Boy Scouts of America: Definition from Answers.com

Company Perspectives:
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Scouting helps develop strong values that stay with youth throughout their lives. This is particularly true for boys who stay in Scouting for five or more years.
The Boy Scouts asked Louis Harris & Associates to accept the challenge of scientifically uncovering the foundational elements to the success of Scouting programs. The research determined that Scouting is effective because it meets six critical elements of healthy youth development: 1) Strong personal values and character; 2) a sense of self-worth; 3) caring and nurturing relationships with parents, other adults, and peers; 4) a desire to learn; 5) productive and creative use of time; 6) social adeptness.
Key Dates:
1907: Scouting begins in England as the brainchild of Robert
1908: Baden-Powell publishes Scouting for Boys.
1909: American William D. Boyce is introduced to scouting
1911: National Council offices are launched in the United
1912: Scouting spreads to all 50 states.
1920: The first Boy Scout World Jamboree is held in England.
1930: Cub Scouts, a program for younger boys, is launched.
1982: The millionth Eagle Scout is registered; the Tiger Cubs
2000: The Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 90th birthday.

Incorporated: 1910
NAIC: 81341 Civic and Social Organizations; 51112 Periodical
SIC: 8641 Civic & Social Associations; 8699 Membership Organizations Nec; 2721 Periodicals; 2731 Book Publishing

Rooted in Victorian values, The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a 20th-century phenomenon and a powerful civic force. More than a million Boy Scouts and half a million adult volunteers contribute 50 million service hours a year. BSA is unique among the country's largest nonprofit groups in that volunteers at the local level are responsible for much of its planning.

Famous Eagle Scouts include Steven Spielberg, H. Ross Perot, Gerald Ford, and Neil Armstrong.

Although many ideas were incorporated into the Boy Scouts of America, a chance encounter on a foggy London night in 1909 connected all the threads. Chicago publisher William D. Boyce was on his way to a safari in Africa. On a layover in London, he became lost and was rescued by a helpful Boy Scout who refused to take a tip for his good deed. This inspired Boyce to set up a meeting with the man who had started the movement in 1907, Major General Robert S.S. Baden-Powell.

Baden-Powell, a plucky Boer War hero, penned Scouting for Boys in 1908 after learning the popularity of his survival manual among schoolboys. Feeling modern males lacked the kinds of initiation rites found in primitive society, and disdaining the urban decadence and declining influence of the British military in Edwardian Britain, Baden-Powell developed his own program for building character among youths in a setting of outdoor recreation. Besides African tribes, he looked to the early British and Irish, the Japanese, the Spartans, and to contemporary American youth movements for inspiration. Although scouting was in its infancy when Boyce discovered it, the movement had already recruited more than 100,000 Boy Scouts across the British Empire. Baden-Powell was knighted for his work in 1910.

Initially unable to obtain a federal charter, Boyce incorporated the Boys Scouts of America on February 8, 1910, in the District of Columbia. He then delegated some of the start-up work to Edgar M. Robinson, who was heading a scouting program for the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association). On June 21, 1910 dozens of representatives from various boys' agencies met at BSA's temporary headquarters at a New York YMCA to elect a steering committee. By this time, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst had organized his own 'American Boy Scouts.'

From the start, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was surrounded by men of influence and means. President William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt were named honorary president and vice-president. The group's president was Colin Livingstone, president of the American National Bank of Washington. Scottish émigré Ernest Thompson Seton, who had founded the Woodcraft Indians and would write the BSA handbook, was chosen first Chief Scout in 1910. Another buckskin-wearing naturalist, Daniel Carter Beard, was first national scout commissioner. He designed the original uniform and merged his own boys' group, the Sons of Daniel Boone, with BSA. James E. West, the first Chief Scout Executive, was an inspirational figure. Handicapped and an orphan, he had furthered himself along the lines of a Teddy Roosevelt. However, he antagonized the more athletic types, like Seton, who was forced out of the organization.

BSA established its National Council office at 200 Fifth Avenue, New York on January 2, 1911. It had just seven staff members but membership reached 61,495 that year. President Taft spoke at the group's first annual meeting, held at the White House.

Boys' Life magazine was launched that same year and scouting spread to all states by the next year. In 1913, BSA commenced publication of Scouting magazine for Scout volunteers. BSA finally received a federal charter in June 1916 which limited membership to U.S. citizens. Membership stood at 245,183 at year-end. Boy Scouts soon became known for their patriotic service, selling millions of dollars worth of war bonds during World War I.

In 1920, BSA sent 301 members to the first World Jamboree in England, attended by Boy Scouts from 32 of 52 scouting countries. The Boy Scouts adopted the left-handed handshake in 1923. By this time, more than two million people had participated in the program and active membership--boys and volunteers--was nearly 600,000.

Boyce's Lone Scouts merged with BSA in 1924. The next year, BSA sent a promotional delegation to South America. In 1927, the headquarters relocated to roomier accommodations at 2 Park Avenue, New York.

The Cub Scouts program for younger boys was officially launched in 1930. Total membership exceeded one million by BSA's 25th anniversary in 1935 . Unfortunately, an epidemic of infantile paralysis that year caused the national jamboree to be canceled.

In 1938, BSA received an enormous gift from Waite Phillips, who gave the agency 36,000 acres of land in the Rocky Mountains near Cimarron, New Mexico. Three years later, Phillips added another 91,000 acres to the gift, which became the Philmont Scout Ranch, the world's largest. The Philtower Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma, accompanied the donation and provided income to run the camp.

Boy Scouts again assisted their country during World War II. The range of tasks undertaken included distributing war bonds and propaganda, salvaging critical materials such as rubber, and helping medical and fire brigades.

After the war, BSA's World Friendship Fund gave money to help restore scouting in war-torn areas including the Philippines, which received $10,000. Conservation education featured highly in the scouts' program at home. Membership passed two million in 1946.

The U.S. Post Office issued the first stamp honoring the Boy Scouts in 1950. The next year, the scouts collected two million pounds of clothing for various relief efforts. Another 'Good Turn' was hanging millions of 'Get-Out-the-Vote' reminders on doorknobs. Civil defense education was also on the agenda.

The National Council relocated to New Brunswick, New Jersey, in October 1954. BSA started a foreign exchange program with the gift of transportation on U.S. military planes. The International Geophysical Year, 1958, saw an Explorer (adult volunteer) scout accompany an arctic expedition sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences. Total membership reached five million the next year.

As part of its golden jubilee, BSA opened the Johnston Historical Museum in New Brunswick in June 1960. By 1965, 40 million boys had been part of the BSA program, 500,000 of them becoming Eagle Scouts. The National Council launched the BOYPOWER '76 eight-year plan in 1968, aiming to boost membership and to raise $65 million.

In the 1970s, the Scouts tried to Save Our American Resources (SOAR). An anti-drug campaign, Operation Reach, was also launched. In conjunction with the Bicentennial, Boy Scouts displayed a massive exhibition of scouting skills on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Twelve scouts gave the Report to the Nation to President Gerald Ford, himself a former Eagle Scout.

Under pressure to keep membership numbers up in order to maintain donations from the United Way, some troop leaders were found to have exaggerated their enrollment statistics in 1974. At any rate, the BOYPOWER campaign ultimately proved unsuccessful. BSA had but 4.6 million members in 1976, down 1.1 million from 1969. Membership continued to wane. BSA had even introduced an action figure, Steve Scout, which also failed.

In 1978, updating its image, BSA unofficially dubbed itself 'Scouting USA.' It launched a new 'Campaign for Character' to raise $49 million. National Council headquarters relocated again in 1979, to Irving, Texas, while the 15th World Jamboree was postponed due to events in the host country of Iran.

Membership figures started to rise again in 1980. Perhaps the new uniforms designed by Oscar de la Renta helped. Scouts nationwide urged participation in the census. They formed new relationships with other government agencies, such as the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy. Cub Scouting turned 50 and signed up its 30 millionth Cub Scout.

BSA counted its one millionth Eagle Scout in 1982. At the same time, the organization had launched its 'Shaping Tomorrow' program. New categories of scouting--Tiger Cubs for 7-year-old boys and athletics-oriented Varsity Scouting for 14- to 17-year-olds--emerged.

In 1985, the year of BSA's 75th anniversary, scouts lit campfires outside each state capitol and carried the ashes in a three-month procession across the country. Membership continued to climb, exceeding five million by the end of 1986.

That year, Boy Scouts promoted the cause of organ donation. Societal issues ('unacceptables') tackled by BSA in the late 1980s included drug abuse, child abuse, illiteracy, youth unemployment, and hunger. Backed by corporate supporters such as Quaker Oats and the United Way, scouts collected 60 million containers of food in 1988 alone. BSA recognized the potential for child abuse in its own organization and structured activities to eliminate one-on-one encounters between scouts and adult volunteers.

The collapse of the Soviet empire opened new frontiers for the Boy Scouts. Czechoslovakia and Hungary soon began their own programs. In 1990, a BSA delegation sought opportunities in Moscow, then continued to the Vatican City to present Pope John Paul II with a commendation. At home, the Hispanic Emphasis and Urban Emphasis targeted underrepresented segments of the population.

A sophisticated TV ad campaign aimed to swell the ranks of the Boy Scouts in the United States, who numbered only one million in 1990. Cub Scouting, aimed at younger boys, was much more popular as teenagers found traditional Boy Scout activities such as knot-tying decidedly unhip. In-school Scouting brought many new members in urban areas, although purists protested the perceived dilution of the curriculum.

BSA's policy barring homosexuals prompted Levi Strauss, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo to cancel their support for the organization (which together amounted to about $100,000 a year) in 1992. Conservative groups boycotted the three San Francisco-based firms in response, and Bank of America soon resumed its contributions. BSA also banned atheists, as one of its three founding principles was a belief in God. An appellate court ruled that the Boy Scouts were a private group not subject to civil rights laws. Although it won a 1987 lawsuit from a woman scorned, BSA subsequently allowed women into scoutmaster positions.

A restructuring in 1992 reduced the number of councils from 408 to 340 and the number of regions from six to four. BSA also sold off underutilized real estate, switched from mainframe computers to PCs, and began benchmarking practices from the world of business. It also began to reduce its staffing levels.

Jere Ratcliffe was picked to lead the National Council in 1993, taking over from Norm Augustine, CEO of Lockheed Martin. BSA started systematically searching for more endowment money. Operating revenues were $411 million in 1995, a fifth of it provided by the United Way, which was cutting back its contribution. While it had 3,300 professional employees, more than a million volunteers did most of the work. Operation First Class sought adults from diverse backgrounds to fill the ranks.

Although a much beloved organization among Americans of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, The Boy Scouts of America was not without its share of ongoing problems and controversies. For example, in 1999 the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in favor of James Dale, a scoutmaster whom BSA had expelled for being gay. BSA appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Apparently, whether gays would be tolerated within its ranks remained an as yet unanswered question. Nonetheless, the organization looked to the future with optimism, celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2000 and rededicating itself to the traditions that had served it so well throughout its history.

Principal Divisions

Tiger Cubs BSA; Cub Scouting; Boy Scouting; Varsity Scouting; Venturing; National Eagle Scout Association.

Principal Competitors

Boy's Clubs of America; Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).

Boy Scouts of America

Headquarters	Irving, Texas
Country	United States
Founded	February 8, 1910
Founders	William D. Boyce Ernest Thompson Seton Daniel Carter Beard
Membership	Traditional 2,832,636 youth 1,132,353 adults 120,262 units Learning for Life 1,342,222 youth 40,658 adults 12,796 units (2008)^[1]^[2]
Chief Scout Executive	Robert J. Mazzuca
President	John Gottschalk
Affiliation	World Organization of the Scout Movement
Website Official Website
Scouting portal

Origins

Further information: Scouting, Scouting in the United States, and History of the Boy Scouts of America

With the organization of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized the MIA Scouts (pictured; Church Administration Building, c. 1917) a year later, and became one of the first sponsoring organization of the BSA in 1913.

The progressive movement in the United States was at its height during the early twentieth century.^[7] With the migration of families from farms to cities, there were concerns among some people that young men were no longer learning patriotism and individualism. The YMCA was an early promoter of reforms for young men with a focus on social welfare and programs of mental, physical, social and religious development.^[8]^:72–82

Scouting had two notable predecessors in the United States: the Woodcraft Indians started by Ernest Thompson Seton in 1902 and the Sons of Daniel Boone founded by Daniel Carter Beard in 1905.^[9] In 1907, British General Robert Baden-Powell founded the Scouting movement in England using elements of Seton's works.^[10] Several small local Scouting programs for boys started independently in the U.S. soon after— most of these later merged with the BSA.^[11]^:52

In 1909, Chicago publisher W. D. Boyce was visiting London, where he encountered the Unknown Scout and learned of the Scouting movement.^[12] Soon after his return to the U.S., Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910.^[13] Edgar M. Robinson and Lee F. Hanmer became interested in the nascent BSA movement and convinced Boyce to turn the program over to the YMCA for development in April 1910. Robinson enlisted Seton, Beard, Charles A. Eastman and other prominent leaders in the early youth movements. In January 1911, Robinson turned the movement over to James E. West who became the first Chief Scout Executive and Scouting began to expand in the U.S.^[8]^:148

The BSA's stated purpose at its incorporation in 1910 was "to teach [boys] patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred values."^[3]^:7 Later, in 1937, Deputy Chief Scout Executive George J. Fisher expressed the BSA's mission; "Each generation as it comes to maturity has no more important duty than that of teaching high ideals and proper behavior to the generation which follows."^[14] The current mission statement of the BSA is "to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law."^[4]

Membership

Traditional membership

Varsity Scouts preparing to go backpacking

In the BSA, Scouting is considered to be one movement with three main programs:

Cub Scouting is the largest of the three programs, available to boys from first–grade through fifth–grade or seven through ten years old. The program is designed to pursue the aims of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Cub Scouting is divided into age-based levels of Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs, Bear Cubs, and Webelos Scouts.^[4]^[15]

Boy Scouting is the flagship program of the BSA for boys ages 10 to 18. It uses outdoor activities such as camping, aquatics and hiking to achieve the aims of character, citizenship and personal fitness training.^[16] Varsity Scouting is a sub-division of Boy Scouting available to boys from 14 to 17; it adds a program of high adventure and sporting activities.^[17] Order of the Arrow is the Boy Scouting national honor society for experienced campers, based on American Indian traditions and is dedicated to the ideal of cheerful service and brotherhood.^[18]

Venturing is the program for young men and women ages 14 through 21.^[19] Its purpose is to provide positive experiences to help youth mature and to prepare them to become responsible adults.^[20] Sea Scouting is one of five focus areas in Venturing.^[21]

There are about 100,000 physically or mentally disabled Scouts throughout the United States. Anyone certified as disabled "may enroll in Scouting and remain in its program beyond the regulation age limits. This provision allows all members to advance in Scouting as far as they wish."^[6] Advancement is measured by the achievement to the best of the Scout's abilities.

Learning for Life

Learning for Life is a school and work-site based program that is a subsidiary of the BSA. It utilizes programs designed for schools and community-based organizations that are designed to prepare youth for the complexities of contemporary society and to enhance their self-confidence, motivation, and self-esteem.^[22] Exploring is the worksite-based program of Learning for Life with programs based on five areas of emphasis: career opportunities, life skills, citizenship, character education, and leadership experience.^[23]

Learning for Life is not considered a traditional Scouting program; it does not use the Scout Promise, Scout Law, uniforms, or insignia of traditional Scouting. All Learning for Life programs are open to youth and adults without restriction based on gender, residence, sexual orientation, or other considerations other than age requirements.^[23]^[24]

Membership controversies

For more details on this topic, see Boy Scouts of America membership controversies.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has policies which are considered by some to be unjust. The BSA contends that these policies are essential in its mission to instill in young people the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

The organization's legal right to have these policies has been upheld repeatedly by both state and federal courts. The Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed that as a private organization, the BSA can set its own membership standards.

Aims, methods, and ideals

The objectives of the BSA are referred to as Aims of Scouting: character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The BSA pursues these aims through an informal education system called the Scout method, with variations that are designed to be appropriate for the age and maturity of each membership division.^[4]^[25]

One of the more visible methods of Cub Scouting is the uniform that gives each boy a level of identity within the den, the pack and the community. The boys learn teamwork by meeting and working together in a den of eight to ten boys under adult leadership. They learn and apply the ideals codified in the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack,^[26] and in the Character Connections program that develops the core values of citizenship, compassion, cooperation, courage, faith, health and fitness, honesty, perseverance, positive attitude, resourcefulness, respect and responsibility.^[27] The advancement system uses both age-based ranks and an optional Academics and Sports Program designed for the development of physical, mental and emotional fitness.^[15]^[28]Most advancement is done in the home and is intended to involve the entire family and many Cub Scout activities include family members. Cub Scout packs are sponsored by a community organization as part of their youth program and is involved in the neighborhood and community.

Boy Scouts learn to use the ideals spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan.^[29] They wear a uniform and work together in patrols of eight to ten boys with an elected patrol leader. Scouts share responsibilities, apply skills learned at meetings and live together in the outdoors. The advancement system provides opportunities for personal growth and self-reliance.^[30] Scouts interact with adult leaders who act as role models and mentors, but they are expected to plan their own activities within the troop and to participate in community service. Opportunities are provided for leadership training with practical application.

Venturers are expected to know and live by the Venturing Oath and Venturing Code.^[31] They associate and work directly with adults as partners, but the crew is led by elected youth officers who are given opportunities to learn and apply leadership skills. Venturers plan and participate in interdependent group experiences dependent on cooperation. An emphasis on high adventure provides opportunities for team-building and practical leadership applications. A series of awards provide opportunities for recognition and personal growth.^[32] Each award requires the Venturer to teach what they have learned to others returning the skill and knowledge back to the community and enabling the Venturer to master those skills.

Organization

National Council

BSA National Office in Irving, Texas

The National Council is the corporate membership of the Boy Scouts of America and is administered by paid professional Scouters and volunteer Scouters. Members include the elected National Executive Board, the regional executive committees, the local council representatives, members at large, and honorary members. The National program is directed by the National Executive Board and administered by the Chief Scout Executive using a staff of professional Scouters.

The BSA was granted a Congressional charter in 1916, now codified as 36 U.S.C. Chapter 309,^[33] stating that their purpose is to:

promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in scoutcraft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods that were in common use by boy scouts on June 15, 1916.

The charter authorized and set standards for the incorporation of the Boy Scouts of America. A provision in the federal charter gives the BSA the "exclusive right to use emblems, badges, descriptive or designating marks, and words or phrases" that they adopt.

The BSA is governed by the National Executive Board and directed by the national president, elected by representatives from the local councils.^[34] Board memberships include regular elected members, presidents, the Advisory Council chair, and the chairman of the Board of Regents of the National Eagle Scout Association. The board may also include up to five appointed youth members. Professional Scouters of the National staff are nonvoting members.

The National Executive Board has five group standing committees: the Administration Group Committee, Program Group Committee, Human Resources Group Committee, Regional Presidents' Group Committee, and Relationships/Marketing Group Committee.^[35] Each of these committees is in turn directly responsible for a corresponding support group that provides administrative functions. Group committees may in turn be responsible for support standing committees and groups divided into divisions. Ever since the Boy Scouts of America's founding in 1910, the President of the United States has served as the organization's honorary president during his term in office.^[36]

Groups and divisions

Boy Scouts canoeing on the Blackwater River, Virginia

The Program Group is responsible for delivering the Scouting program and includes the Boy Scouting, Cub Scouting, and Venturing Divisions. The Scoutreach Division emphasizes service to rural and urban areas and to minority populations.^[37] The African American Focus works with African American populations in partnerships with the NAACP, various the African American churches and other groups. The Hispanic/Latino Focus includes the ¡Scouting – Vale La Pena! emphasis for Hispanic youth that provides Spanish language resources such as handbooks, training material, and videos.^[38] The Soccer and Scouting emphasis is a partnership with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to provide alternatives for Cub Scout age Hispanic youth.^[39] The Asian American Focus reaches out to Indo-Chinese American, Vietnamese American, Chinese American, and Korean American communities. The Rural Scouting focus targets small communities and includes the American Indian Scouting Association in partnership with the Girl Scouts of the USA.

The High Adventure Division administers Philmont Scout Ranch, Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases, and Florida National High Adventure Sea Base.

The Jamboree Division provides support for the world and national jamborees. The International Division is responsible for relations with other Scout and Guide organizations; it includes the Interamerican Scout Foundation and Direct Service.^[40] The Relationships Division is responsible for relations with supporting organizations outside the BSA, including the AFL-CIO, Elks, VFW, and all religious associations and awards.

The National Supply Group is responsible for developing and selling uniforms, apparel, insignia, literature, and equipment. It sells equipment and supplies through National Scout Shops, local council trading posts, authorized independent resellers, and online at ScoutStuff.org.^[41] Supply Group also licenses trademarks for use by other commercial vendors.^[42] The Administrative Group provides internal administration service and support.^[43] It includes the Marketing and Communications Division responsible for marketing the BSA program,^[44] administering the national websites and publishing Scouting for adult leaders and Boys' Life for youth.

The National Scouting Museum is located in Irving, Texas.^[45] Exhibits include Norman Rockwell paintings, high adventure sections, hands-on learning experiences, interactive exhibits, and a historical collection tracing uniforms, themes, and documents from the beginning of the Scouting movement in America. Among the museum's artifacts are the Eagle Scout medal of Arthur Rose Eldred, the first Eagle Scout.^[46]

The National Court of Honor certifies and the BSA's highest awards: lifesaving and meritorious action awards, Distinguished service awards, Eagle Scout and Quartermaster.

Regions and areas

Boy Scouts of America regions as of 1992

For administrative purposes, the BSA is divided into four regions—Western, Central, Southern, and Northeast.^[34] Each region is then subdivided into areas.

Each region has a volunteer president, assisted by volunteer officers and board members, and the day-to-day work of Scouting is managed by the regional director, assistant and associate regional directors, and area directors. Regions and areas are subdivisions of the National Council and do not have a corporate status separate from the BSA.^[35]

Central Region covers all of Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Northeast Region covers all of Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Puerto Rico, Transatlantic Council, and the Virgin Islands, and parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.^[47]
Southern Region covers all of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.^[48]
Western Region covers all of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Far East Council and the Pacific Basin, and parts of Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas.^[49]

Local councils

Main category: Local councils of the Boy Scouts of America

The BSA program is administered through 300 local councils, with each council covering a geopolitical area that may vary from a single city to an entire state. Councils receive an annual charter from the National Council and are usually incorporated as a charitable organization.^[34]

The council level organization is similar to that of the National Council. The council executive board is headed by the council president and is made up of annually elected local community leaders.^[35] The board establishes the council program and carries out the resolutions, policies, and activities of the council. Board members serve without pay and some are volunteer Scouters working at the unit level. Youth members may be selected to the council executive board according to the council by-laws.

"The Ideal Scout," a statue by R. Tait McKenzie in front of the Bruce S. Marks Scout Resource Center in the Cradle of Liberty Council

The Scout executive manages council operations—including finance, property management, advancement and awards, registrations, and Scout Shop sales—with a staff of other professionals and para-professionals. Volunteer Commissioners lead the unit service functions of the council, help maintain the standards of the BSA, and assures a healthy unit program.^[50]

The BSA charters two councils for American Scouts who live overseas, largely on military bases in Europe and Asia. The Transatlantic Council, headquartered in Germany, serves BSA units in much of Europe,^[51] and the Far East Council, headquartered in Japan, serves units in the western Pacific areas.^[52] The Direct Service branch makes the Scouting movement available to U.S. citizens and their dependents living in countries outside these jurisdictions or in isolated areas.^[53] The Aloha Council in Hawaii also serves BSA units in the American territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and in the sovereign countries of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.^[54]

The Greater New York Councils are unique in that they are divided into five boroughs with each led by a borough Scout executive.^[55] Each borough is then divided into districts.

Councils are divided into districts with leadership provided by the district executive, district chairman, and the district commissioner.^[34] Districts are directly responsible for the operation of Scouting units and, except for the district executive, are mostly staffed with volunteers.^[35] The voting members of each district consist of volunteer representatives from each chartered organization having at least one BSA unit, plus annually elected members-at-large who in turn elect the district chairman. Boroughs and districts are subdivisions of the local council and do not have a separate corporate status.

Units and chartered organizations

The unit is the main operating group of the BSA.^[34] Units use different names for each membership level—Cub Scouts are organized as packs, Boy Scouts as troops, Varsity Scouts as teams, Venturers as crews, and Sea Scouts as ships.

BSA's primary mission is to provide a values-based youth program that can be used by local institutions for the benefit of the youth in their community. Thus each unit is operated by a community-based organization such as a business, service organization, school, labor group, or religious institution that has applied for and received an annual charter from the BSA.^[33]^[56] This chartered organization is responsible for selecting leadership, providing a meeting place, and promoting a good program. The chartered organization representative is the manager of Scouting in a chartered organization and serves as a liaison between the unit, the chartered organization, and the BSA. Chartered organizations use the Scouting program to support the goals and objectives of the organization. As of December 31, 2007, the BSA's membership report by chartered organization indicated that approximately 62 percent of units are sponsored by religious institutions:

BSA traditional Scouting membership as of December 2007 — top 25 chartered organizations
Organization	Packs	Cub youth	Troops	Scout youth	Crews	Vtr youth	Total units	Total youth
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	9959	135115	18726	199141	8028	66473	36713	400729
United Methodist Church	5307	232758	5201	125989	1187	9673	11695	368420
Roman Catholic Church	4617	189985	3878	97185	905	10141	9400	297311
Parent-teacher groups other than PTA	3911	162534	874	21527	340	8671	5125	192732
Groups of citizens	2454	85060	1249	24297	1035	20159	4738	129516
Baptist churches	2114	69296	1969	33813	350	3467	4433	106576
Lutheran churches	1875	71680	1888	46834	436	3710	4199	122224
Presbyterian churches	1531	68556	1893	53031	408	3514	3832	125101
Business and industry	1432	42328	931	17298	1096	13712	3459	73338
Private schools	1568	46883	698	15171	804	30458	3070	92512
American Legion	1248	45762	1220	23023	311	4130	2779	72915
Lions Clubs International	1288	48539	1224	24174	190	1996	2702	74709
Other community organizations	922	30192	680	14671	814	16421	2416	61284
Parent-Teacher Associations	1779	73075	330	6336	41	971	2150	80382
Community centers	725	17521	509	9268	211	4444	1445	31233
Rotary International	625	27061	618	15570	179	3225	1422	45856
Fire departments	607	21636	583	11499	217	1889	1407	35024
United Church of Christ	565	24039	653	16224	119	966	1337	41229
Episcopal Church	551	24167	608	17261	161	1666	1320	43094
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)	571	21648	584	12038	131	1027	1286	34713
Source: Boy Scouts of America Membership Report^[57]

Units are administered by a unit committee appointed by the chartered organization. The unit committee, led by the committee chairman, oversees the unit program and activities and manages record keeping, finance, leadership recruitment, and registration. Each unit is led by a registered and trained leader—a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Coach, Advisor, or Skipper. These leaders, with one or more assistants, are appointed by the unit committee and must be approved by both the chartered organization and the local council. Leaders are required to complete training that gives an overview of the Scouting program, initial and advanced skills required for their position and the Youth Protection program. Additional certifications are required for events such as camping, swimming, boating and climbing. A continuing curriculum is available for additional skills including mentoring, youth leadership, supporting Scouts with disabilities or ADHD, conducting faith services and Leave No Trace.^[58]

Finance

The National Council is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is funded from private donations, membership dues, corporate sponsors, and special events.^[59] In 2005, the BSA ranked as the twelfth-largest non-profit organization in the U.S., with total revenues of $665.9 million. As of January 2007, the American Institute of Philanthropy listed former Chief Scout Executive Roy Williams as having the fifth-highest compensation of any nonprofit chief in the United States, at $916,028.^[60] In 2005, Williams' pay was 0.26% of total expenses, whereas the national average among charities was a higher 0.34%.^[61] Williams was honored in 2005 and 2006 as one of the top fifty most effective non-profit leaders by the Non-Profit Times.^[62]

2006 Income
Net investment income	$78,062,000
Fees	$73,738,000
Supply operations	$20,270,000
Retirement benefits trust	$10,183,000
Contributions and bequests	$5,191,000
Other	$4,278,000
Magazine publications	$2,742,000
Total Income	$194,464,000

2006 Expenses
Program development and delivery	$46,277,000
Field operations	$6,043,000
Insurance programs	$16,650,000
Human resources and training	$10,050,000
Program marketing	$6,741,000
World Scout Bureau fees	$1,311,000
Total program expenses	$117,072,000

Source: Better Business Bureau.^[59]

The above numbers are for National Council operations and do not include local council income or expenses.

In January 2009, Hearst Newspapers reported that since 1990, one third of BSA councils had conducted timber harvests, which had resulted in at least 34,000 acres of U.S. forests being cleared. The harvests included 53 instances of logging in or near protected wildlife habitat.^[63] The report found that a few local councils has been making large sums of money by selling off land, often granted to it in trust, to developers.^[64]

Impact on American life

Further information: Scouting in popular culture, List of Scouts, and List of Eagle Scouts (Boy Scouts of America)

Scouting and Boy Scouts are well-known throughout American culture. The term "Boy Scout" is used to generally describe someone who is earnest and honest, or who helps others cheerfully; it can also be used as a pejorative term for someone deemed to be overly idealistic.^[65] Prominent Americans in diverse walks of life, from moviemaker Steven Spielberg (who helped launch a merit badge in cinematography) to adventurer Steve Fossett to politicians, were BSA members as youths.^[66]^[67] Over two-thirds of all astronauts have had some type of involvement in Scouting,^[68] and eleven of the twelve men to walk on the Moon were Scouts, including Eagle Scouts Neil Armstrong and Charlie Duke.^[69]^[70] The pinewood derby—a wood car racing event for Cub Scouts—has been declared "a celebrated rite of spring" and was named part of "America's 100 Best" by Reader's Digest.^[71] President Gerald Ford said, "I can say without hesitation, because of Scouting principles, I know I was a better athlete, I was a better naval officer, I was a better Congressman, and I was a better prepared President."^[72]

Norman Rockwell's Beyond the Easel

Famed American illustrator Norman Rockwell's works were closely associated with the Boy Scouts of America for much of the 20th century.^[73]^:43 Beginning in 1913, Rockwell began illustrating covers of Boys' Life, the magazine for BSA youth. He also drew the organization's annual calendar illustrations between 1925 and 1976.^[73]^:89 In 1969, as a tribute to Norman Rockwell's 75th birthday, officials of Brown & Bigelow and the Boy Scouts of America asked Rockwell to pose in Beyond the Easel for a calendar illustration. As part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, Rockwell's Scouting paintings toured the nation and were viewed by 280,000 people.^[73]^:155 In 2008, a twelve-city U.S. tour of Rockwell's works is scheduled.^[74]

Alvin Townley wrote in Legacy of Honor about the large positive impact of Eagle Scouts in America. Townley cited such examples as how Scouts, especially Eagle Scouts, were disproportionately represented among Hurricane Katrina's volunteer relief workers; just as they are disproportionately represented among members of the United States Senate.Template:Townley Mark Mays, CEO of Clear Channel Communications, told a magazine interviewer in May 2008 that, "Particularly in the very impactful ages of youth 11 to 14 years old, when they can really go astray and you're taking the time to spend with them and focus on cultural core values like reverent, trustworthy, loyal, and helpful —all of those different things ... Scouting has a huge positive impact on boys and their lives, and that in turn positively impacts our communities and society as a whole."^[75] Mayor of New York City and business tycoon Michael Bloomberg, said that the BSA's Scout Law required of all Boy Scouts—a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent—are "all the American values ... Americans have quaintly simplistic ways and direct ways of phrasing things ... I think it's one of the great strengths of this country."^[3]^:116

Peter Applebome, an editor of The New York Times, wrote in 2003 of his experience as an adult participating with his son in Scouting activities, "I feel lucky to have had this unexpected vehicle to share my son's youth, to shape it, and to be shaped by it as well."^[76] He concluded that, although Scouting is viewed by some as old-fashioned, "Scouting's core values ... are wonderful building blocks for a movement and a life. Scouting's genuinely egalitarian goals and instincts are more important now than they've ever been. It's one of the only things that kids do that's genuinely cooperative, not competitive."^[76]^:319-320

At the turn of the 20th century, Halloween had turned into a night of vandalism, with destruction of property and cruelty to animals and people.^[77] Around 1912, the BSA, Boys Clubs and other neighborhood organizations came together to encourage a safe celebration that would end the destruction that had become so common on this night.^[78]

The Boy Scouts of America are quite particular about how and when the Scout uniforms and insignia may be used in film and other portrayals; and for that reason, most films and television productions made in the U.S. utilize "ersatz" Scouting organizations. Examples of this include the "Order of the Straight Arrow", portrayed in the King of the Hill cartoon series, and the "Indian Guides" depicted in the 1995 Chevy Chase film, Man of the House. A notable exception to this policy, is the final scene of The Sopranos television show, where Tony Soprano (apparently about to be murdered) sits down to dinner in a restaurant. At another table, several Webelos Scouts, in full uniform, are seated.

Good Turns

Smokey Bear with members of the Boy Scouts of America and the Camp Fire Girls celebrating the 50th anniversary of their founding in 1910.

From the inception of the Scouting movement, Scouts have been urged to "Do a Good Turn Daily." The first national Good Turn was the promotion of a safe and sane Fourth of July in 1913. During World War I, Every Scout to Save a Soldier was a slogan used to motivate Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to help sell War savings stamps.^[79]

Scouting for Food is an on-going annual program begun in 1986 that collects food for local food banks. In 1997, the BSA developed Service to America with a commitment to provide 200 million hours of service by youth members by the end of the year 2000. As part of Service to America, the BSA provided service projects in conjunction with the National Park Service (NPS). In October 2003, the Department of the Interior expanded the program with the creation of Take Pride in America, opening service to all Americans.^[80]

Service to America became Good Turn for America in 2004 and expanded to address the problems of hunger, homelessness, and inadequate housing and poor health in conjunction with the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and other organizations.^[81]

National Scout jamboree

This National Scout jamboree (Boy Scouts of America) may not properly summarize the main article National Scout jamboree (Boy Scouts of America). Specific concerns can be found on the Talk page. Please improve this National Scout jamboree (Boy Scouts of America) if you can. (November 2009)

Main article: National Scout jamboree (Boy Scouts of America)

The national Scout jamboree is a gathering of Boy Scouts from across the USA. It is usually held every four years. The first National Jamboree was held in 1937 at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.^[82] Since 1981 the jamboree has been held at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. On February 11, 2009, BSA's National Executive Board selected Goshen Scout Reservation as the permanent home of the jamboree.^[83] However, on August 4, 2009, BSA announced that it decided to withdraw its interest in Goshen as the permanent site of the jamboree, citing significant restrictions on land utilization.^[84]

The national Scout jamborees have been held at:

(1935) Washington, D.C. – celebrated the 25th anniversary of the BSA; canceled due to a polio epidemic.
(1937) Washington, D.C.
(1950) Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
(1953) Irvine Ranch, California
(1957) Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
(1960) Colorado Springs, Colorado – celebrated the 50th anniversary of the BSA.
(1964) Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
(1969) Farragut State Park, Idaho
(1973) Farragut State Park, Idaho and Moraine State Park, Pennsylvania
(1977) Moraine State Park, Pennsylvania
(1981) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
(1985) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia – celebrated the 75th anniversary of the BSA.
(1989) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
(1993) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
(1997) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
(2001) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
(2005) Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia

Future jamborees are scheduled to be held at:

2010 - Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia – celebrating the 100th anniversary of the BSA.
2013 - A 10,000 acre reclaimed mine site near Beckley, West Virginia is being considered after the August 4, 2009 rejection of the Goshen Scout Reservation amidst community opposition - Rockbridge County, Virginia site ^[85]

References

Bibliography

Perry, Rick (February 12, 2008). On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For. Macon, GA: Stroud & Hall. ISBN 0979646227.

Notes

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^ "2008 Annual Report: Learning for Life Annual Participation Summary". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scouting.org/About/AnnualReports/12lflsummary.aspx. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c Townley, Alvin (2007). Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-312-36653-1. http://www.legacyofhonor.com/. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "BSA Vision Statement". U.S. Scouting Service Project. http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/aboutbsa/vision.asp. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
^ "Aims of the Boy Scouts of America" (PDF). U.S. Scouting Service Project. http://clipart.usscouts.org/ScoutDoc/BSA_Aims/aims.pdf. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Boy Scouts". The New Book of Knowledge. Grolier Online. http://nbk.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=a2003470-h. Retrieved February 24, 2008. (subscription required)
^ Phillips, John Calvin (2001) (PDF). Selling America: the Boy Scouts of America in the Progressive Era, 1910-1921. University of Maine. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/PhillipsJC2001.pdf. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
^ ^a ^b Macleod, David L. (1983). Building Character in the American Boy: The Boy Scouts, YMCA and Their Forerunners, 1870–1920. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-09400-6.
^ Anderson, H. Allen (1986). The Chief: Ernest Thompson Seton and the Changing West. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 0-89096-239-1.
^ Beardsall, Jonny (2007). "Dib, dib, dib... One Hundred Years of Scouts at Brownsea". The National Trust Magazine (National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty) (Spring 2007): 525–55.
^ Peterson, Robert W. (1984). The Boy Scouts: An American Adventure. American Heritage. ISBN 0-8281-1173-1.
^ Peterson, Robert W. (2001). "The Man Who Got Lost in the Fog". Scouting (Boy Scouts of America). http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0110/d-wwas.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ Rowan, Edward L (2005). To Do My Best: James E. West and the History of the Boy Scouts of America. Las Vegas International Scouting Museum. ISBN 0-9746479-1-8.
^ The National and World Jamborees in Pictures. New York: Boy Scouts of America. 1937. p. 131.
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^ "What is Boy Scouting?". Fact Sheet. Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-503.aspx. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
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^ "Order of the Arrow". Fact Sheet. Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-512.aspx. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
^ (PDF) Boy Scouts of America Youth Application. Boy Scouts of America. #28-406B. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/28-406.pdf. Retrieved March 10, 2008. "Venturers and Sea Scouts registered in a crew or ship prior to their 21st birthday may continue as members after their 21st birthday until the crew or ship recharters or until they reach their 22nd birthday, whichever comes first."
^ "What is Venturing". Fact Sheet. Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-388.aspx. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
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^ "The Cub Scout Promise The Law of the Pack and The Cub Scout Motto". U.S. Scouting Service Project. August 5, 2007. http://www.usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/cspromiselaw.asp. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
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^ "Boy Scout Advancement". U.S. Scouting Service Project. January 17, 2008. http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/boyscout/intro.asp. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
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^ ^a ^b "Title 36 > Subtitle II > Part B > Chapter 309: Boy Scouts of America". United States Code. Cornell University Law School. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/36/usc_sup_01_36_06_II_08_B_10_309.html. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Nelson, Bill. "Organization of the Boy Scouts of America". U.S. Scouting Service Project. http://usscouts.org/aboutbsa/bsaorg.asp. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America. Boy Scouts of America. 1985.
^ "2007 Report to the Nation". Boy Scouts of Amercica. 2007. http://www.bsartn2007.org. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
^ "Scoutreach Division— BSA". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scoutreachbsa.org/. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "Scouting — Vale La Pena". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scoutingvalelapena.org/. Retrieved March 13, 2006.
^ "Soccer and Scouting". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.soccerandscouting.org/index.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "Interamerican Scout Foundation". Interamerican Scout Foundation. http://www.interamfoundation.org/. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "ScoutStuff.org". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scoutstuff.org. Retrieved March 13, 2006.
^ "BSALicensing.org". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.bsalicensing.org. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
^ "2000 Conference" (PDF). National Conference on Privacy, Technology & Criminal Justice Information. May 6, 2004. http://www.search.org/files/pdf/2000conference.pdf. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
^ "The Merits of Marketing". Boy Scouts of America. http://marketing.scouting.org/. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
^ "National Scouting Museum". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.bsamuseum.org/. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
^ "BSA's first Eagle Scout". Eagle Scout Resource Center. http://www.eaglescout.org/history/first_eagle.html. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "Northeast Region". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.nerbsa.org/. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
^ "Southern Region". Boy Scouts of America. http://srbsa.org/. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
^ "Western Region". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.wrbsa.org/. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
^ "Commissioners". Boy Scouts of America. 2008. http://www.scouting.org/commissioners.aspx. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
^ "Transatlantic Council". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.tac-bsa.org/. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
^ "Far East Council". Far East Council, BSA. http://www.fareastbsa.org/. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
^ "Direct Service, BSA". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.directservicebsa.org/. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
^ "Aloha Council". Aloha Council, BSA. http://www.alohacouncilbsa.org/. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
^ "Greater New York Councils". Greater New York Councils, BSA. http://www.bsa-gnyc.org/openrosters/view_homepage.asp?orgkey=1161. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "Chartered Organizations and the Boy Scouts of America". Boy Scouts of America. 2008. http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-507.aspx. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
^ "Boy Scouts of America Membership Report – 2007" (PDF). P.R.A.Y.. January 7, 2008. http://www.praypub.org/pdf_docs/BSA_Membership_Report_2007.pdf. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
^ "BSA Online Learning Center". Boy Scouts of America. http://olc.scouting.org/. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "BBB Wise Giving Report for Boy Scouts of America". Better Business Bureau. March 2008. http://charityreports.bbb.org/public/Report.aspx?CharityID=1120&bureauID=9999. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
^ "Top 25 compensation packages". American Institute of Philanthropy. Archived from the original on January 16, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070116173244/http://www.charitywatch.org/criteria.html. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
^ "CEO compensation". Charity Navigator. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/content.view/catid/68/cpid/304.htm. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
^ "NPT’s Power and Influence Top 50 2006". Non-Profit Times. August 1, 2006. http://www.nptimes.com/Aug06/sr1.html. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
^ Lewis Kamb (January 30, 2009). "Scout councils defend logging of their lands". Hearst Newspapers. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/29/MNAK15FFTA.DTL&tsp=1.
^ Lewis Kamb (January 29, 2009). "Once-wooded camps sold off to developers; Boy Scouts of America often ignores trusts, conservation groups". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/scoutslogging/398086_development30.html.
^ Simon, Scott (June 14, 2008). "Remembering the Boy Scouts". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91514659. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
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^ "Astronauts and the BSA". Boy Scouts of America. http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-558.aspx. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
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^ Rumsfeld, Donald R. "Speech: Boy Scout National Meeting Breakfast As Delivered by Secretary of Defense and Eagle Scout Donald H. Rumsfeld". United States Department of Defense. http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=13. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
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^ "Leading the Way". Scouting: 33. May–June 2008.
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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Boy Scouts of America

Official site
Boy Scouts of America at the Open Directory Project
Scouting resources at the Open Directory Project
Boy Scouts of America Collection of Ephemeral Material, 1838-1993 (call number M0855; 8.5 linear ft.) are housed in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives at Stanford University Libraries

Boy Scouts of America

Organization

Boy Scouts of America · Cub Scouting · Boy Scouting · Varsity Scouting · Venturing · Sea Scouting · Order of the Arrow · National Eagle Scout Association Learning for Life Exploring · Explorer Search and Rescue · Fire Service Exploring · Law Enforcement Exploring

Advancement and recognition

50-Miler Award · Advancement and recognition · Distinguished Eagle Scout Award · Eagle Scout · Honors and awards of the Order of the Arrow · International Activity Patch · Merit badge · Ranger Award · Ranks in the Boy Scouts of America · Religious emblems programs · Silver Antelope Award · Silver Award · Silver Beaver Award · Silver Buffalo Award · Silver World Award · Spirit of the Eagle Award · Square knot insignia · William T. Hornaday Awards · World Conservation Award · Young American Award

Leadership training

Kodiak · National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience · National Youth Leadership Training · Powder Horn · Seabadge · Troop Leadership Training · Venturing Leadership Skills Course · Wood Badge · Youth Protection program · Youth Staff Development Course

People

Chief Scout Executive · National president Recipients of the Distinguished Service Award · Eagle Scouts · Recipients of the Silver Buffalo Award Daniel Carter Beard · William D. Boyce · Carroll A. Edson · E. Urner Goodman · William Hillcourt · Ernest Thompson Seton · Unknown Scout · James E. West

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Membership controversies · Coalition for Inclusive Scouting · Scouting for All
Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America · Boy Scouts of America v. Dale · Cradle of Liberty Council v. City of Philadelphia · Curran v. Mount Diablo Council of the Boy Scouts of America · Evans v. Berkeley · Randall v. Orange County Council · Welsh v. Boy Scouts of America · Winkler v. Rumsfeld · Wrenn v. Boy Scouts of America · Yeaw v. Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act · Support Our Scouts Act

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D. Boyce Council · West Central Florida Council · West Tennessee Area Council · Westark Area Council · Westchester-Putnam Council · Western Colorado Council · Western Los Angeles County Council · Western Massachusetts Council · Westmoreland-Fayette Council · Winnebago Council · Yankee Clipper Council · Yocona Area Council · York-Adams Area Council · Yucca Council

Scouting in the United States

Scouting organizations	Scouting in the United States Baden-Powell Scouts' Association · Boy Scouts of America · Girl Scouts of the USA · International Scout and Guide Fellowship

Scouts-in-Exile	Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség · Organization of Russian Young Pathfinders · Polish Scouting Association

Scout-like organizations	American Heritage Girls · Awana · Camp Fire USA · Navigators USA · Pathfinders · SpiralScouts International · Royal Rangers · Woodcraft Indians

Historical organizations	American Boy Scouts · Boy Rangers of America · Lone Scouts of America · New England Boy Scouts · Rhode Island Boy Scouts · Sons of Daniel Boone · Woodcraft Indians

Other organizations	Alpha Phi Omega · American Indian Scouting Association · U.S. Scouting Service Project

Scouting by State

States	Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming

Federal district	Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia)

Insular areas	American Samoa · Guam · Northern Mariana Islands · Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands

Overseas	American Scouting overseas

Scouting and Guiding Topics

The Scouting Movement

Scouting · Scouting for Boys · Scout method · Scout Law · Scout Promise · Scout Motto · Wood Badge · Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting · Ranger (Girl Guide) · Jamboree · Scout Leader · Non-aligned organisations · Scouting controversy and conflict · Scouting in popular culture · List of Scouts · List of highest awards in Scouting

Sections

Age groups in Scouting and Guiding Beavers · Cub Scout · Boy Scout · Venture Scout · Rover Scout · Rainbow Guides · Brownie Guides · Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting · Ranger Air Scouts · Extension Scouting · Lone Scouts · Lone Guides · Sea Scout

Founders, pioneers, and notable leaders

Robert Baden-Powell · Olave Baden-Powell · Agnes Baden-Powell · Daniel Carter Beard · Frederick Russell Burnham · William Hillcourt · László Nagy · Ernest Thompson Seton · J. S. Wilson

Prominent places

Baden-Powell House · Brownsea Island · Edith Macy Conference Center · Foxlease · Gilwell Park · Kandersteg · Our Cabaña · Our Chalet · Pax Hill · Pax Lodge · Philmont · Sangam

International Scouting

Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme · International Scout and Guide Fellowship · Order of World Scouts · Scouts-in-Exile · Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d′Europe · World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts · World Federation of Independent Scouts · World Organization of the Scout Movement

Other

Ging Gang Goolie · Oldest Scout Groups · Outdoor education · Religion in Scouting · Scout Spirit · ScoutLink · World Scout Moot

v • d • e Members of the Interamerican Scout Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement

Full members	Argentina · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Bolivia · Brazil · Canada · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago · United States · Uruguay · Venezuela

Associate members	Aruba · Netherlands Antilles

Without Scouting	Cuba

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