National Organization
Scouting America is the national organization that develops and supports various youth programs. It provides charters to communities to operate a council. The national organization provides service to local councils and develops Scouting programs and establishes rules and regulations.
Scouting invites every youth to a
safe, fun place to learn, explore, and grow.
Welcome to Scouting
Scouting America is chartered by Congress to serve our nation’s youth by instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Scouting America aims to prepare young people for lives of impact and purpose. We welcome, at every level of our movement, youth and families who wish to live such a life of impact and purpose, guided by the Scout Oath and Law.
Scouting America is committed to creating a welcoming, safe environment where Scouts can freely express themselves, share their experiences, and become the best version of themselves by learning from and respecting each other.
Scouting America is non-partisan. The National organization, Local Scout communities (councils), and units will ensure that their decisions, public statements, relationships with third parties, activities, and events are consistent with our non-partisan nature and maintain the welcoming and supportive nature of Scouting.
About Scouting America
Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” The Scouting organization is composed of more than 1 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and more than 628,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories.
Since its inception in 1910, more than 130 million young men and women have participated in Scouting America’s youth programs. More than 35 million adult volunteers have helped carry out Scouting America’s mission.
BSA programs are divided by age and activity: Cub Scouting is for boys and girls in kindergarten through 5th grade, Scouts BSA is open to young men and young women in grades 6 through 12, and co-ed Venturing and Sea Scouting are available for young men and young women age 14 through 20. Scouting America also offers career-oriented co-ed Exploring programs to youth age 10 through 20.
Traditional Scouting programs are operated by local chartering organizations, such as religious institutions, clubs, civic associations, and educational organizations, which implement the Scouting program for youth within their communities. These units are led entirely by volunteers appointed by the chartering organization, who are supported by local councils using both volunteers and paid professional staff.
In order to further outdoor activities, which are core to Scouting’s mission, Scouting America has four High-Adventure Bases: Northern Tier (Minnesota, Manitoba, and Ontario), Philmont Scout Ranch (New Mexico), Sea Base (Florida), and Summit Bechtel Reserve (West Virginia).
