When you join Scouting America, Scouting becomes an extension of your family: it follows your values, it sees to the overall care and well-being of your child, and it’s always there for you. It’s not an either/or choice you have to make for your child. Scouting works with you to help you manage your time and other activities, and it will always be there when you return.

Youth experience dramatic physical and emotional growth, and Scouting offers them opportunities to channel much of that change into productive endeavors. Through service projects and Good Turns, Scouts can discover their place in the community. Many Scouting activities allow youth to associate with others from different backgrounds, and the religious emblems program offers pathways for Scouts to understand their duty to God more deeply. Each unit provides Scouts with opportunities to explore, try out new ideas, and embark on adventures that sometimes have no purpose other than having a good time with good people.

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.

Your child can work on achievements at their own pace. For example, if your child plays in a spring soccer league and has to miss several meetings and activities, they can still complete Scouting activities and have them signed off as they work toward the next rank.

The skills and values your child learns through Scouting can be applied to any non-Scouting activity they participate in. As your child builds character, those skills and values can be an especially valuable defense against the peer pressure all youth experience while growing up.

The world of Scouts BSA is completely different from that of Cub Scouts. Boys and girls now begin taking on more responsibility and learning the leadership roles within the troop. Terms like “patrol method” and acronyms like SPL, ASM, and PLC become part of the everyday vocabulary. Parents show up to troop meetings, but what specifically is their job?

Learn all about Scouting and the role you play in your child’s experience.

When you see someone in a uniform, you know they belong to a specific group. Police officers, doctors, and firefighters all wear uniforms, and as a Cub Scout, you wear a uniform too. The uniform is a reminder of each member’s commitment to character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Awards displayed on the uniform mark the progress of every Scout and leader in achieving these goals and successfully practicing Scouting’s ideals. Use this interactive uniform guide to learn about each uniform and how to wear it correctly.