About Scouting America
Scouting America, formerly known as The Boy Scouts of America, is one of the largest Scouting organizations in the United States of America and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States! We have more than 2.4 million youth participants and nearly one million adult volunteers in our ranks.
Scouting America was founded in 1910 by William D. Boyce, after he was helped by an unknown English scout in London who refused payment for his services. Boyce brought together several smaller youth organizations and professionals to create a national scouting movement based on Robert Baden-Powell’s original British model.
Since then, more than 110 million Americans have been participants in our programs at some time over the past 116 years! Scouting America is part of the international Scout Movement and is a founding member organization of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922.
Scouting America’s goal is to train youth in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership with community organizations. For younger members, the Scout method is part of the program to instill typical Scouting values such as trustworthiness, good citizenship, and outdoors skills, through a variety of activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking. In order to further these outdoor activities, Scouting America has four high-adventure bases: Northern Tier (Minnesota, Manitoba, and Ontario), Philmont Scout Ranch (New Mexico), Sea Base (Florida, Bahamas, St. Thomas USVI), and the Summit Bechtel Reserve (West Virginia).
Scouting for youth starts with Cub Scouts, which is for children in grades K-5. Scouts BSA is for youth ages 10 to 17. Venturing and Sea Scouting is for young men and women ages 14 (or 13 and having completed the 8th grade) to 20.
Scouting America operates scout units by chartering local organizations, such as churches, clubs, civic associations, or educational organization, to implement the Scouting program for youth within their communities. Units are led entirely by volunteers appointed by the chartering organization, who are supported by local councils using both paid professional Scouters and volunteers.