What is a Chartered Organization?
Every Scouting unit “belongs” to a local organization like a religious institution or a service club. This web page can help provide and overview of this essential partnership. A chartered organization is a community-based group whose objectives, mission and methodologies are compatible with those of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It agrees to use the Scouting program to further its mission to serve young people. The partnership is intended to be deeper than, say, an affiliation arrangement between a youth baseball team and a local business.
Special Update from the Council Leadership
A key component of the Patriots’ Path Council’s (PPC) Strategic Game Plan is to further engage our current chartered partners and to clarify some information that has been published by the BSA, some national chartered organizations, and the national news media. Additionally, we would like to engage new chartered organizations to achieve our mission of serving more youth with Scouting programs in our local communities.
Our Commitment to Youth Protection
In the 1980’s, the BSA introduced a robust Youth Protection Program intended to address the issues stemming from people who committed acts of abuse against young people and prevent any such instances from happening again. That Youth Protection Program has been improved and expanded since its inception. Today, BSA’s Youth Protection program is considered one of, if not, the best program of any youth serving organization. Additionally, overall safety is paramount in every Scouting activity. Click on the images below for more information on Youth Protection and other Safety Resources.
October 2023 is the 2nd Annual
Month of Service Campaign for
our Chartered Organizations
The most powerful way to thank our chartered organizations is to provide service. In the spirit of a Scout “Doing A Good Turn Daily,” we are encouraging our units to help their chartered organizations by doing community service for them in October or prior to the end of the fall. We are also encouraging our chartered organizations and units to then share their story through the SHARE YOUR STORY portal and on social media using the hashtag #Monthof Service.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A chartered organization is a community-based group, religious institution or service club whose objectives and mission align with those of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). A chartered organization partners with the BSA to deliver the Scouting program to young people in their community.
To support local youth through Scouting. The reasons are as varied as the organizations themselves. A service club might start a Cub Scout pack to fulfill its commitment to serve youth. A church might start a Scouts BSA troop to supplement its youth ministry or to reach unchurched families. A boating club might start a Sea Scout ship to engage a new generation in its members’ favorite sport.
In signing an annual charter agreement with the local council, the organization agrees (among other things) to follow BSA policies; maintain and support a unit committee made up of at least three persons for each unit; and ensure appropriate facilities for regular unit meetings. Additionally, a chartered organization provides its EIN # in order for the unit to have a treasury of funds for Scouting purposes.
There is no cost to you. The annual charter fee of $100 is paid for by the Patriots’ Path Council thanks to our Friends of Scouting proceeds that are raised annually by the council. We are proud to be the only Scout council in the BSA to subsidize this fee for our chartered organizations. This fee helps fund the BSA’s general liability insurance program which covers the organization from potential litigation.
The adult leadership will manage the finances for the unit. Officially, the assets of the unit belong to the chartered organization, however, this is based on the facts and circumstances including state law, donor restrictions, funding sources, and legal title. Unit leadership will work with the chartered organization to manage unit finances and property in accordance with the fiscal policies of the Boy Scouts of America and the chartered organization. Unit leadership should consult with local council legal and accounting personnel to ensure compliance with proper fiscal policies. More information is available here. The BSA recommends that all units require at least two signatures for bank account transactions, typically the treasurer and a member of the unit committee. Chartered organization units may not incorporate or seek status as a 501(c)3 tax exempt entity.
No. However, many do provide support by including Scouting in their annual budgets and/or supporting unit money-earning projects.
Have the institutional head (IH) or chartered organization representative (COR) attend events like blue and gold banquets and courts of honor. Be visible at Scouting functions. Partner with your unit to coordinate service projects for your organization. Share good news about your unit with others. Promptly address any concerns that arise. Perhaps most important, make sure you understand how your organization can benefit from Scouting and do what you can to help meet mutual goals.
UNIT STRUCTURE
The person who leads the charter organization is the institutional head. For example, it may be the pastor, priest, or rabbi at a place of worship, the principal at an educational institution, or the president of a local civic organization.
The institutional head (IH) appoints an individual to serve as the chartered organization representative (COR), to have direct contact between the unit and the chartered organization. COR’s are also members of the district committee and voting members of the local council. He or she oversees the unit(s), serves as part of each unit’s Key 3 (along with the unit leader and committee chair). The COR, or the IH, also review and approve all adult applications. The COR can also serve as a member of the unit, provided that he or she can fulfill the duties of each role.
The committee chair must be approved by the IH and the COR. The committee chair oversees the unit account and appoints the unit treasurer, adhering to the BSA Fiscal Policies and Procedures and Unit Money Earning Guidelines. The committee chair, with the support of the committee, is responsible for ensuring safe program practices and helps recruit other unit positions per BSA guidelines.
Each chartered unit must be supervised by a unit committee consisting of three or more qualified adults, 21 years of age or older and selected by the chartered organization. One member of the committee must be designated chairperson. The unit must be operated under the guidance of the unit committee and in accordance BSA guidelines.
The unit treasurer handles all unit funds and secures proper authorizations for the unit. The unit treasurer pays bills, supervises money-earning projects, and reports back to the unit committee on the receipt and application of funds at each meeting.
Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over must attend all Scouting activities, including meetings. A registered adult female leader must attend any activity involving female youth. In addition, age- and program-appropriate supervision must always be provided at Scouting activities.
In Cub Scouting, units may have a separate pack for boys or girls, or separate dens for girls and dens for boys in the same pack. A pack may also opt to be a Family Pack, where it contains both all boy dens and all girl dens within their Family Pack environment. In the case of troops, separate troops for boys and girls are required. Chartered organizations may have “linked troops,” which means a chartered organization can have a shared troop committee with separate troops for boys and for girls.
The chartered organization must select its COR and must approve unit leaders. The local council must process unit leader applications submitted on the proper form in accordance with guidelines established by the Boy Scouts of America. All units must be operated in accordance with the applicable policies and guidelines of the Boy Scouts of America.
In total, Patriots’ Path Council (PPC) serves 14,000 youth and adult volunteers. In addition to your unit leaders, the PPC has hundreds of volunteers who support our units in the areas of administration, training, program enhancement, and fundraising. Additionally, the council provides a service center, 2 Scout shops for uniforms and supplies, 3 camps including 2 in New Jersey to serve our Scouts and Scouters, as well as a professional staff to support your unit.