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The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is an American Scouting organization, with some presence in other countries. Founded in 1910, the program had a registered membership of 2,938,698 youth with 1,146,130 leaders in 122,582 units as of the end of 2005. The BSA is administered mostly by committees of volunteers, but employs professionals at the higher levels of administration, and for commercial activities.

The BSA sprang from the concerns of the progressive movement in the United States from people who sought to promote the social welfare of young men. BSA uses the Scout method to teach values such as self-esteem, citizenship, and outdoorsmanship through a variety of outdoor activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking.

Scouts are recognized for their achievements through rank advancement and various special awards. It includes several program divisions, targeted at boys ages 7 through 17 and young men and women ages 14 through 21. BSA operates locally, through volunteer-led units such as troops, packs, and crews.

Program divisions

The BSA has three main program divisions:

• Cub Scouting, the largest of the three divisions, is available to boys from first-grade through fifth-grade, (seven through ten years old) and their families. The Cub Scout program uses a fun and challenging system to pursue the aims of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The program is divided into age-based programs of Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs, Bear Cubs and Webelos.
• Boy Scouting is the flagship program of the BSA for boys 10 through 17. The program uses a system of outdoor activities to achieve the aims of Scouting. Varsity Scouts is a modified Boy Scout program available to boys from 14–18 that adds a system of High Adventure and sporting activities to appeal to the older boy, with an emphasis on team competition. The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the Boy Scout national honor society for experienced campers, based on Native American traditions, and dedicated to the ideal of cheerful service.
• Venturing is the program for young men and women ages 14 through 21. Its purpose is to provide positive experiences to help youth mature and to prepare them to become responsible adults. It is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth, adult leaders, and organizations in their communities. Sea Scouts is the nautical oriented part of this division.

Ideals

The BSA is the largest youth organization in the United States; over one hundred million Americans have been members. The stated objectives of the BSA are referred to as "Aims of Scouting": character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Each of the programs of the BSA pursues these aims through methods that are designed to be appropriate for the age and maturity of the participants. One of these methods is the establishment of ideals. These are statements of goals against which each boy can measure and improve himself. For Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts, these ideals are reflected in the Scout Oath, Law, Motto and Slogan. There are similar sets of ideals for Cub Scouts and Venturers.

The Scout Motto

Be Prepared.

The Scout Slogan

Do a Good Turn Daily.

The 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.

The Scout Law

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

The Outdoor Code

As an American, I will do my best to be clean in my outdoor manners, be careful with fire, be considerate in the outdoors, and be conservation-minded.

The Scout Sign

The upper arm is held horizontally out to the right side, and the forearm is held vertically. The palm of the hand faces forward, with the first three fingers extended and the tips of the little finger and thumb joined.

The Scout Salute

The hand is held in the same configuration as is used for the Scout Sign, with the tip of the index finger (pointer) touching the forehead or hat brim. This is a modification of the salute used by military organizations around the world.

The Scout Handshake

This is the traditional handshake done with the left hand instead of the right. Several conflicting reasons have been given for this modification:

• The left hand is closer to one's heart.
• A soldier must keep his right hand free to grab his weapon.
• In warfare using simple weapons (practiced in the medieval period, as well as by the Ashanti people that Baden-Powell met in West Africa), a warrior carries a shield in his left hand. To shake with the left hand, he must drop his shield, indicating good faith.

The BSA Scout Oath and Law have remained unchanged since they were first developed in 1910.

National Council

The National Council of the BSA is registered as a non-profit private corporation and is funded from private donations, membership dues, corporate sponsors, and special events. The National Council is led by the National Executive Board, a volunteer board of directors that is directed by the national president. Paid professional Scouters perform the administrative tasks of the organization as directed by the Chief Scout Executive— a position currently held by Roy Williams. The National Council develops programs, sets standards for training, provides for leadership selection, sets uniform policies, maintains registration records, develops supporting literature, establishes advancement standards. The National Office is currently located in Irving, Texas. Sea Scouts use the term fleet instead of National Council of the BSA.

BSA publishes two magazines: Scouting is targeted towards adult leaders while Boys' Life is for the youth. Boys' Life is published in two editions; one for Boy Scouts and one for Cub Scouts. The Boy Scout edition contains a certain amount of material targeted toward boys aged 11-18, while the Cub Scout edition contains material targeted toward boys aged 6-10. If subscription is obtained through registration in the Boy Scouts of America program, the publisher will select the appropriate edition based on the boy's status as a Boy Scout or Cub Scout.

Divisions

There are several divisions that provide support and service to the main Scouting program:

The ScoutReach Division emphasizes service to rural and urban areas, and includes the American Indian Scouting Association and the Scouting - Vale La Pena program for Hispanic youth. The High Adventure Division administers Philmont Scout Ranch, Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases and Florida National High Adventure Sea Base. 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. The Relationships Division is responsible for non-Scouting relations outside the BSA, including the AFL-CIO, Elks, VFW and all religious associations and awards. Supply Division is responsible for uniforms and apparel, insignia, literature and equipment. It includes the National Supply Group that sells equipment through Scout Shops, authorized resellers and the online ScoutStuff.org.

The Marketing and Communications Division, Finance Support Division, Human Resources Administration Division, Professional Development Division, Compensation and Benefits Division and Information Services Division provide internal administrative service and support.

Finance

In 2004, BSA ranked as the 12th-largest non-profit organization in the US, with total revenues of $771 million.

The American Institute of Philanthropy lists the Chief Scout Executive as having the fourth-highest compensation of any nonprofit chief in the United States, at a total of $913,022. However, when measured relative to the BSA's entire budget, the Chief Scout Executive's pay measures at 0.26% of total expenses, whereas the national average among charities stands at 0.34%. The Chief Scout Executive was honored in August 2005 as one of the top fifty most effective non-profit leaders by Non-Profit Times. High-level BSA executives' pay is in line with similar non-profit corporations.

By comparison, the Chief Executive Officer of the similar Girl Scouts of the USA earns 0.39% of total expenses; however, the American Institute of Philanthropy does not rank this as one of the top 20 compensation packages.

National Scouting Museum

The National Scouting Museum was founded in 1959 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In 1986, it was moved to Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky and moved to its present location in Irving, Texas in 2002. The museum floor is 53,000 ft² (5000 m²) and is a modern facility, featuring several 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 American Scouting movement. Among the museum's artifacts are the Eagle Scout medal of Arthur Rose Eldred, the first Eagle Scout.

Organization

Regions and areas

The BSA is divided into four regions (Western, Central, Southern and Northeast). Each region is subdivided into areas, about six per region. These are then divided into local councils, the BSA's main administrative districts (as of 2006, a total of 304). Sea Scouts refer to a region as a flotilla and the area as a task force. Councils are subdivided into districts, which in turn directly deal with BSA's units.

Local councils

Main category: Boy Scouts of America Local Councils

Areas are divided into local councils; referred to as squadrons by Sea Scouts. The vast bulk of councils of the Boy Scouts of America have gone through thousands of name changes, merges, splits and re-creations since the necessity for the concept in the 1910s. A council's chief officer is the Scout executive (sometimes called the council executive), a paid employee, who administers a staff of professional Scouters (typically district executives). The council president, a volunteer, serves as the chairman of a volunteer board of directors. Finally the council commissioner, also a volunteer, coordinates the efforts of trained volunteers who provide direct service to the units. These three officials together are known as the "Key 3."

The BSA maintains two councils for Scouts who live overseas, largely on military bases in Europe and Asia. The Transatlantic Council, headquartered in Germany, serves US Scouts in much of Europe, and the Far East Council, headquartered in Japan, serves several nations in the western Pacific. Additionally, the Direct Service branch makes the Scouting program available to US citizens and their dependents living in countries outside these jurisdictions or in isolated areas. The Hawaiian Aloha Council services the American territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands and also provides Scouting to the sovereign countries of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau.

Boroughs

Because of the high density of units, the Greater New York Councils is divided into five boroughs with each lead by a borough Scout executive. Each borough is then divided into districts.

Districts

Councils are divided into districts with leadership provided by the district executive, district president, and the district commissioner. Districts are directly responsible for the operation of Scouting units.

Units

The unit is the main program group of the BSA. Cub Scouts are organized as packs, Boy Scouts as troops, Varsity Scouts as teams, Venturers as crews and Sea Scouts as ships. Each unit is sponsored by a community organization such as a business, service organization, school, labor group or religious institution. The chartering organization is responsible for selecting leadership, providing a meeting place and promoting a good program. The chartered organization representative is the liaison between the unit, the chartered organization, and the BSA.

The unit is lead by a registered and trained leader (Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Coach, Advisor or Skipper) with one or more assistants. The unit committee is a group of adults, led by the committee chairman, who plan the unit program and activities and manage record keeping, finance, leadership recruitment and registration.

Good Turns

In 1912, Scouts began the first of a series of Good Turns that included the promotion of a safe and sane Fourth of July. During the 50th anniverssary of the Battle of Gettysburg Scouts provided service to the veterans. Scouts rendered aid during the 1921 floods in Pueblo, Colorado and San Antonio, Texas. President Roosevelt delivered a radio address in 1934 appealing for assistance for the distressed and needy: Scouts responded by collecting almost two millions items of clothing, household furnishings, foodstuffs, and supplies.

The National Conservation Good Turn in 1954 saw Scouts distribute 3.6 million conservation posters, 6.2 million trees, build and place 55,000 bird-nesting boxes, and arrange 41,000 conservation displays. During the height of the Cold War in 1958, the BSA delivered 40 million Civil Defense emergency handbooks and distributed 50,000 posters.

1986 saw the Donor Awareness Good Turn: 600,000 youth members distribute 14 million brochures to families, informing them of the needs for organ donations. In 1997, the President of the United States called for an increase in voluteer service in the US. The BSA developed the Service to America program 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 the Take Pride in America program, opening service to all Americans.

The BSA developed Good Turn for America in 2004 as a program to address the problems of hunger, homelessness and inadequate housing and poor health in conjunction with the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity.

Advancement and recognition

Cub Scouting provides advancement opportunities throughout the program to help each Scout feel that he has accomplished something when completing an activity. Many advancements in Cub Scouting are of the "Immediate Recognition" type; that is they are designed to be given as soon as possible after the award is earned. Others are to be given ceremoniously at Pack meetings in front of all the Scouts in the unit and their parents.

The Boy Scouting advancement system consists of a series of obstacles and the steps that boys must take to overcome them. The system is designed so that a Scout will plan his advancement and by participating in the troop program, be recognized as he overcomes each challenge. The Scout is rewarded at each step of the way, which is intended to develop self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system are designed to help him grow in self-reliance and the ability to help others. The highest level of Boy Scout advancement is the rank of Eagle Scout; an award considered by some to be so prestigious that many adults continue to list it as a major accomplishment or award on their resumes or CVs, many decades afer they were initially awarded the badge. Indeed, the rank of Eagle Scout is generally spoken of in the present tense, and it is not unusual, at Scout gatherings, to hear men in their 40s, 50s, 60's or even 70's, proudly proclaim: "I'm an Eagle Scout!"

Uniform

Other United States Scout organizations

Other Scout organizations in the United States include:

• Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego (ZHP) is a Scout organization of Polish emigrés, not connected with the Polish organization of the same name (see ZHP), and not aligned to a supranational organization.
• The BSA had a Rover Scouting program for many years, but the Rovers are now virtually defunct.
• The Royal Rangers are an explicitly Christian organization operated by the Assemblies of God.

Membership controversy

The Boy Scouts of America, the largest youth organization in the United States, has policies which prohibit certain people from membership and participation; some of these policies are controversial. There have been several cases in which an adult Scout leader or a Scout has been expelled from the BSA or a Scouting unit for being an atheist, agnostic, or homosexual as a result of these policies.

The Boy Scouts of America and its supporters contend that these policies are essential in its mission to "instill in young people lifetime values and develop in them ethical character". Critics believe that some or all of these exclusionary policies are wrong and amount to discrimination.

The organization's right to set such policies has been upheld repeatedly by both state and federal courts. Moreover, in 2000, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that the Boy Scouts of America is a private organization which can set its own membership standards. In recent years, the policy disputes have led to litigation over the terms under which the BSA can access governmental resources including public lands. Another membership controversy concerns the BSA's exclusion of girls from some of its Scouting programs.

See also

• Boy Scout Handbook
• Boy Scout Vespers
• Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
• Wood Badge and Sea Badge awards for adult leaders
• History:
  • History of the Boy Scouts of America
  • History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America)
  • List of discontinued merit badges in the Boy Scouts of America
• Related organizations:
  • Exploring, a program for older youth that the BSA spun off
  • Traditional Scouting, a movement to reject Scouting's modernizations and return it to Baden-Powell's original ideas
  • Alpha Phi Omega, a collegiate community service fraternity
• People:
  • List of Distinguished Eagle Scout Award recipients
  • List of Eagle Scouts
  • List of notable Scouts

References

1. "Year in Review: 2005". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved July 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
2. Venturer Application 28-303K: Venturers 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 they reach their 22nd birthday, whichever comes first.
3. Foster, Rev. Michael (1999). "Boy Scout History Association". The Origins of the Left Handshake. Retrieved February 04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help).
4. Saunders, Hilary St. George. "The Left Handshake". Pinetree Web. Retrieved May 10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help).
5. Lady Baden-Powell. "The Left Handshake". Geocities. Retrieved May 10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help).
6. "Organization of the Boy Scouts of America". U.S. Scouting Service Project. Retrieved March 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help).
7. "ScoutReach Division– BSA". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved March 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
8. "Scouting - Vale La Pena". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved March 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
9. "Interamerican Scout Foundation". Retrieved March 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
10. "Relationships Division". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved March 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
11. "ScoutStuff.org". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved March 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
12. "Top 25 compensation packages". American Institute of Philanthropy. Retrieved February 09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
13. "CEO compensation". Charity Navigator. Retrieved February 06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
14. "BSA Charity Review". Charity Navigator. Retrieved February 06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
15. "Greater New York Councils". Retrieved 8 August. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
16. "Take Pride in America". Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
17. "Good Turn for America". Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved March 30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
18. "Case Studies". Inclusive Scouting .NET. Retrieved August 31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
19. "Core Values". BSA Legal. Retrieved August 31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
20. "Duty to God". BSA Legal. Retrieved September 1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
21. "Discrimination in the BSA". BSA Discrimination. Retrieved September 4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

External links

• National BSA homepage
• Scouting Magazine:
  • Peterson, Robert (October 1998). The BSA's 'forgotten' founding father. Scouting Magazine.
  • Peterson, Robert (January-February 2001). America's Best-Known Scouter. Scouting Magazine.
• United States Rovers
• Boy Scout Trail extensive collection of Scouting awards, activities, games, skits, songs, and information.
• Merit Badge.com A volunteer run site listing up to date information on all the current merit badges.
• U. S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. large collection of Scouting resource materials available online and assembled by volunteer Scouters without pay.
• Scouting The Net contains links to thousands of Scouting related sites.
• List of chartered organizations
• Scouting for All Scout-initiated organization to promote diversity within Scouting
• National Scouting Museum official website
• Searchengine for councils and districts

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• Boy Scouts of America
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