About Us
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a United States Scouting organization, with some presence in other countries. The BSA is the largest youth organization in the United States; over one hundred million Americans have been members. Founded in 1910, the movement had a registered membership of 2,938,698 youth with 1,146,130 leaders in 122,582 units as of the end of 2005. The BSA is administered mostly by committees of volunteers, but employs professionals at the higher levels of administration and for commercial activities.
The BSA sprang from the concerns of the progressive movement in the United States from people who sought to promote the social welfare of young men. The BSA adheres to the Scout method to teach values such as self-esteem, citizenship, and outdoorsmanship through a variety of outdoor activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking.
The BSA recognizes the achievements of Scouts through advancement in rank and various special awards. It includes several program divisions, targeted at boys ages seven through seventeen and young men and women ages fourteen through twenty-one. The BSA operates locally, through volunteer-led units such as troops, packs, and crews.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was inspired by and modeled on the Boy Scout Association, established by Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1907. In the early 1900s, several youth organizations were active, and many became part of the BSA.
The BSA grew rapidly and became the largest youth organization in the United States. Early controversies involved race, the “younger boy problem”, and the “older boy problem”. Troops initially followed local community policy on race. For younger boys, the Cubbing program arose and for older boys, Rovering and Exploring programs were developed. Additional programs and changes have occurred over the years to adapt the program to the youth of the day.