What is Charter Renewal?
Each year, Scouting units (Packs, Troops, Posts, Crews and Ships) are required to renew their charters with the W. D. Boyce Council. A charter is an official agreement between the Council and your local chartered organization to provide a program under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America. The process of renewing a unit’s charter reinforces this agreement year-to-year and provides an opportunity to update registration records and qualify for Journey to Excellence unit status.
Our volunteer Commissioner staff has committed to the goal of 100% charter renewals being submitted by December 1, 2023 — an ambitious goal that can only be met by unit volunteers collaborating with their Unit Commissioners to complete the process promptly.
Background of “Chartering” & Scouting
On June 15, 1916, the United States Congress granted a federal charter to the Boy Scouts of America. This charter can be found in the United States Code, Title 36 (Patriotic Societies and Observances), Chapter 2 (Boy Scouts of America):
“The purpose of the corporation shall be to promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in Scoutcraft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods which were in common use by Boy Scouts on June 15, 1916.”
The Boy Scouts of America renews its federal charter each year through a formal reporting to Congress. They (the BSA,) in turn, have granted charters to sponsoring (chartered) organizations. And like the BSA and the U.S. Congress, these chartered organizations must report to Scouting once each year to renew their local charters. Chartered organizations are issued a charter, effective for one year, to operate a Cub Scout Pack, Scouts BSA Troop, Venturing Crew, Explorer Post or Sea Scout Ship.
