NEW-UNIT APPLICATION

Purpose of the Boy Scouts of America

Its purpose is to promote, through cooperation

with other agencies, the ability of youth to

do things for themselves and others, and to

teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance,

and kindred virtues. In achieving this purpose,

emphasis is placed upon its educational

program and the oaths and codes for character

development, citizenship training, leadership,

and mental and physical fitness.

Pack

Cub Scouting is for parents, leaders, and orga-

nizations to use with boys and girls who are

kindergarten-age through fifth grade.

Troop

Scouts BSA is an educational program filled with

fun and adventure that appeals to boys and girls.

Youth can be Scouts if they have completed

the fifth grade and are at least 10 years old, OR

have earned the Arrow of Light Award and are

at least 10 years old, OR are age 11 but have not

yet reached age 18.

Venturing Crew or Sea Scout Ship

Venturing and Sea Scouting will help your orga-

nization meet the needs, desires, and concerns

of young adults. Young men and women must

be at least 13 years old who have completed the

eighth grade, or age 14 and not yet 21.

NEW-UNIT APPLICATION

Venturing

Scouts BSA

Cub Scouting

Sea Scouting

SKU 648913

524-402 2022 Printing

A CHARTERED ORGANIZATION

he chartered organization selects one of its

members to register as chartered organization

representative who may also serve as chair or as

unit committee member if needed. All units must

have a unit leader and a minimum of five paid

youth or program participants. There must be at

least three committee members, with one named

chair. Packs must have a den leader who should be

registered as an adult in the pack. Cub Scout dens

must be single gender—all boys or all girls. The char-

tered organization also provides meeting facilities

for the unit. No one may register in more than one

position in the same unit, except the chartered

organization representative.

Unit Liability Insurance Fee. Units are required to

pay an annual unit liability insurance fee of $75.

This fee must be submitted with the unit’s charter

application and will help defray the expenses for

the general liability insurance program.

Chartered Organization Certification.

The exec-

utive officer of the chartered organization, by sig-

nature, certifies that the organization approves

the charter application. The executive officer

also certifies that the organization has approved

all registering unit adults. The responsibility for

approval of unit adults can also be given to the

chartered organization representative. The char-

tered organization certifies that all registered

adults: agree to abide by the Scout Oath and the

Scout Law, the Declaration of Religious Principle,

the policy of nondiscrimination, and the Charter

and Bylaws and the Rules and Regulations of the

Boy Scouts of America; agree to respect and obey

the laws of the United States of America, and to

meet age requirements as follows:

• Packs—All leaders must be at least 21 years of

age except assistants, who must be at least 18

years of age. Lion and Tiger adult partners must

be at least 18 years of age.

• Troops—Assistant Scoutmasters may be 18. All

other adults in the troop must be at least 21.

• Crews/Ships—All leaders must be at least 21

years old.

CHARTERED ORGANIZATION USE OF THE

SCOUTING PROGRAM:

1. Chartered organizations must use the Scout-

ing program to accomplish their objectives

in a manner consistent with the Bylaws, Rules

and Regulations, guidelines, policies, and other

publications available on the BSA national web-

site, located at www.scouting.org.

• The Charter and Bylaws of the Boy Scouts

of America

• The Mission of the Boy Scouts of America

• The Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts

of America

• The Scout Oath and the Scout Law, including

Duty to God

• BSA Youth Protection policies and guidelines,

including mandatory reporting

• The Guide to Safe Scouting

• The Sweet Sixteen of BSA Safety

• Scouter Code of Conduct

• Chartered Organization Agreement

2. Chartered organizations must utilize the Scout-

ing program to accomplish specific objectives

related to one or more of the following:

• Youth character development

• Career skill development

• Community service

• Patriotism and military and

veteran recognition

• Faith-based youth ministry

3. Chartered organizations must not use the

Scouting program to pursue any objec-

tives related to political or social advocacy,

including partisan politics, support of or

opposition to government action, or con-

troversial legal, political, or social issues

or causes.

4. Chartered organizations must not use their

chartered organization affiliation or

the Scouting brand as a means to imply

Scouting’s endorsement of the objec-

tives of their organization except with

respect to youth development consis-

tent with the goals and objectives of the

Scouting program.

5. Chartered organizations must not use the

Scouting program to obtain financial support

or assistance except as authorized for the char-

tered unit.

6. To your knowledge, your organization, or

anyone currently employed/affiliated with it,

has never been investigated for, accused of,

or charged with violence or abuse of another;

possession, manufacture, or distribution of

illegal substances or pornography; or

engaged in behavior that may call into

question their suitability to work with youth.

7. The Boy Scouts of America requires that all

chartered organizations, adult leaders, adult

program participants, and youth members sub-

scribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle,

or “duty to God,” as set forth in the Bylaws of

the Boy Scouts of America as follows.

Clause 1. The Boy Scouts of America maintains

that no member can grow into the best kind

of citizen without recognizing an obligation

to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath the

member declares, “On my honor I will do my

best to do my duty to God and my country

and to obey the Scout Law.” The recognition

of God as the ruling and leading power in the

universe and the grateful acknowledgment of

His favors and blessings are necessary to the

best type of citizenship and are wholesome

precepts in the education of the growing mem-

bers. No matter what the religious faith of the

members may be, this fundamental need of

good citizenship should be kept before them.

The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recog-

nizes the religious element in the training of

the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian

in its attitude toward that religious training. Its

policy is that the home and the organization

or group with which the member is connected

shall give definite attention to religious life.

Clause 2. The activities of the members of

the Boy Scouts of America shall be carried on

under conditions which show respect to the

convictions of others in matters of custom and

religion, as required by the twelfth point of the

Scout Law, reading, “Reverent. A Scout is rever-

ent toward God. A Scout is faithful in fulfilling

religious duties. A Scout respects the beliefs

of others.”

All new organizations applying for a charter

must have an approved code issued by the

National Council. As a private organization, the

Boy Scouts of America is the sole arbiter of

whether it will issue a charter to any organi-

zation. The Boy Scouts of America may deny

a charter for any reason or revoke a previ-

ously issued charter for failure to abide by

these guidelines.

YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL THROUGH

THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA:

1. Helps you organize your unit.

• Provides unit committee with proven and

accepted methods to recruit leadership.

• Outlines suggested procedures to recruit youth.

• Conducts organization meetings.

• Shares in approval process for unit leaders.

2. Provides training opportunities for your

Scouting leaders.

3. Provides year-round help.

• Leader roundtables

• Commissioner service

• Concerned district personnel

• Special activities and events

4. Maintains a council service center.

• Program resources

• Latest editions of literature

• Professional staff assistance

Special Interest. A special-interest code and description should

be entered for units with a special interest. Use the following

descriptions and codes: Soccer through Scouting—code 0414, and

Scoutreach—code 0418. Use one of the following disability codes when

registering a unit with a majority of members who have special needs:

Mentally Disabled—code 0416 or Physically Disabled—code 0417.

Who Can Join? It is the philosophy of Scouting to welcome all

eligible youth regardless of gender, race, ethnic background, sexual

orientation, or gender identification, who are willing to accept

Scouting’s values and meet any other requirements of membership.

Who Can Volunteer? To be eligible for registration, an adult leader

must agree to: subscribe to the Scout Oath; fulfill the obligations of his

or her position; and perform his or her duties in accordance with the

Rules and Regulations, policies, and guidelines of the Boy Scouts of

America. The Boy Scouts of America allows chartered organizations to

select adult leaders without regard to sexual orientation, continuing

Scouting’s long-standing policy of chartered organizations selecting

their leaders. This allows Scouting’s members and parents to select

local units, chartered to organizations with similar beliefs, that best

meet the needs of their families. This change also respects the right of

religious chartered organizations to continue to choose adult leaders

whose beliefs are consistent with their own.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Retain on file for three years.

NEW-UNIT APPLICATION

Print one letter in each space—leave a space between words.

Mailing address of chartered organization

City State Zip code

—

Signature of executive officer Signature of Scout executive or designee

Gender Executive officer email address: Work Home

Executive officer: First name Middle name Last name Suffix

Address

City State Zip code Phone No.

Unit liability insurance fees $

Total fees $

No.

100.00

524-402

Unit No. Effective date (mm/yyyy) Term (months) Expire date (mm/yyyy)

100% Scout Life unitSpecial-interest code—Description

—

Physical address of chartered organization, if different

City State Zip code

Chrt. org. code Full name of chartered organization

If religious organization, denominationType of organization

Website address of chartered organization

Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy)

Does your organization agree to the Declaration of Religious Principle? Yes No

County

Council No.

District No.—Name

If not for profit, purpose of organization

Boy Pack Boy Troop Crew

Girl Pack Girl Troop Ship

Family Pack

Youth registration fees

Leader registration fees

Scout Life

fees ($15 each)

Accident and sickness

insurance fees