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Boy Scouts of America

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The BSA Logo
The BSA Logo

The Boy Scouts of America(BSA) is an organization designed for boys between the ages of seven and eighteen, and for both young men and women between the ages of 14 and 21, based in the United States of America, with some presence in other countries. BSA is part of the global Scouting movement and national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. More than 110 million boys have passed through the organization.

Aims and principles

File:Copy of 177.jpg
The most commonly used insigna of the Boy Scouts of America.

The BSA is the largest youth organization in the United States; over one hundred million Americans have been members. Its educational programs for boys and young adults aim to build character, participatory citizenship, and personal fitness. This purpose is carried on primarily through outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. There is an emphasis on personal development through community service, leadership, and individual challenge. These principles are reflected in the Scout Oath, Law, Motto and Slogan. See Creed and symbols of Scouting

Early history

Establishment

The Boy Scouts of America was inspired by and modeled on the Boy Scouts, established by Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1907. It also borrowed ideas from Sir Ernest Thompson Seton, the YMCA, and a number of other "Scouting" organizations for boys that had sprung up in the decade of the 1900s in the United States and abroad.

File:William boyce.bmp
William D. Boyce.

The Boy Scouts of America was established in 1910 by William D. Boyce. The story of how Boyce came to be interested in Scouting has appeared in various forms. All versions agree on the following: Boyce, a publisher from Chicago, was lost in London's famous fog when he was met by a boy who showed him the way to his destination; the boy then refused an offer of payment for his services. Some assert that the boy vanished into the fog after refusing Boyce's money and never saw him again, but others declare that the two arranged another meeting, so that the boy could show Boyce to the headquarters. Still others hold that the boy was uniformed at the time. The truth of the matter is shrouded in years of Scouting legend and may never be known for sure.

Some versions claim that Boyce actually knew about Scouting before this event, that the place he was seeking in the fog was actually Scouting headquarters, and that he had in fact come to London to learn more about the organization. (Baden-Powell was associated with the British YMCA; news of the Boy Scouts had reached the U.S. through this organization.)

Boyce returned to the United States and, with two other businessmen, Edward S. Stewart and Stanley D. Willis, incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8. The first troop was Troop 1, based at a YMCA. Edgar Robinson, an important administrator of the YMCA in Chicago, agreed to help Boyce organize the Boy Scouts as a national organization.

In 1910, Seton, Beard, Baden-Powell, Boyce, Robinson and others called a national meeting of people involved in youth work. The first national officers of the BSA were selected. It was agreed that the President of the United States (then William Howard Taft) was to be the Honorary President of the BSA, a tradition that is still followed today.

Rival organizations

The BSA had many rival organizations in its early days, including:

The Woodcraft Indians and the Sons of Daniel Boone eventually merged with Boyce's organization; the consolidation was complete by the late 1910s. Most of the other rival organizations would also merge with the BSA.

Growth

In 1911, the Boy Scouts of America published the first American Boy Scout manual ("Handbook for Boys"), a revision of Seton's version. The American version of the Scout Oath and Law first appeared here. (The British version was a pledge of allegiance to the King.) James E. West wrote the Scout Oath, and added three points to the British version of the Scout Law (brave, clean and reverent).

In 1912, Sea Scouting became an official program. Sea Scouting is now part of the Venturing program of the Boy Scouts of America focused primarily on maritime activities. Boys' Life magazine also began in 1912, and continues today to be the official Boy Scout magazine. In 1913, the Scouting magazine for leaders started.

Boy Scouts have served at every presidential inauguration since Woodrow Wilson's in 1913.

Paul Sleman, Colin H. Livingstone, Ernest S. Martin and James E. West successfully lobbied Congress for a federal charter for BSA, which President Woodrow Wilson signed on June 15, 1916. It reads:

That the purpose of this corporation shall be 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 which are now in common use by Boy Scouts.

Also in 1916, Baden-Powell organized Wolf Cubs in Britain, for boys too young for the Boy Scouts (minimum age twelve at the time). In BSA, Wolf Cubs became Cub Scouts in the 1930s.

In 1919 Baden-Powell began a training program called Wood Badge for adult leaders in Scouting. The BSA would not fully implement this training until much later. It was instituted all over the world and is still in use today.

In 1920 the first International Scout Jamboree, a gathering of scouts from all over the world, was held in London. Jamborees are currently held every four years, in varying countries. It will never be held in the United States because BSA, in contrast to numerous other Scouting organizations around the globe, accepts female youth members only within its Venturing Division, and not in the Cub Scout or Boy Scout divisions.

In 1937, oil magnate Waite Phillips donated to the BSA a large tract of land in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. This is now the Philmont Scout Ranch.

American composer Irving Berlin assigned the royalties from his song "God Bless America" to the BSA, earning millions for the organization over the ensuing decades.

The Order of the Arrow is a Scouting Honor Society which began in 1915 in Treasure Island, one of the oldest continuously operated Boy Scout camps in the country. The Order of the Arrow was officially recognized by the National Council in 1936 and became fully integrated into the BSA in 1948.

National organization

BSA's National Office is currently located in Irving, Texas. The National Organization is divided into four regions each composed of area Councils, which range in size from two small West Virginia counties (Mountaineer Council) to all of DC and much of Maryland and northern Virginia (National Capital Area Council). The Councils may be further divided into Districts.

The BSA has several membership divisions, including three primary ones:

  • Cub Scouting is for boys between the first and fifth grades, or 7-10 years old. Cub Scouting has ten purposes, including preparing boys to become Boy Scouts. Cub Scouts meet in dens of six to eight boys, and several dens are grouped together as a pack.
  • Boy Scouting is for boys ages 11-17. It is perhaps the best known (though not the largest) of the divisions. Also existing for boys 14-17 is a separate program known as Varsity Scouts.
  • Venturing is for young men and women ages 14-20. Venturing emphasises the traditional outdoor activities, along with youth ministries, arts & hobbies, and other non-vocational programs. It provides co-educational opportunities for older teens and young adults. The Venturing Division also includes Sea Scouts.
  • Learning for Life is an in-school character-development curriculum for both boys and girls. It also offers special-needs curricula for the physically and mentally handicapped.
    • The Learning for Life program also contains the Exploring program for young men and women ages 14-20. Exploring is a vocation-oriented program, with Explorer Posts focused on police, fire/rescue, law, medicine, engineering, and other fields.

Unit organization

The fundamental unit of organization within Boy Scouts of America is the small (6 to 10) boy-led group called the patrol. Several patrols are grouped into a larger unit known as a Troop. In Cub Scouting the small group is a den, is adult-led, and is part of a Pack. In Venturing the basic unit is a Crew. In Sea Scouting, Ships are made up of smaller boat Crews. Actual operation varies from unit to unit, but the ideal is for the bulk of the decisions to be made by the boys at the patrol level.

The following describes how a Boy Scout Troop is organized. Other scouting units (Packs, Crews, Ships) are organized differently.

There are several adults which oversee a Boy Scout troop, the head of these being the Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster is the central adult responsible for the safety and operations of the troop. His primary role to is to train the elected Youth Leaders to run the troop themselves. Several trained and uniformed Assistant Scoutmasters assist him in these efforts. In Venturing units, the head adult is called and Advisor, and is assisted by trained Associate Advisors. In Sea Scouts, the leader is known as the Skipper and the associate leaders, Mates.

The Troop Committee, generally mostly composed of any of the Scouts' parents who wish to participate, deals with troop business matters. The Committee often creates subcommittees and selects officers. It is also responsible for selecting the Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters. Cub Scout Packs have similar Pack Committees and Venturing Crews have similar Crew Committees. Collectively, BSA refers to Troops, Packs and Crews as "Units".

Units are associated with Chartered Organizations, which provide a meeting space and other assistance. The Chartered Organization Representative is the unit committee member handling the relations between a troop's Committee and its chartered organization. The Chartered Organization Representative also represents the unit committee and votes on BSA District and Council officers and issues. Similarly, the elected Council officers vote on BSA National Council policies and officers.

Troops are divided into patrols of several boys, commonly between six and eight. Each patrol elects a Patrol Leader (PL), who may then appoint an Assistant Patrol Leader (APL). The highest position of responsibility within the troop is that of the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), elected by the troop at large, followed by his Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL). ASPLs may be elected by the troop or appointed by the SPL with the advice of the Scoutmaster. Larger troops may have multiple ASPLs serving simultaneously.

The SPL, ASPL, and Patrol Leaders make up the Patrol Leader's Council (PLC), the governing body of the troop. The SPL is the leader of the troop and the PLC. This group is responsible for organizing meetings, events, and outings. Some troops will include other positions (such as Scribe) on the Patrol Leader's Council. For any particular patrol, the Assistant Patrol Leader fills in when the Patrol Leader is absent.

Other staff positions of responsibility include:

  • One or more Quartermasters to keep track of troop-owned camping gear and other equipment
  • Older Scouts may be assigned to patrols as Troop Guides, to instruct the younger boys
  • A Historian to keep troop records
  • A Librarian to keep the troop's library of merit badge handbooks and other official literature
  • A Scribe, whose responsibilities may include taking attendance at meetings, collecting dues, keeping notes at patrol leaders' council meetings, and helping to write a troop newsletter
  • A Bugler to play the troop bugle at flag ceremonies and other appropriate occasions
  • One or two Chaplain's Aides to conduct Scout's Own nondenominational religious services whenever Scouts are at a Scout activity on a Sunday
  • An older Scout may work with a local Cub Scout Pack as a Den Chief
  • A Troop Guide is an experienced Scout with expertise in one or more skills and works with Scouts who have less experience in these skills. Many troops use a former Senior Patrol Leader to be the Troop Guide, as assisting the newest members of a troop is vital to the long term health of the unit.
  • Scouts over 16 may volunteer as Junior Assistant Scoutmasters to help the adult leaders with their various tasks.
  • An Order of the Arrow Troop Representative to serve as a liaison between troop members and the local OA lodge.

Troops are grouped into districts covering a small geographical area. Districts are likewise organized into councils. There are over three hundred councils, organized into Regions, subsidiary to the National Council.

Creed and symbols of Scouting

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 middle three fingers are raised and the tips of the little finger and thumb joined, with the upper arm held horizontally and the forearm vertically.
The Scout Salute
The hand is held in the same position as in the Scout Sign, with the pointer touching the forehead or hat brim. This is a modification of the salute used by militaries 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 southern African tribes which Baden-Powell met), 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.

Activities

Scout activities are conducted at the discretion of the troop, but all troops' programs have some similarities.

Troops typically hold meetings once a week, though some do not meet during the summer. The activities conducted at troop meetings vary widely, from Scout skills training to camping trip planning to games. Meetings for Venturing crews and Sea Scout ships vary from every week to once a month, while Cub Scout packs have weekly den meetings, culminating in a monthly pack meeting.

Patrol meetings independent of troop meetings may be held to conduct troop business, such as the creation of a patrol flag. Most patrols do not hold regular meetings independent of troop meetings, but some go so far as to organize their own outings. Patrol activities are planned by the patrol leader (see "Unit organization").

Troops, crews, and ships also typically hold excursions once a month or more. These are typically camping trips. These campouts are an important place for Scouts to work on skills and rank advancement, and also to entertain themselves. Some troops and crews also hold regular backpacking trips. Other excursions are more unusual, involving, for example, rafting, climbing or rappelling. Ships usually can participate in daysailing or overnight sailing trips.

Most councils own and operate one or more permanent camps. These camps host a variety of activities throughout the year, but are most heavily used during the summer. Troops stay at these camps for a week at a time. Summer camps are important places for the earning of merit badges, particularly those that require special facilities, such as archery or canoeing. Purely recreational activities are also available, and most camps offer day-long overnight side trips. Troops may choose to attend the summer camp operated by their own council, or one in a more distant location.

It is common for several troops within a district or council to gather at least once a year at a special weekend campout called a camporee. A camporee is a competition, with events such as knot tying, flagpole raising and flag ceremony, and orienteering. Troops place varying amounts of emphasis on preparing for camporees, and those that win the highest awards usually do so by making camporee their first priority.

Some councils hold "jamborees", which are similar to camporees, but occur less often and draw troops from a broader area. Every four years (except between 2005 and 2010 to co-incide with the centennial of BSA) the National Council holds its National Scout Jamboree. These are usually held at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia and draw more than 30,000 Scouts from across the United States.

The national Scout organization also operates a number of high-adventure bases, including Philmont Scout Ranch, the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base, and Northern Tier High Adventure Bases. Troops, Crews, and Ships may choose to visit high-adventure bases instead of or in addition to the standard summer camp.

Rank advancement

The ranks of Boy Scouting are, in order of award:

The advancement program for Boy Scouts has two phases. The first phase of Scout to First Class is designed to teach the boy how to participate in a group and to learn self-reliance. The ranks up to First Class are awarded for knowledge of Scout skills (first aid, cooking, knots, etc.) learned through these activities.

The second phase of Star through Eagle is designed to develop leadership skills and allow the Scout to explore potential vocations and avocations through the Merit Badge program. The Star and Life ranks require that the boy serve in a position of responsibility for 4-6 months (most of the positions listed in Troop Organization below are acceptable for this requirement) and perform community service. The Eagle Scout rank likewise requires a position of responsibility, as well as a community service project planned and led entirely by the Eagle Scout candidate, and the earning of 12 specifically required merit badges plus 9 more, for a total of 21. (A portion of the merit badge requirement must be completed for both the Star and Life ranks.) The ranks require a progressively increasing commitment to the Scout Oath and Law (see above). (A full listing of requirements can be found at List of BSA rank requirements.)

After attaining the rank of Eagle, a Scout may earn Eagle palms. For three months of troop service and five additional merit badges beyond the twenty-one required for the Eagle Rank, a Bronze Palm is earned. If a Scout fulfills this requirement a second time, he earns a Gold Palm, and for a third time a Silver Palm. If he continues his progress, he may receive additional palms in the same repeating order.

Every rank advancement involves a Scoutmaster conference and each one after Scout requires a Board of Review. At the conference, the Scout is tested on his knowledge of all skills required for the rank he seeks to advance to, and all ranks he has earned. The Board of Review is a test of the Scout's personal growth and his relationship with the Scouting organization.

Ranks are usually formally awarded to scouts (along with other awards) at a Court of Honor ceremony.

Awards, honors and symbolism

The BSA offers many awards and honors, such as:

  • 20, 40, 60 and 100 Nights under the Stars awards (Nights under the Stars include all forms of camping.);
  • 50 Miler awards for hiking or watercraft trips of 50 miles, plus 10 hours of hiking-related community service;
  • The Mile Swim award, for swimming one mile nonstop;
  • The Heroism Award, for heroic action such as saving a life;
  • The Honor Medal, for resourcefulness and skill in saving or trying to save a life.
  • Square Knot awards are given for significant good deeds. Patches may have different color schemes according to the good deed done. Most Square Knot awards can be earned by adults only, with the exception of the youth religious emblems.
  • The Totin' Chip card is given to Scouts who have learned how to safely use sharp-edged tools.
  • The Firem'n Chit card is given to Scouts who have learned how to safely build and light a campfire.
  • Religious emblems are granted in conjunction with various religious denominations.
  • The Young American Award is given by the national BSA organization to youth who best embody the ideals of scouting, whether or not they are actually members of the BSA.

Adult leaders may earn some of the same awards as youth (e.g. 50 Miler award) but not others (e.g. rank awards, merit badges). There are also awards specifically for adults, such as the District Award of Merit, Silver Beaver, and Silver Buffalo awards.

Merit badges may be earned in any of more than one hundred different subjects. Some merit badges relate to personal development and adult living; others represent Scout skills; many are handicrafts or hobbies; most are potential career options.

Sub-organizations within Scouting, such as the Order of the Arrow, also bestow awards of their own. These include the Vigil Honor, the Founders' Award, and the Distinguished Service Award, the last being awarded every two years at a National Order of the Arrow Conference (the next ones being in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015--the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the OA.).

Uniform and insignia

Main article: Uniform and insignia of the Boy Scouts of America
While individual councils and troops have specific dress requirements, there is a basic uniform that all Scouts wear. The leaders also wear this standard uniform, but with slight adjustments.

The basic uniform consists of a tan-colored button-up shirt, a belt, a neck decoration (usually neckerchief), olive-green pants or shorts and socks. There are also headgear and other additional items that can be worn with the uniform. Some items like "coup beads," which record participation in activities, are not official and sometimes deemed an unprofessional addition.

Venturers, since 1998, have worn a uniform similar to the Scouts', except that the shirt is spruce green, and the trousers, shorts, webbed belt, and socks are charcoal gray. Sea Scouts, since the 1930's, have worn traditional Navy-style uniforms, wearing blue or white "Cracker Jack" uniforms for formal occasions, and "dungaree" uniforms for activities.

Patches

Various patches are worn by scouters for various activities, honors, or training completed. Patches can also show what council, district, troop and patrol each scout belongs to. Some patches show activities completed while a Cub Scout, and also what rank the scout currently holds. Patches must be placed in specific places on the uniform shirt. Merit badge patches are usually worn on a special sash.

Rank badge designs

There are seven ranks in the BSA, each having a unique patch symbol. These patches are affixed on the front left pocket on the uniform. The rank structure, from lowest to highest, is as follows: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle.

In Venturing, the advancement system consists of three awards, the Bronze Award, Gold Award, and Silver Award. These awards were brought back after the Exploring program was changed over to the Venturing program, and were based on awards given to Explorers prior to the mid-1970's. These awards are earned by both Venturers and Sea Scouts.

Sea Scouting follows a rank sequence that has been in place since the late 1920s. These ranks are Apprentice, Ordinary, Able, and Quartermaster.

Controversy

Main article: Boy Scouts of America controversies

Several controversies have arisen surrounding the BSA in recent years. The conflict between the stated values of scouting represented by the organization and atheist and homosexual scouts has been particularly contentious.

See also

References

  1. Scout Handshake

External links

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