Varsity

One of the great regrets of my life is that I never became an Eagle Scout. I only made it to the level of Second Class Scout. I dropped out of Scouting when my troop had a change in adult leadership. Almost immediately our troop went from a quality Scouting ...

OC Scouting Editor’s Comment: If you are doing any sort of long term or potentially extreme weather outings (desert, snow, water) then you should consider backpack inspections.  Not only does it help the person whose weight you may reduce or help them have the right gear, but it is also a ...

My blog messages for the past month have shown how perfectly designed the programs, principles, and practices of Scouting are for preparing LDS young men for full-time missionary service. To serve effectively, young men need to be spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually, and financially self-reliant. Surely Baden-Powell was inspired by ...

An informational meeting will be held November 19th, at the Council Office in Santa Ana at 7PM. It’s coming! The 2017 National Jamboree!!! Get ready to Live Scouting’s Adventure at the 2017 Jamboree from July 19-28, 2017. At the second Jamboree to be held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, you’ll be able to ...

With young men now leaving for a full-time mission at an earlier age—many just out of high school—the six years a boy spends in Scouting and the Aaronic Priesthood are vital preparation for a full-time mission and a lifetime of priesthood service. Young men need leadership experience long before they ...

Be Prepared.  This winter we should expect to see El Niño conditions.  This means a TON of rain.  Last time we has saturated hills that collapsed, homes that slide down hills, muddy streets, internet outage, and power outages. On a hike a few months ago while on a backpacking campout, I was ...

Imagine how wonderful it would be if every missionary in the Church lived according to the Scout Law. Imagine how powerful the two years of a young man’s mission would be if he exemplified the values espoused in these Scouting standards. In this week’s blog message I wish to explore ...

Each year in July & September several Scouters hike (or drive) to the top of a peak and signal between peaks using mirrors. You can also signal peaks from the ground (if you know which peaks will have people). While usually reserved for Varsity Scouts, I think this would be ...

Welcome Aboard! Coming into a new role or new organization can be uncomfortable. Over the course of my career, I have experienced a very poor as well as a first-class new-employee orientation, also known as onboarding.  Larger organizations tend to to this better than start-ups and it sure makes a huge ...

Merit badges cover topics like American Business, Woodwork and everything between. As of this writing, there are 136 different merit badges a Boy Scout can earn. A young man who dreams of becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouting, must earn at least 21 merit badges. But how? Today’s Scouting 101 topic: ...