built on the Scout name. The organization name will continue to be Boy Scouts of America. The BSA will continue to build the future of Scouting with Scouts BSA, as we deliver character and leadership and offer a path to the rank of Eagle Scout for boys and girls.
As we enter a new era for our organization, Scouts BSA perfectly represents the new, inclusive program for older Scouts that the BSA is proud to offer.
Family Scouting Resources:
- Official news release (Scouting Newsroom)
- “Bryan on Scouting” blog (Scouting magazine)
- Family Scouting page (scouting.org)
- Scout Me In logos (BSA Brand Center)
- Scout Me In marketing collateral (Marketing and Membership Hub)
A Scout is Trustworthy
Do you know the story of George Washington and his father’s cherry tree? It goes that six-year-old Washington damaged a cherry tree with a hatchet. When he was confronted by his father, George bravely responded, “I cannot tell a lie … I did cut it with my hatchet.” Washington’s father’s anger at the injury to the tree was replaced by joy that his son was so honest. It’s a tale that’s been passed down for generations, but ironically was made up by a biographer who was short on information about Washington’s early life, but took it as an opportunity to promote good values.
April 30 is National Honesty Day and interestingly, Washington’s ethos of honesty is a part of how that date was chosen when the holiday was created in 1990. National Honesty Day was created by M. Hirsh Goldberg, the former press secretary of Maryland, who chose the date of Washington’s first inauguration to celebrate. His rationale was two-fold, though, because he also felt April needed to end with a counterbalance to April Fool’s Day, which Goldberg felt celebrates deception.
While not a long-standing tradition in this country, National Honesty Day is a nice reminder of something we as Scouts should do every day. It’s a part of our law to be trustworthy.
Being trustworthy includes, but goes far beyond, just being honest. It means being dependable, being a person who lives up to their word and acts with integrity in everything they do. This portion of our law is why we can begin the Scout Oath with “On my honor.” It’s no small thing to lay on the line. Someone’s honor is made up of their honesty, integrity, reputation, how they treat others and how they act when no one is looking. It’s everything a person is. By giving our word at the outset of the Scout Oath, Scouts are promising to be guided by its ideals and we are measured by how well we live up to that promise.
These values are central to lessons our programs teach. Scouting builds a solid foundation of character, leadership, values and education that stays with a child for a lifetime. Independent studies have shown that our programs successfully develop character in young people, including increasing their trustworthiness. Establishing a strong foundation of values is key to preparing a young person to be a successful, responsible adult and the foundational element of ethical leadership, which we hope to inspire the next generation of leaders. I hope we all will take National Honesty Day as a reminder of the values we all share and an opportunity to reflect on the importance of trustworthiness.
Yours in Scouting,
Mike
Thousands of Girls are Joining Cub Scouts
Tatum and Ian W., 10-year-old twins who are both participating in Webelos, are looking to be among the first brother/sister duos to eventually earn the rank of Eagle Scout. It’s all possible thanks to Tatum’s recent participation in Pack 154, which is part of Daniel Webster Council in Durham, New Hampshire.
The pack began welcoming girls to Cub Scouts in January of this year as one of our early adopter units. Full Cub Scout registration options for girls will be available to all councils starting June 11, 2018, while a program for older youth has a scheduled February 2019 launch.
Tatum W., center, and her brother Ian, left, are shown at a recent Cub Scout meeting where they built wooden tool boxes. All photos: The Associated Press
In joining Cub Scouts, Tatum — who was recently featured with her brother in an article by The Associated Press highlighting the growing availability of Cub Scouts for girls — became one of thousands of girls who have already joined a pack.
The Associated Press article, which was syndicated broadly, shared further details on the early adopter packs.
With more than 3,000 girls already signed up and roughly two-thirds of BSA councils participating, the program has been a way to address the requests that had been pouring in from families.
BSA Director of Communications Effie Delimarkos shared with the Associated Press that the requests started back in October of 2017, immediately following the decision to open up the program.
“We heard from our families, ‘OK, you’ve made the decision, can you please give us a way to do this right now because we’ve got families and daughters that are just really excited about it,” Delimarkos told the AP.
Tatum’s family was just one example. Like many girls, Tatum had been participating alongside her brother at some of his Cub Scout activities for years, but she hadn’t been able to earn official recognition.
“I thought it would be pretty cool because I thought it would be a good opportunity to do with my brother,” she said. “There’s a lot of cool activities.”
From Ian’s perspective, the addition of his sister has only improved his Scouting experience. “I was a little skeptical because it was me and my dad’s thing,” he said. “But when Tatum got in it was even more fun.”
That sentiment is echoed by Tuck Pescosolido, a den leader in Durham, New Hampshire. He told the AP that the boys have welcomed the girls with enthusiasm. He said that some of the newest female Cub Scouts in his community are friends of the boys in the pack, and the boys had recommended Scouting to them.
To read more about the thousands of girls that are already joining Cub Scouts, be sure to read the Associated Press article. And to learn more about Tatum and Ian’s adventures in Scouting, check out a story on the duo on Scouting Newsroom.
To learn more about some of the details on welcoming girls into the Cub Scout program, check out the Bryan on Scouting article on that topic, as well as the Family Scouting page on scouting.org.
Mom Shares Excitement As Daughter Joins Cub Scouts
It’s every mother’s dream to watch her daughter succeed and achieve more than she was ever able to. New Cub Scout mom Anita J. mirrors that sentiment as she watches her daughter join an all-girl Cub Scout den – an opportunity she always hoped for as a child.
Anita said she is thrilled her daughter Mia gets her chance to be part of the den.
“She’s super excited to just be part of something,” Anita shared with KPTV. “Growing up, my brother was a Cub Scout, my parents were den leaders. I got to go on all these outings but not necessarily a part of it.”
Anita shared a photo from her childhood with FOX 12 showing her overlooking a group of Cub Scouts, clearly disappointed that she can’t join the group.
“It’s a picture of me looking down, but not a part of it and really wanting to be a part of it,” Anita explained.
But now, thanks to the BSA’s historic move to welcome girls into the Cub Scout program, her daughter Mia can participate in all the adventures Scouting offers.
To read the full story visit Fox 12 Oregon.
To learn more about some of the details on welcoming girls into the Cub Scout program, check out the Bryan on Scouting article on that topic.
For more information on Family Scouting, visit www.scouting.org/familyscouting.
Photo credit: KPTV.
Cub Scout Assists Elderly Neighbor in Emergency
Story by Lido Vizzutti of the Montana Council
Bear Cub Scout Blake G., 9, assisted 80-year-old neighbor after falling and breaking her leg.
Bear Cub Scout Blake G., 9, began riding his bike every day after school looking for people who might need help. He didn’t expect to assist in an emergency situation so soon, but luckily for a nearby neighbor, he was ready to lend a helping hand in the nick of time.
It started on March 26, 2018, when, out for an after-school bike ride with his younger sister, McKenna, 8, he heard his neighbor Sally, 80, calling for help.
Quickly responding to her appeals for assistance, Blake – with Pack 155 of the Lewis and Clark District – found that Sally had fallen on the front step of her home in Great Falls, Mont., and severely broken her leg.
“I knew I needed to help her right away, but I was kind of nervous,” said Blake. “Her leg looked really bad so I knew I had to do something.”
Sally said she had been for calling for help for around an hour and a half and although a few people had passed, none, until Blake, had stopped to check on her.
Assessing the situation, Blake decided assistance from his father was the logical next step.
“I knew my dad would know how to help her better than I could by myself,” Blake said.
Scouting taught him in an emergency, “to figure out what the problem is so you can get an adult to help,” he said. “It’s also really important to stay calm, even if you’re scared.”
At home, Blake relayed the scene to his father Adam and together they returned to the neighbor who seemed to be going into shock. As Blake stayed with the injured woman, keeping her comforted, Adam entered her house to retrieve a blanket and call 911 from her home phone.
Sally, a Girl Scout through high school, told Blake her husband had passed away two months ago and she was alone. She said she was grateful for Blake and had a special place for him in her heart.
“Scouts are supposed to be kind and helpful,” said Blake.
The ambulance arrived to transport Sally to the hospital. Before departing, paramedics asked Blake why he had stopped to help her when so many passed by.
“Because I’m a Boy Scout,” he said.
In response to Blake’s assistance, Sally’s children released the following statement:
“We just want to thank Blake and his dad for the care and concern they showed for our mom. Mom says, ‘Blake is my angel.’ We are so appreciative that there are kids like Blake and parents like Rachel and Adam. Without their help, things could have ended very differently.”
KRTV reported on the story in a news segment yesterday, sharing the Cub Scout’s account of the emergency in the video below. You can read the full story at KRTV.
Scouting Wire would like to thank Vice President of Public Relations of the Montana Council Mary Matelich and Media Specialist Lido Vizzutti of the Montana Council for submitting this story.
What You Need to Know About Lions Integrating With Cub Scouts
The National Executive Committee and Board voted that the Lion pilot has proven successful and is ready to officially join the Cub Scouting family!
Research and feedback says…
- Developing character is the #1 reason to join Scouting, according to parents.
- 61% of Lion youth are new families to Scouting!
- Lions grew over 50% nationally over the last 12 months.
- More than 91% of councils have been involved in the Lion pilot during 2017-2018.
- 75% of new parents take on leadership roles. Roles include assistant den leader, committee member, assistant cubmaster and more.
Read on to learn all of the latest updates and understand how to best integrate Lions into Cub Scouting.
When does the pilot stop and Lions become part of Cub Scouting?
At the end of the 2017-2018 school year. Lions will officially kick off as a new Cub Scout rank for fall of 2018.
Do we still use the word “Cub” for Lions?
To simplify things and be consistent, Cub Scouting no longer uses the term Tiger Cubs or Lion Cubs. The youth are simply called Lions or Tigers.
Can we register Lions for the fall now?
The Lions program starts in August or later. Councils should recruit and register Lions as close to the start time of the program and their den. There is no summer program for Lions. Youth should be recruited close to the time that councils have active programs to deliver to the youth.
With Lions now being the first offering in Cub Scouting, will Bobcat stay in Tigers or move to Lions?
Bobcat is staying in Tigers and will remain as it is currently run in the program.
Do den chiefs work with Lions?
Den chiefs can work with those in Cub Scouting ranks: Bears, Wolves and Webelos. Lions and Tigers do not have den chiefs. Since an adult partner is required, the den chiefs are reserved for the older ranks.
With the new Lion merchandise available this summer, can families purchase these items?
Yes. Lions who have earned the various adventure loops and/or Lion rank patch are welcome to purchase these items.
What’s New for Lions?
Lion materials have been updated to reflect the needs of both boys and girls. All girl dens or all boy dens are welcome. Images are being updated on the Lion website and we will continue to share more images for your local use.
Lions will now have more resources similar to other Cub Scout ranks. These will arrive in Scout Shops and online this summer in preparation for the fall start. For merchandise questions, please contact Supply Customer Service at 800-323-0736 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Parents now have more flexibility with deciding when to begin Lion fundraising. It’s also a family’s choice as to how many pack meetings they attend based on their family’s schedule.
Additional New Items Available
The Lion Parent and Leader Guidebook will have a new cover. It will still be available for parents and leaders all wrapped together in the Lion kit.
The youth handbook will get a new cover. Previously called the Youth Adventure Book, it is now called the Lion Cub Scout Handbook. This update will be consistent with the other Cub Scout ranks.
A new rank strip patch is also arriving. It will provide for better placement when a Lion moves to Tigers and beyond. The previous diamond patch will be discounted as stock runs out. The new rank patch can be placed on the T-shirt over their heart.
Stickers are still available for the youth to place in their Lion Cub Scout Handbook immediately as they complete an adventure. However, new Adventure Loops will be available just as they are available for the other Cub Scout ranks. These can be awarded during pack meetings or as the pack traditionally awards them to the youth.
Because Lions will now have Adventure Loops, they will also begin wearing their Cub Scout belt to proudly display their earned awards. Your den may also be interested in the single Lion rank pocket card or the multi sheet pocket card. Another item available will be the Lion advancement chart.
In the Adventure of Gizmos and Gadgets a new activity was added for a new yellow/gold neckerchief and slide. These would be awarded after the adventure is complete, according to the desire of the advancement chair and den leader.
What’s Not Changing for Lions?
The T-shirt is loved by children and parents, alike. The youth enjoy the comfort and fun of the Lion T-shirt, while the parents love the price point and cute character. The T-shirt remains the official Lion uniform. The cap is still an optional item.
The Lion curriculum is still the same fun and energetic program. Pinewood Derby was added last year.
As mentioned above, the Lion Parent and Leader Guidebook will still be available for parents and leaders all wrapped together in the Lion kit, which includes:
- Lion stickers
- Lion Cub Scout Handbook
- Lion Parent and Den Leader Guide
- Youth Protection, How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide – newly added for Lions. But the version is the same as it is for the rest of Cub Scouts.
The Lion website is still the same, complete with all the program resources you need, including PowerPoints, videos, recruitment flyers, image link, FAQs, and more. All resources will be updated by the end of May.
Have questions about Lions not mentioned here? Please contact BSA’s Member Care Contact Center at – 972-580-2489 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You may also contact your local council service center for more details pertaining to your local Lion Den.
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News Update 3/28/18
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