Boy Scouts of America

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. The United States Boy Scouts did not, leading the BSA to file a lawsuit.

Growth

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.

In 1919 Baden-Powell began a training program called Wood Badge for adult leaders in Scouting. 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.

The Order of the Arrow, a Scouting Honor Society began in 1915. It was officially recognized by the National Council in 1936 and became fully integrated into the BSA in 1948.

Organization

The fundamental unit of organization within Boy Scouts of America is the small group called the patrol. Several patrols are grouped into a larger unit known as a Pack, Troop, or Crew, dependent upon the particular BSA Scouting division. Actual operation varies from unit to unit, and in many cases, few decisions are made at the patrol level.

The BSA has three membership divisions:

• 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.

Creed and rank advancement

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. This stems from the Scouts' military traditions; a soldier must keep his right hand free to grab his weapon. Another reason for the left handed handshake is that the left hand is closer to one's heart.

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

The ranks up to First Class are awarded for knowledge of Scout skills (first aid, cooking, knots, etc.) The Star and Life ranks require that the boy serve in a position of responsibility for several 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 large community service project planned 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 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.

Activities

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.

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 Organization).

Troops 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 also hold regular backpacking trips. Other excursions are more unusual, involving, for example, rafting, climbing or rappelling.

It is common for several troops within a district 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. Similar to a camporee, a jamboree occurs less often and draws troops from an entire Council (made up of several districts).

Most councils, if not all, 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.

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 may choose to visit high-adventure bases instead of or in addition to the standard summer camp.

Unit organization

Troops are associated with Chartered Organizations, which often provide a meeting space and other assistance. The Chartered Organization Representative is the liaison handling the relations between a troop's Committee and its chartered organization.

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 are 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.

Non-leadership positions of responsibility include:

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.

Awards, honors and symbolism

Badges of rank:

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.

Uniform and insignia

Many patches are worn at specific places on the uniform shirt:

Controversy

Until 1954, the Boy Scouts of America was a racially segregated organization. Colored Troops, as they were officially known, were given little support from Districts, Councils and the national offices. Some scouting executives and leaders believed that Colored Scouts and Leaders would be less able to live up to the ideals of the Boy Scouts.

Some practices of the organization have received increased public attention, largely beginning in the last quarter of the 20th century. Two particularly controversial policies have been the BSA leadership's prohibition (usually enforced) of atheist or known or avowed homosexual members and leaders. Some donors of funding or meeting space have reduced their support in protest of these policies while other donors have increased their support of Scouting in part specifically due to the policies.

BSA policy has also led to disagreement between the BSA and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). The UUA has tolerance as one of its defining virtues, and this includes respect and inclusion of atheists, gays, and lesbians. The BSA, which had long recognized the UUA religious badges, along with the badges of other religions that utilized the Boy Scout programs, withdrew recognition of the badges, saying that Boy Scouts could no longer wear Unitarian Universalist badges on their uniforms. The UUA attempted to compromise, removing language that the BSA considers offensive from its official program manuals and informing young Unitarian Universalist Boy Scouts of the UUA viewpoint regarding tolerance through other means. However, the BSA did not accept the UUA alternative. The UUA decided to continue its Boy Scout program and encourage Boy Scouts to wear the Unitarian Universalist religious badges on their uniforms.

The BSA believes that "an avowed homosexual is not a role model for the values espoused in the Scout Oath and Law". Officially, the BSA makes no effort to discover the sexual orientation of any person. Critics contend that some leaders within BSA have investigated and expelled non-avowed homosexuals from the organization [1].

Lawsuits over this matter have gone as high as the United States Supreme Court, which ruled (in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale) that the BSA is a private association with the right to set its own standards for membership and leadership.

One of the major contributors to the BSA, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church"; see also Mormon), may have had some influence in the BSA's homosexuality policy by threatening to remove its support of the BSA if this policy is changed. This church has, throughout the BSA's existence, supported the organization both financially and by providing many members. Some people have found this strange, noting that the LDS church currently sponsors scouting troops in Canada where Scouts Canada permits homosexuals to join. In both cases, the troops sponsored are composed of the church members in the area, thus being inherently non-homosexual in nature. This church is against homosexuality in Boy Scouting because of its own beliefs against homosexuality, noting a desire to ensure that their children's troops are not led by people whose beliefs directly contradict their own.

Some contend that individual councils, such as the Boston Minuteman Council and Old Colony Council of Massachusetts, have not enforced the controversial policies, apparently defying the national council. In August 2001, a spokesperson for the Boston Minuteman Council was quoted by the Boston Globe as saying "Discussions about sexual orientation do not have a place in Scouts. the Scouts will not inquire into a person's sexual history, and that person will not expose their sexual orientation one way or the other." The council argued that their "don't ask, don't tell" policy does not, in fact, conflict with the national policy, but in public discussions, some supporters and opponents of the national policy have regarded the above-cited Massachusetts' councils' policies as meaningfully different from the national policy.

Related articles

External links