Several years ago, I joined with others from the BSA’s North Atlantic Council for a Camporee on Omaha Beach in Normandy.  While I had never been to Normandy prior to this occasion, I had just learned two weeks before arriving in France that my father was there almost 75 years earlier – arriving from Britain […]

Scouts and Scouters, As we mark the close of 2020, we look back and reminisce on a unique year! For many of us, the past months have been full of changes and disappointments. For example, most traditional Scouting events–from day camps to Philmont to the 2021 National Jamboree–were cancelled due to Coronavirus. Many BSA units […]

It was very cold (32 degree) afternoon on December 13, 2020, as many families and Scouts assembled in the driveway of Committee Chairman Etthi Marines of Troop 1221. Several cars were parked along a quiet neighborhood street in Orem, Utah. Scouts and their families huddled in their cars to stay warm and physically distanced because […]

The year 2020 brought seismic changes to Scouting in Utah. Three large Boy Scout councils were combined into one new council, covering the entire state plus portions of Wyoming and Idaho. Many hundreds of Church ward troops and packs were disbanded and replaced by far fewer non-Church affiliated units. Ward sponsored units, re-chartered and funded […]

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the wizard Gandalf is getting ready to take his leave from Bilbo Baggins and the other dwarves on the edge of Mirkwood. As he does so he starts to leave, then turns to Bilbo and says, “Be good, take care of yourselves and don’t leave the path.” I will take […]

My name is Sam Gray. I want to share a little about my scouting experience as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and how my life has been blessed by Scouting even after the Church ceased chartering Scouting for its Young Men’s program. Like most Latter Day Saint boys, I […]

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have observed that it has become increasingly difficult for youth to connect with non-profit organizations to provide service, such as for an Eagle Project or to complete Religious Award requirements. Some youth have contacted multiple organizations, churches, non-profits, community centers, trying to find an individual to assist in coordinating an […]

The president of BYU traditionally speaks at the first weekly devotional each fall semester as a kick-off for the year and a motivator for the students. I recently read again one of these talks by President Kevin J. Worthen and thought it may be even more applicable today than when he gave it in September […]

During the past year I have had the pleasure of serving as the Scout Executive of the Far East Council, with headquarters in Okinawa, Japan. Our council services American military and Ex Patriot families in many Asian countries. My daily work involves interaction with good Scouters from Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, […]

By Wayne and Roma Bishop—Chairmen, Vanguard Religious Awards Committee Over the years, we have been involved in a myriad of Scouting activities on the local, regional, national and international levels. Some of our richest and most rewarding experiences have come as we have served in different capacities at many National and World Scout Jamborees. A […]