July Photo Finalists Revealed!
August 1, 2011
Last month’s entries to our Scouting photo contest on flickr were some of our strongest entries yet. Here are a few that really caught our eye. One of these photographs will win the taker a $100 Gift Certificate for some sweet custom shirts!
And the winner is…
And the winner is…
July Photo Winner!
Summer Reading Series, Book 4, The Scouting Party
July 26, 2011
For anyone who has ever wished that they could read the mail of the men who founded the BSA, The Scouting Party will be of great interest. This well-researched book uses the backdrop of America during the Progressive Movement in the early 1900’s to focus on the often strained relationships of men like Ernest Thompson Seton, Daniel Carter Beard, James E. West, and Lord Baden Powell. 
Through personal accounts of hotel meetings and the actual text of letters sent back and forth between the parties, readers get a glimpse of the egos, attitudes, and principles of these distinguished leaders.
The main conflicts are between Seton and West with Beard often being called into the argument to take sides against Seton or to mediate. Here are some quotes from an argument that arose over the look of patrol emblems.
Arguments like this one over details, and others regarding who should get credit for founding what aspects of the BSA, escalate to the point where Seton formally resigns from the Boy Scouts of America in 1915. Throughout the book, events like this are always put into the larger context of President Roosevelt’s America. Roosevelt even becomes a key player at times, entreating the BSA (a peaceful organization) to stand with him as America rallies to join the war effort.
The book is careful to remain objective, by presenting facts and letting the reader form their own opinions.
Overall, The Scouting Party is an informative and descriptive book on the rise of the Boy Scouts of America in the early twentieth century that Scouting historians will love!
Want to check out the other books in our Scouting Summer Reading Series?
Book 1: The Other Side of the Road
Book 2: Spirit of Adventure
Book 3: To Do My Best
Through personal accounts of hotel meetings and the actual text of letters sent back and forth between the parties, readers get a glimpse of the egos, attitudes, and principles of these distinguished leaders.
The main conflicts are between Seton and West with Beard often being called into the argument to take sides against Seton or to mediate. Here are some quotes from an argument that arose over the look of patrol emblems.
“I know something about heraldry and I know a great deal about patrol emblems,” Seton tells the editorial board including West.
“I think Mr. Seton is all wrong in this matter,” West responds.
“I think he is making a mountain out of a molehill,” Beard says in reaction to Seton’s advice on the emblem designs.
Arguments like this one over details, and others regarding who should get credit for founding what aspects of the BSA, escalate to the point where Seton formally resigns from the Boy Scouts of America in 1915. Throughout the book, events like this are always put into the larger context of President Roosevelt’s America. Roosevelt even becomes a key player at times, entreating the BSA (a peaceful organization) to stand with him as America rallies to join the war effort.
The book is careful to remain objective, by presenting facts and letting the reader form their own opinions.
Overall, The Scouting Party is an informative and descriptive book on the rise of the Boy Scouts of America in the early twentieth century that Scouting historians will love!
Want to check out the other books in our Scouting Summer Reading Series?
Book 1: The Other Side of the Road
Book 2: Spirit of Adventure
Book 3: To Do My Best
June Photo Contest Finalists Revealed
July 1, 2011
Every month this year we have held a Scouting photo contest and have given away over $500 worth of custom t-shirts to winning photographers. This month we’ve picked 3 finalists. The winning photo will earn $100 Gift Certificate for some cool custom t-shirts!
Do you have some great Scouting pics? Upload them to flickr.com and tag them “ClassBPhoto2011.” Maybe you’ll win next month!
April Photo Contest Winner Announced!
May 9, 2011
Here they are, the four photo contest finalists of last month! One of these photographers will win a $100 Gift Card from ClassB :)
If you were at this pack meeting, know this photographer, or have some connection with this photograph, leave a comment below!
Want to win $100 Gift Card from ClassB? Are you a photographer of Scouting events? If you can answer “yes” to both of these questions, then visit flickr and upload your pictures with the tag: ClassBPhoto2011.
A new winner is selected once a month!
Congratulations to Polywen for submitting this winning photo entitled “Cub Scout Pack Meeting.”
If you were at this pack meeting, know this photographer, or have some connection with this photograph, leave a comment below!
Want to win $100 Gift Card from ClassB? Are you a photographer of Scouting events? If you can answer “yes” to both of these questions, then visit flickr and upload your pictures with the tag: ClassBPhoto2011.
A new winner is selected once a month!
March Photo Contest Finalists!
April 1, 2011
These are the finalists for our March Scouting Photo Contest on flickr. The Winner is announced after the jump in this post and will receive $100 Gift Card from ClassB!
If you enjoy taking Scouting photos, upload them to flickr with the tag: ClassBPhoto2011 and maybe one of your pictures will be a finalist next month!
Here it is! Your March Photo Contest Winner…
Congratulations to “rustymonkey2” for submitting this month’s winner!
If you enjoy taking Scouting photos, upload them to flickr with the tag: ClassBPhoto2011 and maybe one of your pictures will be a finalist next month!
Here it is! Your March Photo Contest Winner…
Congratulations to “rustymonkey2” for submitting this month’s winner!
February Photo Contest Finalists!
March 1, 2011
It’s time to announce last month’s Scouting photo contest winner. Our judges looked over the pool of flickr submissions and selected the following finalists…
All of these pictures were excellent in their own way, but since February is Scouting History month, we decided to go with a vintage photo to claim the $100 ClassB Gift Card. And the winner is…”Many Point Scout Camp 1987″ sent in by Steve B!
Congrats to Steve and all of this month’s finalists.
Do you enjoy taking Scouting photos? Then why haven’t you entered our contest yet? All you need to do to be eligible for next month’s contest is upload your Scouting pics to flickr and tag them: ClassBPhoto2011
You never know, you might soon be enjoying a sweet $100 Gift Card from ClassB. Just like Steve B :)
All of these pictures were excellent in their own way, but since February is Scouting History month, we decided to go with a vintage photo to claim the $100 ClassB Gift Card. And the winner is…”Many Point Scout Camp 1987″ sent in by Steve B!
Congrats to Steve and all of this month’s finalists.
Do you enjoy taking Scouting photos? Then why haven’t you entered our contest yet? All you need to do to be eligible for next month’s contest is upload your Scouting pics to flickr and tag them: ClassBPhoto2011
You never know, you might soon be enjoying a sweet $100 Gift Card from ClassB. Just like Steve B :)
ClassB at the South Florida Camporee
February 28, 2011
A week ago, ClassB® had the pleasure to attend the Scoutmasters Camporee of South Florida. This Camporee is an annual event organized by the South Florida Council and attended by over 2,000 Scouts and adult leaders from around the region. The sun was shining as we set up our custom BSA® T-shirt and patrol flag display in the vendor expo area.
All day long, small crowds composed of packs and troops were entertained by the members of our staff who demonstrated how to turn a wooden geocaching coin into an old-fashioned spinner toy. We handed out over 1,500 of the toys in all. The use of the geocaching coins, imprinted with the official “Cache In, Trash Out” logo fit in perfectly with this year’s theme of “Scouting an Outdoor Adventure.”
During the event, we also collected entries for a drawing at the end of the day where Troop 530 ended up winning over $300 worth of free custom shirts!
ClassB was happy to be invited to attend and our all of our staff that participated had a great time meeting and hanging out with the Scouts. To see more pictures from the Camporee visit ClassB’s official flickr page.
Are you involved with planning a camporee? Want ClassB to bring an informative, educational booth program to your event? Leave us a comment and let us know about it :)
All day long, small crowds composed of packs and troops were entertained by the members of our staff who demonstrated how to turn a wooden geocaching coin into an old-fashioned spinner toy. We handed out over 1,500 of the toys in all. The use of the geocaching coins, imprinted with the official “Cache In, Trash Out” logo fit in perfectly with this year’s theme of “Scouting an Outdoor Adventure.”
During the event, we also collected entries for a drawing at the end of the day where Troop 530 ended up winning over $300 worth of free custom shirts!
ClassB was happy to be invited to attend and our all of our staff that participated had a great time meeting and hanging out with the Scouts. To see more pictures from the Camporee visit ClassB’s official flickr page.
Are you involved with planning a camporee? Want ClassB to bring an informative, educational booth program to your event? Leave us a comment and let us know about it :)
The Birth of Cub Scouting®
February 11, 2011
1930 brought on a significant addition to Scouting with the development of Cub Scouting for younger boys.
In the early years of the BSA, leaders recognized what they called a “younger boy problem,” meaning that boys below the age of 12 were watching their older brothers or relatives enjoy all Scouting had to offer and wanted to join in the fun. The problem was, until Cub Scouting became official, Boy Scout troops were either allowing younger boys to participate in the older boy’s program or throwing their support behind a junior program Baden Powell established in Britain called “Wolf Cubbing.” Powell had even written a handbook for younger boys entitled, The Wolf Cub’s Handbook.
Due to the popularity of Powell’s overseas program with some BSA Councils in America, the National organization decided they needed a program that would be separate from Scouting, but still do a thorough job of preparing boys for becoming Scouts.
After several studies conducted by the National Council and the formation of a few demonstration Cubbing units in 1929, Cubbing was officially born on April 1, 1930 when the BSA allowed Cub “Packs” to register. It is interesting to note that the term “Cub Scouting” didn’t take root until 1945. The Packs were further broken down into “dens” of six to ten boys who were led by a den chief, usually a Boy Scout from a local troop. However, because parental supervision was even more important with boys of this age, assigning one of the boy’s mothers as the “den mother” became regular practice by 1932. The BSA officially recognized Den Mothers in 1936 and published The Den Mother’s Handbook one year later.
By the 1940’s there were already 286,402 boys enrolled in Cubbing and the BSA could not deny it had been an excellent addition. The organizational structure of Cubbing was this: a boy entered as a
Bobcat at the age of nine and earned advancements to Wolf, Bear, and finally Lion ranks. In 1941,
Webelos or “We’ll Be Loyal Scouts” were added. These were eleven-and-a-half year old boys who had already earned a Lion badge, along with certain requirements for becoming a Tenderfoot in the Scouts.
The uniform a Cub Scout wore showed their distinction of being a separate group from the older Boy Scouts. A Cub wore a blue cotton uniform instead of the Scout’s olive green pants and tan shirt. Cubs always wore shorts, while Scouts wore pants with shorts being optional.
The popularity of Cub Scouting and the mentoring that takes place within its ranks ensures that a fresh crop of boys will be eager to accept the honor and responsibility of being a Boy Scout every year.
Are you involved in Cub Scouting? If so, give a shout out to your Pack in the comments! Also, follow @ClassBPacks on twitter for Cub Scout news and weekly t-shirt giveaways :)
Used by permission. Boy Scouts of America® All Rights Reserved.
In the early years of the BSA, leaders recognized what they called a “younger boy problem,” meaning that boys below the age of 12 were watching their older brothers or relatives enjoy all Scouting had to offer and wanted to join in the fun. The problem was, until Cub Scouting became official, Boy Scout troops were either allowing younger boys to participate in the older boy’s program or throwing their support behind a junior program Baden Powell established in Britain called “Wolf Cubbing.” Powell had even written a handbook for younger boys entitled, The Wolf Cub’s Handbook.
Due to the popularity of Powell’s overseas program with some BSA Councils in America, the National organization decided they needed a program that would be separate from Scouting, but still do a thorough job of preparing boys for becoming Scouts.
After several studies conducted by the National Council and the formation of a few demonstration Cubbing units in 1929, Cubbing was officially born on April 1, 1930 when the BSA allowed Cub “Packs” to register. It is interesting to note that the term “Cub Scouting” didn’t take root until 1945. The Packs were further broken down into “dens” of six to ten boys who were led by a den chief, usually a Boy Scout from a local troop. However, because parental supervision was even more important with boys of this age, assigning one of the boy’s mothers as the “den mother” became regular practice by 1932. The BSA officially recognized Den Mothers in 1936 and published The Den Mother’s Handbook one year later.
via Wikipedia Commons
By the 1940’s there were already 286,402 boys enrolled in Cubbing and the BSA could not deny it had been an excellent addition. The organizational structure of Cubbing was this: a boy entered as a
Bobcat at the age of nine and earned advancements to Wolf, Bear, and finally Lion ranks. In 1941,
Webelos or “We’ll Be Loyal Scouts” were added. These were eleven-and-a-half year old boys who had already earned a Lion badge, along with certain requirements for becoming a Tenderfoot in the Scouts.
The uniform a Cub Scout wore showed their distinction of being a separate group from the older Boy Scouts. A Cub wore a blue cotton uniform instead of the Scout’s olive green pants and tan shirt. Cubs always wore shorts, while Scouts wore pants with shorts being optional.
The popularity of Cub Scouting and the mentoring that takes place within its ranks ensures that a fresh crop of boys will be eager to accept the honor and responsibility of being a Boy Scout every year.
Are you involved in Cub Scouting? If so, give a shout out to your Pack in the comments! Also, follow @ClassBPacks on twitter for Cub Scout news and weekly t-shirt giveaways :)
William Boyce, A Good Turn, and the Birth of the BSA®
February 9, 2011
To honor our loyal Scouting supporters, customers and volunteers, we’d like to use the month of February to focus this blog on events related to Scouting’s history. The first post having to do with the birthday of the BSA.
The BSA was founded on February 8th, 1910, but its origins can be traced back a little earlier, to a fateful day in London. Scouts and historians will debate how much, if any, fog there was that day, or what was or wasn’t discussed between William Boyce and the Boy Scout he encountered on the streets of London in 1909, but this is what is known.
William Boyce was traveling through London on his way to British East Africa when he lost his way and a Scout came to his aid. When Boyce offered to tip the boy, he refused explaining that he was just performing his daily good turn. This simple act has been immortalized as the legend of the Unknown Scout.
This exchange between the Scout and Boyce must have left a strong impression on the businessman, since Boyce went on to found the BSA a few months later.
It has been recorded by numerous sources that the Scout did tell Boyce the location of the Scout headquarters where Boyce acquired the manual and literature he used as a guide to establish Scouting in America.
This story is inspiring for many reasons.
First, it demonstrates how a simple act of kindness can have a lasting effect on a person. I’m sure William Boyce never forgot the Scout who so willingly and self-lessly assisted him that day.
Second, it reinforces that inspiration can strike at the least expected times, if a person remains open-minded and non-judgemental. Boyce was not at a business conference or dining with some wealthy dignitary when he had the meeting that would forever alter the course of his life. He was lost, standing in the street, unsure of where to go next, until he spoke to a Scout.
Finally, the story of how Boyce founded the BSA is another example of how one man can change the world by executing an idea and seeing a plan through. Boyce educated himself on Baden Powell‘s Scouting movement, made a conscience decision to start the BSA, and the youth organization he started has gone on for over 100 years and over 110 million participants.
Are you currently involved in Scouting? If so, what good turn that you performed had positive effects beyond what you expected?
The BSA was founded on February 8th, 1910, but its origins can be traced back a little earlier, to a fateful day in London. Scouts and historians will debate how much, if any, fog there was that day, or what was or wasn’t discussed between William Boyce and the Boy Scout he encountered on the streets of London in 1909, but this is what is known.
William Boyce was traveling through London on his way to British East Africa when he lost his way and a Scout came to his aid. When Boyce offered to tip the boy, he refused explaining that he was just performing his daily good turn. This simple act has been immortalized as the legend of the Unknown Scout.
Used by permission. Boy Scouts of America® All Rights Reserved.
This exchange between the Scout and Boyce must have left a strong impression on the businessman, since Boyce went on to found the BSA a few months later.
It has been recorded by numerous sources that the Scout did tell Boyce the location of the Scout headquarters where Boyce acquired the manual and literature he used as a guide to establish Scouting in America.
This story is inspiring for many reasons.
First, it demonstrates how a simple act of kindness can have a lasting effect on a person. I’m sure William Boyce never forgot the Scout who so willingly and self-lessly assisted him that day.
Second, it reinforces that inspiration can strike at the least expected times, if a person remains open-minded and non-judgemental. Boyce was not at a business conference or dining with some wealthy dignitary when he had the meeting that would forever alter the course of his life. He was lost, standing in the street, unsure of where to go next, until he spoke to a Scout.
Finally, the story of how Boyce founded the BSA is another example of how one man can change the world by executing an idea and seeing a plan through. Boyce educated himself on Baden Powell‘s Scouting movement, made a conscience decision to start the BSA, and the youth organization he started has gone on for over 100 years and over 110 million participants.
Are you currently involved in Scouting? If so, what good turn that you performed had positive effects beyond what you expected?
Pinewood Derby® Design Tips
January 17, 2011
Car Designs are Only Limited by Your Imagination. (via Flickr)
Pinewood Derby season is upon us and we wanted to share some helpful blog posts to get you and your car ready for the big race. In the first post of our 4 part Pinewood Derby series, we discussed how to build your car for maximum speed. Here, we would like to offer some design tips to help you create a great-looking car you’ll want to cherish for years to come.
While parents play a major role in the construction of Pinewood Derby cars, it is our belief that the theme and initial design for the car should come from the Scout’s imagination and plan. If you are the assisting parent ask your Scout to come up with a “theme” or overall artistic idea for the car’s design. Popular themes include: classic cars, stock cars, race cars, object cars (like a pencil car), superhero vehicles, cars representing food, animal cars, cartoon cars, and just about anything else a person can dream up and build. Finding a theme will bring focus to your design and save time when assembling materials and tools.
Before discussing details or materials, it would be helpful to have the Scout sketch out on paper how the car should look. Ask them to add some color to the sketch, so you can anticipate what paints you will need.
Once you have the sketch representing the car’s theme it is time to consider if this design is something that can be built using your tools and experience level. A design should not be too complicated. Some of the best-looking Pinewood Derby cars are actually very simple designs that are well-built and carefully painted.
via Flickr
The next step is to draw a scaled plan of the car’s top and sides that will be used to cut the wood block. Pre-made car patterns are also available online and in books, such as
via Flickr
Once the wood is cut into the pattern, you are ready to paint your car. Automotive-quality spray paint can be purchased at most hardware stores. This paint will give your car’s body a professional coat and shine-just like a real car. Remember to only use spray paints in well-ventilated areas. Allow plenty of time to dry before painting anything else. For detailing, use painter’s tape to block off small areas and use scissors to cut it to outline the exact shape you need. Use a modeling paint, like Testors®, to paint small areas (don’t forget to paint the hubcaps on the wheels).
via Flickr
Once everything is painted and dry, attach any component pieces to the body with a wood glue or epoxy. Always follow manufacturer’s guidelines when working with adhesives. Decals can be purchased in packs from licensed dealers to add elements like flames, numbers, and stripes.
By now, you should have a professional-looking car that closely resembles the Scout’s initial sketch. Don’t forget to take some pictures of your completed car from various angles and have fun showing it off at the Derby!
via Flickr
Do you have a Pinewood Derby car that you are proud of? Leave a comment with a link to where we can see it. Also, for a chance to win a $100 Gift Card, enter your car in our photo contest, by posting it on Flickr with the tag: ClassBPhoto2011. We’ll be awarding a new winner every month.
Check out the blog later this week for Part 3 of our Pinewood Derby Series: The History of the Derby.