The Aims and Methods of Scouting

The Boy Scout program works toward three aims. One is growth in moral strength and character. This can be defined as what the boy is himself: his personal qualities, his values, his outlook. A second aim is participating citizenship. Used broadly, citizenship means the boy's relationship to others. He comes to learn of his obligations to other people, to the society he lives in, to the government that presides over that society. A third aim of the Boy Scout program is development of physical, mental and emotional fitness. Fitness includes the body (well-tuned and healthy), the mind (able to think and solve problems) and the emotions (self-control, courage and self- respect).

To accomplish these aims, eight methods are used. This approach dates all the way back to Lord Baden-Powell’s initial scouting handbook and the very first campout at Brownsea Island. Most of these are discussed in more detail in other sections of this handbook. We ask your support in applying these methods to achieve the aims of Boy Scouting. These methods are:

Ideals: The ideals of Boy Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, Motto and Slogan. The Scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve. The goals are high and, as he reaches for them, he has some control over what he becomes.

Patrols: The patrol method gives Boy Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places a certain amount of responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to act in small groups where they can easily relate to each other. These small groups help determine Troop activities through their elected representatives.

Outdoor program: Boy Scouting is designed to take place in the outdoors. It is in the outdoors that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with each other. It is here that the skills and activities practiced at Troop meetings can be put to practical use. Being close to nature helps Boy Scouts gain an appreciation for God's handiwork and mankind's place in it. The outdoors is the laboratory for Boy Scouts to learn ecology and practice conservation of nature's resources.

Advancement: Boy Scouting's advancement program provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps to overcome. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he overcomes each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. He also gains knowledge in a variety of areas through his work on certain skills and merit badges. The steps in the advancement method help a boy grow in self-reliance and the ability to help others.

Association With Respected Adults: Boys learn from the example of their adult leaders. In his quest for manhood, every boy needs contact with adults he can copy. Providing good examples of manhood is one of the methods of Scouting. Boy Scouts of America has also realized that, in our rapidly changing society, boys can also learn good character and skills from adult female leaders. Therefore, women are now invited to participate in any of the adult leadership positions in the Troop.

Personal Growth: As Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth methods of Boy Scouting. Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. There is probably no device so successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious awards program also plays a large part in the personal growth methods. In addition, frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting's aims.

Leadership Development: The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership roles of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.

Uniform: The uniform makes the Boy Scout Troop visible as a force of good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform also provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.

Boy Scouting is about training Junior Leaders, and this is done through the Troop program: planning an event, carrying through on those plans and experiencing the event. This is in addition to the skill, merit badges and rank advancement aspects of Boy Scouting. As parents, it is important that you understand the Boy Scout program and that your boy be exposed to all aspects of it. It is equally important that the Scouting program be allowed to work. Because boys have greater or lesser leadership talents, some of our programs are more successful than others. What is most important is that all of our events be good learning experiences for the boys. If, on the most dismal trip, we hear a boy say, "We should have done it this way, not that way'" or, "We should have thought about that possibility before we left," then it was a very successful event.