Scouting is a values-based program with its own code of conduct. The Scout Oath and Law help instill the values of good conduct and honesty. A boy who spends one year in a Scout troop will learn lifetime skills. He will learn basic outdoor skills, first aid, citizenship training, leadership skills, self-reliance, and how to get along with others. Scouting will prepare him to live a more productive and fulfilling life.
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
The Cub Scout program is a year-round family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of age). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting. Currently, Cub Scouting is the largest of the
BSA's three membership divisions.
Boy Scouting is available to boys who have earned the Arrow of Light Award in Cub Scouts or have completed the fifth grade, or who are 11 through 17 years old. The program achieves the
BSA's objectives of developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness qualities among youth by focusing on a vigorous program of outdoor activities.
Venturing offers a program that is fun and full of challenge and adventure for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age. Learn more about high adventure, sports, arts and hobbies, youth ministries, and Sea Scouting crews.
Every Scouting activity moves boys toward three basic aims:
Character Development
Citizenship Training
Mental and Physical Fitness
Character Development
Character encompasses a boy's personal qualities, values, and outlook. Scouting strives to help a boy grow in the following ways:
He becomes confident but is not conceited
He is honest with himself and others
His personal appearance shows that he respects himself
He develops special skills and interests
He can take care of himself, especially in emergencies
He can be counted upon to do his best, even in difficult situations
He practices his religious beliefs
He respects other people regardless of their differences
Character is what you do when no one is looking.
Citizenship Training
The Scouting program allows boys to practice good citizenship by living and working among others in a troop with rules based on the common good. Each Scout is further encouraged to do the following:
Learn about and take pride in his national heritage
Develop an understanding of the social, economic, and governmental systems of which he is a part
Be of service to others
Have knowledge of and respect for cultures and social groups other than his own
Be aware of community organizations and their functions
Appreciate the environment and seek to protect it
Mental and Physical Fitness
People get the most out of life when they are mentally and physically fit. Scouting motivates each Scout to work toward these goals:
Improve his general physical condition through exercise and participation in vigorous activities that might include outdoor adventures and sports
Eat properly, get enough sleep, and follow other habits for good health
Keep his weight within a healthy range
Reject experimenting with tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs, or with other activities that can be harmful to himself or others
Strive to be mentally alert
Use good judgment and make sound decisions
Train himself to be resourceful in solving problems
The Boy Scouts of America uses eight fundamental methods to meet boys' hope for fun and adventure and to achieve Scouting's aims of encouraging character development, citizenship, and mental and physical fitness. A Scout troop functions best when all eight methods are employed.
The ideals
The patrol method
The outdoors
Advancement
Association with adults
Personal growth
Leadership development
The uniform
The Ideals
Scout Oath
Scout Law
Scout Motto
Scout Slogan
The Patrol Method
The Scout’s "family circle"
Generally close in age and experience level
Develops a sense of pride and identity
Divides up the jobs to be done
Share in the satisfaction of accepting and fulfilling group responsibilities
The Outdoors
Boys join Scouting for the challenge, the excitement, and the fun.
Outdoor activities put the sizzle into Scouting.
A troop with a strong outdoor program is well on its way to finding success in all areas.
Advancement
The BSA believes that a boy should receive recognition for his achievements.
Tenderfoot through First Class prepares the boys to take full advantage of all that Scouting has to offer.
Merit badges allows them to explore many fields.
Advancement sets a pattern of setting positive goals and reaching them.
Association with Adults
Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves.
Scout leaders can be positive role models.
A Scout leader who is willing to listen to boys, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives.
Personal Growth
Scout-age boys are experiencing dramatic physical and emotional growth.
Scouting offers them opportunities to channel much of that change into productive endeavors.
Many Scouting activities allow boys to associate with boys from different backgrounds.
Leadership Development
Leadership is a skill that can be learned only by doing it.
Boys learn planning, organization, and decision making.
Helps give them the confidence and ability to be leaders in the future.
In Scouting, boys learn to be good leaders . . . and to be good followers.
The Uniform
Wearing the uniform helps boys develop a sense of belonging to their patrol and troop.
It reinforces the fact that all members of the BSA are equal to one another.
People seeing a boy in a Scout uniform expect someone of good character who is prepared to the best of his ability to help those around him.
"But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best.
'Be Prepared' in this way to live happy and die happy - stick to your Scout Promise always - even after you have ceased to be a boy - and God help you do it."
Robert Baden-Powell
