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The '''Boy Scouts of America''' was founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1910 by W. D. Boyce.<ref>[http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/Founders.aspx Founders], scouting.org.</ref> It was copied from the British organization founded two years before. See [[Boy Scouts]]

The '''Boy Scouts of America''' was founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1910 by W. D. Boyce.<ref>[http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/Founders.aspx Founders], scouting.org.</ref> He patterned it after [[Boy Scouts|the British organization]] founded two years earlier by [[Sir Robert Baden-Powell]].

A similar but entirely separate group is the Girl Scouts, founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Lowe.

A similar but entirely separate group is the Girl Scouts, founded in 1912 by [[Juliette Gordon Lowe]].

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. It promotes skills and activities identified with manliness.It combines educational activities with fun activities.<ref>[http://www.scouting.org/About.aspx About the BSA]</ref> The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.<ref name=overview>[http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/OverviewofBSA.aspx Overview of Boy Scouts of America]</ref>. National headquarters is in Irving, Texas.[[File:Scouts1911.jpg|thumb|250px]]

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. It promotes fun, educational skills and activities identified with manliness. <ref>[http://www.scouting.org/About.aspx About the BSA]</ref> The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the [[#The Scout Oath & Law|Scout Oath and Law]].<ref name=overview>[http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/OverviewofBSA.aspx Overview of Boy Scouts of America]</ref>. National headquarters is in Irving, Texas.[[File:Scouts1911.jpg|thumb|250px]]

==History==

==History==

The first boy scout troop in the United States was founded in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in May 1909, as the first international charter of the British boy scouts. The scouting troop was founded by Anglican priest John Forbes Mitchell in Pawhuska while he was on assignment for the [[Church of England]]. The formation of the Boy Scouts of America by Congress took place in December 1909, seven months after the Pawhuska incorporation.  

The first Boy Scout troop in the United States was founded in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in May 1909, by Anglican priest John Forbes Mitchell while on assignment for the [[Church of England]]. It was the first international charter of the British [[Boy Scouts]]. William Dickson Boyce (1859-1929) incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910.<ref>http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/BSA_History.aspx</ref>

Ernest Thompson Seton (1860-1946) organized the Woodcraft League of America and the Woodcraft Indians in addition to writing the first scouting manual. He was the BSA's first Chief Scout (1910-1915); the programs were largely copied from the British models set out by General Robert Baden-Powell, who began the noncompetitive badge system. Even more important was the [[Social Gospel]] influence of "muscular Christianity" promulgated by the [[YMCA]] in the Era of the [[Third Great Awakening]], 1910-30.<ref>Clifford Putney, ''Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920'' (2001) </ref>  

The programs were largely copied from the British models set out by [[Sir Robert Baden-Powell]], who began both the noncompetitive merit badge system to encourage development in diverse skills, and the rank advancement system to encourage core skills. Even more important was the [[Social Gospel]] influence of "muscular Christianity" promulgated by the [[YMCA]] in the Era of the [[Third Great Awakening]], 1910-30.<ref>Clifford Putney, ''Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920'' (2001) </ref>  

Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941) organized the Boy Pioneers, Sons of Daniel Boone (in 1905), two years before the Boy Scout movement was born in England. He later was National Scout Commissioner of the United States for three decades. William Dickson Boyce (1859-1929) incorporated the Boy Scouts of America in 1910, making it a viable unit by bringing the Woodcraft Indians and the Sons of Daniel Boone into the Boy Scouts.  

The new Boy Scouts of America quickly merged with the Woodcraft Indians, founded by Ernest Thompson Seton (1860-1946); and the Sons of Daniel Boone, led by Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941).  Seton became the BSA's first Chief Scout (1910-1915), and Beard the National Scout Commissioner of the United States.

 

Beginning in 1913, the National Office organized troops into local councils, to coordinate activities, administration, and growth.  Growth was rapid. By 1921 there were 400,000 boy scouts and 17,000 scoutmasters.

 

The Boy Scouts of America helped the country significantly during both world wars, by selling war bonds and aiding in conservation projects.

===Masculinity===

===Masculinity===

Scouting is not just for the benefit of the boys. It is also an opportunity for adult men to mentor youth and themselves practivce outdoor skills. The success of the Scouts resulted in part from increased concern over the maintenance of masculinity in a world of cities and office buildings.  [[Theodore Roosevelt]] often sounded the tocsin. Adult men in the 1900-1930 era believed that the opportunities for the development and expression of masculinity were being restricted. Scouting was a means to counteract perceived forces of feminization in the world of adolescents. The Scouting movement provided adult men, denied by their occupations, an opportunity to validate the traditional image of masculinity.  

Scouting is not just for the benefit of the boys. It is also an opportunity for adult men to mentor youth and themselves practice outdoor skills. The success of the Scouts resulted in part from increased concern over the maintenance of masculinity in a world of cities and office buildings.  [[Theodore Roosevelt]] often sounded the tocsin. Adult men in the 1900-1930 era believed that the opportunities for the development and expression of masculinity were being restricted. Scouting was a means to counteract perceived forces of feminization in the world of adolescents. The Scouting movement provided adult men, denied by their occupations, an opportunity to validate the traditional image of masculinity.  

==Programs==

==Programs==