Fort Drum Scouts BSA Family Troop 26

03/05/2026

Scouts BSA Troop 26 (Fort Drum) is excited to announce that we are officially a Family Troop! We welcome boys & girls ages 11-17. For more information, please message us or send us an email at [email protected].

07/04/2025

🎇🇺🇸 Happy Independence Day from Scouts BSA Troop 26! 🇺🇸🎇

Today we honor the courage and vision of those who helped build our country—and reflect on the values that make America strong: freedom, unity, and service.

As Scouts, we are proud to uphold these principles in our daily lives through leadership, responsibility, and service to others.

Whether you’re watching fireworks, participating in a flag ceremony, or spending time with your patrol or family, have a safe and meaningful 4th of July.

🔥🛶🏕️ Happy Fourth, Scouts BSA Troop 26! Keep making a difference!

06/26/2025

Headed to Mountainfest today?
Don’t forget to swing by Troop 26’s donut fundraiser at Booth #23!

We’re serving up Krispy Kreme donuts to help our Scouts offset their Scouting costs like camp, gear, and epic adventures!

Support a great cause and treat yourself to a sweet snack! ⚜️🍩⚜️🍩

05/21/2025

🚨 New Required Training: Safeguarding Youth 🚨

Announced at the Scouting America National Annual Meeting in Orlando, the new Safeguarding Youth training is now live and mandatory for all registered adult volunteers. It is also a joining requirement for new adult members.

📚 Course Details:
🕒 Duration: ~90 minutes
🌐 Available in English and Spanish
💻 Access it through my.scouting.org
✅ Requirements: Complete all lessons + score 80% or higher on the final test

🔁 Annual Refresher:
After completing the full course once, a 15-minute refresher and retest is required each year to stay current.

⚠️ Transition from Previous YPT:
✔️ If you’ve already completed Youth Protection Training (YPT), your certification remains valid.
⏳ If you're currently taking YPT, you have less than one week to finish it. After that, it will no longer be available, and the new Safeguarding Youth training will be required.

UPDATE from Glen Pounder - If you took the prior YPT training, expiration is "One year from when the new training launched - at the latest. However - there is new material in the SYT which could genuinely save the life of a youth - inside or outside of Scouting."

🔒 Why This Matters:
Youth protection is at the heart of everything we do. This updated training reinforces a culture of active supervision, situational awareness, and safety, ensuring we’re all equipped to help keep our Scouts safe.

👉 Head to my.scouting.org now to get started!

To learn more, view a recent interview with Chief Safeguarding Officer Glen Pounder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcmtpH_Bq-Q

Safeguarding Youth training is based on the Guide for Safe Scouting, which can be accessed here:
https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/

05/21/2025

🆕 Upcoming Merit Badges Alert!

Exciting updates are on the way for Scouts BSA!

🔹 A brand-new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Merit Badge is set to launch next month. Developed with Myridius and other industry experts, the badge will explore AI fundamentals, automation, ethics, deepfakes, career paths, and hands-on activities.

🔹 Supporting the badge is Scoutly, an AI-powered chatbot designed to help Scouts complete requirements. Scoutly is currently being tested in seven councils and is expected to be available nationwide by August 1.

🔹 Also coming later this summer: a Cybersecurity Merit Badge! Stay tuned for more details as the release approaches.

Both badges will feature digital resource guides—complete with videos and interactive tools—to make learning more engaging and accessible, especially for today’s tech-savvy Scouts.

Questions? Reach out to:
📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]

05/14/2025

🎉 Exciting Merit Badge News! 🎉

The NEW Aviation Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide is officially here! ✈️ Learn about flight, operation, careers, and more!
https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/digital-resource-guides/aviation/

And that's not all! 🤩 Say goodbye to paper! Merit badge pamphlets are now DIGITAL! 📱 Visit the website to download them!
https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/

Find out our full plan tomorrow through our announcement on Scouts BSA Program Updates https://www.scouting.org/topics/program-updates/program-updates-scouts-bsa/

05/11/2025

Happy Mother’s Day from Scouts BSA! Thanks for being our rock, our ride, and our real MVP. We’d be lost in the woods without you! 💐

05/04/2025

Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you!

04/01/2025

😮

🚨 New Merit Badge Alert! 🚨

Scouting America is taking adventure to the next level with the brand-new Cryptid Tracking Merit Badge!
Our state is home to some of the most mysterious and legendary creatures ever reported. Scouts earning this badge will develop critical tracking and investigative skills while uncovering the secrets of these elusive beings:

🔴 Mothman Awareness – Hone your night vision and study flight patterns to identify Point Pleasant’s most famous winged enigma.
🌲 Bigfoot Tracking – Master footprint analysis and tree-knock communication to prove the Sasquatch roams our hills.
👽 Flatwoods Monster Investigation – Learn extraterrestrial encounter protocols and how to handle glowing-eyed visitors from above.
🐍 Grafton Monster Search – Track massive, headless creatures rumored to lurk near the Monongahela River.
🐏 Sheepsquatch Survival Training – Develop defensive strategies in case of a run-in with this woolly, horned terror of Boone County.

Complete three confirmed sightings (or compelling evidence!) to earn the distinguished Mountain State Cryptid Expert Award!

Will you be the one to prove the truth? Get ready to explore the unknown—if you dare… 👀🌲

03/15/2025

Download all the resources needed to manage youth advancement in the Scouts BSA program, including merit badges, ranks, and more.

03/13/2025

The Guide to Advancement is your up to date walkthrough of how to help your child progress through the ranks & programs of the BSA!