Scouting Magazine Coverboy

[SemperParatus]

Wow...just informed that our Troop will be featured in Scouting magazine (in 2006) for a service project we have come to be known for.

 

Any other units out there with experience in getting press in one of the national publications? What can we expect? Did you make any attempt to leverage the publicity locally?

[Proud Eagle]

I can't say that my troop has ever been featured, but the international Scouting programs of my council and its camp were featured not long ago. I even had a chance to have 4 scouts (3 females, 1 male) from the Czech Republic in my Archery MB classes this past summer as part of the same program written about in Scouting. (The Czech side of the program has been featured in some publications over there as well.)

 

Unfortunately we were in a poor position (due to problems with council and loss of leadership) to take advantage of it, so it never really became a big deal, though it could and should have.

[cliffgolden]

 

Our troop was included in an article in the January-February 2004 issue of Scouting Magazine, "Skating on Slivers of Steel". It was an article about ice boating on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin.

 

We didn't do anything special, except make a copy to post on our troop bulletin board.

 

It's nice for the parents to read about their sons and it's a thrill for the boys to be featured in photos. One of our boys was in a two page photo spread. We joked with him about being a centerfold.

 

We were also in the summer edition of American Scouting Digest, "Postcards From the Edge"

 

It's always nice to see your program in print.

 

YIS,

Cliff Golden

Scoutmaster Troop 33

DeKalb, Illinois

[johnmbowen]

Hi Cliff! I will try to look up your article! Is it on line?

 

Our Troop was featured in Boy's Life for Oct 2002 for a trip to climb Orizaba in Mexico. That was kind of contrived as I had the Scouts to write their stories periodically in internet cafes back to the local newspaper (the trip was conceived and the logistics run by the Scouts themselves). I then organized the material and approached Boy's Life. The surprise there was that the staff had little idea of what that kind of "high adventure" entailed, and wanted to be sure that the Scouts wore their uniforms while on the climb. The mountain is only 18,800 feet high on ice and snow...that would have been a sight (ha!). They were actually quite helpful, but we had to do a lot of editing with them on technical matters.

 

We were also just informed that the Troop will again be in BL for a mountaineering rescue we helped out in last August. Again I helped to edit the piece to tone down the sensationalism.

 

My suggestion, work with the writer who will contact you - and edit what they write!

 

 

JB

[hops_scout]

Make sure and let us know when your article is going to be in there:)

[johnmbowen]

It was either March or May...they are going to draw a picture. I don't get the magazine and so I hope they send me a copy.

 

JB

[cliffgolden]

>>>>>>>>>

Hi Cliff! I will try to look up your article! Is it on line?

>>>>>>>>>

 

Sorry John, I haven't been monitoring this forum or I would have responded sooner.

 

No, they don't have their articles online.

 

The article was from our 2003 southwest trip in Utah-Nevada-Arizona and Mexico, not last summer's trip where we met you. Most of the article was about Mexico and our misadventures there, i.e. lost wallet, kayaking into a school of jellyfish, medical emergency, fun at a military checkpoint, etc., etc.

 

I will be looking for your article on the mountain rescue.

 

I agree it's good to work with editing. I had an experience with Boys Life on a snowshoe trip about 5 years ago where we requested they kill a story rather than print it.

 

I wish I had offered to do some editing instead. The story had major incongruities.

 

YIS,

Cliff Golden

Scoutmaster Troop 33

DeKalb, Illinois

[GopherJudy]

Congrats Semper Paratus! That's great! Don't forget to let us know what issue you'll be in. BTW how did you find out that you're going to be in the magazine? Also, how does any unit get into the magazine?

 

Congrats AGain!

 

Judy

[SemperParatus]

I am sure there are different ways to get in, here is what happened in our situation.

 

Our troop has gained some recognition for a particular 'signature' service project we do to benefit a local organization with national ties. The staff of this organization talks up our efforts at their local and state-wide meetings and have publicized our efforts in our community as a model of this somewhat unique private-public partnership. A free lance writer that volunteers at the organization has written some favorable articles for news periodicals with state-wide distribution. She asked me if I would mind her sending in an article idea to Scouter Mag. I said sure, why not. She sent in some samples of her work and the idea. A month later the editor approved the piece and contracted with her for the article (she gets paid for it). We have never sought publicity for our efforts, it really has been driven by the gratitude of the folks at the organization who think so much of our work that they want to spread the word.