If you are new to the program, start here. This is Scouts BSA in plain language, without the jargon.
Scouts BSA is the flagship program of Scouting America for youth ages 11 to 17, or 10 with the Arrow of Light. It follows Cub Scouts, which is for elementary-age children and is family-run, and it is quite different: the youth run it.
Scouts join a troop, are organized into small patrols, elect their own leaders, plan their own outings, and advance through seven ranks at their own pace, culminating in Eagle Scout. Adults are trained volunteers who provide safety, transportation, and mentorship, and who deliberately stay out of the way of the youth doing the leading.
In Cub Scouts, the adult does it with the child. In Scouts BSA, the scout does it, sometimes badly at first, and learns from that. Resisting the urge to step in is the hardest and most important thing a new scouting parent does.
The whole unit, chartered by a community organization. Troop 101 is chartered by Inman Park United Methodist Church and belongs to the Atlanta Area Council.
A team of six to eight scouts who camp, cook, and work together, led by an elected patrol leader. This is where scouting actually happens.
Seven steps from Scout to Eagle. The first four are outdoor skills; the last three add leadership, service, and merit badges. Details →
More than 135 subject awards, each guided by a registered adult counselor with real expertise. Details →
The program is built on a defined set of methods, and understanding them explains a lot of what looks odd from outside.
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.
A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
Motto: Be Prepared. Slogan: Do a Good Turn Daily.
Weekly meetings during the school year. A campout roughly every month. A week of summer camp, which is where new scouts knock out most early rank requirements and several merit badges. Service projects. For older scouts, high adventure trips and leadership training. Three Courts of Honor a year where advancement is recognized in front of families.
Annual national dues, an annual troop program fee, a uniform shirt, per-outing costs, and gear built up gradually. Troop 101's full breakdown is on the costs page. Financial assistance is available in every unit and council; money should never be an obstacle to scouting.
Scouting America operates a comprehensive youth protection program: mandatory training and background checks for every registered adult, two-deep leadership, no one-on-one contact, and mandatory reporting. Read more →
Scouts BSA is open to both boys and girls, in separate troops. Troop 101 is a boys' troop. Families looking for a girls' troop can search BeAScout or contact the Atlanta Area Council. There are also co-ed programs for older youth: Venturing and Sea Scouts, for ages 14 to 20.
