by Joan Collins

Created on: October 24, 2009   Last Updated: November 26, 2009

The Boy Scouts has a program packed with opportunities for boys. Leadership skills, camping skills, and character building skills become second nature. While learning how to become responsible, resourceful members of society, they also learn crafts. Crafting is one of the requirements scouts must learn to earn badges. Scouts learn how to create useful items as they gain experience at using a variety of tools and materials. They also learn to follow directions, use their imaginations and improve their coordination and dexterity. The masculine crafts boys learn in scouting teach them a love for crafts and give the boys an opportunity to express themselves.

Charcoal chimney: Learning to cook outdoors is a useful skill. You'll be able to cook more quickly after you create a charcoal chimney out of a simple two-pound coffee can. Remove both ends of the coffee can. Use a beverage can opener to punch a row of holes all around one end of the can. Use a screwdriver and flatten down the metal on the inside of the can. Place the charcoal in the bottom of the can. Light it from underneath. The chimney effect will heat the charcoal evenly and quickly. You'll be ready to cook in no time.

Bug cage: Boys love catching bugs and studying them. With two tuna cans, Plaster of Paris and a cylinder made of screen wire, every boy scout can create their own bug cage. Roll the 6 x 12 inch screen mesh into a twelve-inch cylinder. Use paper fasteners to close the side seam and make it tight. Remove the paper from the clean tuna can. Fill the can within a fourth-inch from the top with Plaster of Paris. Push the screen firmly down into the wet plaster. Add a tree twig and an upside down milk jug cap to the plaster and let it dry. The twig is for the bug to climb on and the milk jug lid is to water the insect. The second clean tuna can fits over the top to make a lid. Only keep insects for a few days, making sure their is water in its bowl. Observe the bug and let it go.

Morse Code terminal: Practice Morse Code with a simple homemade telegraph. Gather a tin can, two blocks of wood and a six-volt battery. Find a few screws, wire and nails. Hammer two nails near the end of the block of wood. Carefully cut the tin can and bend it to form a Z. Screw it down on the same block of wood as the nails. When the top of the Z is pushed down, it should touch the two nails. Wrap a wire tightly around each nail, wrapping it at least eight times. One of the wires should be attached to a battery terminal.

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