Scouting America Mission
The mission of Scouting America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law
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.
Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Our History
The Boy Scouts of America was founded on February 8, 1910 by a group of prominent Americans lead by Chicago newspaper publisher W.D. Boyce. Boyce received his chief inspiration from Lord Robert Baden-Powell, who founded Scouting in England in 1907.
In 1916 the Boy Scouts of America received a charter from the Sixty-Fourth Congress of the United States “to promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in Scout craft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods which are now in common use by the Boy Scouts.”
Scouting flourished throughout the 20th century, with new programs and categories of membership. Cub Scouting and Sea Scouting began in the 1930s, and the Order of the Arrow made its first appearance.
In the 21st century, the most profound change has been the inclusion of girls and young women in the Scouting program. The original Boy Scout program was rebranded as “Scouts, BSA” in 2019, and all-female troops began forming in the Flint River Council. Coming in early 2025, the nationwide scouting organization will change its name from “Boy Scouts of America” to “Scouting America” to better reflect those that we now serve.
Today’s program begins with boys and girls in the first grade and includes young men and women in the high school aged Exploring program. Teaching youth and adults to make value judgments and the importance of traditional values continue to make the Scouting program strong.
