This is why some Eagle Scouts didn’t have to earn Life or Star badges
In an odd twist, eight of the first nine Eagle Scouts earned neither Star nor Life recognition. That includes Arthur Eldred, the first ever Eagle Scout.
What Dick Van Dyke said about the BSA in 1971 still rings true
The actor talked with Scouting magazine about his time as a Boy Scout, his opinion of Scout leaders and the challenges of parenting in a fast-paced world.
Man finds treasure trove of long-lost Wood Badge documents
It’s been seven decades since July 31, 1948, when 29 men descended on Schiff Scout Reservation in New Jersey to learn Scout skills, Scoutcraft and pioneering at the first U.S. Wood Badge course.
Boyhood troop of President Gerald Ford and astronaut Roger Chaffee turns 100
Michigan Troop 215, which turns 100 years old this year, was the boyhood troop of astronaut Roger Chaffee and President Gerald Ford.
Without the Boy Scouts, Band-Aids might not have stuck around
Sales of Band-Aids were flagging until Johnson & Johnson incorporated them into Boy Scout first-aid kits. This helped families become more comfortable with the product, which became a household name.
Was this quote attributed to Groucho Marx actually published in Boys’ Life first?
A popular quote commonly attributed to comedian Groucho Marx might have appeared first in the popular “Think and Grin” jokes section of Boys’ Life magazine two decades earlier.
Five Scout camps named for fascinatingly famous people in history
An icon of the American West, the longtime president of Coca-Cola and a man who died in the sinking of the Lusitania — all have Scout camps named for them.
On opposite sides of barbed-wire fence, an enduring friendship formed in Scouting
Norman Mineta and Alan Simpson became fast friends inside the internment camp, bonding over their shared love of comics, silly stories and Scouting.
Home once owned by BSA founder William D. Boyce sells for $479,000
What makes this piece of Michigan real estate so special is the fact it was once owned by William D. Boyce, one of the founders of the BSA.
The history of Scouting and s’mores
Did you know that the tradition of Scouts browning marshmallows over a fire began well before s’mores blazed onto the scene in 1927?
FDR’s radio address before canceled 1935 National Jamboree still resonates today
As excitement builds for the 2017 National Jamboree, I thought we’d look back at the very first one, the 1935 National Jamboree. The Jamboree that wasn’t.
Fascinating new details about BSA’s first Eagle Scout, Arthur Eldred
We know all about Arthur Eldred’s Scouting success, but we don’t know much about his board of review — the final step to becoming the first Eagle Scout.
Philo Farnsworth, inventor of modern TV, was an Eagle Scout
Television pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth received all sorts of belated honors for his inventions. But he never received the Eagle Scout badge he had earned.
Remember this? All about that nun reading BL in ‘Airplane!’
Remember that nun reading “Boys’ Life” in the classic comedy “Airplane!” Here are seven things you may not know about that scene.
What Jimmy Stewart said about the Scout Oath
“I happen to believe that the man who was a Scout is a better man for it,” Jimmy Stewart told a crowd in 1980 in Los Angeles.
Casper the Friendly Ghost was a Boo Scout and Cub Scout recruiter
Turns out Casper, that friendliest of friendly ghosts, was pretty friendly to the Boy Scouts of America, too. He was a Boo Scout and Cub Scout recruiter.
1979 Boy Scouts of America PSA features the Peanuts gang
In 1979, the Boy Scouts of America released a public service announcement featuring the classic Peanuts characters: Charlie Brown, Snoopy and more.
‘The Scoutmaster’ turns 60: Behind the Rockwell classic
This year marks 60 years since Norman Rockwell created “The Scoutmaster,” a tribute to Scoutmasters and adult leaders everywhere.
Jambo ’85: Hurricane, Beach Boys and legendary Apple bags
The 1985 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., produced stories that have been told and retold for more than 30 years.
The tallest Boy Scout ever was 7-foot-4 at age 13
Robert Pershing Wadlow, at 8-foot-11 the tallest man ever, was a Boy Scout. At age 13, he was 7-foot-4 — much taller than anyone else in his troop.
10 times in history when adults earned the Eagle Scout award
Before 1965, adults could earn the Eagle Scout award. In a few especially touching cases, an adult even received his badge at the same time as his son.
‘Neatness makes the difference!’ Check out this 1950s uniform inspection sheet
Perfect uniform? Check. Scouts in the 1950s had their uniforms checked using this uniform inspection sheet. A score of 100 out of 100 was the goal.
Rocks, Rockets, Rhythm? 1958 flier tells of new Exploring program
In January 1959, the Boy Scouts of America replaced its Explorer program with the Exploring program. This was more than just a suffix change, though.
Forest Witcraft quote first appeared in Scouting magazine
You’ve probably seen his quote, often attributed to anonymous. But the quote’s author, Forest Witcraft, was anything but.
1940s-era ‘Handbook for Boys’ praised in New York Times Sunday Book Review
In the New York Times Sunday Book Review, an author and Eagle Scout calls the fourth edition of the “Handbook for Boys” a classic of literature.
In the 1960s, the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings sponsored an Explorer post
In the ’60s, the Minnesota Vikings Football Club sponsored an Explorer Post. They held mock drafts, toured the team’s stadium and met with sports reporters.
Enjoy 14 Scouting cartoons from 1967
1967 was a good year for Scouting cartoons, as evidenced here. Check out 14 of my favorites from the pages of Scouting magazine from that year.
Campers won’t settle down at bedtime? Try these four tips
If you’ve camped with Scouts before, then it’s likely you’ve encountered energetic boys (and Venturers, too) who have a hard time settling down at bedtime.
Five June Scouting magazine covers from the archives
Let’s look back at five June cover images from the digital archives of Scouting magazine.
Past and present: A glimpse at the BSA’s historic National Annual Meetings
The first annual meeting of the BSA was held in 1911 at the White House, where U.S. President Howard Taft addressed a group of Scouting professionals.