What is Scouting?

Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, is the largest Scouting organization in the United States, serving over 1 million youth and nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded in 1910, it aims to develop responsible citizenship, character, and self-reliance through outdoor activities, educational programs, and community partnerships.

For more than a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. Scouting America believes that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.

Scouting is a year‑round program designed to support the growth of boys and girls through fun, challenging, and meaningful activities. The program promotes character development, leadership, and physical fitness while giving youth the chance to explore the outdoors, try new skills, and grow with confidence.

Family involvement is at the heart of Scouting. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to take an active role, making the most of the short but important years they have to positively shape their children’s lives.

Scouting America has four main programs, based on age; Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts.  Scouts BSA is the traditional Scouting experience for young men and women in the fifth grade through high school. Service, community engagement, and leadership development become increasingly important parts of the program as youth lead their own activities and work their way toward earning Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout.

One of the objectives of Scouting is to teach scouts leadership skills.  Therefore, scout troops are designed to be “scout led”.  This means that although there are adult leaders in the troop, their function is to guide and advise the senior scouts.  The actual leadership is supposed to come from the older, more experienced scouts.  

BSA at a glance

AIMS of Scouting:

1. Character Development
2. Citizenship Training
3. Personal Fitness
4. Leadership Development

Methods of accomplishing these:

1. Scouting Ideals
2. Patrols
3. Outdoors
4. Advancement
5. Personal Growth
6. Association with adults
7. Leadership Development
8. Uniform