TROOP NEWS

How to Use a Compass to Orient a Map and Find Your Way

September 27, 2023

If you were to pull out a smartphone and open a maps app, it would show where you were and which direction you were facing. Can you get the same useful information without a digital aid? Absolutely. Grab a map. Better yet, get a compass, too. You can orient a map by aligning it with the topography (the features it represents). Look for hills, trailheads and bodies of water, and hold the map so it matches the landscape around you. Most maps indicate which way is north. With your map matching your topography, you should know which direction you’re facing…

Read More...

Signs Up! How To Make the Scout Sign

September 27, 2023

When someone holds up the Scout sign, the room quickly gets quiet. Why? It’s a reminder of what the sign means. HOW TO MAKE THE SCOUT SIGN IN CUB SCOUTS To make the Scout sign in Cub Scouts, raise your right arm straight up, with your index and middle finger separated. Those two fingers stand for the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. They also look like the sharp ears of the wolf, ready to listen to Akela, who is a good leader to a Cub Scout. HOW TO MAKE THE SCOUT SIGN IN SCOUTS BSA In all other Scouting…

Read More...

How to Make a Fabric Pumpkin

September 25, 2023

Fall is here! You can carve a pumpkin — or make one yourself. Here’s how to make a fabric pumpkin. WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A FABRIC PUMPKIN Craft glue Embroidery floss (available at craft stores) Fabric Sewing needle Ruler or measuring tape Poly-fil (available at craft stores) Scissors A stick or craft stick (to make the stem) Thread WHAT YOU’LL DO TO MAKE A FABRIC PUMPKIN STEP 1. Measure your fabric. Measurements will vary depending on the size of pumpkin you want (a small would be 6-by- 12 inches and a medium 8-by-16 inches). To get a taller pumpkin,…

Read More...

Inside the October 2023 Issue

September 25, 2023

Here’s what you’ll find inside the October 2023 issue of Scout Life magazine. Remember, many articles are only available to subscribers and are not available online. Please visit scoutlife.org/subscribe to subscribe to the print or digital editions of Scout Life magazine. OCTOBER 2023 FEATURES UP, UP AND A-NEIGH! Here’s how to combine climbing and horseback riding for a cool campout. • Scouts Fit Horseback Riding, Climbing and Camping Into One Amazing Weekend FICTION: THE GOLDEN TOUCH This excerpt from Greeking Out features a greedy king, a furry goat-man, golden bathtubs and poorly worded wishes. AHEAD OF THE CARVE A Halloween…

Read More...

Scouts Fit Horseback Riding, Climbing and Camping Into One Amazing Weekend

September 25, 2023

Wyatt Wilson makes a new friend, Cody — one of the horses at Beaumont Scout Reservation. You’re 15 feet off the ground on a stack of heavy-duty milk crates. Perched on the highest one, you feel the occasional gust of wind threatening to knock the shaky tower to the ground. You look down and see that your friends have another plastic crate for you to attach to the top. They want you to climb higher. “Once you get really high, everyone’s watching to see if you’ll get higher or if you’ll fall,” says Second Class Scout David Temper, 13. “Everyone’s…

Read More...

Halloween Tradition Connects Scouts BSA and Cub Scouts

September 25, 2023

One-eyed monsters, snaggletooth ghouls and even an adorable Grogu sat along a sidewalk staring at a group of Scouts last October. The Scouts inspected each and picked their favorites. It was easy to enjoy the monstrous sights before them — they were, after all, the Scouts’ creations. Every year, linked troops 3589 and 5589 of Victoria, Minnesota, host a pumpkin-carving contest the day before Halloween. “It’s fun to hang out with friends while preparing for the holiday,” says Star Scout Owen Antolick, 12. Ilse Hudson, Saoirse Thompson and Paige Thomas, all of the Fearless Falcons patrol, carve their pumpkins. SMASHING…

Read More...

Write a Funny Caption For This Photo

September 22, 2023

What’s going on in this picture? What are those penguins doing or thinking? If you can think of a funny caption for this photo, just post it in the comment form at the bottom of this page. After we approve it, your funny caption will be on this page for everyone to read. Click here to write captions for more funny photos.

Read More...

Help Us Tack Up a Horse in This Quiz!

September 18, 2023

Where does this item go? <p>Click on the correct spot on the horse where you would place this equipment.</p> {“description”:””,”height”:100,”id”:0,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”name”:”circle_0″,”rotation”:0,”scaleX”:1.5953081153167914,”scaleY”:1.2735828948868078,”score”:1,”shape”:”circle”,”width”:100,”x”:397.4199561965472,”y”:182.8792407264088,”__type”:”HotspotItem”} Where does this item go? <p>Click on the correct spot on the horse where you would place this equipment.</p> {“description”:””,”height”:100,”id”:0,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”name”:”circle_0″,”rotation”:0,”scaleX”:1.5159745202740194,”scaleY”:1.9356156082590337,”score”:1,”shape”:”circle”,”width”:100,”x”:238.29460925432292,”y”:117.96058122698966,”__type”:”HotspotItem”} Where are the stirrups on this saddle? <p>Click on the correct spot on the saddle.</p> {“description”:””,”height”:100,”id”:0,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”name”:”rect_0″,”rotation”:0,”scaleX”:0.8717437510432404,”scaleY”:1.3800758802497912,”score”:1,”shape”:”rect”,”width”:100,”x”:264.7946092543227,”y”:472.6418342426783,”__type”:”HotspotItem”,”offsetX”:50,”offsetY”:50} Where does this item go? <p>Click on the correct spot on the horse where this equipment goes.</p> {“description”:””,”height”:100,”id”:0,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”name”:”rect_0″,”rotation”:0,”scaleX”:2.564051443350936,”scaleY”:0.670219561126835,”score”:1,”shape”:”rect”,”width”:100,”x”:403.7946092543233,”y”:503.1347926467414,”__type”:”HotspotItem”,”offsetX”:50,”offsetY”:50} Where is the cinch or girdle on this saddle? <p>Click on the correct spot on the saddle.</p> {“description”:””,”height”:100,”id”:0,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”name”:”rect_0″,”rotation”:0,”scaleX”:0.5115141003378503,”scaleY”:3.1336526778589118,”score”:1,”shape”:”rect”,”width”:100,”x”:375.4780336151713,”y”:366.62410064797535,”__type”:”HotspotItem”,”offsetX”:50,”offsetY”:50} Where does this item go? <p>Click on the…

Read More...

Cat Stack

September 18, 2023

Can you fit these bitty kitties into the puzzle purrfectly? Try your best and remember, just because cats have nine lives doesn’t mean you do! Click here for full-screen play. Can you fit these bitty kitties into the puzzle purrfectly? Try your best and remember, just because cats have nine lives doesn’t mean you do!

Read More...

Write a Funny Caption For This Photo

August 24, 2023

What’s going on in this picture? What is that chipmunk doing or thinking? If you can think of a funny caption for this photo, just post it in the comment form at the bottom of this page. After we approve it, your funny caption will be on this page for everyone to read. Click here to write captions for more funny photos.

Read More...