Scouting Continues at Home

When Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a statewide shelter in place, many organizations and non-profits were forced to move to online platforms like Zoom and Discord to maintain their program. The San Francisco Bay Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, adopted a similar platform to promote their Virtual Exploration Camp. From 9am to the early afternoon, Scouts can log on to their computers and tune in to engage with other Scouts and a subject matter experts to earn a Merit Badge. These badges are earned by showing competency to their Merit Badge Counselors. "The Virtual Exploration Camp has been instrumental in allowing local Scouts to explore a variety of areas of interest to them with the goal of developing future skills and lifelong hobbies,” says Liam O’Flynn, an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 905 in Dublin. Liam joins a handful of other adult volunteers in the latest challenge of educating youth through telecommunication.

While Scouts are synonymous with the outdoors, they also are known for adapting and overcoming. As the Nation’s largest youth development program, Scouting is still promoting citizenship, service, and character development from inside the home. Troops and Packs have moved to online conferences to host their meetings and stay in touch. “As an instructor,” says Liam, “I value knowing that I have the ability to inspire my students and prepare them in everything from managing their money effectively to being trained in First Aid." Classes in this Spring course will cover topics including Nature, Oceanography, Backpacking, and pertinent topics like Emergency Preparedness, Medicine, and Public Health. To see the list of other badges, please visit www.sfbac.org/programs/exploration-camps To make a donation to help keep the Scouting program strong in the Bay Area, please visit www.sfbac.org/fcge Interested in joining a Scout Pack or Troop? Visit www.beascout.org