Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
Boy Scouts Overview
The Boy Scouts of America is a scouting organization intended to teach kids leadership skills and prepare them to make ethical and moral decisions throughout their lives, while promoting community values. The organization consists of approximately 2.2 million young people between the ages of five and 21, with the program being established in 1910 with the intention of promoting outdoor activities and leadership training.
While it is often thought that only men and boys are allowed in the BSA, this is a misconception, as several branches of the BSA allow girls and young women to participate. Local BSA youth scouting programs are entirely run by volunteers, who are supported by paid staff and volunteers associated with the parent organization. Approximately 800,000 volunteers work with scouting troops across North America.
Who Started Boy Scouts of America?
Boy scouting started in England when cavalry officer Robert Baden-Powell wrote a book entitled “Aids to Scouting.” Although the book was a guide for soldiers on how to conduct tracking, hiding, and reconnaissance, it became popular with young boys who would read the book and roleplay the activities described in it. The trend soon left England and became popular in America.
The Boy Scouts of America was founded by William Boyce, a publisher from Chicago whose strategic choices caused the organization to quickly rise above the many other scouting organizations operating in the country. By incorporating the BSA as a business, opening an office in New York City, and implementing a campaign to absorb other, smaller scouting organizations, the BSA soon became the go-to scouting program in the country.
Although many youth scouting organizations were founded in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Boy Scouts have become the longest lasting and most widespread boy scouting organization in North America.
What Age Are Boy Scouts?
Boy Scouts are between the ages of five and 21. Depending on their age, members may be part of four subgroups of Boy Scouts. Scouts who are between kindergarten and fifth grade are called Cub Scouts. Members who are 11 to 18 may be part of Scouts BSA, and Scouts who are between the ages of 14 and 21 may join a scouting program called Venturing. The final subgroup is called Sea Scouting, and is for anyone ages 14 to 21 with an interest in nautical activities.
While most Boy Scouts are only allowed to remain in the program until they are 21, physically or mentally disabled Boy Scouts are allowed to remain in the program beyond these age limits.
How Many Boy Scouts Are There?
There are more than two million Boy Scouts and approximately one million Boy Scout volunteers in North America.
What Do Boy Scouts Learn?
Boy Scouts learn leadership skills as well as outdoor skills. In addition to practical skills such as how to build a fire, practice basic first aid, or tie knots, Scouts may also learn how to plan and organize service projects and lead and manage other scouts.
Are Boy Scouts Religious?
Due to the BSA’s requirement that members affirm a belief in God, you may be wondering are Boy Scouts religious? While the BSA’s handbook asks members to affirm their faith, it does not require them to disclose their faith or be of any specific religion. It also does not require scouts to attend church or religious scouting events. From the inception of the Boy Scouts, duty to God has been one of the core aspects of the organization. The Boy Scout Oath, which all Scouts must learn, states, “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.”
Boy Scouts of America Legal Issues and Lawsuits
Recently, the Boy Scouts of America have been in the news due to many accusations of sexual abuse committed by leaders and volunteers within the organization. In early 2020, the organization filed for bankruptcy after being hit with several lawsuits by former Scouts who claim they were abused during their time with the program. According to BSA files, there have been approximately 12,000 cases of alleged abuse, with almost 8,000 leaders and volunteers facing accusations. Some of these allegations include instances that occurred as far back as the 1920s. As the Boy Scouts did not require mandatory criminal background checks and abuse prevention training for all staff members and volunteers until 2008, members of the organization may have been at risk of experiencing abuse for many decades. Many victims of BSA abuse have filed lawsuits against their abusers, individual chapters, or against the entire organization for emotional distress, pain and suffering, and other damages.
