For over a century, Scouting America has been dedicated to developing character and instilling values-based leadership in young individuals, preparing them for life’s challenges. While traditional scouting skills such as camping, fishing, and hiking remain integral to the program, Scouting America has embraced modern skills, including self-sufficiency, kindness, respect, rocketry, robotics, and coding.

Scouting America’s mission is to create a welcoming and safe environment where scouts can express themselves, share their experiences, and become the best versions of themselves.

RK: We’ve got really a two-week set of events. We’ve been talking to the press, and we have neckerchiefs with ‘Scouting America’ on them. We have a new flag. On Saturday, we’ll be in New York to do some TV and media, and then we’re lighting monuments across the country. We’ll light the Empire State Building red, white, and blue. Following that, we’ll have some groundbreaking events to install the new Scouting America name across the country.

GE: Sounds like you have some busy days ahead of you, but it sounds like fun too. How has Scouting America’s programming evolved over the years to what it is now?

RK: Any program that has been serving youth for over a century needs to evolve to stay current. We started as a high school program, added our elementary school program known as Cubs 95 years ago, and introduced a vocational program called Exploring in the 60s. We’ve also added Sea Scouts and Venturing, which allows scouts to focus on specific interests like rock climbing. We welcomed girls into our Explorer program in the 60s, and in 2018 and 2019, we included girls in our Cub and Scouts BSA programs. Today, we have over 200,000 girls in our various programs.

GE: That’s impressive. What about traditional scouting skills like camping and fishing? Are you still doing those?

RK: Our traditional outdoor programs are still core to what we do. Most of our units go camping every month. But we also need to evolve and stay relevant. Kids today want to be outdoors and digital. We’ve embraced technology by offering programs like rocketry, digital technology merit badges, and soon an artificial intelligence merit badge. Our program material is now more digital than ever.

GE: That’s fascinating. How is Scouting America implementing safety measures to ensure all scouts are safe and protected?

RK: Keeping kids safe is our highest priority. We have 100 years of experience in traditional safety measures, but we recognize today’s world is complex. We’ve developed safeguarding programs and protocols, including a two-deep rule that requires two adults with a child at all times. We conduct screenings, background checks, training, and offer anonymous reporting capabilities. We’ve also incorporated anonymous texting as a safety measure since kids today prefer texting.

RK: Keeping kids safe is our highest priority. We have 100 years of experience in traditional safety measures, but we recognize today’s world is complex. We’ve developed safeguarding programs and protocols, including a two-deep rule that requires two adults with a child at all times. We conduct screenings, background checks, training, and offer anonymous reporting capabilities. We’ve also incorporated anonymous texting as a safety measure since kids today prefer texting.

GE: Where can our listeners go to learn more about your birthday celebrations and all things Scouting America? Roger Krone: Scouting.org is a great resource for learning about our programs. If you want to join or find a local unit, go to beascout.org. Also, just put ‘scouting’ into your browser, and you’ll find plenty of social media posts from our scouts sharing their experiences.