Scouting

As with many programs that were eventually instituted widely throughout the Church, Scouting began small, at the ward level. It was first brought to the Salt Lake City Waterloo Ward by Thomas George Wood in 1910¹; three years later, in 1913, Scouting would become the Church’s official activity for young men. For a detailed history of Scouting and the Church, please see Century of Honor: 100 Years of Scouting in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Church discontinued its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America in 2020.

1910 – Scouting introduced to Utah

1911 - Scouting introduced to M.I.A.

1913 – The Church officially joins the Boy Scouts of America as its first charter organization, adopting the program as the activity arm of the M.I.A.

1914 – First Scout Sunday held

1917 – Scouts participate in selling war bonds and stamps for World War I

1921 – Weekly activities changed to focus solely on Scouting

1928 – Vanguard program introduced (15- to 16-year-old young men)

1933 – Vanguard name changed to Explorers

1943 – Senior scouting now includes young men aged 15 to 17²

1945 – Explorer Scout Deseret Recognition award introduced

1954 – Duty to God award introduced

1957 – Vanguard (International) program introduced

1958 – Explorers (in the Church) were divided into two groups: Ensign-Explorers (or Ensigns) and Explorers;

1963 – Mormon Leaders Training Conference initiated

1970 – New Boy Scouts of America Manual introduced

1971 – Name changes: Priests who had been previously called Ensigns were now Explorers. Teachers were now Venturers

1974 – Sustaining Membership Enrollment (SME) introduced to help Boy Scouts of America budgets within wards³

1977 – On My Honor award introduced⁴

1983 – Varsity Scouting officially adopted by the Church (14- to 15-year-old young men)

1983 – Aaronic Priesthood Scouting (AP Scouts) organized in Europe

1998 – Venture Scouting officially adopted by the Church (16- to 18-year-old young men)

2001 – “Aaronic Priesthood: Fulfilling our Duty to God” replaces Duty to God program

2013 – Church celebrates 100 Years of Scouting

2018 – Church discontinues Varsity and Venturing programs⁵

2020 – Church discontinues relationship with the Boy Scouts of America⁶

Manuals

Escultismo: manual administrativo para los lideres del sacerdocio y de la Primaria en estacas, barrios y misiones, asi como para lideres de consejos de Boy Scouts of America, M257.43 S432SPA 1990

Scouting handbook for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spanish. (Manual de escultismo: la relación entre La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días y la organización Boy Scouts of America.)

Scouting: an administrative manual for Priesthood and Primary leaders in stakes, wards, and missions, and council leaders of the Boy Scouts of America, M257.43 S432 1994

Scouting handbook for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Scouting: an administrative manual for Priesthood and Primary leaders in stakes, wards, and branches, M257.43 S432uk 1987

An administrative manual for the relationship between of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Scout Association of the United Kingdom.

Vanguard [manual no. 1]: a program of study, advancement, achievement, spiritual growth, M257.43 S432v 1961-1962

Manual for the Vanguard scouts, boys 12 through 14 years old. The Vanguard Scouts were those within the foreign missions of the Church. Digitized.

Vanguard manual no. 1. Chinese, M257.43 S432vCHI 1966-1967

Manual for the Vanguard scouts, boys 12 through 14 years old. The Vanguard scouts were those within the foreign missions of the Church. Published in Chinese.

Photographs

Cardston 1st Ward Scout Lodge, Alberta Stake, PH 211

Photograph of the Cardston 1^st Ward Scout Lodge, Alberta Stake, Canada.

George Albert Smith portrait and photograph collection / Boy Scouts, PH 490

Photographs of George Albert Smith showing his participation in the Boy Scouts of America. Users must sign in to view.

George Albert Smith with international Scouts, PH 2003

Photograph of George Albert Smith along with another Boy Scout leader and four young men who were participants in the international Scouting programs. Those pictured wear their associated uniforms.

George E. Anderson photograph collection, circa 1890-1927, PH 10485

Various photographs of Boy Scout encampments and activities. Digitized.

George Edward Anderson photograph collection, circa 1880-1929 / Miscellaneous, part 1 / Boy Scouts, PH 726

Photograph of a group Boy Scouts at Camp Stewart, 1923.

Hamilton Ward (Scout’s Lodge), Gunnison Stake, PH 211

Photograph of the Hamilton Ward Scout Lodge, Gunnison Stake, Utah.

Howard W. Hunter portrait collection, undated / Portraits, circa 1920-1980 / President Howard W. Hunter as a boy scout, PH 4615

Photograph of Howard W. Hunter as a Boy Scout.

Missionary Department photograph files, circa 1860-1980 / NUMBERED PHOTOGRAPHS / 1401-1504 / Boy Scouts in 1947 Pioneer Day parade, PH 2003

Photograph of a group of Boy Scouts marching in the 1947 Pioneer Day parade.

Northern States Mission and family photographs, 1914-1986 / Miscellaneous mission pictures, 1940 / Flint Scouts, PH 5184

Photograph of a group of young men identified as Flint Scouts, Northern States Mission.

Scouts of the Cache Stake, 1934 March 18, PH 2409

Photograph of Cache Stake scouts and their leaders at the Cache Stake Tabernacle, Utah.

Waterloo Ward MIA meeting, 1938 March 1, PH 2153

Photograph of John D. Giles speaking to a group of Church members at the Waterloo Ward meetinghouse. Most of the young men in attendance are wearing Boy Scout uniforms.

Other Materials

A Plan for the correlation of scouting with the Aaronic Priesthood program in the Church, M251.4 C561p

The plan detailing the relationship between the Aaronic Priesthood and Scouting programs within the Church.

History of Troop 1, Boy Scouts of America, Salt Lake City, Utah: Waterloo Ward, L.D.S. Church, 1910-1916 / by Richard Strong Best, M257.4 B561h 1984

A written history of the first Boy Scout troop in Utah. Only available onsite.

“A Century of Honor – Celebrating 100 Years of Service to God and Country,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

A broadcast entitled “A Century of Honor – Celebrating 100 Years of Service to God and Country” that was shown to young men and their leaders, as well as other Church members.

Swensen, Jason, “’A Century of Honor’ Chronicles Scouting in the Church,” Church News, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Church News article briefly outlining the history of the Church and the Boy Scouts of America.