Aaron Derr

1 week ago | blog.scoutingmagazine.org | Aaron Derr

I got an email a couple of years ago from a reader of Scout Life magazine’s Scouts in Action comics, the very popular section of the magazine in which we detail lifesaving actions taken by Scouts across the country. The reader took issue with our use of the term “first responder.”We used the term in the strictest Merriam-Webster way: a person (such as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance.

2 weeks ago | headsup.scoutlife.org | Aaron Derr

Minecraft is one of the most popular videogames of all time. Based on what we heard from the 11-year-old fan we sent to see an early screening of A Minecraft Movie, the movie is just as good!Thanks to Lauren H. for sending us the following review. What is A Minecraft Movie about? The movie is about four people who are pulled through a portal into the world of Minecraft. Once inside, they must use their imaginations to master the world while embarking on a quest with an expert crafter named Steve.

1 month ago | blog.scoutingmagazine.org | Aaron Derr |Merit Badges |Scouts BSA

The Scouts BSA Test Lab is live!A product of the Scouts BSA National Committee, the Scouts BSA Test Lab is a way for Scouts and adults to try out new potential merit badges, report back on their experiences and, in the process, help shape the future of Scouting. “We want to give our youth as much of a say as possible,” says Test Lab Chairman Scott Berger.

1 month ago | blog.scoutingmagazine.org | Aaron Derr |Scouts BSA

The city of New Orleans is known for a lot of cool and interesting things. Snow is not one of them. But earlier this winter, the city of New Orleans got 10 inches of snow in one fell swoop, eclipsing at the time the entire amount of snow Salt Lake City had gotten all winter long. For the Amadeo family, which consists of three Scouts BSA youth and two Scouting adult volunteers, it meant one thing: an opportunity to earn the Snow Sports merit badge.

1 month ago | blog.scoutingmagazine.org | Aaron Derr |Scouts BSA

Multisport, an athletic competition that features a combination of two or more sports, is now a Scouting America merit badge. Scouts BSA members, along with Sea Scouts and Venturers who have earned the rank of First Class in a troop, may begin work on the merit badge beginning in March 2025, when the pamphlet becomes available at local Scout Shops and at ScoutShop.org. The Multisport merit badge allows Scouts to combine two or more activities from the sports of swimming, biking and running.