Boy Scouts has just come out with a brand new 12th edition of the Handbook. Look for the one with the big U.S. Flag on the cover.

I picked one up last week and found it to be much different from the previous editions. It has much more focus on the Scout skills - and those are better organized and more complete than the previous versions - and noticeably less focus on Scouting rank advancement - as it should be. This should make it more attractive to non-Scouters.

The skills portion of the new Handbook is separated into three main sections:

Scoutcraft - Leadership, Citizenship, Fitness, First Aid, and Aquatics

Woodcraft - Nature, Leave No Trace

Campcraft - Hiking, Camping, Cooking, Navigation, Tools

The material in the printed Handbook is now supplemented by on-line content at http://www.bsahandbook.org