For Scoutmasters
Scoutmaster's Corner Blog
Practical, honest articles from experienced Scoutmasters — the stuff that doesn't fit in a checklist. New posts roughly twice a month.
Merit Badge Colleges: What I Tell New Scout Parents
Every fall a parent asks me why their scout can't just 'take a class' for a badge. Merit badge colleges are usually the answer — if you know what you're walking into.
The Eagle Scoutmaster Conference: What It Actually Is (and Isn't)
For most Scouts, the conference before the Eagle Board of Review is the last real conversation they'll have with their Scoutmaster before Scouting shifts into its next chapter. It shouldn't feel like a test.
The First Campout I Planned Badly
I'd been to our council's camp a dozen times as a parent, so I figured I already knew it. Then I ran the trip myself, and found out how much of that comfort had never actually been mine.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before My First Troop Meeting
I'd already run a hundred Cub Scout pack meetings as Cubmaster. My first troop meeting as a parent still felt like watching a movie with the sound off — and nobody told me why.
What Three Boards of Review Taught Me About Getting It Right
Before I became Scoutmaster I served on the committee. It took three hard lessons, two failed scouts, and one very patient SM to show me what a BOR is actually for.
How to Set Up Your Troop's Dues & Event Payment Tracker (Step by Step)
The one rule that trips up almost everyone the first week, plus how to handle mid-year joiners, mistakes, and fundraising credit without breaking the math.
The Flash Drive That Ran Our Troop’s Finances (Until It Didn’t)
I inherited Scoutmaster and Treasurer duties at the same time — and a spreadsheet that lived on a flash drive only one person had ever opened. That's when I learned dues tracking was never really the problem.