All posts by Hayley Cordaro

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About Hayley Cordaro

Hayley Cordaro is a communications specialist at the Boy Scouts of America. She loves sharing inspiring success stories and uncovering new ways volunteers and employees can make the most of their Scouting experience. If you have story ideas or questions, reach out to us at communications@scouting.org.

Scouts Respond Quickly to Motorcycle Crash Victims

scouts, emergency preparedness, first aid, boy scouts
Troop 93 jumped to the scene of a motorcycle crash to provide assistance before EMTs arrived. (Photo credit: Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch)

First aid and emergency preparedness are essential lessons every Scout learns. You hope for safe conditions, but when the skills are needed, they can mean the difference between life and death. Such was the case for Scouts from the Pathway to Adventure Council‘s Troop 93 of Lake Zurich, IL when they helped save two motorcycle riders near their hiking site.

On June 27, the Scouts were hiking the Sunday Gulch Trail in South Dakota when they heard a motorcycle slide off the road nearby. Five of the Scouts – Jacob, Seanan, Liam, Matthew, Mark – and Scoutmaster Burke immediately ran to the scene to help the two victims that were trapped under the motorcycle.

The fast-acting Scouts lifted the Harley-Davidson off the unconscious riders and stayed on the scene to provide first responder assistance and divert traffic. They called 911 using their two-way radios and ran up the road to call for additional help.

The Scouts found a fellow hiker who happened to be a trauma nurse and was able to assist before paramedics and other emergency responders arrived.

ABC 7 Chicago reports that both victims regained consciousness before being loaded in the ambulance.

Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch officials say the troop credits Scouting and their first aid training for knowing how to respond quickly and calmly in an emergency situation.

To get the full story on how these brave Scouts helped two strangers in need, visit ABC 7 Chicago.

life scout, teen

Life Scout Saves Teen Sailor After Boat Capsizes

life scout, teen
15-year-old Life Scout Ian B. saved a fellow teen sailor after noticing a capsized boat in poor weather conditions. (Photo credit: Danielle Beaty)

When faced with a life-threatening emergency, preparation may make all the difference. Being prepared for these situations makes it possible to act carefully, swiftly and as calmly as possible. Which is exactly what 15-year-old Life Scout Ian B. of the Tidewater Council did when he noticed a capsized boat on the Pasquotank River on September 15, 2017.

Ian was participating in a sailing program at the Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies when the weather quickly became overcast and windy. The weather became so dangerous that Ian and his classmates brought the boat to shore.

Soon after docking, a capsized boat caught his eye in the distance with no visible sailor present. The sailing instructor was nearly 45 minutes away, so Ian knew he had to act fast. He dove into the water and swam 150 yards to the scene.

The Scout found 14-year-old Saige M. alongside the boat in distress with an improperly fastened life jacket. Ian correctly fastened the jacket, quickly making the struggling teen more comfortable. He then instructed Saige to float on her back while he grabbed the bow line of the boat and back strap of her jacket to tow both to shore.

The brave Life Scout was awarded the Honor Medal for his incredible lifesaving feat. Yet, to Ian, saving the struggling teen was second nature.

Simply put: “It is what a Scout does when he sees someone in trouble,” he said.

To read the full story of this Scout’s heroic efforts, visit The Outer Banks Voice.

How This Scout’s Eagle Project Is Providing Care for Children

Garret is a young man on a mission. That mission – to bring joy to children in his community and achieve his dream of becoming an Eagle Scout.

“That’s been my goal since I was 5-years-old,” Life Scout Garret B. shared with KSWO ABC 7 News. “To be an Eagle Scout, and that’s what I’m trying to accomplish.”

The Scout is spearheading a project in which he is creating “blessing bags” filled with toys, snacks, books and other gifts for kids attending a local camp in his Tyler, Texas, community.

“The bags aren’t going to change anyone’s life,” he humbly remarked. “But we really want to show kids, ya know, they’re special, and that people are thinking about them.”

Garret was inspired to develop the project after he served on mission trips with his church. He found his inspiration after one specific trip where he passed out lunches to underprivileged youth.

“When I got back, I said, how can I do this in my community?” he said.

Garret hopes the project will brighten the lives of 400 children in his community as part of the Summer Playground Program, a nine-week camp in Tyler.

To learn more about this Eagle Scout project, head to the full story and a video at KSWO ABC 7 News.

9-year-old Scout Saves His Mother’s Life

Connor G. was awarded the Medal of Merit after saving his mother when she suffered a heart attack. Photo credit: WSB-TV 2 Atlanta

Thanks to a young man’s quick-thinking and emergency training in Scouting, a mother is alive and well today after her son jumped into action to save her.

Scout Conner G. acted without a moment to lose when his mother suffered a heart attack and needed immediate assistance.

Connor’s mother, Christie, asked her son call 911 and he the quickly got on the phone with operator Karnia Lake, who says this was her first emergency call on the job.

“Sometimes that’s how you learn. That’s the best way to learn, is to jump into the deep end,” Lake shared with WSB-TV 2 Atlanta.

Just as a Scout is trained, Connor remained calm through the entire experience, relaying instructions from the operator to his mother. Paramedics were soon at the scene to render aid.

Christie looks back at the incident still in shock over what happened.

“Just the reality of it. That I could not be here right now, and I would’ve left my son without his mother,” she said.

Though Connor’s level-headed demeanor said otherwise, he too, was scared, but he says that his Scout training taught him to stay calm.

“I was nervous and I was afraid that I was gonna lose my mom,” Connor said. “I’m just so grateful for that second chance,” he said.

Connor was awarded the Medal of Merit award for his meritorious actions that saved his mother’s life.

Learn more about this Scout’s bravery under pressure by reading the full story and watching a video from WSB-TV 2 Atlanta.

Unique Eagle Scout Project Creates Better Home for Animals at the Zoo

Xavier M. developed an Eagle project that constructed hammocks for gorillas, chimpanzees and a cheetah at the Biopark’s Rio Grande Zoo. Photo credit: KRQE

A young man with a passion for helping animals came up with a novel idea to make living conditions for animals at the Albuquerque Biopark Zoo more comfortable. The idea popped into his head during a recent trip to the San Diego Zoo.

“[He is] an amazing young man, great leader,” said Assistant Scoutmaster Eddie Vargas to KRQE.

Xavier M., a Scout in the Great Southwest Council,  spearheaded an Eagle Scout project that constructed hammocks out of discarded fire hoses for gorillas, chimpanzees and a cheetah at the Biopark’s Rio Grande Zoo.

“I’ve always liked animals, I’ve always liked to go to the zoo, I’ve always liked monkeys and stuff,” Xavier explained.

Xavier’s dad, Chris, says they used to go to the zoo “all the time” when he was younger.

“He saw that the apes were playing on these rubber hammocks so he asked about them and they said they’re made out of recycled fire hose so he said ‘I want to do that for the Albuquerque zoo,'” Chris said.

The Scout teamed up with Biopark to determine what the animals needed and worked with local engineers to ensure proper design.

“I’m so proud it makes me want to cry cause he warms my heart daily,” said Xavier’s mom, Angela.

Several Fire Departments donated fire hoses to help make Xavier’s Eagle Scout project a reality.

The Scout is thankful for the help and donations from his community and says he hopes the animals will enjoy his project.

“We have plenty of volunteers, we have people working together and it’s just amazing to see all this and I’m excited to see what they’re going to be like at the zoo,” Xavier said.

To learn more about Xavier’s Eagle Scout project, visit KRQE.com.

How Scouts Honored Memorial Day Across the Country

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Rooted in the pillars of the Scout Oath to “do my best to do my duty to God and my country,” Boy Scouts of America takes special care in appreciating and honoring the efforts of our service men and women every day of the year. On Memorial Day, Scouts across the nation work to recognize the brave acts of veterans – unifying together as Scouts and proud Americans. Hover your cursor over the images in the gallery to the left and then click to view to discover how thousands of Scouts across the nation paid their respects on this special holiday.

 

How These Scouts Launched a Balloon Into the Stratosphere

Scouting invites youth to reach new heights – whether they are growing educationally, physically, socially or in a variety of other ways. But some opportunities in Scouting take reaching new heights to a literal extent, like the Scouts from the Chief Seattle Council who launched a high-altitude balloon project more than 100,000 feet up.

“My favorite part was chasing the balloon. The overall running after it, trying to figure out where it went,” said Max R., a member of Scout Troop 544 and seventh-grader, to The Outlook.

Thanks to the idea from their Scoutmaster, Phil Foss, the troop learned about the importance of STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math) while constructing a project that would send a helium-filled balloon into the stratosphere.

“We started the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program for the troop. We wanted something really interesting for them. We have to compete with screens now. And this project goes back to traditional Scouting values,” Foss said.

Though Foss introduced the idea, he says the Scouts brought the project to life. The project also allowed the Scouts to earn up to nine merit badges in the process.

“They brainstormed different packaging, a bucket, a wooden frame and finally decided on a styrofoam cooler,” Foss said. “They also needed to plan a ‘power budget.’ They needed a battery that was not too heavy, but would also power the equipment the length of the flight.”

The Scouts were also conscientious about safety throughout the entire process. They had to design the apparatus and meet safety requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Both the kids and adults were excited by the project, with special interest in the photographs the balloon was able to capture. One photo even showed an aircraft soaring below the balloon.

“The pictures were really cool,” Max R. said. “The pictures where we could see the curvature of the earth were epic.”

To learn more about this out of this world Scout project, read the full story on The Outlook.

BSA Showcases Adventures of Scouting at Outdoor Retailer

The first day of Outdoor Retailer kicked off yesterday in Denver, Colorado, with several Boy Scouts of America representatives in attendance, highlighting the fun and adventure Scouting offers the whole family.

As part of the BSA’s ongoing partnership with Outdoor Retailer — the world’s leading business-to-business outdoor sports show — Boy Scouts of America sponsored the Outdoor Inspiration Awards which honor inspiring individuals and groups in the outdoor community. Outdoor Retailer invited John Stewart, BSA’s Director of Corporate Engagement and Chief Sustainability Officer, along with two Cub Scouts participating in the Early Adopter program in the Denver Area Council, to introduce two categories of the award. Local Denver-area media were on-hand to celebrate the event and hear from the newest Cub Scout members.

Caroline G. of the Denver Area Council Early Adopter program prepares to share her experience growing up in a Scouting family with CBS 4.

Additionally, Shelley ONeill of Philmont Scout Ranch presented the Non-Profit Inspiration Award to the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The member-driven Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics teaches the foundational Scouting principle of Leave No Trace that encourages Scouts of all ages to enjoy the outdoors ethically and responsibly.

Time Names Boy Scouts of America One of the Best Nonprofits to Work for

Boy Scouts of America is committed to delivering fun, character-building programs youth can’t experience anywhere else. But what’s also great about Scouting is not only do the kids love experiencing the program, but the adults love to design and deliver it!

Boy Scouts of America was named number four on Indeed’s best non-profits to work for list. The careers site releases its ranking annually based on employee reviews around five factors: compensation and benefits, work/life balance, job security and advancement, management, and culture.

Check out the rankings for yourself by visiting the original article on Time.

jamboree

How Scouts Served the West Virginia Community at the 2017 National Jamboree

During the 2017 National Jamboree, approximately 40,000 attendees flooded the grounds of the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Mount Hope, West Virginia, ready to not only have fun, but also to serve the surrounding West Virginia community.

As part of the complete Jamboree experience, Scouts participated in more than 200 local service projects to benefit 45 of the state’s 55 counties.

The Boy Scouts of America partnered with the Citizens Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Day of Service team to identify service projects ranging from restoring and preserving historical sites and flood remediation to creating art murals and installing a butterfly garden.

“Our efforts had a tremendous impact in 2013, and the response to this statewide opportunity in 2017 has been incredible,” said Robert A. Martin, CEO of CCC in an article published by The Register-Herald. “We are grateful to Governor Justice for his support and we have enjoyed the response from citizens throughout the state as they have nominated projects and worked to see those projects happen.”

For a list of some of the community service projects conducted at the Jamboree and to read the full story, head to The Register-Herald. To learn more about how Scouts contributed during these days of service at the 2017 Jamboree, read the complete press release.