I have recently had the opportunity to serve as a Scoutmaster in a local troop. Once again, I am so impressed and encouraged by the SKILLS that youth learn through Scouting. As I interact with the Scouts in my troop, I am constantly observing SKILLS that they are required to use in their Scouting activities. […]
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Friends we are, and friends we’ll ever be. The words of this familiar Scout song—often sung at the close of a campfire—echo the future of the LDS-BSA Relationship. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said during his remarks at the May 2018 National Annual Meeting, “This is not a divorce. We are friends now and we […]
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The value of Scouting is OUTING. There is no way around this simple truth. When a boy gets out into the world—on an adventure—he experiences GROWTH, real growth that doesn’t necessarily happen sitting in a classroom. The most successful units go on outings every month. This doesn’t mean that all leaders and all boys go […]
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Zion’s Camp at Cumorah was held in July at Camp Dittmer of the Iroquois Trails Council near Palmyra, New York. This annual event is hosted under the direction of the Buffalo, New York Stake. President Nathan Pace and Brother Mark Collette—the local LDS-BSA Relationships chair—do a wonderful job of planning and organizing the camp. This […]
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Last week The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it will no longer sponsor Scouting units beginning in 2020. (Read the joint LDS-BSA statement here.) This change sparked a series of reactions across our nation. Some Church members were thrilled. Others were saddened. As the LDS-BSA Relationships Director, I was immediately submerged […]
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Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday—a day when the entire nation (and much of the world) had their eye on an historic game of football. Chips, parties, wagering, commercials, celebrating—many of us were caught up in the fun furor in some way or another. On a smaller but perhaps more meaningful scale, yesterday was also Scout […]
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On Tuesday, January 2nd 2018, President Thomas S. Monson, our beloved Prophet, passed away. The next morning the Boy Scouts of America released the following statement through Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh: The Boy Scouts of America is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Thomas S. Monson, the 16th president of The Church […]
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Last month I had the opportunity to attend and support an Aaronic Priesthood Leadership training conference on Scouting involving five stakes. Cub Scout, Primary, Aaronic Priesthood and Scout leaders were invited to attend. During my presentation one of the five stake presidents raised his hand to ask a question. He then spontaneously joined me at […]
Read more Last week I attended the annual Top Hands conference for professional BSA leaders from across the nation. We gathered in Dallas, Texas, for five days of learning and collaboration. One of the significant things that Mike Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive, discussed with us was Youth Protection. Mike was passionate and adamant in his remarks. The […]
Read more This summer I spent time at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree held at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia. The Jamboree was an incredible experience in many ways. Young men and women had exciting and challenging outdoor experiences. Adult leaders served in selfless and amazing ways. People from across our nation—and […]
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