Start a Scouting Unit in Your Neighborhood

The BSA charters a community organization or group to use the Scouting program as part of its service to the youth and families for which it has concern. The responsibilities of both are described below.

The community organization agrees to:

• Provide and approve the best adults to run the pack, troop, or team, including a representative of the organization.
• Provide or locate a place for the pack, troop, or team to meet.
• See that the Scouting program is run in accord with its policies and those of the Boy Scouts of America.

The BSA local council agrees to:

• Help you organize and select leaders from your pack, troop, or team.
• Train your leaders in Scouting.
• Provide people to coach your Scouting leaders year-round.
• Provide camps and other outdoor facilities for your Scouting units to use.
• Make meeting outlines, activity ideas, and other program material available to your leaders.
• Provide office services such as recognition of youth progress, leadership training awards, liability insurance, and a place to purchase badges and literature.

Organizing a Unit

• Identify the prospect.
• Approach the prospect.
• Make the sales call.
• Organization adopts the program.
• Organizing committee meets.
• Select and recruit key leaders.
• Train the leaders.
• Plan and organize the program.
• Recruit youth members and orient parents.
• Complete the paperwork.
• Conduct the first unit meeting.
• Follow up.