About Scouting
Mission Statement
The mission of the Boy Scouts of 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 Law.
Vision Statement
The Boy Scouts of America will prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law.
The Vision of the Great Trail Council
is to reinforce traditional family values through the delivery of Scout programs that will foster creativity, promote family unity, and inspire and motivate our Scouts to develop the skills that will provide the foundation needed to become productive citizens.
More than 6,000 youth in 280 scout units are guided by more than 2,800 adult volunteers, all focused on a common vision of building a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
Scouting 1910 to 2023
For over 100 years, Scouting programs have instilled in youth the values found in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Today, these values are just as relevant in helping youth grow to their full potential as they were in 1910. Scouting helps youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills that influence their adult lives.
The Boy Scouts of America provides youth with programs and activities that allow them to:
Try new things.
Provide service to others.
Build self-confidence.
Reinforce ethical standards.
While various activities and youth groups teach basic skills and promote teamwork, Scouting goes beyond that and encourages youth to achieve a deeper appreciation for service to others in their community.
Scouting provides youth with a sense that they are important as individuals. It is communicated to them that those in the Scouting family care about what happens to them, regardless of whether a game is won or lost.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Scouting promotes activities that lead to personal responsibility and high self-esteem. As a result, when hard decisions have to be made, peer pressure can be resisted and the right choices can be made.
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
Reverent
The Goals of Scouting
"The Scoutmaster's number one job, in plain English, is to help his Scouts run a good troop, and thus to get what they joined to get: exciting outdoor action and fun. But beyond this boy-level point of view are three adult-level aims that form the bedrock of the American Scouting movement. We call them simply the three aims of Scouting, for they represent the long-term Scouting outcomes we want for every boy who joins. They will therefore underlie everything we do." -The Scoutmaster Handbook
Scouting Programs
The Boy Scouts of America provides a number of programs for youth starting at age 5 through age 20. We also have programs for disadvantaged youth or children with special needs. If you are looking for something that will give your child a positive, educational, and fulfilling experience that will last through their adulthood, then Scouting is the place to be. (find out more)
Scouting History
The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America - incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916 - is to provide an educational program for youth and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness. Read more about Scouting History...