Today is recognized as National Boy Scout Day, with the official birthday being February 8th, 1910. That is a long time! Using a paper map and compass are valuable and essential skills taught to Boy Scouts. However, we thought it would be interesting to explore some ways in which GIS has been incorporated into scouting activities. Fun fact: The Boy Scouts (and Girl Scouts!) offer badges that tie into GIS, such as geocaching and surveying.
Colorado Cub Scout Opts for ArcGIS Online Over Paper Map to Track Popcorn and Pretzel Sales, is a perfect example of how GIS is enhancing the scouting experience!
"As Joshua made each entry, the web map was populated with quality data categorized as a Successful Sale, Not Home, or Not Interested location as a point feature."
Clicking on the image below will link you to an article titled, "Scouting Out Geospatial Technology."
The Boy Scouts of America fully incorporated geospatial technology at Summit Bechtel Reserve (The Summit) in West Virginia, which is home to the National Scout Jamboree. ArcGIS was utilized for the generation, design, and manufacture of The Summit. The Boy Scouts used the mobile ArcGIS app on their smartphones to navigate their way around the massive event (10, 600-acre site), in order to find various trails, zip lines, skate ramps, etc.
