We’re looking at maybe the lone scout program as we homeschool and are not church affiliated. Can anyone point me in the direction of materials for understanding that process.
Also, would it be possible for a homeschool group to spin up a chapter of Scouts. And to piggy back onto that question, am I correct in understanding that there are only boys troops and girl troops, no coeducational troops?
Thanks for your time and thoughts
I guess I did mean starting our own chartered troop. Thank you for your post!
I am happy that you are interested in the Scouting program. I would like to emphasize that not being part of a Church is absolutely no barrier to joining an existing Troop, regardless of whatever Church it is affiliated with. The relationship is typically a very loose one with the Church providing access to funds and a physical space to meet, and the Troop occasionally supporting the Church with charitable activities.
EDIT: I'd like to caveat that the above is a generalized statement. Specific Churches, acting as Chartered organizations, could possibly set up a Troop of only people who are members of that Church. But this is not typical (in my experience).
You can look into local Troops in your area here:
https://beascout.scouting.org/
They will give you contact information and most Troops would be happy to have you attend one of their meetings to see what they are like. Definitely shop around and see if an existing Troop is a good fit.
All things being equal, I would say that this is the best option; it is an existing and established Troop, and they have the resources and knowledge of the Scouting program and your youths can jump right in and start being Scouts right away.
If a local Troop is infeasible or undesirable, and you have enough interest in forming your own Troop, that is also a possibility as well, though it would require some effort. You'll still have to work with your local council to get this done. It's not something I'm familiar with deeply, but the broad strokes are:
This document goes into more details:
https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/522-025-Unit-Roadmap-Final.pdf
Now this option is a lot of work, but if you have a sizeable group that is interested, especially consisting of multiple families (and existing, local Troops are not a solution) then it could be what you're looking for.
Thank you!
I will tell you setting up a troop is exceedingly difficult and frustrating! We got all our girls in March and honestly it has been an uphill battle. We are currently in a position where our COR has refused to provide an EIN and the bank we had an account with will not accept our EIN that we had created for our group because we are chartered with the COR. On top of that council switched from paper to online applications and we had to redo all applications. Then there were technical glitches. I am currently regretting my decision to start a troop. The only thing that has kept me going(as this has become a part time job) is our 6 girls who are charter members of our troop.
I appreciate this insight- definitely seems like a lot of unnecessary work, which is unfortunately common in orgs. Definitely something to think about. Thank you.
As a homeschooler myself I am used to taking on everything myself but it's the waiting on other people to do their jobs, the endless hoops and hurdles, the antiquated protocol and attitudes. Those are what get to me. Working with the girls is great, the bureaucracy is soul crushing.
Did you try a different bank? The bank should take your EIN; however, creating your organization just to open a bank account is far from ideal.
Online applications are a big improvement!?
It is very hard to qualify for the lone scout program. I know a guy who claimed he was an hour drive from the nearest troop. They still denied his kid into that program saying that troop was close enough.
I was concerned about this though the document someone posted contains this
“Youth being home schooled whose parents do not want them in a youth group” we may take this tack.
Thank you for your thoughts.
I have many home schooled kids in my pack and troop. If there is a troop nearby I strongly recommend visiting and see if they area good fit.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Your home school co-op could start a scouting unit. You’ll probably want a legal entity like an LLC or 501xx.
Co-ed troops are officially starting this fall for the first time on a limited trial run basis. I expect them to the norm within a few years.
Many single gender troops have been operating in tandem with other troops and have in practice been co-ed for years even though they are separate on paper.
To start the process, contact your local scouting council.
Thank you!
You don't have to be a student at a school in order to be in a troop. Joining would be a great way to meet kids in the area.
You can go to beascout.org and put in your zip code and it'll give you a list of troops nearby thst you can join. There are girl only, boy only, and soon a coed troop pilot will start.
I appreciate your insight, thank you.
You COULD found your own chapter—called a Pack for kids age 5-10, a Troop for 11-18. Packs can be coed, Troops are not yet. In practice, many troops are already operating coed; my kids' is.
But one of the best features of the Scouting program is connecting kids to near-peer role models. It's impossible for an 11yo to model themselves on a 40yo; the gap's too big. But the 11yo can try to pick up good features from their 13yo patrol leader, who's learning from a 15yo senior patrol leader, who's learning from a 17yo Eagle who stuck around as "troop guide" to help with the new kids and pay forward their own experience. They can see those as being basically like them, and see that their choices now will pay off in who they become quite soon. I have vivid memories of being 11 or 12 and seeing a 17yo fellow-scout on a date at the local Friendly's. Hey, that could be me! I remember seeing how a 14yo handled a tough issue and a fight with compassion and firm direction, and taking notes on how. I remember leading a group of boys a year or two younger than me—I must have been 16 or so—and one of them helping me understand the need to lead from the front rather than give orders.
Also, Scout Troops typically go to summer camp for a couple weeks together; having a troop to go with is a big deal. It means you're doing sleepovers away from home, in weird circumstances, with bugs, heat, etc—but with other kids you know and trust. It makes a huge difference in helping kids master that first night's homesickness, and then by the end of the week the camp is a second home, filled with people they know and trust and love.
If you can find a nearby Pack or Troop that fits you, I think it's worth the effort to fit with their approach.
Thank you!
Like many others have said, you don’t need to go to church to be in scouts. I’m personally an atheist and don’t have to do anything religious even though my troop meets in a church and are sponsored by them
I appreciate the response, thanks!
So, a few things. First, you don't necessarily need to be associated with a particular church or school to join a Scout troop chartered by that organization. The vast majority of troops accept youth from outside their charter org. Secondly, yes, you could probably charter a unit through you homeschool group, although it would definitely be easier if the group is formally organized as a non-profit. I would call up your local BSA council and ask about that, since they'd be the ones approving the unit charter. Thirdly, for the moment at least, units at the Scouts BSA level (11-17 year olds) must be either all-boy or all-girl, although many units get around this by being 2 units on paper and 1 in practice. At the Cub Scouts or Venturing levels, co-eds units are allowed.
Thank you!
Just find one that is local and convenient to you and go visit. You don't have to be affiliated with the church or anything. Most are not - they go from cub scouts to a troop, and often they are with different organizations anyway. We were not members of either church that charted our pack or troop. Had a great time, son got his Eagle, and kept involved up through college when he could. Most of the scouts went to different schools as well, but he made new friends in the troop and things worked out.
Thank you!
All Scout Troops are chartered by a community organization, but most are open to everyone in the community; there is no membership requirement that a youth belong to a particular church or school.
I recommend looking up the troops in your area and contacting them to set up a time to visit. Your child can observe a troop meeting, and you can speak with the Scoutmaster about the troop's philosophy and culture. A list of local troops and contact information can be found at beascout.scouting.org .
If, after visiting local troops, none feel like a good fit, then it will be a good time to think about Lone Scouts or establishing a new troop.
Thank you!
You don’t have to be church affiliated to join an existing chartered troop. The troop I work with is chartered by a homeowners association, and we have several home schooled scouts who participate regularly.
You could form a non-profit organization and charter a troop, too. The agreement is here: https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Annual-Charter-Agreement-Charter-Organizations_Short-Version_8.26.2022.pdf
You definitely want to talk to a lawyer, though, and be sure you understand the liability you’re taking on.
Thanks for the link and thoughtful response.
That’s curious, I wonder then why Lone Scouts are allowed at all? That rhetorical btw.
I'm not sure your logic follows.
There are plenty of homeschooled scouts in scout troops around the country, and IME, very few scouts have any connection with the church that is the CO for their troop, if they're part of a church troop.
My own church is CO for a scout troop. We have scouts of a range of faiths (to my knowledge, we currently have Christians, Muslims, Jews, and a fair collection of "not very religious". One thing we don't have is any of the young people who attend my church. Several of them are in scouting, but they're all members of different troops. IME, people generally join troops based on which day the troop meets, the size and character of the troop, and the activities that they usually do. The identity of the CO is usually irrelevant.
If your homeschool group is an actual legal entity rather than a more informal gathering of people, it would be able to charter a scout troop. My first question to you, if you were considering starting a new troop, would be to ask you whether you had enough interested and committed potential scouts. You can't develop leadership without a cohort of fellow scouts to lead. My second question would be to ask whether you had adults who have experience with and understanding of the scouting program. Scouts BSA is fairly prescriptive and program-driven: you can't (shouldn't) just do anything you like and call it Scouts - there's a lot of structure and rules for you to follow, and although there's training available, it's a hard thing to start up in a vacuum without some experience and idea of what it's supposed to look like.
Can you think of anything else to make your kid more of a misfit.
My friends kids are homeschooled and are honestly more well adjusted and smarter than some of these kids in the public schools. And they have plenty of friends.
Explain please.
Pardon me making assumptions and drawing conclusions. First, I will say that I was never in Scouts as a boy. I’ve often said that 14yo me could have benefited from the structure it provides. Also, by being active in a Troop, I have had my beliefs and opinions challenged several times, and I feel that I have grown as a person from that. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that I am NOT the person my Scout needs to confer with when there is a struggle. Having no other context, my takeaway is that you homeschool and you are looking at also administering a Scouting program for your child, and possibly others. Knowing this my brain went to: 1) does this person believe that no one can do it as well as they can? (I do this for certain things) 2) is there a foundation of regular social interaction since the daily lesson may be done at home/no with others outside of family. 3) the Scout will likely be better served by learning from different people, and there personalities and perspectives. 4) the Scouting program (read: opportunities) will likely be more robust if performed by many volunteers, and focusing on executing the program instead of creating it.
Again, I don’t know you from Adam, but is it best for your spawn if you found a local Troop?
These are some interesting questions, especially for homeschooling families that may be sheltered, siloed, or otherwise separated from the world at large. None of that describes us.
We have a large secular homeschool group that spends an incredible amount of time outside. Beyond rigorous academics, our children attend a wilderness awareness school and other programs where they receive instruction, guidance, and mentoring from other adults as well as other children and teens cycling through leadership and planning roles.
Needless to say, we are quite active in our community.
As we live in the Bible Belt I am uninterested in having these young people evangelized hence our lack of church affiliation.
Too, the reason we homeschool is because, although we are staunch supporters of public schooling- our state is doing its best to dumb down students and strangle public education.
I appreciate your thoughts.
Edit: formatting
Other than provision of meeting space, there is typically little contact between the Charter Org and the Scouts, There isn't any attempt to recruit Scouts into our Chartered Orgs religion. We are in Texas. Our Chartered org is a church, our members would be 60 % Hindu and Muslim 20% Christian 20% non-religous. Its really not an issue.
I appreciate your insight, thank you.
I was thinking along the lines of SnooCat. Making big assumptions but if your whole home-school group is like minded, you should think about joining a troop with someone else in charge and kids not already in your group. Just my opinion.
A lot of assumptions going on, is it common in scouting to assume so much, no call out- genuinely curious? Like are all scouts like minded or are there different flavors and folks within scouts?
I agree. I’m making assumptions and don’t know any of you. I commented though because I see the benefit in a diverse set of influences, opinions, and backgrounds. There are many different flavors and folks in Scouts though the idea is to follow and learn about the Scout Oath and Law (and get outside and have fun). May I ask, are there many different flavors and folks in your home schooling group?
That’s what I was trying to get you to grok with the rhetorical device about whether scouts are all the same.
Being a secular homeschool group in our case for sure (and broadly I suspect) is necessarily diverse with a vast array of skill sets and beliefs. Dogma is in short supply and good faith forms the basis of discourse, for the children and adults alike. It’s how we all learn and grow. The whole thing is as rare as it is special.
I hope this paints a picture as to why we’d be leery of joining an org with potentially dogmatic religious overtones; from a sponsoring church for example.
I was leery of joining scouts for the same reasons. And then we found our troop, which is one of the most progressive around. We are functional coed and advertise as all-gendered. Our line on religion in scouting is that family beliefs are personal to the scout and all references to god is as the scout believes (or doesn’t believe) god to be.
I’d shop around and see if there is an established troop at a more liberal organization (though I see you are Bible Belt, so that might be tougher to come by).
We just officially chartered the girls half of the troop a year ago. And it was about a year process and that’s having a pre-existing charted org, all the people taking the same positions in the mirrored troop, same back accounts, etc. I certainly won’t dissuade you from forming your own group, but I’d shop around first.
And unless you never go to area camps/jamborees/merit badge universities/training opportunities/etc, your scouts will run into and interact with scouts from other troops who may not hold your beliefs.
I appreciate your thoughts, thank you.
I'd advise you to visit a couple of troops in your area. You'll find that the character of individual troops tends to vary. The troop "shouldn't" be evangelizing the scouts, but individual scouts are free to discuss their faith with each other, so if the majority of the active scouts in a particular troop were evangelical Christians, you might prefer a different troop.
I think just as a number of posters here have preconceptions about homeschool that don't encompass the variety of reasons people homeschool and the variety of ways to homeschool, so you might also have preconceptions about dogmatic church-led organizations that mostly don't describe BSA troops.
Go to beascout.org, find some local troops, and take your kid(s) along to check out whichever troops look interesting. But don't dismiss a troop just because its CO is a church - that doesn't usually tell you much about the character of the individual troop.
Thank for your time and thoughts.
As individuals, you don't have to be affiliated with a church to join the scouting program. Even though many troops are Chartered by Churches, most of the kids in those troops probably do not go to that Church. The Church just gives the Troop a place to hold their meetings.
The Lone Scout program is meant for individuals where there simply aren't any local troops or joining a local Troop is not feasible. You can read more about the program here:
https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/lone-scout
It would be something you would work out with your local council. You can identify your local council here:
https://www.scouting.org/about/local-council-locator/
I am not sure what you mean by "spin up a chapter of Scouts" if you mean becoming your own chartered organization or simply becoming your own Troop, so you'd have to clarify.
And yes, currently there are either Boys Only or Girls Only Troops, but that will be changing. The National organization just announced that from Fall 24 to Summer 25 there will be a Coed pilot and I would expect Nationwide roll-out to follow soon after. But, I also expect that it will be a the discretion of the Chartered Organization to allow this for their Troops.