Chartered Organizations...History and Use Internationally

[SemperParatus]

With the issues surrounding charter organizations (e.g., attacks by the ACLU, COs with only name involvement), I was wondering...

 

1. What is the history of the CO concept in the BSA? Has it been a requirement since the founding in 1910? Did it come in later? If so, how and why?

 

2. Is the CO concept a common one in scouting movements in other countries? Are there many countries/movements that charter units individually?

 

3. Is anyone aware of any taskforce or committee at the national level that has ever explored the possible discontinuance of the CO arrangement?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[scoutldr]

Well, it goes back at least to 1926, and is described in the "Handbook for Scoutmasters", Chapter III:

 

The Institution

 

Technically, a permanent institution (a church, a settlement house, a school, a YMCA, or a business men's association) initiates the organization of a troop of Boy Scouts. The duties of the institution are:

1. To provide a meeting place and to supply needed equipment and funds.

2. To select a Troop Committee of three adult male citizens. This committee will be responsible to the institution and to the Boy Scout organization for the work, progress, and permanence of the troop.

The Troop Committee will secure a suitable man as Scoutmaster and will help secure Assistant Scoutmasters, experts, and other assistance for the Troop.

[Trevorum]

Interesting question, Semper

 

I've heard that a lot of the early units were converted from Beard's Sons of Daniel Boone and Setons Woodcraft Indians; I wonder how they were organized...? I wonder if the CO was a BP idea or if it came from elsewhere?

 

I'l bet our resident BSA historian, Miki101, has some good information regarding the early years.

[Eamonn]

I don't know the history of charters in Scouting.

They are not used in the UK. Some churches may sponsor Scout Group, but many are self sponsored.

While I'm not sure a good many countries especially those countries that were part of the British Commonwealth used what was going on in England as the model for there own Scouting Association.

James E. West, was far more of an organizer than Baden Powell. The early days of Scouting in the UK were very disorganized. Even to this day I think we have more professional Scouter's in the small council that I'm in than there is in the UK.

Eamonn.

[Miki101]

Trev,

 

I'll get on this one on Monday. I just can't remember when CO's were introduced but I do know that they were a part of "organized camping" way back in the late 1800's when the YMCA was playing with the idea of using camping as a boys' developmental tool.

 

 

[Miki101]

I reviewed a number of documents from the early years of the BSA (1910 1920) and have concluded that the spirit of the Chartered Organization began to develop as policy between 1916 and 1920, although the phrase Chartered Organization is most likely is a 1920s label.

 

In Boyces concept of his BSA given at by his attorney at the May 1910 to the Congressional Charter hearings, Three or more patrols in one school or community will form a troop under an officer called a scout-master. Therefore, it can be assumed that the first CO concept was a school or community at large. No specific label, just a place to meet and keep their stuff. They would pay no taxes but there would be some organized structure to report to like a Council or, hopefully, a National Office. The Congressmen were convinced that a state-centric incorporation system would work, and that a national office was not needed. Therefore, no national incorporation was granted in 1910. But thats another story. Boyce turned the program over to the YMCA's Edgar Robinson and growth began on local levels.

 

Other later documents do not list the numbers of COs but rather Scoutmasters and Scouts nationally. COs were unimportant because the BSA had to concentrate on growth through membership. This growth was fueled by the large numbers of very prominent men who were involved in it and supporting it from the start, ie: Seton, Beard, Roosevelt, Schiff, Riis, Rockefeller, etc. The organizational structure was clearly Nationals to run in scope with the councils having little to say, but that was to quickly change as the National office sent out Field Workers to educate the Local Councils in policies and procedures.

 

By the 3rd annual meeting in February 1913, the BSAs Executive Board sought to decrease their own role and increase the powers of the Local Councils since it was easier for them to develop the program with local reps doing the work. A series of 16 resolutions were presented on the order of delegating that the Local Councils grow the program within the bounds and rules set by National.

 

It was only after the BSA got their Federal Charter in 1916 that, I believe, that they started seriously working on their basic structure, which is why the term supporting institution popped-up in 1920. The BSA had just had phenomenal success with the war effort and the whole nation knew what they could accomplish. Therefore, some structural things had to change and from there, it was a natural step to come up with the mature CO concept.

 

 

[Yak_Herder]

The BSA expended a fair amount of energy in its early years establishing themselves as "THE" Boy Scouts of America. No one "owned" the concept of Scouting and Troops were springing up spontaneously all over the place.

 

The Scouting movement caught on in Utah with some vigor. Young Men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (The Mormons) already had a youth organization called the "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association" (YMMIA) that provided educational, cultural and athletic program. Scouting was added to it and "MIA Scouting" began about the same time the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated (1910).

 

Obviously the BSA took notice, as they did with others. The Church sent representatives to New York to discuss Scouting and the two merged in May(?) 1913. That action added over 11,000 Scouts to the ranks of the BSA. The Church became the BSA's first nationally chartered partner, a relationship that has endured without a break since.

 

Councils were considered either "First Class Councils" or "Second Class Councils". First Class Councils were able to support professionals. Second Class Councils were run by volunteer Commissioners.

 

It also needs to be understood that Local Councils were not necessarily entities defined by geography back then. The National Council of the BSA chartered the LDS Church as a Local Council.

 

The LDS Council was administered by General Authorities and Officers of the Church. The relationship in this form lasted for at least 12 years. So, we know that Chartered Organizations (at least in some form) preceeded the Congressional Charter.

 

I also know that Local Councils that more closely resemble those we see today existed in Utah. My Grandfather received his Eagle Scout award on February 11th, 1925 while in Spanish Fork's Troop 3 of the Timpanogos Council (Now Utah National Parks Council) which traces its genealogy to 1919.

 

We can have no doubt that after 1916 Chartered Organizations became a permanent part of the BSA. That action seems to be the consession required of the BSA by Congress in return for being granted the "monopoly" on Scouting in the U.S.

 

The trade, the requirement to partner with a community organization, is a defining difference between the BSA and other scouting organizations world-wide. I feel it is the essential difference that has led to the BSA's longterm success.

[dsteele]

This is excellent stuff, guys. There probably won't be a lot of replies because most of us lack the knowledge of this kind of BSA history. I hope I speak for many who are interested in reading it.

 

Please keep the posts coming. You're teaching us things at least I didn't know.

 

Thank you!

 

Unc

[CaveEagle]

I have a troop Charter Certificate from my Great Granfathers Troop (Troop 769 Manhattan, NY) that was originally chartered in Jun 1914. It is a BSA produced certificate, so I am pretty sure that COs were around from at least 1914.

 

CE

[Miki101]

CO's were around pre-1910. The question is, "Does your charter contain the words 'Chartered Organization?'"

[CaveEagle]

Miki, The exact terminology 'Chartered Organization' is not on the certificate. The certificate granted in 1924 states: "This is to certify that THE WASHINGTON HEIGHTS METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH having made proper application through its duly authorized representative for RENEWAL OF THE CHARTER ORIGINALLY GRANTED JUNE 1914"

 

It would seem that the CO was definitly in place by the printing of this certificate (1924). It also seems to recognize this CO having been in place since 1914.

 

CE