Scout On Through Covid-19

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Revision as of 21:10, 4 October 2020 by ZeiP (talk | contribs) (Let's remain on the scouting side of COVID-19 in ScoutWiki. There are other sources for information concerning the virus and the disease. Also changed the article a bit more global by adding Scouting Ireland resources and moving BSA stuff under a separate header)
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For information concerning COVID-19, refer to other sources, for example Wikipedia.

Unit meetings canceled? Everyone please share your ideas here. Try some Alternative Scout Activities. Now available - 20+ scout activities to do right now!

DONT FORGET - Scouts should work these activities by themselves or with their buddy or patrol. Covid-19 forces us to do scouting the way it was meant to be!

Will the Covid-19 shutdown your scouting unit for an extended length of time or will you find ways to "Scout On"? Here are suggestions for activities during this very unique episode our children's lifetime. The memories created here will be repeated to many future generations.

All listings here are generic suggestions. Discuss with your unit parents committee beforehand on any special restrictions or modifications applicable for your community.

Many Scouting Parents are now getting a crash course on how to be a Scout Leader! Please share these tips and give them lots of encouragement.

National resources

Please refer to your local organisation's resources regarding the current COVID-19 resources in your locality.

Boy Scouts of America BSA

Scouting Ireland

2020 Social Media Recruitment

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2020 is the year to turn life's lemons into lemonade!

Virtual Meetings

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There are several free sources for hosing a virtual tele-conference. Check out these free resources - many adult members already have an account and experience already from their employment. Ask us about limits on time or # of users -- And many Scout leaders and parents are subscribing for $19.95/month to get the professional version of one or more the falling - it has better quality and less restrictions.

Most work on both your phone-app or on your laptop computer that has both camera and microphone.

Warning: Beware of ZoomBombing and know how to stop it. (Limit controls on Screensharing)

Warning: Videoconferencing is great for just a few participants, but the more you have online degrades both the quality of the interface - and also gives reduces the opportunity for other scouts to "discuss" their thoughts on the subject. (Merit Badge Activities emphasize "Discussion", not "Lecture"!)


The ideal size for a Virtual Merit Badge Class is 3-6 Participants. GotoMeeting is an example of quality visual interface where if any participant has something to say, they can raise their hand and can be quickly called upon. Or the scouts can speak directly to each other.

Sample Meetings:

Tips for Video Conferencing

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TIPS FOR SCOUT VIDEO CONFERENCE Some tips for video conferencing in larger groups include the following:

  1. Mute yourself, when not speaking or presenting.
  2. Use headphones with a microphone to help eliminate background noise as well is provide better speaking audio
  3. Hold your phone/camera still If you are on a mobile device.
  4. Wear your Uniform

Thanks everyone for staying at home to help us beat COVID-19.

Virtual Birthday Party

Do you have any scouts with a birthday coming up?

"Can I ask a favor of a few of you? I have a scout who's mom sent a plea for help out... He's turning 9 tomorrow, most of his birthday celebration has been postponed or canceled due to the virus, he's concerned everyone will forget him. She was asking for birthday wishes for him... I've asked many of the area scouts I know to send me a video message wishing him a Happy Birthday. I'm combining these to make one large video for him from his "scout family".

Small Gatherings and Social Distancing

Latest recommendation from the CDC is to cancel events of 50 or more people for the next 8 weeks. This probably rules out many Pack and Troop Meetings.

However(!) The typical Den or Patrol should only have about 4-12 participants. Can a group this small still meet, learn about and practice "social distancing"? (Requires Parent/Leader Approval/ Charter Org!)

Also Note: Youth with serious health problems do fall into the high-risk group for Covid-19 and should avoid any activity that involves interaction with others. Many of the activities here can be done by a lone scout, at home, or with his family.

This Article however will focus on scouting activities that scouts/scouters can do individually, as a family, with a buddy or in a virtual format.

Scout Service From Home

International Scout Spirit Award

  • International Scout Spirit Award - Scouts BSA - The International Spirit Award is a temporary emblem that is awarded to registered Scouts and Scouters who have completed the necessary requirements, have gained a greater knowledge of international Scouting, and have developed a greater appreciation and awareness of different cultures and countries. This award serves as a replacement for, and therefore eliminates, the International Activity emblem and the Youth Exchange emblem. The International Spirit Award emblem is $4.00 each and is purchased from the International Department.

Virtual Campout

Don't miss your monthly campout. Organize a "Virtual Campout" for your patrol, troop, district, etc.

From BSA Camping Merit Badge - Req #9A: "Camp a total of at least 20 nights at designated Scouting activities or events."


  • Very Scout must pitch a tent in their own backyard. Then they connect by Zoom / Social Media / or other edevice to share camp stories or what they cooked for dinner. In the morning they can then jointly work one of the many other activities listed here.
  • Virtual Campsite Gateway : If you want to make a gateway with sticks, broom poles etc. please feel free.
  • Virtual campsite inspection. Judging for tent location, background, camp accessories and more.
  • Who is your Camping Buddy? Parent, sibling, scout buddy, family pet, mascot, etc?
  • Post your Virtual Campfire to #CampfireFridayBSA and share with other scouts around the world!

Virtual Talent Show

Stuck home - get the camcorder out and record your favorite scouting talent

  • music
  • juggling
  • trick shots
  • cartwheels
  • scout skills
  • family skits

Virtual Patrol Yell

Have you noticed when everyone talks at once that your virtual meeting platforms gets wonky? Challenge each patrol to come up with the best ZOOM Patrol Yell.

2020 Virtual District Camporee

Organize and participate in a multiple unit activity practicing proper social distancing and scout spirit. Contact your District or Council Activities Committee to arrange a joint activity with other packs and troops in your area.

  • 2020 Virtual District Camporee - Activity for two or more troops
  • 2020 Virtual Council VentureFest - Modified version just for Crews, Ships, OA Chapters and other groups of older scouts in your area - Use the 2020 Virtual District Camporee as your model.
  • 2020 Virtual District Cub Camp - Modified version just for Cub Scouts and other groups of older scouts in your area - Use the 2020 Virtual District Camporee as your model. Bonus for your incorporating older scouts into this activity.
  • 2020 Virtual Webeloes Woods - Modified version just for Cub Scouts and other groups of older scouts in your area - Use the 2020 Virtual District Camporee as your model. Bonus for your incorporating older scouts into this activity.

Here are some examples -

Cooking

Challenge every scout to cook a meal for their family. Remember: Good Cooking takes some good practice! (Would that count for service hours?)

  • REQ'D for Cooking Merit Badge (Required for Eagle)
  • REQ'D for Cooking Scout Pin.

Cyber Chip Training

More scouts will be online this season. Designate a special week for cyber chip training for youth and adults.

Book Zone

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Patch Contest

Design and order your new pack or troop patch / Class-B Shirt / Neckerchief. Each scout writes up and submits his design. Take the votes online.

Scouting Video CampCraft

Over 100 ScoutCraft Videos to watch from home. Learn some fancy camping tricks and tips here: Knots, Lashings, Firebuilding, Navigation, Pioneering,

Virtual Awards Ceremony

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Drop off the awards in wrapped packages on scout family doorstep. Then pull all the pack onto a zoom meeting and have each scout open his awards package one at a time. You then have a moment to say a good word about each one in front of his peers and parents. Do awards frequently - it is motivating for all.

"Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others."

  • Ask parents to prepare their scouts a special meal beforehand and dessert for afterwards (Virtual Meal/Refreshments)
  • have the leaders divide up the families in the Pack and do a mashup of porch drop off, car parade, and ding dong ditch.
  • Do this for awards only and wait until the next inperson pack/troop/crew meeting for rank advancement.
  • Put a special note inside and then porch delivery.
  • Note: Most Council scout shops are closed - put you can try to order online at : ScoutShop.org - ScoutShop is here to support virtual scouting!
  • Create little 'pillow boxes' out of empty TP rolls and then added a fun sticker, name tag, and ribbon (para cord also worked great!).
  • For those with certificates I used paper towel rolls and did the same thing just in a larger way.
  • Make sure to sanitize hands before preparing them, before picking them up and taking them to the door step, sprayed them down with lysol, rang the door bell and backed away, then sanitized my hands again before getting into my vehicle.
  • Tape awards / certificates to frisbee - (Get them cheap at the dollar store)
  • Order party favors from Oriental Trading thinking and drop off a "party in a bag" with favors and awards!
  • Do something similar with scout neckerchiefs or class B shirts ("I Survived Covid-19")

More Zoom Meeting Games

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Zoom Virtual Memory Game

(See Party Tray to the Right) - Something someone shared here and I tried tonight via my Scout Den ZOOM meeting...I prepared a tray with about 30 small items (lego, whistle, candy, pencil, etc...)(How about some scout items too?) throughout our ZOOM I would screen share the tray so the Cub Scouts could see it over and over and over throughout the meeting...(I told them to pay careful attention to the tray!) At the end we took about 10 minutes to see how many items they could remember!!

Zoom Whiteboard Sharing

  • Zoom Whiteboard Sharing- How about drawing diagrams straight onto the Zoom Meeting Screen - using their "Whiteboard" Feature?

Cub Scouts

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  • Help the scouts make the new Covid Scout Knot (see diagrahm)
  • See also the Website : CubScoutIdeas.com

Pack Meetings

Use "Share Screen" feature in Zoom to show lots of colorful exhibits like the 30 day cub scout challenge, silly videos and more.

Virtual Derby

Did your spring Pinewood Derby, Rocket Derby or Sailboat Regetta get cancelled/postponed?

Scouts can still complete their vehicle and get them judged in other ways.

  • Design & Art Contests - awards for artistic creativity
  • Name That Car - Online voting contest
  • Guess that car's maker. Put picture's of all vehicles online but then have a contest to guess which car belongs to which scout.
  • "Be Prepared" for the next derby.


Tiger Cubs Advancement

  1. For those with Tiger Cubs, requirement 2 for the Earning Your Stripes adventure should be pretty much a slam dunk: "Demonstrate loyalty over the next week at school or in your community. Share at your next den meeting how you were loyal to others." I cant think of a better show of Loyalty to the Community right now than staying home and flattening the curve! This can show them that they are making an active difference in this crazy and difficult time. (Hat Tip to "Polecat Patrol".) Better yet - invite your school friends to your next virtual Den or Pack meeting! "A Scout is Friendly, Loyal and Kind!"

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Limit the game to Scouting items : Square Knots, patches, scout books, etc, etc.

  • Game 1 : I am holding a virtual pack meeting tonight. Considering a timed scavenger hunt where all items have to be placed in front of the webcam in 5 minutes. Working on a list now (with point values). Planning on doing highest score in 5 minutes entered in the chat window rather than completing the list as that might take a long time.
  • Game 2 : Everyone is at the ready. Gamemaster calls out an item - first scout to find that item in his house and show it on screen to the gamemaster wins that round. (Banana peal, staple remover, pink hi-liter, baseball, etc.)
  • Game 3 : Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
  • Game 4 : Book Scavenger Hunt
  • Game 5 : Scout Knot Scavenger Hunt :
    • First show me a shoelace and 3 sticks
    • now show me a clove hitch!
    • Now show me a tripod lashing.

Cooking for Cubs

  1. Iron chef video demonstration for cubs and their parents.
  2. At home cooking challenge
  3. Swap home cooked meals with each other using proper social distancing.

Family Scouting Tips

  1. Video lesson on how to do hiking as just a family in your community
  2. Video lesson on Friendship Knots from Cubmaster Curtis.

Game Making Adventure

  1. Game Design Adventure
  2. See the Website : CubScoutIdeas.com

Home Adventure Contest

  • Using a tarp and rope that you have at home, create a fort or shelter. Display best fort online at next cub meeting.

Nova Awards

The Boy Scouts of America’s NOVA Awards program incorporates learning with cool activities and exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA members, and Venturers. The hope is that the requirements and activities for earning these awards stimulates interest in STEM-related fields and shows how science, technology, engineering and mathematics apply to everyday living and the world around them. Counselors and mentors help bring this engaging, contemporary, and fun program to life for youth members.

Check out the big list of NOVA Awards for opportunities:

  1. Nova Awards -
  2. All About NOVA -

Scouts BSA

  • 30 Day Scouts BSA Challenge - Verduga Hills Council
  • Kahoot.com to teach scout skills, virtual trivia. Kids are doing this in school; encourage your children to join
    • Essentially a trivia / question system that has a live feed of the questions. Then the scouts answer on their device / browswer.

Merit Badge Activities

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DONT FORGET - Scouts should work these activities by themselves or with their buddy or patrol. Covid-19 forces us to do scouting the way it was meant to be!!

  1. Virtual Discussion: Note: Most merit badge requirements say "Discuss with Counselor". This does NOT mean filling out and turning in a worksheet (but could be one option.) Another option is do a phone call, virtual group conference chat (See virtual meetings below). Group email. Reminder for every discussion group per YPT -there should not be any 1-1 Adult/Youth discussions. Always include more than two (parent, scout buddy, another leader, etc.)
  2. Merit Badge Research: - All merit badges require individual study before hand. See Wikipedia. Get the Merit badge booklet from your troop library or Amazon.
  3. Suggested Merit Badges:
    1. Family Life MB - Two major family service projects. (Required for Eagle)
    2. Personal Management MB - Do your 90 day tracking and budget now. (Required for Eagle)
    3. Personal Fitness MB - No more school PE? Start your home/family 90-day exercise program now. (Required for Eagle)
    4. Genealogy MB - Do online as a patrol - explore your family history. Swap your discoveries in a virtual meeting. Great Family Activity!!!
    5. Art MB - Lots of time now for each scout to produce a 2-3 really nice pieces of artwork
    6. Reading MB -
    7. American Heritage MB - Read some more books / watch a history movie / write a report.
    8. Pets MB -
    9. Citizenship MB - Scouts can work on some of the requirements, learning and writing a report about the history of their community and nation.

Covid-19 Merit Badge Work

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  1. First Aid Merit Badge - Req #4: "Explain the universal precautions as applied to the transmission of infections. Discuss the ways you should protect yourself and the victim while administering first aid."
  2. Citizenship in the World: (Required for Eagle) - some scouts may be fascinated to track the evolving news developments of Covid-19 Virus and different parts of the world.
  3. Emergency Preparedness MB: (Required for Eagle) How is your family faring in the current health pandemic? If this pandemic goes another 6 months, what do you need to prepare?
  4. Public Health MB
  5. Gardening MB - Now it's spring. Plant that garden with your family. (If the Pandemic goes much longer, you might be living off of the food you grow!)
  6. Medicine MB - Medicine, Vaccines, Testing and more are urgently needed to fight Covid-19 Pandemic.
  7. Radio MB - Contact other scouts around the world and find out how Covid-19 is impacting their community.

Virtual Jamboree

Oct 16-18, 2020: Jamboree-On-The-Air and Jamboree-On-The-Internet (JOTA-JOTI) is an official international event of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). JOTA-JOTI is a youth programme event intended for young people in Scouting of all ages.
April 3-5, 2020: Jamboree on the Internet (https://www.jotajoti.info) - special edition to allow connections, skill building, and friendships

Venturing Challenge

Unit Committee for Pack/Troop/Crew

There are several free sources for hosing a virtual tele-conference. Check out these free resources - many adult members already have an account and experience already from their employment. Ask us about limits on time or # of users:

  • Zoom.us
  • GotoMeeting.com
  • FreeConferenceCall.com
  • Discord
  • Wire.com
  • Different Jitsi instances, for example https://meet.jit.si/

Virtual Unit Recruitment

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  • Virtual Unit Recruitment - A steady flow of youth into a each scout unit is essential to maintaining unit health. New Scouts bring energy and enthusiasm to the program. To avoid the pitfall of shrinking membership, aim to add at least 10 new Scouts every year. Having a year-round growth plan in place will help attract new Scouts. This includes many virtual activities that you can launch now!
  • Plan #2 : Encourage each scout to make a video for Facebook or Youtube of why they like scouting. Especially this year.

District/Council

Virtual Meetings

There are several free sources for hosing a virtual tele-conference. Check out these free resources - many adult members already have an account and experience already from their employment. Ask us about limits on time or # of users -- And many Scout leaders and parents are subscribing for $19.95/month to get the professional version of one or more the falling - it has better quality and less restrictions.

Most work on both your phone-app or on your laptop computer that has both camera and microphone.

  • Zoom.us
  • GotoMeeting.com -
  • FreeConferenceCall.com
  • Discord

Warning: Videoconferencing is great for just a few participants, but the more you have online degrades both the quality of the interface - and also gives reduces the opportunity for other scouts to "discuss" their thoughts on the subject. (Merit Badge Activities emphasize "Discussion", not "Lecture"!)

The ideal size for a Virtual Merit Badge Class is 3-6 Participants. GotoMeeting is an example of quality visual interface where if any participant has something to say, they can raise their hand and can be quickly called upon. Or the scouts can speak directly to each other.

Sample Meetings:

Virtual Roundtable

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Virtual Roundtable directions here.

District Recruitment

Start a publicity campaign. Many leaders have no idea what roundtable is or who may attend. Be sure to promote roundtable on websites, newsletters and using email and Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Digital Newsletters

Newsletter are great for telling the scouting story and motivating others to come to your next meeting so that they can create their "own story" too. The newsletter should always a big announcement for the next roundtable and it should go out several days in advance.

A really successful newsletter does a lot of positive personal interest stories with pictures such as successful eagle scouts and their projects, unit camping adventures, charter organizations, etc. These people, when they see themselves featured, will save the copy and share it with all of their friends, neighbors, contacts, etc.

And now we are in a major age of fiscal belt tightening where each council and district has a very tight budget and no extra dollars to spare to print up mass quantities of nicely done newsletters. What a few newsletter are printed are taken by the faithful that already show up to Roundtable. Those are not the people you need to reach with your invites. Promoting Roundtable (and other District scouting events) is huger argument for doing foremost a nice e-newsletter.

Facebook Page

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Every District should have a dedicated Facebook page administered by a member of the District Communications Team. That page should have a "welcome" post "pinned" to the top of the page with open invite to Roundtable - the big monthly scouting meeting of the district. This FB page can help you collect a lot of ideas to share at Roundtable (ie outstanding troop adventures, cub activities, eagle service projects, special awareds, etc).

When done right and proactively, the District Facebook page can be a most powerful tool to highlight your outstanding scouts, scouters and scout units and their service projects and fun adventures in such a way that scouters will "Share" your district page with other family and friends in the community. That then becomes a huge tool for recruiting youth and adults to the local programs.

There should be a new post monthly with featured highlights of the upcoming roundtable to generate fresh interest and attention. This is a huge must and should be a key part of the monthly planning.

10 Ways to Support Scouting from Home

  1. 10 Ways to Support Scouting - (From Pikes Peak Council BSA)
    1. Enroll your children in Scouting. They will love it and thank you for it! Read more about joining >>
    2. Become a BSA volunteer. With the enormous time pressures in their lives, America's youth need time well spent. Whether you volunteer as a den leader, Scoutmaster, or merit badge counselor, Scouting will be worth your time and effort because of the benefits it provides to youth.
    3. Tell your neighbors and friends about Scouting. Youth love Scouting and its activities, but they love it even more when their friends are involved.
    4. Get your place of worship involved in Scouting. Churches, synagogues, and mosques are great places for Scouting activities. The Boy Scouts of America supports the strong ideals and values that families are looking for today.
    5. Write a letter to your local newspaper. The Boy Scouts is a great organization that builds character and values. Tell other people about it!
    6. Write a letter to your United Way. The Boys Scouts of America is one of the founding organizations of the United Way. The Boy Scouts of America and United Way have a long relationship. Many of the more than 1,400 local United Way chapters support the BSA. Let them know what a great job Scouting is doing in your community.
    7. Write your local school board president and principal. Thank them for the opportunity to use their facilities for Scouting activities, for the use of their bulletin boards to get information to youth, and for the access their school provides to help get information to parents of Scouting-age youth.
    8. Call your local Boy Scout council. Tell them how much you appreciate what the organization is doing in your community to build tomorrow's leaders. Contact the Council Service Center.
    9. Organize a Scout color guard for local athletic events or city council meetings. It is important for people to see Scouting as a meaningful and vital part of the community.
    10. Financially support a youth in need. Everyone who shares BSA's strong values should be able to participate in Scouting. Contribute to Scouting and you will change a life. Read about financial support >>

Wood Badge Ticket Project on ScoutWiki

Are you a Adult Scout Leader looking to complete five Wood Badge tickets to promote Scouting? Please consider writing one or more Scouting themed articles on the ScoutWiki. Good luck with your Wood Badge training!

Scouting Commissioners

Duty to God

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Duty to God as a part of the form of the Scout Promise has varied slightly from country to country and over time, but must fulfill the requirements of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) to qualify a National Scout Organization for membership



Duty to God as a part of the form of the Scout Promise has varied slightly from country to country and over time, but must fulfill the requirements of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) to qualify a National Scout Organization for membership

End of Covid Quarantine Celebration

And This too shall pass!

Plan now for what super activity you will do as a patrol when quarantine ends.

See Also

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