Methods of Scouting

The Boy Scouts of America uses eight fundamental methods to meet boys' hope for fun and adventure and to achieve Scouting's aims of encouraging character development, citizenship, and mental and physical fitness. A Scout troop functions best when all eight methods are employed.

The ideals

  • The patrol method

  • The outdoors

  • Advancement

  • Association with adults

  • Personal growth

  • Leadership development

  • The uniform

The Ideals

  • Scout Oath

  • Scout Law

  • Scout Motto

  • Scout Slogan

The Patrol Method

  • The Scout’s "family circle"

  • Generally close in age and experience level

  • Develops a sense of pride and identity

  • Divides up the jobs to be done

  • Share in the satisfaction of accepting and fulfilling group responsibilities

The Outdoors

  • Boys join Scouting for the challenge, the excitement, and the fun.

  • Outdoor activities put the sizzle into Scouting.

  • A troop with a strong outdoor program is well on its way to finding success in all areas.

Advancement

  • The BSA believes that a boy should receive recognition for his achievements.

  • Tenderfoot through First Class prepares the boys to take full advantage of all that Scouting has to offer.

  • Merit badges allows them to explore many fields.

  • Advancement sets a pattern of setting positive goals and reaching them.

Association with Adults

  • Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves.

  • Scout leaders can be positive role models.

  • A Scout leader who is willing to listen to boys, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives.

Personal Growth

  • Scout-age boys are experiencing dramatic physical and emotional growth.

  • Scouting offers them opportunities to channel much of that change into productive endeavors.

  • Many Scouting activities allow boys to associate with boys from different backgrounds.

Leadership Development

  • Leadership is a skill that can be learned only by doing it.

  • Boys learn planning, organization, and decision making.

  • Helps give them the confidence and ability to be leaders in the future.

  • In Scouting, boys learn to be good leaders . . . and to be good followers.

The Uniform

  • Wearing the uniform helps boys develop a sense of belonging to their patrol and troop.

  • It reinforces the fact that all members of the BSA are equal to one another.

  • People seeing a boy in a Scout uniform expect someone of good character who is prepared to the best of his ability to help those around him.

"But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. 'Be Prepared' in this way to live happy and die happy - stick to your Scout Promise always - even after you have ceased to be a boy - and God help you do it." Robert Baden-Powell