Picture of Have questions? Ask Alumni Chair Andrew Miller!

Have questions? Ask Alumni Chair Andrew Miller!

The doorway to Scouting is always open for our alumni! Alumni National Chair Andrew Miller is available to answer your questions—simply contact him via the the form below. We look forward to hearing from you!

Previous Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

The Scouting America Alumni Association (AA) is a program that engages current and former members of Scouting America and their family members, volunteers (past and present), and the millions of Americans who benefit from Scouting in their communities each day.

The Alumni Association allows alumni to continue to stay in touch with Scouting America programs, hear positive stories about Scouting America’s impact on the community, and learn the latest methods provided by the various scouting programs to transform the lives of young men and women through the tenets of leadership, character development, citizenship, and physical fitness.

The Alumni Association is also an outlet for alumni to network and collaborate with one another under the common banner of Scouting, which may include increasing business connections and participating in service to Scouting America or other organizations.

More than 50 million men and women have actively participated in Scouting America programs since 1910. Millions more have been positively impacted—directly or indirectly— through the involvement of their family, friends, or neighbors, or their own exposure to Scouting programs in schools, religious institutions, or community organizations.

In a time when America needs young men and women who embody Scouting’s timeless values more than ever, Scouting America determined that an alumni association would further perpetuate these values, continue to engage those who have benefited from Scouting in America, spread the positive story of Scouting, and continue to assist Scouting alumni in their vocational and avocational pursuits.

The Alumni Association defines Scouting alumni as anyone positively and personally impacted by the Scouting America.

This definition includes former youth members, their family past and present, community leaders, and millions of Americans who benefit from Scouting in their communities every day.

Our definition is intentionally broad because Scouting impacts more than just those who have served in official capacities with Scouting America. The Scouting umbrella includes those who have ever assisted with a troop campout, financially supported a Scout, or hiked with a scouting unit. Any number of scenarios makes one a Scouting alumnus or alumna.

Whether an individual is returning to Scouting after a hiatus or is participating on a more active level for the first time— having yearned to become involved with Scouting America programs and the positive development of youth—we welcome them!

Scouting America sends regular communications to alumni, segmented according to their preferences and the constituency groups to which they belong.

Scouting America has a wide variety of affiliated groups where individuals with common Scouting interests and backgrounds can come together. For instance, Scouting America has an affiliated group specifically for Eagle Scouts, called the National Eagle Scout Association. Similarly, there is a group for Scouters who have attended Wood Badge Training, known as the American Wood Badge Association. These groups are organized at the national and council levels.

The Scouting America Alumni Association is designed to support these affiliated groups by sharing resources (e.g., the Scouting Network) and collaborating on best practices for engaging Scouting America alumni.

Scouting America Alumni reconnects and rekindles the spirit of Scouting. By joining Scouting America Alumni, members are among the first to learn about updates and enhancements to Scouting America’s programs, discover new opportunities to support Scouting America through the commitment of time, expertise, or financial resources, and enjoy the tangible benefits of affiliation.

Members of Scouting America Alumni are not required to be registered with Scouting America. However, to serve Scouting America in a volunteer capacity, one must register, undergo a background check, and meet Scouting America’s membership standards.

Scouting America Alumni Association members are not considered registered members of Scouting America and therefore do not receive the same privileges and access to Scouting events as registered volunteers. Additionally, a council may limit the participation of Scouting America Alumni Association members at its discretion. The following examples illustrate the differences between the possible roles of alumni members and registered volunteers:

A Scouting America Alumni Association member may:

– Attend an alumni networking event
– Assist with a council service project or Eagle project in the community
– Be a guest speaker at a unit meeting
– Serve on an Eagle Scout board of review

A Scouting America Alumni member must also be a registered member of Scouting America to:

– Serve on camp staff
– Go on a campout with a local unit
– Serve as a merit badge counselor
– Work directly with Scouting youth

The Scouting America Alumni Assocation abides by the Scout Law (including being trustworthy and loyal), ensuring that no personal information or membership lists will be shared with third parties.

The Scouting America Alumni Association may periodically notify members of benefits, discounts, and opportunities made available through Scouting America’s corporate partners. However, these partners will never be given your information to contact you directly, independent of Scouting America.

To review the Scouting America terms and conditions of use, use this link: https://www.scouting.org/legal/terms-and-conditions/.

Applicants must be currently registered adult Scouters of Scouting America and must fulfill the requirements of the Scouting America Alumni Association Award. The application can be obtained from the Scouting America awards center. Once the requirements are completed, the application is approved by the scout executive and the Scouting America Alumni Association committee chair. The application information is then forwarded to the national office for accurate record-keeping.

The national Scouting America Alumni Association Committee hopes that the absence of a council Scouting America Alumni Association committee would inspire an applicant for the Scouting America Alumni Association Award to work with the council to create such a committee. In rare cases where this is not possible, the applicant may reach out to the National Scouting America Alumni Association chair for assistance.

These awards are not given in a significant enough quantity for National Supply group to keep in stock.