Is OSG Right for You?

Why OSG | Starting a Group | Group Organization | Apps & Software | Finances | Recruitment | Volunteers | Youth Protection | Inclusive Scouting

The game of scouting is a rewarding and wonderful pastime. OSG was founded as a way to welcome everyone to that experience, and those that choose to form groups in service of our mission will find that it is hard but rewarding work. If you do not align with our mission or values, another organization may be a better fit for you.

We believe in the natural curiosity and imagination of young people as a guide to the activities that will attract and hold their attention. Our method and practice provide youth with the opportunity to craft and develop their own adventures, trips, and service projects. The appeal of true scouting has always been to that element of the vagabond, pioneer, and explorer, which is part of our nature and is at its most evident in youth. Scouting is an outdoor movement and that is part of its character. To whatever degree conditions may, at times, force us indoors—such as weather, darkness, or town life—we must regard this as a second-best necessity and never as a satisfactory substitute for the experiences we can have outdoors. OSG is not affiliated with either the Boy Scouts of America or the Girls Scouts of the USA. We are members of the World Federation of Independent Scouts (WFIS) and as such are not in competition with other American scouting associations. We are simply siblings in scouting.

The OSG Motto is “Scouting for Everybody!”. OSG believes that all people and all families should have an equal place in the scouting movement. We welcome scouts and their families as they come to us, and we will do our best to make scouting and its activities accessible to every child or adult who wishes to join. We welcome everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion (or no religion), or other differentiating factors. We believe that scouting is for everybody. We welcome those who have scouted a long time and those who have never tried scouting before joining us.

The mission of Outdoor Service Guides is to support scouting and guiding in an environment of mutual respect and cooperation by:

• Creating a positive learning environment, within the context of democratic participation and social justice, to share the practices, values, and traditions of the Scout Law.
• Celebrating diversity in all its forms.
• Promoting Scouting for Everyone: locally, nationally, and globally.

We believe in:

• Outdoors – Nature is central to human health and well-being.
• Inclusion – An active welcome and an active engagement to make OSG a place where people feel they belong.
• Volunteerism – We are a group of passionate and committed individuals who scout for the sake of scouting.
• Self-reliance & Interdependence – Being responsible and capable as part of a larger group.
• Confidence – Knowing that you can learn new things and you are equipped to problem-solve.
• Servant Leadership – Leading by valuing and elevating everybody to be their best selves.
• Service – Applying the knowledge, skills, and capacity for learning fostered in scouting to the greater good of our communities.

It is absolutely vital that everyone in leadership believes fundamentally in inclusive scouting, from the local to the national level. We have an active Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at the National Level which seeks to build upon and improve our policies and practices.

As part of our commitment to inclusive scouting, we have developed policies around accessible scouting to ensure that we are welcoming to neurodiverse and differently abled scouts:

Accessible Scouting Resources and Information

OSG has a comprehensive Youth Protection Policy designed to keep all youth in our program safe from harm. All leaders must be background checked regularly and we require two deep leadership at all times. To put it simply: no leader should ever be alone with children who are not their children.

All groups should do a refresher on the youth protection policy with their leaders once a year. The safety of the kids in our program is non-negotiable.