2001 Conference

Homeschool Scouting To Do List

This document is intended as a guide to active scouters who are homeschooling their children or for experienced scouters who are interested in recruiting homeschool youth into Scouting. These action items are ordered in a manner most likely to result in success. It is important for anyone undertaking this process to recognize the structure, philosophy and historical perspective of Scouting. The BSA has established a council committee structure recognizing the diversity of America's beliefs, associations, and educational ideology. Homeschool youth are part of the total available scouting population and you seek support for homeschool youth to participate in the Scouting program. Remember that the homeschooled population is an untapped source for potential scouts who will participate in the Scouting program.

• Seek to identify the home school population in your area. Gather facts and figures to quantify the numbers of youth of scouting age in your locality.

  • Contact local homeschool support groups, co-ops and state homeschool associations for numbers of groups, families and youth of scouting age.

  • Review your local Council's annual report and identify the total population of available youth in your area.

• Speak/Write to your District Executive on the advantages/need to access the homeschool community.

  • Be prepared to quantify the size of this untapped source of potential scouts.

  • Be prepared to explain the nature of homeschooling and what forms it may take.

  • Recognize that homeschoolers are involved in traditional scouting units and in all-homeschool scouting units.

• Speak/Write to your District/Council Membership chair about ways to recruit in the homeschooling community.

  • Be prepared to describe and assist in the non-traditional recruiting venues and methods.

  • Recognize that homeschoolers are involved in traditional scouting units and in all-homeschool scouting units.

  • Reference - Membership Committee Guide (BSA publication 33080-B)

• Educate traditional scouts and scouters concerning homeschool needs and expectations.

  • Minimize the potential adverse interactions between traditional and homeschooled scouts

  • Remember that all forms of hazing are prohibited by BSA policy.

• Speak to or make contact with every homeschool group in your area.

  • Promote homeschool scouting program as character development curriculum.

  • Recognize that homeschoolers are involved in traditional scouting units and in all-homeschool scouting units.

  • Ensure that everyone knows the boundaries within the Scouting program in which homeschool scout groups can operate.

  • Offer to help start new unit or plug them into existing units.

• Homeschool scouting families have varying needs from the Scouting program. Be prepared to compare and the contrast the strengths of the existing units in your area. Ask the questions necessary to help the potential scout or scouting families to determine how they would best fit in based on their needs and the membership requirements of individual units.

  • Date, time & location of meeting

  • Level of outdoor vs. indoor activity

  • Religious affiliation or requirement

  • Affiliation with the charter organization (e.g. parochial school, church, fraternal organization, etc.)

• Make contact with and speak with community organizations and public entities to increase the visibility of your unit and your activities.

  • Make your scouts available to perform visible service projects.

  • Get a calendar of public events with opportunities for exposure of BSA.

  • Work to highlight the availability of Scouts for service in the community during traditional "Off Hours."

• Promote the development of a "How To" for homeschoolers and scouting for Executives, Commissioners, Membership and Relationship Committee members:

  • In the District

  • In the Council

  • At POW-WOW

  • At Adult Leader Training

  • At Philmont

• Develop and maintain an ongoing relationship with Scouting officials and with homeschool scouters. Encourage acceptance within the professional and volunteer Scouting community by providing examples of successful units to Local, Regional and National representatives.
• Maintain an estimate of the Total Available Youth Population of homeschoolers in the area. Specifically, keep maintain a registry of units, geographic locations, and populations of homeschool support groups, co-ops, or other applicable groups.
• Coordinate recruiting efforts for youth, adult leaders and charter organizations specifically addressing the home schooling population.
• Serve on the Council/District Membership/ Relationship Committee.
• Inform other homeschooling parents of the opportunities available through the BSA program.
• Be a resource to non-homeschooling scouters who have homeschooled scouts in their unit.
• Be seen at various events in which their units are active and make informal unit visits on a regular basis.
• Identify appropriate homeschool Scouters who can act as a point of contact for other Scouting families with additional questions about the program. These point of contact Scouters will also assist in personal networking and recruiting efforts in the district and/or council.
• Maintain a library of resources available to homeschool scouters. This information should be available on a website and should reference BSA standards.

This job description identifies a number of issues that must be successfully addressed to increase the participation of homeschooled youth in Scouting. By its very design, the BSA places the responsibility for meeting performance goals on the shoulders of the Council Scout Executive and the District Executives that work for them. In turn, the Executive works though the volunteer leadership at the Council and District level to accomplish these goals. The job tasks outlined below should be assigned within the local Council/District as appropriate and consistent with the existing functions and roles within the Council.

• Maintain an estimate of the Total Available Youth Population of homeschoolers in the area. Specifically, keep maintain a registry of units, geographic locations, and populations of homeschool support groups, co-ops, or other applicable groups.
• Coordinate recruiting efforts for youth, adult leaders and charter organizations specifically addressing the home schooling population.
• Inform other homeschooling parents of the opportunities available through the BSA program.
• Be a resource to non-homeschooling scouters who have homeschooled scouts in their unit.
• Identify appropriate homeschool Scouters who can act as a point of contact for other Scouting families with additional questions about the program. These point of contact Scouters will also assist in personal networking and recruiting efforts in the district and/or council.
• Serve on the Council/District Membership/ Relationship Committee.
• Be seen at various events in which their units are active and make informal unit visits on a regular basis.
• Maintain a library of resources available to homeschool scouters. This information should be available on a website and should reference BSA standards.
• Develop and maintain an ongoing relationship with Scouting officials and with homeschool scouters. Encourage acceptance within the professional and volunteer Scouting community by providing examples of successful units to Local, Regional and National representatives.

Sample Letters
These may be used by scouters to help promote scouting for homeschooled youth.