Our weekly troop meetings are great. We start our meetings off at 7:00 PM with a pre-opening game that all the scouts can take part in. Then at 7:30 PM we start our meeting with a formal opening where we say the pledge of allegiance, Scout Law and Scout Oath. Then we move on to the scouts learning a scouting skill and then the individual scouts show how to do the scouting skill they learned. Once we are done with this, we move on to working on advancement (Scout, Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, Life and Eagle). Then we move to a troop game. Once all this is done we go to Closing Circle before going home. All of this is planned and carried out by our Patrol Leaders Council.
Scouting is fun and we get to make new friends

My name is Kelly and I am a single mom of an 11 year old son. Since joining Scouts 3 years ago I have watched my young son grow into a young man. I feel like I am no longer raising him alone. Our scout troop is our family. My son has developed skills that he will carry with him for a lifetime. Scouting was the best commitment we have ever made.

The troop walked 5 1/2 miles to Cedar Bluff and camped over night. The best part of the hike was Phil saying “One more hill” every time someone asked how much further. The M.R.E’s did not taste as good as they made it sound. We woke up on Sunday at 7am and hiked 5 1/2 miles to Sawmill.

What a great weekend the troop had hiking to Cedar Bluff at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation. The weather was great for a backpacking trip. The Scouts and leaders really enjoyed sleeping on the ledge and enjoying the beautiful scenery. The challenges for the weekend were carrying everything you needed for the weekend in your backpack on your back and walking 10 miles roundtrip. The scouts and leaders that took part did an awesome job. Also, I believe they had an great time seeing areas of scout camp that a lot of scouts never get to see up close at scout camp.

This was my first year at scout camp. It was fun. The most fun part was basketry and I can’t wait to go again.

I think becoming a Foxman and a Patrol Leader gives me a challendge and I love challendges. It gives me more responsiblity and shows other people what I can do being a Foxman and Patrol Leader. It gives me a chance to show people I am older than I look. It shows kids that if you put your mind to do something, then you can do it. I put my mind to it and if I can do it then you can too.

The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. Its uniforms help to create a sense of belonging. The Scouting program has three specific objectives, commonly referred to as the “Aims of Scouting.” They are character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. To accomplish these aims, the BSA has designed eight methods in Boy Scouting. One of these methods is uniforming.  Wearing a uniform gives youth and adult members a sense of identification and commitment.

Over the years, Scoutmasters have noticed that Scouts who truly try to live by the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives seem to be moved by the spirit to wear the Scout uniform. Why? What is so magical about a complete Class ‘A’ uniform including a BSA issued shirt, pants/shorts, socks and belt? Why would the BSA include uniforming as part of the eight methods of Boy Scouting? Let’s take a few minutes to investigate this method to see what it brings to the table.

The uniform supports the first Aim of Scouting, that of character development. The uniform is a symbol of the boy’s commitment to Scouting – his acceptance of the BSA’s ideals and willingness to live by them. The boy knows that when he is in that uniform he is expected to act in accordance to the values of the BSA and the values he has made an oath to live by. This purpose of uniforming is as much a part of the method as uniting him with his troop or patrol. Boy Scouts is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Scout’s commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. You can relate the requirement to wear a uniform to your son playing sports.  Would you take your son to a baseball, football, soccer or basketball game without his complete team uniform? If no, then please treat the Class ‘A’ Boy Scout uniform with the same respect.

The Scout’s identification grows even greater when it is realized that the uniform gives the Scout an identity in a world brotherhood of youth and adults who believe in the same ideals. The uniform identifies youth and adult members of the Boy Scouts of America, visible as a force for good in the community. When properly and smartly worn, the uniform can build good unit spirit.

Scouts often do not have a complete understanding of Scouting or the commitment they have chosen to make. We need to communicate to them that that the uniform is a symbol of their commitment to Scouting, to the BSA, to their Council and to other Scouts and, not wearing the uniform is a sign to others that they may lack that commitment.

The uniform also makes the Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. People who are not Scouts recognize the Boy Scout uniform. To the community, the uniform represents a welcome image, a reminder that not all kids are bad.

Uniforming also supports the second Aim of Scouting, that of citizenship training. In that it contributes to patrol and troop spirit. Boys who wear the uniform have a sense of personal equality as the uniform represents a democratic idea of equality, bringing people of different backgrounds together in the Scouting tradition.. The uniform helps to build loyalty and gives the troop and patrol an identity with the program. However, that ‘uniformed Scout’ represents more to himself, to his fellow Scouts and to the public as a whole, than simply belonging to his patrol or his troop. Used broadly, citizenship means the boy’s relationship to others. He comes to learn of his obligations to other people, to the society he lives in, to the government that presides over that society. The BSA uniform unites the boy with this larger goal by uniting him with the organization whose aim is that goal: the BSA.

Uniforming also contributes to the third aim of personal and mental fitness. In Boy Scouting, the Scouts must satisfy certain requirements to achieve rank and responsibility within the program. These requirements often require the mastering of a physical or mental skill. When the requirements are satisfied an award or badge is earned. The uniform gives the Scout a reason to take pride in the way he looks and in the badges and awards that testify to his achievements as the uniform shows the wearer’s activity, responsibility, and achievement. The accomplishments of every youth and adult member can be recognized by the insignia worn on the uniform.

The leaders of Scouting—volunteer and professional—should promote the wearing of the correct, complete uniform on all suitable occasions.  You are the model to your boys and your example will reflect itself in them. When you are with the Scouts, even for the simplest of things, put on your uniform. It raises the moral tone of the boys and it heightens their estimation of their uniform when they see it is not beneath a grown man or woman to wear it. It also heightens their estimation of themselves when they find themselves taken seriously by men and women who also count it of importance to be in the same organization with them. As Scouters, we must constantly remind ourselves that it isn’t so much what we say to the Scouts that they will emulate, but what we do. The Scouts are told by other leaders, by their handbooks and by each other to look to us as role models. And they will, they will do what we do and wear what we wear.

The uniform is a constant reminder to all members of their commitment to the ideals and purpose of the Scouting movement. It is a way of making visible members’ commitment to a belief in God, loyalty to country, and helping others at all times. It is important that each of us fully understands the importance of each of the eight methods of Boy Scouting. I hope that after reading this discussion on how uniforming directly contributes to the three aims of Scouting that you have a better understanding of the often neglected and misunderstood method of uniforming.

The Tribal Celebration was June 2 through June 4 this year. A few of us went down early and the rest came down later that Friday night to participate in the various activities that weekend. Well on Friday night we went to Late Night In Lone Bear. This is where they have various games and contests that Braves participate in to win prizes. Well we had one Brave who participated this year and that was Justin Lee. He was chosen to compete in the pickle eating contest. Now these are the BIG Dill Pickles to see how many they can eat in a certain time limit. Well Justin didn’t win but he still ate 3 Big Dill Pickles and received a Mic-O-Say T-shirt for trying. Afterwards we went to Cracker Barrel to eat a Peach Nehi Float. On Saturday there was a lot of activities going on. The boys played in the Chieftains Challenge which consists of games of skill, communication, knowledge and teamwork. Some of the other activities that the adults went to were Garage Sale, Silent Auction and the memorial service to name just a few. And the food was good especially the Barbeque. Then Saturday Night the Chieftain Ceremony this is where the new Presiding Chief is named for the next 12 months. So after the ceremony we headed back home. I think I can speak for everyone that went we all had a great time. Some of us just can’t wait to go back down when the whole Troop is going down for Summer Camp. But I guess we will so we all can have that Peach Nehi Float.

This summer I was tapped to serve as the Counselor down at the Lone Star Scoutcraft Lodge, and let me tell you, it’s a lot of fun already. I’m not even done with first session yet and I’m enjoying both working with my staff (all first year guys) and campers. They’re having a blast.
Now at Scoutcraft, we teach five merit badges in total. Camping, Wilderness Survival, First Aid, Geocaching, and Pioneering. We also have a program for scouts who have not yet achieved the rank of First Class, befittingly called Trail to First Class.
In our merit badges you’ll learn how to camp properly, how to survive in the wilderness (with and without gear,) how to build big and useful things with just some rope and long poles, and even how to potentially save someone’s life some day. And oh yeah, geocaching is fun too! We have nice new geocaches that really will be fun to find and hike around for.
Scoutcraft is a great place to learn your knots, learn Scouting skills, and have fun. I invite everyone to come down and see us for a badge or two this summer. I can already see that it’s gonna be a good one.

First, Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness.
Second, Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is an Eagle Scout. When he said, “The Eagle has landed,” he wasn’t kidding. In 1969, Armstrong became the first Eagle Scout to be portrayed on a U.S. postage stamp— called “The Man on the Moon.”
During a three-month drive in the spring of 1942, Scouts collected 318,000 tons of paper for the war effort.
In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt requested the Boy Scouts’ service in collecting 1.8 million items of clothing, household furnishings, foodstuffs, and supplies for victims of the Great Depression.
Next, In 1929, an African American Boy Scout from Fort Worth, Texas, found and returned a woman’s pocketbook that contained more than $300 in cash. The boy declined her liberal reward, saying, “No, madam. I am a Boy Scout and cannot take a tip for doing my duty.
“A mass shooting erupted in a Houston, Texas neighborhood on Sunday, leaving one man killed and six others injured. Unaware of the terror and gunfire that had just been unleashed moments before, 17-year-old Boy Scout Nicholas L., rushed to the aid of a man he found crying in pain and bleeding in the street of his neighborhood. It wasn’t until he asked the victim what happened that he discovered the man had been shot – and the shooter was still at large. Nicholas wasted no time before he sprang into action, employing the techniques he learned in Scouting to help the gunshot victim before an ambulance arrived. “That’s when I realized there were actually two wounds, one where the bullet entered his thigh, and one where it exited,” Nicholas explained.The Scout asked bystanders to call 9-1-1 and then requested that the victim remove his suit vest. Using the vest, the Scout quickly crafted a tourniquet to tie off the wound and prevent further blood loss. The Scout understood the importance of keeping calm under pressure so he spoke to the victim the entire time, ensuring he was at ease while tending to his wounds. Nicholas’ high school history teacher happened to be nearby and assisted the Scout. The police arrived shortly thereafter and secured the perimeter. First responders then loaded up the victim in the ambulance and overtook treatment.
scoutingnewsroom.org

“In 1929, an African American Boy Scout from Fort Worth, Texas, found and returned a woman’s pocketbook that contained more than $300 in cash. The boy declined her liberal reward, saying, “No, madam. I am a Boy Scout and cannot take a tip for doing my duty.’”
“Sammy was on a camping trip at McKinney Falls State Park with his mom, Kelly, his dad, Stacey, and his brothers, Ben, eight, and Willy, two. Around 11 a.m., Sammy’s mother and little brother Ben dropped the family kayak into Onion Creek and paddled off. Sammy and Willy accompanied their dad to Upper Falls. With his father watching from the rocks above, Sammy jumped in. Sammy played in the water for a while, eventually pulling himself out of the swimming hole and onto a warm boulder and watching a group of children tramp through the creek bed above. As the kids passed Stacey and Willy, a tiny five-year-old girl reached down to grab a water bottle and lost her balance. In an instant, she was swept over the falls. Sammy caught a glimpse of the girl’s arm and the top of her dark head as the roiling currents pushed her into the hollow beneath the rock ledge, hiding her from the crowd above. she struggled in the deep water. His father walked toward the edge of the waterfall to try to locate the girl, but Sammy was the one in striking distance. Sammy was nervous but he understood what he had to do. He dived in, cutting through the churn of the waterfall. In a few seconds, he was next to the struggling girl. Panicking, she tried to climb on top of him. Sammy was Treading water an arm’s length away from the girl, he asked her if she could swim. When she said no, Sammy carefully pulled her onto his back and followed the rock wall’s slick contours around the edge of the waterfall toward the shore.Soon, someone threw a swim float from the bank and pulled both kids from the water. Sammy had saved a little girl’s life.”
Finally, “Scouts collected more than 1 million tons of litter on Scouting Keep America Beautiful Day in 1971.”

“Of 122 merit badges, the one earned most by Scouts across the country is First Aid; more than 84,419 Scouts earned the badge in 2008. “
“The BSA is eco-friendly! In addition to publishing the first “green” Boy Scout Handbook in 2009, BSA magazines Boys’ Life and Scouting have been certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
In conclusion these are the reasons that we should love scouts.