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The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provides the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be "Prepared. For Life." Scouting has been a part of life in Northern Minnesota since 1914, serving boys and girls in kindergarten through age 20.

For more than 100 years, Scouting programs have instilled in youth the values found in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Today, these values are more important than ever in helping youth grow to their full potential. Scouting helps youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills that influence their adult lives.

The Boy Scouts of America provides youth with programs and activities that allow them to

• Try new things.
• Provide service to others.
• Build self-confidence.
• Reinforce ethical standards.

While various activities and youth groups teach basic skills and promote teamwork, Scouting goes beyond that and encourages youth to achieve a deeper appreciation for service to others in their community.

Scouting provides youth with a sense that they are important as individuals. It is communicated to them that those in the Scouting family care about what happens to them, regardless of whether a game is won or lost.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Scouting promotes activities that lead to personal responsibility and high self-esteem. As a result, when hard decisions have to be made, peer pressure can be resisted and the right choices can be made.

Since 1910, Scouting has helped mold the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes and, through more than a century of experience, understands that helping youth puts us on a path toward a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.

Scouting, with programs for young men and women, helps meet these six essential needs of the young people growing up in our society:

• Mentoring
• Lifelong Learning
• Faith Traditions
• Serving Others
• Healthy Living
• Building Character