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What is Scouting?
Purpose
The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America—incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916—is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America 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.
Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
Scout Law
A Scout is:
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent
Vision Statement
The Boy Scouts of America is the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.
In the future Scouting will continue to
Offer young people responsible fun and adventure;
Instill in young people lifetime values and develop in them ethical character as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law;
Train young people in citizenship, service, and leadership;
Serve America's communities and families with its quality, values-based program.
Chartered Organizations
Community-based organizations receive national charters to use the Scouting program as a part of their own youth work. These groups, which have goals compatible with those of the BSA, include religious, educational, civic, fraternal, business, and labor organizations; governmental bodies; corporations; professional associations; and citizens' groups.
Program
Tiger Cubs is a family- and home-centered program that encourages the ethical decision-making skills for first-grade (or 7-year old) boys. These boys participate in the program with their adult partners. The program emphasizes shared leadership, learning about the community, and family understanding.
Cub Scouts is a family- and home-centered program that develops ethical decision-making skills for boys in the second through fifth grade (or who are 8, 9, and 10 years old). Activities emphasize character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness.
Webelos Scouts is a family- and home-centered program that develops ethical decision-making skills for fourth and fifth grade (or 10-year old) boys. Webelos scouts participate in more advanced activities that begin to prepare them to become Boy Scouts.
Boy Scouting A program for boys 11 through 17 designed to achieve the aims of Scouting through a vigorous outdoor program and peer group leadership with the counsel of an adult Scoutmaster. (Boys also may become Boy Scouts if they have earned the Arrow of Light Award or have completed the fifth grade.)
Varsity Scouting An active, exciting program for young men 14 through 17 built around five program fields of emphasis: advancement, high adventure, personal development, service, and special programs and events.
Venturing A program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age to provide positive experiences through exciting and meaningful youth-run activities that help them pursue their special interests, grow by teaching others, and develop leadership skills.
Volunteer Leaders
Volunteer adult leaders serve at all levels of Scouting in more than 300 local councils, 28 areas, and four regions, and nationally with volunteer executive boards and committees providing guidance.
Each autonomous local council is chartered by the BSA, which provides program and training aids along the guidelines established by the National Executive Board and the national charter from Congress.
National Activities
Cub Scouting is where it all begins. Eighty-five percent of all Boy Scouts were Cub Scouts first. Cub Scouting strengthens the family, encourages physical fitness, and teaches core values to live by through its program. A thrilling outdoor program starts in Cub Scouts with day camps, resident camps, council-organized camps, pack camping, and the fabulous make-believe themes of Cub World venues such as castles, frontier forts, pirate ships, and more.
Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts have many special activities available to them, such as camporees, summer camps, Scouting shows, and national jamborees.
The Order of the Arrow, Scouting's national honor society, recognizes those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. The order has local lodge, section, and national meetings. Scouts who have become Eagle Scouts, the highest advancement award in Scouting, may join the National Eagle Scout Association.
All Scout camps are inspected and accredited annually by teams of trained volunteers to ensure the health, safety, and quality of program for campers.
Scouting Anniversary celebrations, during February, include observance of the BSA's February 8 birthday, Scout Sabbath, and Scout Sunday. Unit activities feature blue and gold banquets, courts of honor, and open house meetings.
National High-Adventure Bases
The BSA has three national high-adventure areas, and all three are unique. The Northern Tier National High Adventure Program offers wilderness canoe expeditions and cold-weather camping; the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base offers aquatics programs in the Florida Keys; and Philmont Scout Ranch offers backpacking treks in the rugged high country of northern New Mexico. Volunteer leaders may attend the Philmont Training Center each summer for a week-long training conference.
Publications
The Boy Scouts of America publishes two magazines: 91-year-old Boys' Life, produced monthly for 1.3 million subscribers in three demographic editions (LOW demographic goes to all Tiger Cubs and Cub Scout subscribers through age 8. MIDDLE demographic goes to all Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts 9 years and older and all adult Cub Scout leaders who subscribe. HIGH demographic goes to all Boy Scout—age subscribers and all other subscribers); and 90-year-old HREF="http://www.scoutingmagazine.org">Scouting, produced six times a year for all adults registered in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing. In addition, unit leaders and commissioners receive special program inserts in Scouting.
The BSA publishes handbooks for all phases of the Scouting program, more than 100 merit badge pamphlets for Boy Scouts, leader books, training pamphlets, program helps booklets for unit leaders, and other literature for use by youth members, adult leaders, and parents.
Financial Support
The National Council is supported largely through annual registration fees paid by all members, charter and service fees paid by local councils, an Annual Giving Campaign among national employees and selected volunteers, income from the sales of Boys' Life and Scouting magazines, and Scouting equipment, bequests, and special gifts. Local councils are supported by communities through an annual Friends of Scouting campaign, the United Way, special events, foundation grants, investment income, bequests, endowment gifts, and special contributions.
On the unit level, chartered organizations that use the Scouting program provide meeting places and often furnish program materials and other facilities. Youth members help to pay their own way by paying dues to their pack, troop, team, ship, or crew treasuries, and through approved money-earning projects, they can earn additional income for their units.
Membership and Units
Membership since 1910 totals more than 110 million. As of December 31, 2001, membership was:
Youth Members Adult Members Units
Tiger Cubs 276,090
Cub Scouts 980,435
Webelos Scouts 786,833
Boy Scouts 934,852
Varsity Scouts 70,539
Venturers 276,434
Lone Scouts 321
Total Youth 3,325,504
Cub Scout leaders 562,958
Boy Scout leaders 513,262
Varsity Scout leaders 24,423
Venturing leaders 62,282
Council Scouters 53,305
Total Adults 1,216,230
Cub Scout packs 54,148
Boy Scout troops 44,463
Varsity Scout teams 7,962
Venturing crews 19,283
Total units 125,856 |
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