Podcast 284 - Assistant Scoutmasters

What do Assistant Scoutmasters do? In this week’s podcast I’ll opine on the reaction to a recent post on a Scouts Duty to God. I’ll also answer email questions on what assistant Scoutmasters do and Webelos dens as Scout patrols. I am an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 637 in Onsted Michigan. As an assistant Scoutmaster I am not part of the committee nor am I to sit on a boards of review and in an effort to keep the troop boy led I’m not to have an influence in the PLC meetings....

September 14, 2015 · 1 min

A Scout's Duty to God

Members of the BSA we are specifically asked to affirm the Declaration of Religious Principle – The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law....

September 8, 2015 · 7 min

B-P's Blog - Religious Observance

*During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.*Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. FOR an open Troop, or for Troops in camp, I think the Scouts’ Own (religious observance) should be open to all denominations, and carried on in such manner as to offend none....

June 7, 2015 · 2 min

B-P's Blog - Sunday in Camp

*During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.*Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. THERE are few who can deny that Sunday is the most viceful day of the whole week. In the Scouts we have it in our power, when in camp, to make it the most uplifting day....

May 24, 2015 · 3 min

B-P's Blog - Fundamental Ethics

*During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.*Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. IN the Scout and Guide Movements we merely lay before the boys and girls the simplest fundamental ethics of religion, and then get them to put these into practice. So simple and fundamental are these that to the superficial critic Scouting appears to be “without religion....

April 12, 2015 · 5 min

B.P.'s Blog - Religion of the Backwoods

*During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.*Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. THE man who has been knocking about the world, the man who has tasted danger and faced death, the man, in fact, who has seen life in the better sense of the phrase, is generally deeply religious....

December 14, 2014 · 4 min

UK Scouts Announce Alternative Scout Promise

From The Scout Association (UK) website: The Scout Association (TSA) has launched an additional alternative version to the core Scout Promise in order to officially welcome atheists into the Movement. Following an extensive 10-month consultation process within and outside of the Movement, TSA has introduced an additional alternative version of the Scout Promise that can be taken by those without a faith for the first time in its 106-year history. Alternative versions of the Scout Promise have been available for nearly 50 years and have been used by Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and those who live in the UK but are not UK citizens....

October 9, 2013 · 3 min

Scout Vespers

Some years ago we started a tradition in our troop called Scout vespers every Saturday evening when the troop is camping. “Vesperas” is a Latin word that means “evening” and is a root of the English word “west” where the sun sets. Gathering for a moment of reflection or a religious service in the evening has a long history in practice and symbolism; The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday....

November 29, 2006 · 7 min