National Scouting Museum

05/15/2026

So the transition of Artifact of the Week from weekly to bi-weekly has been difficult to manage. I’m still working out the logistics and timing. So standby, I am confident the wait will be rewarded.

04/23/2026

Representing Philmont Scout Ranch, The National Scouting Museum, Villa Philmonte, Kit Carson Museum at Rayado, and Family Adventure Camp at the 36th Annual Family Health Fair in Raton.

04/22/2026

Nature isn’t just something to look at—it’s something to notice, learn from, and appreciate in all its details. 🌿 These quiet woodland scenes by Ernest Thompson Seton reflect a lifelong belief in the outdoors as a place of learning, reflection, and respect.

Long before Earth Day, Seton encouraged a deeper connection to wildlife and the land around us —values that continue to shape the spirit of Scouting today.

This Earth Day, take a moment to step outside, observe, and appreciate the world around you. What will you discover?🌲⛰️🏕️

04/17/2026

Skill Awards: The mere mention of the stamped-metal belt loops can elicit all sorts of reactions, from animosity to love of this advancement tool. Skill awards, brass belt loops with painted designs, were a part of the advancement program for Tenderfoot through First Class from 1972 until 1989. Unlike today, where Scoutcraft or Woodcraft skills are spread across the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class, during the time of the skill awards, a skill award was completed in place of these requirements or as an elective for a certain rank. Once you completed a specific skill award, you did not have to deal with the subject area again.

Fun Fact: The actual Skill Awards in the video are my Skill Awards from back in the day!

04/06/2026

Recently, we received a message requesting a list of Scouting Museums across the country. That list, including an interactive map, can be found on our Scouting Heritage Merit Badge Resource page: https://www.philmontscoutranch.org/museums/scout-heritage-mb-resources/

You will need to scroll down a little to find the map and list.

Discover the Scouting Heritage Merit Badge at Philmont—learn about the history, traditions, and values that have shaped Scouting across generations.

03/27/2026

Discovered an error that needed to be corrected, so today’s post is a little later than planned.

If you are a fan of the TV show “The Big Bang Theory,” you probably recall Sheldon Cooper’s “Fun with Flags” live stream. While the title is amusing, I’m sort of surprised Sheldon didn’t use the more formal word Vexillology or characterize himself as a vexillophile. Vexillology is the study of the history, symbolism, and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general, and a vexillophile is a hobbyist or general admirer of flags. Whitney Smith, an American scholar, conceived of vexillology in 1957 and formalized it in 1961 with the publication of The Flag Bulletin.

During my research, I read about a 1960s article in Boys’ Life Magazine about the history of the Troop Flag. I was unable to find it, so if you know of this article, please let me know. I would love to read it and include it in my records.

During my research, I read about a 1960s article in Boys’ Life Magazine about the history of the Troop Flag. I was unable to find it so if you know of this article, please let me know. I would love to read it and include it in my records.

So now that I have piqued your curiosity, it’s time to get down to business and look at the history of the oldest flag in Scouting America, the Troop Flag.

03/13/2026

Today is an update on the future of Artifact of the Week. Don't panic, we're not going away.

03/06/2026

It's our final video on Uniforms, and this time we are learning about several Factlets related to the Uniforms of Scouting America. Not sure what a factlet is, well, stay tuned and find out.

03/03/2026

113 years ago today...

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02/20/2026

Well, after several delays, some technological, some logistical, and some simply bad timing, this edition of Artifact of the Week is ready for prime time. Today, we are going to look at Adult Uniforms across all the programs of the Boy Scouts of America and Scouting America. What sounds like a simple adventure turns out to be a bit complicated because of how uniforms were designed, approved, and rolled out to the organization. Next week, we will wrap up this uniform series with some tidbits of uniforming trivia.