March - April 2003

Edited by Scott Daniels Scouting Activities Available at Space Day Web Site Program Resources by the Day, Week and Month Reopened BSA Museum Is a Big Hit With Visitors Here's Looking at You

Apply now for staff positions at BSA national high adventure bases

This summer the BSA will hire about 950 people to work at Philmont Scout Ranch, 160 at the Florida Sea Base, and 120 at the Northern Tier bases. Jobs range from crew guide to mountain bike instructor to food server.

Applicants must be physically fit, age 18 (by June 1) or older, and available to work from May 30 to Aug. 21 (through Aug. 31 for the Florida Sea Base). Starting salary is based on experience and ranges upward from $770 per month. Room and three meals a day are included. Contact each base for an application and information:

Philmont Scout Ranch, RR1, Box 35, Cimarron, NM 87714, (505) 376-2281, philstaff@philmontscoutranch.org.

Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases, P.O. Box 509, Ely, MN 55731-0509, (218) 365-4811, info@ntier.org.

Florida National High Adventure Sea Base, P.O. Drawer 1906, Islamorada, FL 33036, (305) 664-4173, www.bsaseabase.org.

Innovative BSA service projects win awards in the annual Colgate Youth for America competition

A variety of Scout groups were honored for innovative and successful service projects in the 2001-2002 Colgate Youth for America campaign. Winners received grants from $100 to $1,000. They included a Tiger Cub den, a Webelos Scout den, a Sea Scout ship, an Explorer post, a local district, a Scout council, two Venturing crews, 17 Cub Scout packs, and 26 Boy Scout troops.

The top three BSA winners were:

Venturing Crew 60, Medway, Maine ($1,000), for its "Search and Rescue" program, in which the crew trains with Red Cross Disaster Services and (with trained adult volunteers) provides the rural community with a disaster team. Members assist with rescues on nearby mountains and at residential fires, floods, or natural disasters. The crew also shares it skills by teaching Cub Scouts basic first aid.

Boy Scout Troop 154, Blue Mountain Council, Kennewick, Wash. ($500), for its "Computers 4 Kids" program, in which the Scouts refurbish and then install educational software in old computers for low-income families whose children attend a nearby elementary school. The children who use the computers (nearly half are from migrant families with English as a second language) get better grades, learn the language faster, and participate in class more.

Cub Scout Pack 495, East St. Louis, Ill. ($300), for use of the BSA Reading Partners program, in which Cub Scouts host tutorial classes for more than 230 boys in first through fifth grades. Volunteer adults and older Cub Scouts partner with younger students, who read silently and then aloud to their partners. Each three-month program encompasses three age-appropriate books and Boys' Life magazine.

In addition to BSA units, the program honors projects of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Girls Incorporated, Camp Fire Inc., and the National 4-H Council.

A list of all 2001-2002 top winners is available at www.colgate.com (click on "Colgate Cares"), along with information for entering the next competition. Entry forms can be printed out and mailed to Colgate Youth for America, P.O. Box 1058, FDR Station, New York, NY 10150-1058, or obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the above address. Entry deadline is March 31, 2003.

European Camp Staff Program seeks BSA Scouters

Scouters age 18 to 30 can have the opportunity to learn about Scouting in Europe and develop their leadership skills by working as a volunteer staff member at a Scout camp in Europe. Applicants must be registered BSA members and able to work for a minimum of six weeks.

Information and applications are available from the BSA International Division. Applications must be approved by the local Scout council and the International Division before being forwarded by the European Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement for final selection to individual host centers.

Placed applicants pay their own travel to and from the Scout center, after which the European Scout Region will refund 50 percent of an individual's travel costs.

Additionally, the Order of the Arrow is offering a limited number of scholarships to Arrowmen ages 18 through 20.

Application deadline is May 15. For more information, contact BSA International Division, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079; Web site, www.scouting.org/international; (972) 580-2403; FAX 972-580-2413; e-mail escoggin@netbsa.org.

The latest Scouting magazine index is available

The 2002 Index for Scouting magazine and indexes for each year back to 1970 are available. For an index, send a self-addressed, first-class-stamped 8-by-10-inch envelope; for more than three, add additional postage.

Order the indexes from Scouting Magazine Index, S304, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079.

Scouting magazine indexes for recent years are also available on the magazine's Web site, www.scoutingmagazine.org.

Scouting Activities Available at Space Day Web Site Space Day—May 1, 2003—is an annual, global educational initiative to spark youth interest in science, math, engineering, and technology through the wonders of space. This year's theme, Space Day 2003—Celebrating the Future of Flight, challenges youngsters to examine how our world changed with the advent of flight and imagine the future as our next generation of inventors, aviators, and explorers. The event is co-chaired by former senator and pioneer astronaut John Glenn. Scouts can get ideas for troop activities at the official Web site, www.spaceday.com. The "Space Day in Your Neighborhood" section lists community activities by state and city, and troops are encouraged to register their local event plans. Resources include guidelines and ideas for building futuristic aircraft and spacecraft models. On May 1, the Web site will host Cyber Space Day, an interactive Webcast devoted to science, space, and math. The Web site also includes the indexed content for Cyber Space Day 2002.

Program Resources by the Day, Week and Month MARCH: The Red Cross rules About 1,300 Red Cross offices are scattered across the nation, helping Americans through blood drives, disaster relief, and more. Celebrate your local chapter during Red Cross Month. For activities planned in your area, contact your local Red Cross office or see www.redcross.org. APRIL: It all adds up Work together to solve challenging math problems during Mathematics Education Month. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has eight themed math events on its Web site, with activities for kids of all ages. See www.nctm.org/wlme for more information. April 21-27: An egg-cellent idea Too many Easter eggs in the fridge? The American Egg Board (AEB) will help you figure out how to use them during Egg Salad Week. The AEB Web site, www.aeb.org, has a wealth of recipes, plus facts, nutrition and safety information, and games for kids. —Melanie Radzicki McManus

Reopened BSA Museum Is a Big Hit With Visitors By Olivia Ogren-Hrejsa The National Scouting Museum opened in October 2002 with a ribbon cutting ceremony that included (from left) Chief Scout Executive Roy Williams, Venturer David Allen, Cub Scouts Christopher Wellen and Luke Medlicott, Boy Scout Thomas Morgan, Cub Scout William Medlicott, and Venturer Korri Givens. Photograph By Roger Morgan The BSA National Scouting Museum hosted more than 1,500 visitors during its opening ceremony and during its first week of operation after reopening last October in a new 50,000-square-foot facility next to the BSA national office in Irving, Texas. "Overwhelmed and amazed" is how National Scouting Museum programs manager April Woodruff described the reaction of most visitors to the displays and state-of-the art interactive exhibits. "We've had just about every type of group visiting, [and] the museum has something for everyone." "With up to 2,000 historical artifacts on display at any given time, the exhibits provide a good overview of the Scouting movement and its history," said curator of collections Elizabeth Berkley. Among the exhibits, visitors' favorites include the pinewood derby track, where Cub Scouts can participate in actual races; the interactive virtual-reality rescue scenario; and the Norman Rockwell Art Gallery, a replica of the famous illustrator's studio. In the Rockwell gallery during one tour, Cub Scouts from Pack 71, Dallas, Tex., were fascinated by the Scouting paintings on display. As leaders and parents pointed out different scenes in the paintings, 6-year-old Alex Keliher peeked from behind the life-size seated figure of Rockwell "working" on a painting and exclaimed, "Wow, he is good!" The adults' response was just as enthusiastic. Cub Scout mother Jeane Clayton said she had been looking forward to the Rockwell gallery but had also been impressed by the natural settings of the other exhibits. "We're fortunate to have the National Scouting Museum here," she noted. "This is a really great place for a field trip," said Pack 71 Cubmaster Kyle Krebs. His Cub Scouts had just finished racing their cars on the pinewood derby track and moved on to the mountain biking, kayaking, and rock climbing adventures in the virtual-reality cave. When planning a trip to the museum, Woodruff suggested planning ahead to allow plenty of time to tour the exhibits at your own pace. Touring the displays, participating in the interactive exhibits, and browsing through the Scout shop can easily take two to three hours. The museum is designed to be self-guided, but tours are available. Call ahead to schedule one, especially when traveling with a large group. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays, Jan. 1, Jan. 3-17, and major holidays. To schedule a tour or get more information on admission rates and upcoming events, call (800) 303-3047 or visit the Web site, www.bsamuseum.org.

Here's Looking at You From time to time Scouting conducts an editorial readership survey to learn more about the approximately one million registered Scout leaders who receive the magazine. Like previous surveys, the most recent study is based on questionnaires sent to a random sampling of registered Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity, and Venturing leaders. The responses tells us who you are, how you use the magazine, what you like about it, and how you think it could be improved. For example: The average age of Scouting magazine readers is 44.6 years (44 is the median age). The average household income is $79,000; 88.5 percent are married, 91 percent own their own home, and 58 percent are college graduates. More than 9 of 10 (94 percent) have access to the Internet, and 61 percent use the Internet in their role as a Scout leader. Advertising appreciated the most includes camping and fishing equipment, outdoor apparel, travel destinations and ideas, fund-raising products, and unit management software. More than 60 percent browse through each issue as soon as it arrives, and close to that number have read all of the four most recent issues. Although many Scouters who receive the magazine serve in a capacity other than unit leader, some 76 percent of readers involved in Cub Scouting consider the Cub Scout Program Helps inserts to be very or fairly useful, while 71 percent of those in Boy Scouting felt the same way about the monthly Troop Program Feature inserts. And you would like to see even more program ideas, resources, activities, and skills. You don't have to wait to be randomly selected by the next survey to share your opinions and ideas with us. Simply send a letter to The Editor, Scouting Magazine, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. Or use the convenient e-mail window on our Web site, www.scoutingmagazine.org, where you can also submit e-mail contributions to the Front Line Stuff and Worth Retelling columns. —Jon C. Halter, Editor

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Copyright © 2003 by the Boy Scouts of America. All rights thereunder reserved; anything appearing in Scouting magazine or on its Web site may not be reprinted either wholly or in part without written permission. Because of freedom given authors, opinions may not reflect official concurrence.

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