BSA Online Learning Center

Have you visited the new Online Learning Center. This one stop shop covers everything from fast start to safe swim defence. Check it out.

This site provides a variety of materials, from quick references to complete courses, all designed to help our members improve leadership skills and deliver a quality program.
E-LEARNING COURSES These courses can help adult leaders deliver quality Scouting experiences to youth. A log-in is required, however anyone may create a user account and view the courses. Registered members of the BSA may provide their member numbers (as part of the user profile) to receive credit. MULTIMEDIA These online exercises are available for informational purposes. No log-in is required. OTHER RESOURCES Additional training materials are available online, in print, or on audiovisual media. Click here for descriptions of selected resources.

Inspirational Wisdom - Boys

Boys come in assorted sizes, weights, and colors. They are found everywhere - on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping into. Mothers love them; little girls hate them; older brothers and sisters tolerate them; adults ignore them; and heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the Hope of the Future with a frog in its pocket.

A boy has the appetite of a horse, the digestion of a sword swallower, the energy of a pocket-size atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a dictator, the imagination of Paul Bunyan, the shyness of a Violet, the audacity of a steel trap, and the enthusiasm of a firecracker. When he makes something, he has five thumbs on each hand.

He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, the boy across the street, the woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday morning, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday School, company, school, books without any pictures, music lessons, neck ties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.

Nobody else is so early to rise or so late to supper. Nobody else can cram into one pocket a rusty knife, a half-eaten apple, three feet of string, two gumdrops, six pennies, a slingshot, a chunk of unknown substance, and a decoder ring with a secret compartment.

A boy is a magical creature - you can lock him out of your workshop, but you can't lock him out of your heart. You can lock him out of your study, but you can't get him out of your mind. Might as well give up - he is your captor, your jailer, your boss, and your master - a freckle faced pint-sized bundle of noise. But when you come home at night with only the shattered pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them with two magic words: "Hi, Dad!"

Alan Beck, New England Life Insurance

Switchbacks

I have head a lot about the new zip-off Uniforma pants but it looks like I will not be able to wear them.

Switchbacks™ Official Uniform Pants, Youth & Men

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Perfect for all Scouting occasions, these new uniform pants are made of 100% Dupont® Supplex nylon and include a nylon web belt with the Universal Emblem embossed on the buckle. Developed specifically for Boy Scouts of America, these pants feature: Zip-off pant legs, turning long-pants into knee-length shorts Moisture-wicking nylon for quick drying UPF sun protection Bellows cargo pockets for carrying items on the trail Drain holes in pockets for quick release of water if submerged Pocket bags are micro mesh for drainage and quick drying Packs small and compact Additional belt loops to accommodate other program belts Elastic in the waist for added comfort Gadget loops for hands free convenience Back yoke for a perfect fit Flat-fold seam for durability Zip ankles for over the boot removal Gusseted inseam for full range of motion Woven Fleur-de-lis zipper pulls and tag

Did you know - Woggle

The woggle is really just a Turks Head Knot.

This knot has been in use by mariners for centuries, and for much the same purpose as what Baden-Powell chose to use it. (Of course the knot has hundreds of purposes) DaVinci purportedly even included how to tie it in one of his documents

Today what is considered a "Fancy Knot" was in its hey day one of the most practical knots to be used on a ship, as a stopper, grommet, marker, friction device, decoration, grip for handrails and wheels, and the list goes on.

Today the most common use of the turks head except in scouting that I know is with leatherworkers on whips and saddles, and with horsehair plaiters. Ships still use a knot to provide grip to handrails, but now they use the easy (and lazy) french whipping.

What's the diference between the turks head and other knots or plaits(braids to some)? Only one strand is used to create the turks head, while other plaits or knots require two or more strands!

More then you cared to know I'm sure!

Shawn Elder - Sunapee, NH