Once upon a time, most information from the national office was sent to local Scout executives, who passed it on to district executives and key volunteers, who eventually shared it with unit leaders at roundtables or training courses. Much like in a cross-country game of telephone, details were often lost in translation.

Things are different in the internet age. These days, the national office uses many means to reach local volunteers, including blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and e-newsletters.

I think the advancement team does a particular good job of communicating with the field. If you’re involved in advancement—and what Boy Scout leader isn’t?—you should subscribe to the monthly Advancement News e-newsletter. The current issue (shown at left) includes articles on such diverse topics as Internet advancement, summer camp merit badge programs, registering Scouts with disabilities, and quick-response Eagle projects. While some articles relate mostly to district and council volunteers, many are of interest to unit leaders.

Subscribing to Advancement News is easy. Simply send an email to advancement.team@scouting.org with “Subscribe” in the subject line and the following information in the body:

• Name
• Email Address
• Council Name

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