Scouting Programs

The Del-Mar-Va Council provides Scouting opportunities throughout the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula, serving over 300 units and 3,250 volunteers who are delivering the promise of Scouting to over 9,700 young men and women. The Council covers fourteen counties and is divided into 8 Scouting districts.

The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916, is to promote an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating in citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.

Cub Scouting

A family and home-centered program for boys and girls in Kindergarten through fifth grade (5-10 years old).

Cub Scouts are broken into a small group called a pack. The pack you join is up to you. You can look for a pack chartered by an organization you support, or simply choose the one closest to your neighborhood. With tens of thousands of Cub Scout Packs across the country, it shouldn't be hard to find one that fits you and your family.

Each pack has dedicated leaders and volunteers who are tasked with teaching Cub Scouts both fun and valuable lessons that will help them progress in the program and in life. But what makes Cub Scouts truly unique is the opportunity it gives the entire family to be involved in each child’s development. From volunteering with the pack to leading activities at home, parents can take full advantage of the extra time they’ll have participating in their Cub Scout's life.

Scouts BSA

A program for boys and girls ages 11 through 17 designed to achieve the aims of Scouting through a vigorous outdoor program and peer group leadership with the counsel of an adult Scoutmaster. Youths also may become Scouts BSA if they have earned the Arrow of Light Award or have completed the fifth grade.

Venturing

Designed for young men and women ages 14(who have completed the eighth grade) through 20 to gain insight into a variety of programs that offer leadership training, fitness, outdoor, service, high adventure, and career hands-on experiences. Venturing promotes the conditions necessary for the growth and development of adolescent youth.

Exploring 

Exploring is an interactive worksite-based-based career education program. The program serves youth in 6th-8th grades (Explorer Clubs) and young men and women who are 14 through 20 years old (Explorer Posts). Exploring units, called "clubs" and "posts", are sponsored by local businesses, government agencies, and organizations and usually focus on a single career field, but can also introduce youth to a variety of career fields within a single unit. 

Sea Scouts

Sea Scouts is a specialized segment of the Venturing program, which was organized to address members' boating skills and promote knowledge of our maritime heritage.

Sea Scout units, called "ships," focus on sailing and cruising either sailboats or power vessels. During the boating seasons, Sea Scouts learn to maintain and operate the vessel, with a focus on learning the safe and proper methods of handling boats. Sea Scouts also learn the meaning of buoys and lights, how to take advantage of wind and tide, and how to drop anchor or approach a dock.

Research Studies on the Importance of Scouting

National Institute of Health Scouting Impact on Academic Performance

In a 2020 study published by the National Institute of Health researchers found that non-formal educational activities can enhance the acquisition of key skills in education and their results show that participants in the Scout movement from the age of Cubs (children aged 6-10 years) acquired the skills of adaptation, communication, creativity, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial spirit, leadership problem-solving and decision-making. See the full text of the study here. 

Tufts Camp Study

A research team from Tufts University worked with the BSA's Cradle of Liberty Council to measure the character attributes of both Scouts and non-Scouts - all with a goal of better understanding the character development of youth as it was happening. More than 2,000 Scouts aged 6-12 from across Philadelphia were measured in six key areas: hopefulness (hopeful future expectations), obedience, cheerfulness, helpfulness, kindness, and trustworthiness.

Key findings included:

• Over time, Scouts reported significant increases in several character areas, while non-Scouts did not.
• Scouts are more likely to embrace positive social values non-Scouts.
• The more regular their meeting attendance, the better character attributes.
• More tenure equals better character attributes.
• Better program and more involvement equals better character attributes.

When asked what was "most important" to them, Scouts were significantly more likely than non-Scouts to choose "helping others" or "doing the right thing" versus "being smart", "being the best",or "playing sports".

Tufts Study Summary (PDF)     Tufts Study Infographic (PDF)

For more information: www.tuftscampstudy.com 

Values of Scouts: A Study of Ethics and Character

Research conducted by Harris Interactive, May 2005

The research comprised two interrelated surveys: one of 1,524 adults aged 18 and older across the United States (595 had been members of the Boy Scouts of America during their youth), and the other with 1,714 (fourth through 12th grade) youth attending public, private and parochial schools across the U.S. Of the 1,714 youth, 275 are or have been in a Scouting program. The surveys found that Scouting provides youth with an opportunity to try new things, provide service to others, build self-confidence, and reinforce ethical standards. These opportunities not only help them when they are young, but carry forward into their adult lives, improving their relationships, their work lives, their family, lives, and the values by which they live. In fact, 83 percent of men who were Scouts agree that the values they learned in Scouting continue to be very important to them today, with 63 percent who were Scouts five or more years strongly agreeing with this statement.

Values of Scouts Study (PDF)

Why Scouting? Infographic 

Why Managers Hire Boy Scout Alumni First information flyer

Benefits of Scouting information flyer