Scouting develops strong values in each boy. Scouting honors the home, school, and church or synagogue as the origins of our youth’s values. Scouting’s goal is to nurture and extend these values by emphasizing the Scout Oath and Law. Camping out and hiking through the woods teaches boys basic self-assurance, teamwork, and leadership-life skills in this computer age, but such hands-on experience helps boys realize their own potential for developing and mastering new skills. While every skill Scouting teaches is important, the self-confidence, fun, and sense of accomplishment boys get from skill-building activities are even more important. Scouting teaches first aid, swimming, wilderness survival, sailing, camping and many other skills. Scouting activities teach the boy teamwork, self-reliance, and the confidence to handle challenges that cross his path. Scouting builds young men who are competent to handle the tough questions. That’s a definition of character. Character-building is a basic goal of Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing and a chief purpose of Scouting programs such as Ethics in Action. In Scouting, for today and tomorrow, character counts!

Cub Scouting activities involve the parents, adult leaders, and friends of Cub Scouts in home-centered programs that teach life skill, habits, values, and attitudes consistent with the interest of their chartered organizations. Millions of boys and their families participate in Cub scouting, the largest of the three Boy Scouts of America membership divisions. Cub Scout activities encourage character development, physical coordination, family unity, and enthusiasm for learning.

Scouts BSA encourages boys in Boy Troops and girls in Girl Troops to develop physical, mental, and emotional fitness and to adopt and live by meaningful personal standards as a cornerstone for success in life. These values include the basic principles in the Scout Oath and Law. Activities include fitness and leadership training, wilderness adventures, and merit badge incentives for youth mastering hobby and career skills.

Venturing is an effective coed young-adult program designed to improve character, citizenship, and fitness. Venturers exercise leadership, citizenship, fitness, social, outdoor and community service endeavors. Venturing provides a variety of challenging activities to teach young people the real-world meaning of values, ethical decision making, and life skills. Venturing teaches leadership and problem-solving skills to help youths mature into confident, successful adults. Venturing crews organize around a special vocation or interest of the youth members. The specialty cluster include outdoors, sports, arts and hobbies, youth ministry, and Sea Scouting.