At a Glance
The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America—incorporated on Feb. 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916—is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.
Tiger Cubs is a year-round family- and home-centered program that encourages the ethical decision-making skills for first grade (or 7-year-old) boys. These boys participate in the program with their adult partners. The program emphasizes shared leadership, learning about the community, and family understanding.
Cub Scouts is a year-round family- and home-centered program that develops ethical decision-making skills for boys in the second through fifth grade (or who are 8, 9, and 10 years old). Activities emphasize character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness.
Webelos Scouts is a year-round family- and home-centered program that develops ethical decision-making skills for fourth- and fifth-grade (or 10-year-old) boys.
Boy Scouting is a year-round program for boys 11 through 17 designed to achieve the aims of Scouting through a vigorous outdoor program and peer group leadership with the counsel of an adult Scoutmaster. (Boys also may become Boy Scouts if they have earned the Cub Scouting Arrow of Light Award and are at least 10 years old and have completed the fifth grade and are at least 10 years old.)
Varsity Scouting is an active, exciting, year-round program for young men ages 14 through 17 that is built around five program fields of emphasis: advancement, high adventure, personal development, service, and special programs and events.
Venturing is a year-round program for young men and women who are 14 (or 13 years of age and have completed the eighth grade) through 21 years of age to provide positive experiences through exciting and meaningful youth-run activities that help them pursue their special interests, grow by teaching others, and develop leadership skills.
Membership and Units
As of Dec. 31, 2011, traditional membership was:
Youth Members |
Adult Members |
Units |
Cub Scouts
(includes Tiger Cubs and Webelos Scouts) |
1,582,930 |
Cub Scout leaders |
424,944 |
Cub Scout packs |
45,962 |
Boy Scouts |
847,817 |
Boy Scout leaders |
496,398 |
Boy Scout troops |
39,392 |
Varsity Scouts |
61,285 |
Varsity Scout leaders |
22,924 |
Varsity Scout teams |
8,461 |
Venturers |
231,127 |
Venturing leaders |
58,566 |
Venturing crews |
17,853 |
Lone Scouts |
710 |
Council Scouters |
44,206 |
|
TOTALS |
2,723,869 |
|
1,047,038 |
|
111,668 |