Outdoor Service Guides

Last updated

Outdoor Service Guides
OSG Logo.svg
Headquarters Washington, DC
CountryUnited States
Founded2006 (2006) [1]
Membership1,500
Chief Commissioner Shane Heroux
Affiliation World Federation of Independent Scouts [2]
Website
outdoorserviceguides.org
WikiProject Scouting uniform template female background.svg
WikiProject Scouting uniform template female blouse long sleeves.svg
WikiProject Scouting uniform template female campaign hat.svg
WikiProject Scouting uniform template female shorts.svg
Pathfinder (11-17)
Neckerchief color and pattern is unique to
each individual group in OSG.
WikiProject Scouting fleur-de-lis dark.svg  Scouting portal

Outdoor Service Guides (OSG) (formerly known as the Baden-Powell Service Association (BPSA)) is an inclusive, co-ed scouting organization in the United States. OSG accepts scouts without regard to gender, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, economic circumstances, religion (or no religion), or other differentiating factors. [3] OSG seeks to welcome communities who have been traditionally underserved by Scouting, including LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and females.

Contents

History

Outdoor Service Guides formed under its original name with an adult-only component, Rovers, in 2006. Youth sections were introduced in 2008 by David Atchley, an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, who had been asked to leave his local Greater St. Louis Area Council after attempting to create a non-discrimination policy for his Cub Scout pack. Atchley became commissioner of BPSA the following year. [1] [4]

By 2011, the association had a handful of units. BPSA reincorporated in 2012 and added 35 more groups between 2011 and July 2013. [5] In January 2013, a chapter was founded in Brooklyn, New York with 45 members, while a group in Portland, Oregon with 80 members and 30 registered leaders was founded that same month. [6] [7] In 2014, after a Seattle, Washington United Methodist Church’s Boy Scout troop charter was revoked for having a gay leader, the troop moved to join BPSA. [8]

As of February 2020, BPSA had 70 operating groups and a membership of approximately 2,500 scouts. [9] This was an increase from 1,600 in April 2016.[ citation needed ]

On June 28, 2020, BPSA held a large meeting of invested members and leaders, and concluded that the organization needed a change of name to distance itself from the imperialism and cultural superiority perceived in Baden-Powell's legacy. [10] A new name (Outdoor Service Guides or OSG) was chosen and announced officially announced on May 29, 2021. [11]

Program

Outdoor Service Guides is part of the world-wide Traditional Scouting movement designed to return Scouting to the basic principles laid out by Baden-Powell in 1907. [3] OSG Otters and Timberwolves use a two finger salute same as Cub Scouts. [6]

An OSG scout group is composed of up to five sections as follows: [1]

Each section is led by a section leader and assistant section leaders (who are also Rover scouts themselves), and the group is led by a Group Scoutmaster (also a Rover) and supported by an Auxiliary Committee, which assists the group in matters of finance, registrations, acquiring equipment, finding community-service opportunities, publicity, and so on.

OSG's highest award for Pathfinders is the Polaris Scout Award. [12] The highest award for Rovers is the Baden-Powell Award. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting</span> Worldwide youth movement

Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth social movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking, and sports. Another widely recognized movement characteristic is the Scout uniform, by intent hiding all differences of social standing in a country and encouraging equality, with neckerchief and campaign hat or comparable headwear. Distinctive uniform insignia include the fleur-de-lis and the trefoil, as well as merit badges and other patches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout (Scouting)</span> Member of the Scouting movement

A Scout is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section. Scouts are organized into troops averaging 20–30 Scouts under the guidance of one or more Scout Leaders or Scoutmasters. Troops subdivide into patrols of about 6–8 Scouts and engage in outdoor and special interest activities. Troops may affiliate with local, national, and international organizations. Some national Scouting associations have special interest programs such as Air Scouts, Sea Scouts, outdoor high adventure, Scouting bands, and rider Scouts. In the USA there was around 6 million scouts in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting in Missouri</span>

Scouting in Missouri has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baden-Powell Scouts' Association</span> Voluntary Scouting association for young people

The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association (B-PSA) is a worldwide youth organisation originating in the United Kingdom, with friendly relationships with similar traditional scouting organisations in various countries. Baden-Powell Scouting focuses on the importance of tradition in the scout movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cub Scout</span> Scouting program for young people

Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programmes associated with Scouting for young children usually between 8 and 12, depending on the organisation to which they belong. A participant in the programme is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a "Pack".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout sign and salute</span> Salute of the World Scouting Movement

The three-finger salute is used by members of Scout and Guide organizations around the world when greeting other Scouts and in respect of a national flag at ceremonies. In most situations, the salute is made with the right hand, palm face out, the thumb holding down the little finger. There are some variations of the salute between national Scouting organizations and also within some programme sections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouts South Africa</span> National Scout association in South Africa

Scouts South Africa is the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) recognised Scout association in South Africa. Scouting began in the United Kingdom in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell and rapidly spread to South Africa, with the first Scout troops appearing in 1908. South Africa has contributed many traditions and symbols to World Scouting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rover Scout</span> Scouting organization

Rover Scouts, Rovers, Rover Scouting or Rovering is a program associated with some Scouting organizations for adult men and women. A group of Rovers is called a 'Rover Crew'.

Scouting and Guiding in mainland China was reported as banned with the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) by the Communist Party since 1949. Instead, the Young Pioneers of China and the Communist Youth League, led by the Communist Party, have become the dominant youth organization in mainland China for younger and older youth, respectively. However, China now has multiple and originally separate Scouting activities within its borders. In 2004, the Scout Club of Hainan (海南童子军俱乐部), borrowing heavily from Scouting in terms of emblems, uniforms and activities, was founded in Hainan Province; it is, however, not affiliated with worldwide Scouting. An attempt to organize a nationwide Scouting organization in Wuhan was ended by the government in 2004. The Scout Association of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国童军总会), founded in 2008 serves Venture Scouts in both genders as well as Rover Scouts. The Rover Explorer Service Association operate groups in China.

Traditional Scouting is "old-fashioned" or "back to basics" Scouting in some form, often with an emphasis on woodcraft and scoutcraft activities. As a pluralist movement, there is no one set definition for the term, but most traditionalists share a common set of values and procedures. Traditionalists aim to return the Scout Movement to something approximating its original style and activities; rejecting the trend of modernizing the program in an attempt to widen its appeal and/or use the name "Scouts" for new programs for ever-younger children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout method</span> Informal educational system used by Scouts

The Scout method is the informal educational system used in the Scouting Movement. The aim of Scouting is character training with the goal of helping participants become independent and helpful, and thereby become "healthy, happy, helpful citizens".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout leader</span> Trained adult leader of a Scout unit

A Scout leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit.

Scouting started in Victoria, Australia, as early as 1907 and local Boy Scout patrols and troops formed independently. Several separate central organisations began operating including Boys' Brigade Scouts, Church Lads' Brigade Scouts, Chums Scouts, Imperial Boy Scouts, Girl Peace Scouts, Imperial Boy Scouts Victoria Section, Imperial Boy Scouts Victorian Section, Gippsland Boy Scouts Association, Australian Boy Scouts, Australian Imperial Boy Scouts, The Boy Scouts Association, Life-Saving Scouts of the Salvation Army and Methodist Boy Scouts.

Beavers is a programme associated with some Scouting organisations generally for children aged 5/6 to 7/8 who are too young for the Cub programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pathfinder Scouts Association</span>

The Pathfinder & Rover Explorer Scouts' Association (P-RESA) is an independent Traditional Scouting Association in the United Kingdom, with International branches. The Association's training programme runs along the lines of Baden-Powell's original Scouting for Boys, upholding the traditions and practices set out by B-P, using the 1938 Boy Scouts' Association Policy Organisation & Rules (POR) as its basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrie Dring</span> British scouting leader

Lawrence 'Lawrie' Dring was a British Scouter who was one of the founding members of the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association (BPSA) and of the World Federation of Independent Scouts (WFIS). He was President of the BPSA at the time of his death.

The Scout and Guide movement in Jamaica is served by

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baden-Powell Award</span> Highest award achievable to Rover (adult) Scouts

The Baden-Powell Award, also known as the B-P Award or Baden-Powell Scout Award (BPSA), is the highest award achievable to Rover (adult) Scouts.

As with Scouts in The Scout Association, the Scout section of the BPSA is the direct descendant of the original Scout Patrols which formed in the United Kingdom in 1908. The section is open to both boys and girls between the ages of 10–15 years, and are now formed into local Scout Troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BP Service Association in Canada</span> Scouting organization in Canada

The BPSA in Canada was established in Victoria, British Columbia in 1996 as The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association of Canada (B-PSAC), rejecting the perceived modernization of the Scout method by Scouts Canada and sharing its aims with the other branches of the B-PSA. It is affiliated with the World Federation of Independent Scouts. The association was incorporated in British Columbia in 2000.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Schremp Hahn, Valerie (December 6, 2012). "Baden-Powell Service Association brings inclusiveness to scouting". Monterey Herald. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Members". WFIS Americas. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "About". bpsa-us.org. The Baden-Powell Service Association. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  4. ↑ Thakkar, Neal (August 14, 2012). "Take Five: David Atchley creates 'non-discriminatory' alternative to Boy Scouts". STL Beacon. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  5. ↑ Connor, Tracy (July 28, 2013). "Wiccans, earth-lovers, do-gooders: There's a 'scouting' group for your kid". NBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Wollan, Malia (June 3, 2013). "Earning Merit Badges and Learning Knots Under New Flags". The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  7. ↑ McDonough, Katie (January 11, 2013). "Brooklyn dad welcomes girls, gay members to new scouts troop". Salon.com. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Boy Scouts' change of course is good news for local chapter". The Seattle Times. May 24, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ Santoro, Helen (February 21, 2020). "Meet the group redefining what it means to be a scout". www.hcn.org. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  10. ↑ Wiley, Amber (July 2, 2020). "New Name and Big Journey for BPSA". Baden-Powell Service Association. Retrieved October 20, 2020– via facebook.com.
  11. ↑ Wiley, Amber (July 2, 2020). "Outdoor Service Guides". Outdoor Service Guides. Retrieved November 26, 2021– via facebook.com.
  12. ↑ "Pathfinder". BPSA-US. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Rover". BPSA-US. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
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