There are a lot of titles, terms, and phrases in Scouts. This list was submitted by our unit members. Heard a term or read a title and not sure what it means? Feel free to tell us and we’ll add it to the list!
| Term | Definition |
| Apple Harvest | A district wide event put on in the fall that includes activities for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. There is an overnight campout for Boy Scouts and Webelos (if invited by a Boy Scout Troop). |
| Arrow of Light (AOL) | This is the ceremony for 5th grade Webelos that have completed all their Webelo requirements to earn rank and are ‘crossing over’ into Boy Scouts. This ceremony is usually held in the spring of the year. |
| Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) | Leader training necessary in order for the pack to conduct overnight camping trips. There MUST be a BALOO trained leader present at every overnight camping trip. |
| Blue & Gold (Banquet) | This is a Cub Scouting wide celebration that occurs in February marking the birthday of Cub Scouting. Every pack celebrates differently. Our pack usually has a banquet for the Scouts and their families. |
| BSA | Boy Scouts of America |
| Charter Organization | Every unit is sponsored by another organization, usually a church, civic organization or school. Our charter organization is the Louisa Ruritans. |
| Charter Organization Representative | The liaison within the charter organization with whom we regularly deal. |
| Committee | A group of adult volunteers within the unit that are responsible for handling the administrative side of running the unit. They are also responsible for determining what kind of events the pack offers. A committee usually consists of a chair person, treasurer, secretary, activities chair person, membership chair person, training chair person, and other chair positions as appropriate for the unit. |
| Cub Master | An adult volunteer leader who works directly with the Scouts at the pack level (as opposed to den leaders who work with Scouts at the den level). |
| Den | A small group of Cub Scouts all of the same rank. Usually 6-8 boys. |
| Den Chief | A Boy Scout who assists with a Cub Scout den. |
| Den Leader | An adult volunteer leader that works directly with a specific den of boys. |
| Friends of Scouting (FOS) | A fundraising organization specifically for Scouting. |
| Guide to Safe Scouting | BSA’s guidelines around providing a safe Scouting experience for the boys. |
| Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) | This is the Scouts BSA version of the BALOO training course. |
| Jamboree | A national gathering of Boy Scouts. |
| Journey to Excellence (JTE) | “Scouting’s Journey to Excellence” is the BSA’s council performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of our units, districts, and councils. It is meant to encourage excellence in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA. |
| Klondike Derby | A winter time event for Boy Scouts and Webelos where Scouts test their skills at various derby events. They vary by district but have been taking place since 1949. |
| Leaders | The adult volunteers that work directly with the Scouts. This includes den leaders, assistant den leaders, the cub master, and the assistant cub masters. |
| Order of the Arrow (OA) | Scouting’s National Honor Society |
| Pack | A group of Cub Scouts consisting of several dens |
| Rank | This is the stage of Cub Scouting the boys have achieved or are working on. The ranks usually correspond to their grade in school (although ALL boys must earn their Bob Cat rank FIRST no matter when they start Cub Scouting). |
| Re-charter | The process of renewing our pack’s charter with Boy Scouts of America. |
| Roundtable | The monthly meeting held by our district in Charlottesville. See event calendar for dates. |
| Ruritans | The Louisa Ruritan Club, our charter organization. |
| Saddlebags | Stonewall Jackson Area Council monthly email newsletter. |
| Scouting for Food | An annual service project for BSA where Scouts leave collection bags at the front door of homes in their neighborhoods on a designated date (which varies from year to year but is usually in the fall), and then return to collect the bags a week later, hopefully full of non-perishable foods, which then get donated to a local food bank. |
| Scouting U | An all day training event hosted by the council geared toward adult leaders and volunteers. |
| Scouts BSA | Scouts BSA is the title used for once was formerly “Boy Scouts”. It describes the Troop-level of Scouting. See Troop below. |
| VA HC BSA (VAHCBSA) | Virginia Headwaters Council |
| Troop | A group of scouts not eligible for Cub Scouts due to age or school grade, but have not reached the age of 18. |
| Unit | Generic term that refers to either a Cub Scout Pack or a Boy Scout Troop. |
| Venturers | A scouting program for young men and women between 14 & 21 years of age. |
| Webelos | 4th and 5th grade Cub Scouts (short for “We’ll be loyal scouts”). 5th grade Webelos are sometimes referred to as Arrow of Light (AOL) because they are working on their Arrow of Light. |
| Woodbadge | A leadership training course for adult members. |
| Youth Protection Training (YPT) | Every adult leader must take this course. Parents are encouraged to take it as well. |
#Definition #Phrases #Terms #Titles
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