BSA at a Glance

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.

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 activities that help youth pursue their special interests, grow, develop leadership skills, and become good citizens.

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 continues to strengthen the family and encourage physical fitness and education through its programs.

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: 90-year-old Boys' Life, produced monthly for 1.3 million subscribers in three demographic editions (Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, and Boy Scout); and 89-year-old Scouting, produced six times a year for all adults registered in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing. Additionally, unit leaders and commissioners receive special program inserts in Scouting.

In addition, 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, 2000, membership was:

Youth Members Tiger Cubs 285,908 Cub Scouts 998,207 Webelos Scouts 830,305 Boy Scouts 931,508 Varsity Scouts 72,183 Venturers 233,858 3,351,969

Adult Members Cub Scout leaders 564,024 Boy Scout leaders 503,635 Varsity Scout leaders 24,840 Venturing leaders 57,783 Council Scouters 259,127 1,409,409

Units Cub Scout packs 54,394 Boy Scout troops 44,648 Varsity Scout teams 7,934 Venturing crews 17,684 124,660