Scouting Magazine

About our cover:

While some kids sit inside playing video games when the temperature dips below zero, the Scouts in Troop 439 stay active. Candelight skiing is just one of the ways that David Goodin, Kyle Wubker, and Nate Fiene (front to back) keep the blood flowing. The troop participates in outdoor events every month as part of the Scout Executive's Active Outdoor Challenge in Samoset Council in northern Wisconsin. Click here to read about how they maintain this schedule all year.

Cover photograph by John R. Fulton Jr.

In the January - February 2009 Issue

  • News Briefs
  • Easy Eats This simple recipe for your slow cooker helps you fix dinner and get back to your busy life.
  • Boys' Life Preview Take a look at opportunities for exciting service projects and a high-altitude summer camp trip.
  • Leave No Trace Learn how to go easy on the planet by signing up for one of these Master Educator Courses.
  • Front Line Stuff Get your Scouts involved in the OA.
  • Philmont Training Center This summer, turn a week of leadership training into a fun vacation for the whole family.
  • Scoutmaster's Toolbox Make your unit truly boy-led by supporting youth leaders and redirecting adults.
  • Outdoor Smarts Learn how to lesson your troop's environmental impact through the principles of Leave No Trace.
  • Family Fun Page Test your merit badge memory.
Kinetic Energy
From pedaling to the top of picturesque ridges near Moab to skiing the slopes at the Snowbird Ski Resort, members of the Farrer family in Utah make time for adventure despite their hectic schedules.
Freezing Cold, Burning Calories
Things usually slow down for the winter in northern Wisconsin, but the council executive there didn't want his Scouts to hibernate. Instead, he created incentives for them to stay active all 12 months of the year.
Know Your Knots
With more than 41 square knots currently in circulation, it's easy to get tangled up in confusion about what they mean. We'll look at all of these symbols of success for leaders and tell you what you need to do to earn one.
Thorns and Roses and a Bud
When snowdrifts blocked Troop 135's mountain climbing trip in the Adirondacks, the group improvised and simply shifted its high-adventure trek to the Catskills.