What We Do
Preparedness
A scout is always prepared and you can be too with helpful guides, tips and resources that you are fully prepared.
Organization
Tools to help setup events, plan trips and setup opportunities for scouts to earn their next merit badges.
Community
Parent and volunteer training materials that help bring everyone together for a shared purpose.
“A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
Scout Law
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Latest Resources
Boy Scouts STEM Merit Badges: How Boy Scouts Prepares Young People
The stereotype of scouting as a program that is strictly outdoors, with campfires, knots, and compasses, is missing an important and evolving aspect of the contemporary scouting experience. Today’s Boy Scouts STEM merit badges include robotics, programming, digital technology, game design, nuclear science, and space exploration. Scouting’s Nova Awards program, plus a strong offering of STEM-related merit badges, has made it one of the nation’s most accessible and effective STEM youth pipelines.
Scouting is a Natural Fit for STEM
Scouting and science education are natural partners—scientific learning is best achieved by the application of scientific concepts in the context of experiential learning. Coincidentally, this is precisely how scouting works. When a Scout earns the Electricity merit badge, he not only reads about circuits; he creates them! The process of actually designing an invention is the process a scout uses on the Inventing merit badge—identify a problem, design a solution, prototype a solution, test a solution, and revise a solution. Merit badge work is task-based, independent, and reflective of contemporary STEM teaching methods. You can also choose Boy-Scouts.net as they provide support that make outdoor skills, leadership and service accessible and rewarding.
Key STEM Merit Badges to Know
There are more than 30 merit badges that have a high level of STEM content within them that are offered in the BSA. Many of these badges also offer engaging Boy Scouts STEM activities that foster creativity and hands-on problem-solving skills. Some of the most productive are the following:
- Robotics: Use practical applications of engineering, computer science, or robotics concepts and skills to design, build, and program a robot to perform tasks (directly aligned to engineering and computer science career pathways).
- Programming: Software Development Fundamentals – Develop original programs and understand computational thinking.
- Digital Technology: Learners investigate the hardware, software, networking, cybersecurity, and the effect of technology on society.
- Space Exploration: Discusses rocketry, orbital mechanics, astronaut training, and the history of space programs.
- Nuclear Science: This is one of BSA’s more challenging badges, which focuses on the structure of atoms, radiation, and the uses of energy.
- Game Design: Is able to design an original tabletop or digital game using creative and systematic thinking.
The Nova and Supernova Awards: STEM Recognition at Scale
The Nova Awards Boy Scouts program provides a structured path for STEM recognition for scouts who would like to learn more about awarding beyond individual merit badges. Nova Awards are earned upon completion of a series of merit badges related to STEM, hands-on activities, and discussion with a trained Nova Counselor. For the highest award in BSA in STEM, the Supernova Award, greater involvement and a major STEM project done on your own, as well as one mentored by a STEM professional, are required. Supernova Award recipients are true contenders for STEM scholarships and programs.
Building a STEM Professionals-to-Scouts Connection
The most powerful thing a troop can do to effectively help a scout is to link a scout with a working STEM career person to be a merit badge counselor or guest speaker. Led by an engineer managing a robotics session, a software developer teaching programming, or a physician providing counseling for medicine, these interactions bring abstract careers to life and accessible. Don’t be surprised if many STEM professionals are eager to volunteer through scouting and are waiting for an invitation! Consider beginning with local universities, engineering companies, hospitals, and tech companies as a good beginning for outreach.
Scouting and the Future Workforce for STEM
According to the U.S. BLS, STEM jobs are expected to expand much faster than the average rate of growth for 2030, and there will be continued shortages in engineering, computer science, and data analysis. Programs such as scouting can measurably help to prepare youth for such opportunities if they develop their curiosity and problem-solving skills at an early age. Scouting is not only a character builder; it’s also a career builder, too! Help your scout browse through the STEM merit badge booklet and see where his or her curiosity takes him or her.
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Latest Resources
Boy Scout Troop Fundraising Ideas: Raise More Money and Build Stronger Teams
Money is required to maintain a good scout program. The cost of campsites, merit badge materials, equipment, transportation, and council fees quickly add up. Boy Scout troop fundraisers are not only important to raising money, but they can also be a wonderful learning experience for scouts in financial education, salesmanship, goal setting, and community service. These are boy scout troop fundraising ideas that have proven successful in fundraising.
The Popcorn Fundraiser: Make It Work Harder
The most popular scout fundraiser, and one of the most profitable, is the BSA popcorn fundraiser. With these scout popcorn fundraiser tips working, a troop’s overall participation and earnings can be greatly enhanced. Personal outreach (door-to-door sales) is the most important part of increasing popcorn sales, and the effectiveness of the sales method is significantly better than selling online. Give each scout a mission, a sales script, and a follow-up card. Participation and results are so much higher if troops hold a popcorn leaderboard and reward top sellers.
Car Washes: High Visibility, High Return
If the car wash is done correctly and is situated in the busier area of town, then it can make a lot of money on a Saturday morning. Cooperate with a local business that would allow the use of its parking lot (gas stations, grocery stores, and hardware stores are generally good choices, and if you are offering a small percentage of the proceeds for goodwill, you are likely to get their approval. Post on neighborhood social media groups and NextDoor at least two weeks before the event. A uniformed scouts creates goodwill and attracts generous tips from the community. These events are also great examples of creative scout fundraisers.
Scout-a-Rama and Community Events
Booth rentals at community festivals, farmers markets, scout and school carnivals provide troops with high visibility and a built-in audience. Provide an activity (knot tying demonstration, fire starting challenge, first aid skills demonstration, etc.) with the merchandise or baked goods. These events have two purposes—both raising money and recruiting new scouts from the families that walk through the doors.
Service Auction: Sell Skills, Not Products
The idea of a scout service auction is a novel fundraising idea that doesn’t involve any initial inventory expense. Community members place bids on the services offered by scouts, such as lawn mowing, leaf raking, car washing, painting, grocery runs for seniors, etc. It’s a great idea; parents and neighbors appreciate it, and scouts learn work ethic and professional accountability all the while. Use a Google Form to host an online auction, or use the night of a troop meeting and make it open to families! This method can be particularly helpful when you are learning how to fundraise for scout camp.
Building a Year-Round Fundraising Calendar
The most successful troops don’t “react” to fundraising; they take action by creating a fundraising schedule for a year ahead of time and then following it. Good budget planning by the troop leader will help him to schedule 2-3 fundraising events/campaigns throughout the calendar and link each to a certain need or goal (summer camp fees, equipment upgrades, or high adventure trip deposits) and communicate the goals to scouts and parents early. The more scouts know about what they’re raising money for, the more they participate and the more motivated they are.
Teaching Financial Literacy Through Fundraising
All fundraisers are financial education opportunities. Have scouts record their own sales and compute the percent of the goal reached, and explain how troop money is used. Scouts are not involved in the fine details of budgeting and making decisions about money, but with simple questions like “How much does summer camp cost per person?” and “What percentage does the council keep of popcorn sales?” they learn financial skills that are the basis of the thrifty point of the Scout Law.
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Latest Resources
Boy Scout First Aid Training: What Every Scout Should Know Before Heading Outdoors
All scouts who have achieved the First-Class rank have met the basic First Class Boy Scout first aid training requirements. All scouts working towards Eagle are required to take the First Aid merit badge. This is no accident—BSA has always known that building good outdoor adventure has to grow along with health and safety preparedness. This isn’t just a merit badge; it is a lifesaving skill that has been known to save lives in real scouting situations.
The First Aid Foundation: What BSA Needs
When a Scout is ready to become a First Class Scout, he or she should be able to perform a complete variety of first aid skills. These include the treatment of cuts, scrapes, blisters, burns, allergic reactions, CPR, choking (children and adults), hypothermia, and heat-related illness. These are not just theory lessons — in scouts, they do these activities again and again and learn all the basic scout outdoor safety tips for each activity and campout.
The First Aid Merit Badge: Going Deeper
For the Eagle Scout, First Aid is a merit badge that goes on to build upon these skills. First aid merit badge requirements include knowing what to do and how to treat anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction), how to treat serious wounds and bleeding, how to respond to suspected spinal injuries, and how to develop a personal first aid kit. Scouts also develop the skills to conduct a patient assessment, a systematic way of evaluating an injured person, similar to professional emergency response procedures.
The Seven Priorities of Wilderness First Aid
In the case of longer backcountry expeditions, scouts and leaders could be several hours away from medical assistance from a professional. Wilderness First Aid for Scouts is a different system than city first aid and will give scouts the knowledge they need when emergency situations arise in a remote location. There are seven priorities in all wilderness emergencies:
- Make sure the scene is safe before approaching it.
- Perform a primary assessment (ABC; airway, breathing, circulation).
- Stop any serious bleeding as quickly as possible.
- Perform a secondary assessment (head-to-toe survey).
- Treat for shock and check vital signs.
- Decide to evacuate – if it’s safe to leave, do so immediately.
- Record observations and report to rescue personnel.
Building a Troop First Aid Kit
Each troop should have a fully-stocked group first aid kit for all outings. A complete troop kit contains several sizes of adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads and rolls, medical tape, triangular bandages and slings, SAM splints, nitrile gloves, a CPR face shield, tweezers and scissors, an emergency blanket, a waterproof first aid manual, and antihistamines. The kit needs to be checked and refitted for each outing and given to a designated leader in connection with good emergency preparedness planning among scouts.
Prevention Is the Best First Aid
The best emergency response is one that doesn’t occur. Scouts are taught that proper preparation – checking gear before leaving home, drinking enough water, wearing the right shoes, letting people know where you are going, and packing up and going home if conditions get worse – will prevent most outdoor medical emergencies. The more fundamental of the program’s first aid requirements is the ability to teach scouts to think preventatively, rather than reactively.
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Latest Resources
Leadership Skills Learned in Boy Scouts: From Patrol Leader to CEO
The long list of Eagle Scouts who have gone on to become business leaders, military commanders, nonprofit leaders, and public servants is impressive. It’s not an accident. The heart and soul of the Boy Scout program is an organized leadership development program presented as an adventure program. Skills acquired by scouts, sometimes unconsciously, are the same skills that characterize good leadership in all walks of life.
Leadership Starts Earlier Than You Think
In most youth programs, leadership is a characteristic of the older or more seasoned kids. Scouting inverts this. With just a few minutes into the meeting, even a new scout is responsible for following the rules, handling their own gear, joining in with patrol conversations, and joining in group decisions. By First Class, a Scout is regularly leading younger Scouts in the same activities that he or she has just mastered.
One of the most effective components of the program is this “teach back” approach. The best way to know something is to teach it to others, and scouts do this all the time!
Formal Leadership Roles in the Troop
BSA’s troop structure offers a clear pathway of formal roles of leadership with actual responsibilities:
- Patrol Leader: Boy scout patrol leader responsibilities include a small patrol, patrol meetings, and serving as the patrol’s representative at the senior patrol leader meetings.
- Assistant Patrol Leader: Assists the Patrol Leader when they are out of the office.
- Senior Patrol Leader: The highest youth leadership role within the troop, handling troop meetings and planning.
- Assistive roles: Scribe, treasurer, librarian, and administrative roles that develop organization and financial management skills.
- Junior Assistant Scoutmaster: For older scouts who work in an adult-like manner.
The EDGE Method: A Teachable Leadership Framework
A major tool that is transferable from BSA is the skills-teaching process EDGE: Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable. It helps in scouting and leadership development. Scouts know this process from the get-go and use it often—when they teach a younger scout to tie a bowline knot, when they lead a patrol through a navigation challenge, when they are coaching a team in the workplace years later. The EDGE method is, essentially, a coaching model that expands from the campfire to the boardroom.
Decision-Making Under Pressure
The leadership in the field is not the same as in the classroom. If the weather is poor, and a patrol is out on a trail, it’s up to the patrol leader to evaluate the situation, consult the other members of the patrol, consider options, make a decision, and be responsible for the result. Simulations can’t replicate these high-stakes, low-resource moments, which develop a kind of decision-making muscle.
From Scout Skills to Professional Strengths
You can learn life skills from scouting. The commonalities between traditional scout leadership skills and today’s more professional skills are remarkable. Recruiters and executives recognize the rare and valuable skills that come with public speaking (flag ceremonies, board of reviews, and Eagle ceremonies), project management (Eagle Scout project planning), team motivation (keeping a patrol energized on a 10-mile hike), and conflict resolution (managing disagreements in close quarters). You can join Boy-Scouts.net to train in an environment that is challenging and very enjoyable.
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Latest Resources
How to Achieve Eagle Scout Rank: The Ultimate Roadmap for Scouts and Parents
The highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America and one of the most prestigious awards a youth can receive anywhere in the world is Eagle Scout. It is important on a college application, in a job resume, and as part of a community effort because less than 4% of scouts attain this milestone. However, there is no mystery to becoming an Eagle Scout. This is a very clear path that will be positively impacted by consistency, leadership, and a sincere desire to provide service. Here is how to achieve eagle scout rank:
Understanding the Full Eagle Scout Requirements
A Scout has to accomplish a lot of things to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. They are the completion of 21 merit badges (14 of these are merit badges specifically required by BSA), serving in a position of leadership for a minimum of six months in the troop, and consistently demonstrating Scout Spirit by following the Scout Oath and Law and participating in an Eagle Scout Service Project: a substantial, self-planned community service project.
There is also the time factor; the scouts have to be able to earn the Eagle Scout award before turning 18 years old, but there are extensions in certain situations for the scouts with disabilities.
The Eagle Scout Service Project: The Heart of the Achievement
This rank is truly distinguished by the Eagle Scout Service Project. It is not assigned, but the scout must devise his or her own, plan it, find volunteers to do it, obtain materials and funds to do it, and record it in a detailed project book. Eagle Scout project ideas should be for the benefit of a community, school, religious group, or other public institution, NOT BSA.
Ideas that have been successful have ranged from the creation of park benches for public areas to large-scale book drives for schools to the provision of sensory gardens for special needs centers to the building of shelving systems for food pantries. The best projects address a true, documented need and demand real leadership to execute.
A Year-by-Year Advancement Strategy
The scouts who make it to Eagle smoothly begin early (usually at Tenderfoot or Second Class). A realistic schedule would be:
- Years 1-2: Concentrate on basic rankings (Tenderfoot through First Class) & gain your first 10-12 merit badges.
- Year 3: Strategically work towards required merit badges; start to take on leadership positions like Patrol Leader.
- Year 4: Research and design your Eagle Project and finish any necessary merit badges.
- Year 5 (before 18th birthday): Implement the project, fill out the Eagle Scout application, and plan for the Eagle Board of Review.
The Eagle Board of Review
The troop committee and community leaders hold a formal board of review as the final step. Scouts will be given this opportunity to review their scouting experiences, describe their service project, and show their commitment to Eagle Scout responsibilities. It is an important discussion, not an interview, but preparation is key. Be prepared to talk honestly about the importance of scouting in your life and review your project workbook, along with your merit badge history.
What Eagle Scout Means Beyond Scouting
Eagle Scouts are regularly acknowledged in college applications, military service (Eagle Scouts may be accepted at a higher rank in the U.S. Armed Forces), scholarship programs, and professional hiring. Beyond the awards, Eagle Scouts always tell us that the rank has provided them with a structure for their leadership, discipline, and service and that this structure has helped them throughout their adult lives. Begin early and remain consistent, and you will reach the summit!
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Latest Resources
The Ultimate Scouting Preparedness Checklist for New Scouts
Boy Scouts is a great first step in the scouting program. As with all great adventures, it is preparation that will determine whether you have a smooth or stressful experience. If you’re beginning with your first troop meeting or assisting your child in getting prepared, this all-in-one boy scout preparedness checklist will keep you safe from any and all surprises.
Scout Essentials for Beginners
“Be Prepared” is no hollow slogan! It’s a way of thinking that permeates the entire scouting experience. Scouts who are well prepared, thrive, lead and grow whether they are in the wilderness or serving the community. As participants become prepared, they gain confidence, decrease anxiety and can concentrate on learning.
This is the New Boy Scout Gear List
It is important to know what to pack for boy scouts before they go to their first outdoor event. Start with:
- Uniform: A Scout’s uniform that is fitted properly with troop numbers and rank patches in place.
- Handbook: Take your Bible: The Boy Scout Handbook to any meeting — it is your guide.
- Backpack: A lightweight and durable backpack for short hikes and meetings.
- First Aid Kit: A personal first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic wipes and blister pads
- Notebook and Pen: To take notes during lessons, to chart progress and to write down merit badge requirements
- Water Bottle: Reusable and marked with your name
- Flashlight or Headlamp: Get extra batteries,
For Camping and Overnight Trips
The checklist expands greatly when the troop goes outside. Additional items that are important include a sleeping bag suitable for the anticipated temperatures, a rain poncho or waterproof jacket, a multi-tool or pocket knife (with permission), rope for knot practice, sunscreen and insect repellent. For all trips check the forecast before going, and dress in one extra layer than you think you will require.
The Mental Preparedness Side
Here are some being prepared scouting tips. Scouts will find it of great value to read the agenda before coming to meetings, advance some of the merit badge requirements, and familiarize themselves with the time, location, and rules of troop meetings. Parents are very instrumental here – reminding their scouts to prepare, reading handbooks with them, asking them what they learned after each meeting and etc.
The Pre-meeting Routine
The pre-meeting routine only takes about 10 minutes, and it removes last minute stress. The evening before, set up the uniform, pack the handbook and notebook, refill the water bottle and go over the agenda for the meeting (if it will be available). A little practice that helps scouts learn to practice a skill that will help them throughout their lives.
Final Thoughts
The key to Preparedness is intention. A good checklist helps new scouts to get confident in participating in the activities, learning the material, and having fun. Keep this list for books and add activities to suit your troop’s needs, then pass it on to other families who are just beginning.
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Latest Resources
Boy Scout Camping Trip Planning: A Step-by-Step Guide
There are few things more magical than a well-planned camp. Being in nature teaches you resilience, how to work as a team, how to navigate, and how to make friendships last. But the key difference between a memorable trip and a chaotic trip is almost all in the planning. Now, here’s a complete “how-to” plan guide for your troop to have good conversations about for years to come! Read on to learn how to organize a scout trip.
Step 1: Set Your Objectives Early
All great camping trips begin with a definite objective. Are you working to complete merit badges, survival skills in the wild, team bonding, or a combination of all these? Knowing in advance what you want to accomplish will assist you in selecting the site and designing the schedules of activities as well as communicate what you want with scouts and parents. Plan boy scout outdoor activities to avoid injuries. Make goals at least 6–8 weeks ahead of time.
Step 2: Choose the Right Location
The camping site you pick is the basis of all the rest. Take into account your scouts’ age and experience, the distance from home, facilities available (restrooms and water access), and permissions. All national parks, BSA-approved camps, and state forests are great. Please check the location and do some research before making any reservations and book in advance to ensure availability.
Step 3: Create a Complete Itinerary
A loose schedule keeps things from getting boring and out of control. Allow for travel/setting up time, eating time, set time, free exploration time, and rest time. It is also important to have a scout camping checklist. Plan for flexibility—you never know how the weather will be or how much energy you will have, but if you have a plan to follow, you will never find yourself in the “What do we do now?” position. Inform parents and assistants Leaders of the program at least two weeks prior to the trip.
Step 4: Handle Logistics and Permissions
Carpool; pick up permission slips, allergy information, and medical forms for each scout; and ensure BSA ratios of adults to scouts are met. Delegate leadership responsibilities: First aid, cooking duty, and night watch. Clear roles = clear accountability.
Step 5: Pack Communal Supplies
In addition to personal equipment, the troop requires group equipment such as cooking supplies, group food supplies, water purifying supplies, maps, a tent repair kit, garbage bags, and a comprehensive first aid kit. Specify some items for certain families to prevent the duplication of some and forgetting others.
Step 6: Run a Pre-Trip Briefing
Conduct a 30-minute briefing session with the scouts and their families the week prior to departure. Discuss the trip, talk about safety guidelines, check everyone’s equipment, and answer questions. This session cuts down on confusion on the day and excites kids.
Step 7: Debrief After the Trip
Education doesn’t end at home. Conduct a short debrief at the next troop meeting (what went well, what could be improved, which requirements of a merit badge were met, and what scouts enjoyed the most). Record any experiences and what you learned for future trips.
Organizing the camp is a big job, but the payoff is a lot of fun—the kids learning to work together, build skills, and grow in confidence in the great outdoors. Boy-Scounts.net can help you in organizing camping trips.
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Latest Resources
Boy Scout Merit Badges Guide: How Scouts Earn Them and Why They Matter
Merit badges are one of the most iconic and meaningful elements of the Boy Scout program. They are not only about achievement, but they are pathways into real-world skills, career exploration, and personal growth. Read this complete boy scout merit badges guide to learn what to expect as a parent or a new scout.
What are Merit Badges?
Awards earned by scouts for learning specific skills are called merit badges. Today there are more than 135 merit badges in subjects as diverse as first aid, cooking, and robotics to aviation and personal finance. There are specific requirements for each badge that must be fulfilled by a scout with the help of a certified merit badge counselor.
Why Merit Badges are Important to You?
In addition to the colorful patches on a sash, merit badges have a special power—they bring youth to places they might not otherwise go. The Entrepreneurship merit badge may introduce a youth to a love of business. A person who completes the Emergency Preparedness badge acquires skills that may save a life. The program is designed to be as wide as possible to ensure that it allows all scouts to have access to areas that are of particular interest and strength to them.
How the Process Works
How to earn merit badges:
- The scout selects a merit badge, preferably because they are interested in or need it for some reason.
- The scoutmaster signs a ‘blue card’ to allow the scout to begin work towards the badge.
- The scout talks to a registered merit badge counselor for that merit badge.
- The Scout performs each requirement, which can involve projects, demonstrations, written work, or field activities.
- Counselor signs off on fulfilled requirements, and the badge is awarded.
Eagle Required vs. Elective Badges
Get yourself familiar with list of boy scout merit badges, especially the eagle scout merit badge requirements. Scouts who want to become Eagle Scouts must complete a total of 21 merit badges, of which 14 are required (including First Aid and Citizenship in the Community and Personal Management). There are 7 left, which are the scouts’ choice. Making this distinction early on can guide scouts in planning a strategy for badges to ensure they achieve the best possible sequence without shortchanging needed badges.
Merit Badge Counselor Tips
For parents and community members acting as counselors, maintain a structured yet interesting session. Preparation of materials, meeting in appropriate group settings as per BSA guidelines, and careful documentation of progress on the blue card. Your passion for this topic really does help a scout grow a passion for the topic.
How to Make the Most of the Merit Badge Experience
Remind scouts to strive for badges outside of their comfort zone, not only the easy ones. It’s the growth at the periphery of the known. A technically-minded scout with the Wilderness Survival badge, a shy scout with the Public Speaking badge—it can be a real eye-opener and stories they’ll tell for years to come. A merit badge is an extremely unique learning experience. With proper planning and use, they can guide a scout’s interests, abilities, and possibly even career path that formal education cannot match.
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Latest Resources
Building Community Through Scouting: Boy Scout Volunteer and Parent Involvement
The one attribute that every experienced troop leader will tell you about a successful troop is the involvement of parents and volunteers in the community. Scouts are energetic and enthusiastic but adults make the difference in providing structure, safety, mentorship, and continuity. This post discusses boy scout volunteer and parent involvement and why it makes a huge difference to all of us.
The Invisible Supporter of Every Great Troop
A collaborative team of adults can give time behind each and every successful camping trip, merit badge event and eagle ceremony. Chairs of committees run logistics and finance. Skill instruction is led by assistant scoutmasters. Merit badge counselors impart knowledge. The parents take care of carpools, cooking food and the countless coordination tasks. The best scoutmaster cannot maintain a good program without it. This is how supporting your scout troop looks like!
Roles Available for Parents and Volunteers
It isn’t only outdoor jobs or time-intensive ones that are available as volunteer positions. Here is how to volunteer with boy scouts:
- Troop Committee Member is in charge of administrative and financial aspects.
- The Merit Badge Counselor shares expertise and experience (professional or hobbies) to help complete the merit badge.
- Assistant Scoutmaster supports the outdoor program and the development of scouts directly
- Event Coordinator organizes and coordinates special events such as fundraisers or service projects
- Transportation Volunteer is responsible for reliable transportation to meetings and outings
The Training Path for New Volunteers
All registered volunteers must undertake BSA’s important Youth Protection Training course, which is an online course covering safeguarding standards and child safety protocols. In addition, there are training modules for various positions available online and via local councils. Cost-efficient training that takes a few hours not only helps volunteers comply, but makes a real difference in their interactions with and support of youth.
How Parent Engagement Impacts Scouts
Studies have repeatedly shown that when the children’s parents participate in their activities, the children do well. Parents who attend events, ask about meetings, and sometimes volunteer have Scouts who are more successful in advancement, remain longer in the program, and have better leadership skills. It is not necessary for you to go on all of the campouts; just being interested and reinforcing scouting values at home can make a tremendous difference.
Starting the Conversation
Conversation with others is a good way for scout troop community building. If you are a parent not sure how to become involved, begin by talking with your child’s Scoutmaster. Be honest about what you are interested and available to do. Most leaders are very grateful for any assistance and will readily give you a good purpose to serve. Likewise, individuals in the community who have special talents – doctors, engineers, artists, financial professionals, etc. – are outstanding merit badge counselors and are always needed.
Building Something That Lasts
Strong scouting communities, which invest in their troops and parent network, create troops that outlast any one person or generation of scouts. Service, commitment and teamwork are taught by adults, and there is nothing better than that kind of lesson. The single most important thing that a parent can do for their scout is to come to camp.
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Latest Resources
The 12 Points of the Scout Law Explained
What is the scout law? It is just twelve words. Twelve commitments. It is one model that has influenced millions of youth over 100 years of scouting. The Scout Law is not simply something to recite in troop meetings but a moral compass that can be used in today’s world. Let’s dissect each point and see how it continues to resonate firmly in our society today.
The 12 Points Explained
Here are the scout laws for kids and why they are important:
- Trustworthy: A scout is trustworthy; tells the truth and keeps promises. With the world awash in misinformation and broken promises, trustworthiness is an important character trait that will help to foster meaningful relationships and build lasting reputations.
- Loyal: A scout is faithful to family, friends, troop, and country. A strength of good friendships and great leaders is their loyalty, which is demonstrated by showing up whenever, not just when it’s convenient.
- Helpful: A scouter willingly helps others for no reward. Purpose is fostered and communities are measurably better when there are daily acts of service.
- Friendly: A scout is friendly to everyone, including those who are different from him/her. This directly challenges bullying and social exclusion and helps young people to spread kindness beyond themselves.
- Courteous: A scout is courteous toward all people, no matter their rank. The maturity that is demonstrated by courtesy in speech, listening, and behavior is the kind that earns trust in any setting.
- Kind: A scout knows that it is wrong to be cruel to people or animals. Kindness is not weakness; it takes more strength to show kindness than to show indifference.
- Obedient: If rules are just at home, school, and troop, a scouter follows them. This point is also an exercise in critical thinking: scouts are taught to challenge unfair rules in an appropriate manner.
- Cheerful: A Scout is cheerful when he has a challenge. Resilience and optimism are real, learnable behaviors, and scouting offers a myriad of opportunities to practice these behaviors in a challenging environment.
- Thrifty: A scout is someone who is economical in spending money. Financial literacy is still one of the least prepared subjects in today’s youth education. Scouting is doing something about it early.
- Brave: A scout does the right thing when it is hard and/or dangerous. Courage is not the lack of fear; it’s doing what’s right, even when you are afraid.
- Clean: A scout keeps his/her body, mind, and the environment clean. This goes beyond personal hygiene to respect for public space; it means avoiding bad habits and staying clear-minded.
- Reverent: A scout is loyal to religious and spiritual values and is respectful towards the beliefs of others. This is even more crucial in a pluralist society where people must find a way to live with people of different religions in respectful harmony.
Living the Law Every Day
The Scout Law isn’t perfect — it’s an aspiration to strive for every day. If scouts internalize just a few of these values regularly, they are pretty much guaranteed to become thoughtful, reliable, caring people. Parents and leaders should support the law not by saying it, but by demonstrating it—children are more likely to see than hear it. Begin with 1 point per week. Talk about it at the dinner table, talk about it at troop meetings, and pat a scout on the back when they live it out. As time goes on, these twelve simple words turn into twelve lifelong habits. Learn more about the history, mission, and values of scouting at Boy Scouts.