Charter Organization

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 rules, regulations and 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.

No. However, many do provide support by including Scouting in their annual budgets and/or supporting unit money-earning projects.

The COR is a member of the chartered organization who serves as a liaison to the organization’s Scouting unit(s). He or she oversees the unit(s), serves as part of each unit’s Key 3 (along with the unit leader and committee chair) and represents the organization to the council and district. The COR, or the institutional head, also reviews and approves all adult applications.

Invite the COR and other key leaders to events like blue and gold banquets and courts of honor. Be visible at organization functions. Do service projects for, or in conjunction with, the organization. Share good news about your unit with the organization (and vice versa). Promptly address any concerns that arise. Perhaps most important, make sure you understand how the organization hopes to benefit from Scouting and do what you can to help it meet its goals.

Yes, provided that he or she can fulfill the duties of each role.

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 appoints an individual to serve as the Chartered Organization Representative, or “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. The COR is responsible for appointing the unit committee Chair for the unit committee.

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 Charter 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 with the Rules and Regulations, policies, and guidelines of the Boy Scouts of America.

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.