Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Scout Life

The Explorer Academy book series brings a new twist with its latest addition, Explorer Academy Vela: The Sailor Cipher. Author Trudi Trueit chatted with SL about the latest update, Scouting and what’s to come. SL: What can you tell us about the Explorer Academy series? T.T.: Explorer Academy is a fact-based fiction series inspired by the real explorers of National Geographic, featuring an international cast of middle-grade students. The kids travel the world on a ship — learning, exploring and undertaking daring missions to help preserve and protect our planet. SL: How does Explorer Academy Vela: The Sailor Cipher fit in with the other Explorer Academy books? T.T.: In the first series of seven books, the protagonist was 12-year-old Cruz Coronado, who was on a personal quest to recover a…

Hats are among the mostunderappreciated pieces of gear. They can let people know if you’re a fan of a certain sports team, what brands you like or that you’re a Scout. More practically, they can protect you from the sun, cold, rain and bugs (and bad hair days). Hats keep your hair out of your eyes, absorb sweat and provide shade when there is none. A winter hat can help keep you warm — you can lose up to 10% of your body heat if your head is uncovered. Pick a hat that looks and feels good to you and is ideal for the conditions where you’ll wear it. THE HATS Some places can get really buggy, so a hat with insect protection will make your time outside a lot…

Many people with disabilities use adaptive equipment to play sports. In some ways, wheelchair basketball is just as grueling as basketball for people without disabilities. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the international governing body for the sport. The Wheelchair Basketball World Championship — called the Gold Cup — is played every four years. While the rules of wheelchair basketball are similar to basketball, some rules have been modified with consideration for the wheelchair. For example, athletes are allowed to push their wheels twice, after which they must dribble, pass or shoot the ball. go.scoutlife.org/meritbadge…

SWING AWAY Which golfer will ace the Masters Tournament? Scheduled for April 11-14 in Augusta, Georgia, the action will play out on CBS and ESPN. When Luis joins a new baseball team, things seem hopeless. The team can’t get along, and some players seem more interested in wasting time than in sportsmanship or working hard. Luis’ leadership is tested when he’s named captain. Will he help his teammates learn to be friends and have fun? Find out in Baseball Buddies: Building a Team. By Aaron Derr, senior editor of Scout Life magazine! Red Chair Press, $16.99. Ages 8-12. CALENDAR April 1: Don’t get fooled on April Fool’s Day. April 10: Hang out with your favorite people for National Siblings Day. April 22 is Earth Day. Think green! See…

Maybe — just maybe — a valuable golden nugget is hiding in this bucket of sediment, Rocco Koekemoer Jr. thought. The bucket was emptied into a large water trough. Rocco grabbed a pan, dipped it through the water and scooped up some sand. He swished the water around, filtering out the sediment as he searched for glittery gold. Nope, no nuggets. But he did unearth gold flakes. “You’d only get small pieces,” the 13-year-old Second Class Scout says. “It was maybe two cents’ worth.” Rocco and his fellow Scouts might not have left the Consolidated Gold Mine much richer, but they did take home a lot of fun memories. Rushing to Dahlonega The most famous gold rush in American history happened in California in the mid-1800s. But the West Coast…

HANDBOOK HELP Learn Your Rules Rules are often made to maintain order and keep people safe. Obeying rules made by an authority, like your parents or teachers, helps achieve success. For example, when someone disrupts class by not following the teacher’s instructions, the whole class can miss out on learning. A Scout follows the rules and laws of his or her family, Scouting unit, school and community. If you think a rule or law is unfair, seek to change it in a civil way. Even after your objection, those in authority might choose to keep the rule in place. Try to understand their reasoning; there might be a purpose, like safety, that you didn’t immediately see. There will be times when you’ll be assigned a task you don’t want to…

1. EFFICIENCY. Computers make it easy to do tasks that once were difficult and time-consuming. 2. ACCURACY. With computers, accuracy is easier to achieve — for example, computers allow the drafter to quickly draw multiple lines to the exact same length. 3. EASY REPETITION. Computers make it easy to draw the same shape over and over. 4. PRACTICALITY. Computers take up less space than the drafting boards needed for manual drafting. 5. EASY SHARING. CAD designs are saved as digital files that can easily be shared over the internet.…

This year’s theme for Earth Day is PLANET VS. PLASTIC. Earth Day is always on APRIL 22. Earth Day originated April 22, 1970, when 20 million Americans spoke out against oil spills, pollution and other hazards that aren’t good for our planet. As of November 2023, 8.1 billion people were living on Earth. Earth is the only known planet with breathable oxygen, which makes up 21% of its atmosphere. EARTH IS THE ONLY PLANET with a name that doesn’t come from Greek mythology. Instead, it derives from Old English and German. Scientists say Earth was formed about 4.54 billion years ago.…

WORLD-RECORD SETTER Eagle Scout Powerlifts to Success KAI (KIANNA) NAKAOKA Age: 17 Hometown: Sacramento, California Scout Rank: Eagle Scout (Troop 50G, Sacramento) Made Headlines: For setting a world record at the 2023 International Powerlifting League (IPL) World Championships. The Scoop: Kai deadlifted 220.4 pounds, setting the record in her age group (Junior 15-19) and weight class (97 lbs.). She holds four international records, six world (IPL) titles, six national records and 59 California state records. Kai is also the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Bench National Champion, USAPL California State National Champion and U.S. Powerlifting Association (USPA) National Champion. Know someone who’s making headlines? Let us know! go.scoutlife.org/headliners BRINGING MAGIC Eagle Scout’s Nonprofit Recognized ROHAN FICHADIA Age: 18 Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska Scout Rank: Eagle Scout (Troop 374, Omaha) Made Headlines: As a…

WHAT IS A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? On April 8, the sun will go dark in one of nature’s greatest spectacles: a total solar eclipse. This happens when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, blocking out the sun for several minutes. There are several types of solar eclipses: In a total eclipse, the moon completely blocks the sun. People located in the center of the moon’s shadow when it hits Earth will see this type of eclipse. During an annular eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth when it’s at or near its farthest point from Earth. During a hybrid eclipse, an eclipse shifts between annular and total because Earth’s curvy surface causes the moon’s shadow to move across the globe. In a partial eclipse, the moon…

1. DECIDING WHAT TO COLLECT If you look around your bedroom and see that you have two of something (things like die-cast model cars, sports cards and comic books), then you’ve already started a collection. Bottom line: Collect what you like. Rocks, fossils, shells, caps, stickers, action figures, medals … all would make excellent collections. 2. KNOWING WHERE TO LOOK With a parent’s permission, search on the internet for local businesses such as antique dealers, collectibles shops, comic book stores, gift shops, hobby shops and sports stores. Look for information on clubs relating to your interest. Ask your friends at school and in Scouts what they like to collect, and start your own trading club. 3. KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR COLLECTION As you gather more and more items, it will…

(See page 16 for details on the eclipse.) WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Needle or sharpened pencil Small box with a lid (A shoebox is perfect.) Small piece of aluminum foil Small sheet of white paper Tape Utility knife or hobby knife WHAT YOU’LL DO: STEP 1. CUT A 1-INCH SQUARE HOLE in the lower right corner of your shoebox. STEP 2. TAPE THE FOIL OVER THE SQUARE. Using a needle or pencil, poke a small hole in the center of the foil. STEP 3. TAPE A SMALL PIECE OF WHITE PAPER inside the box directly across from the foil-covered square. This is the projection screen where the image will appear. STEP 4. ON THE SAME SIDE as the foil-covered square, cut another 1-inch square in the opposite corner. This is the viewing…

ANGLICAN SCOUTS can learn more about their Christian faith by earning the following: The Jesus and Me emblem is for Cub Scouts in kindergarten and first grade. This program introduces Jesus as the Son of God in familiar terms so that young children can see Jesus in their own day-to-day experiences as a storyteller, teacher, friend and healer. The God and Me emblem is for Cub Scouts in second and third grades. This program helps Anglican Cub Scouts become best friends with Jesus and tell their story of “God and Me” together. The God and Family emblem is for Webelos Scouts in fourth through sixth grades. This program helps youth understand the importance of family and God’s role in a healthy family. God and Family provides an opportunity for youth…