Scouting for Everybody
Find a Group
If you’ve located a local group, feel free to contact them via their website or Facebook page. Most groups have contact information readily available. Depending on where you live, you may find your city has several OSG groups; others, none. It’s always a great idea to connect with whichever group is closest. Some groups may have a waiting list. If you’re having trouble reaching a group, contact us.
Start a Group
Chartering a group requires one or two adults to act as Group Scoutmasters or GSMs. The GSMs are responsible for managing all of the group’s affairs (particularly at the beginning of a group’s inception), registering the charter, finding volunteers, staying connected to the OSG program, and ensuring that the group is scouting in a similar manner to other groups across the United States.
We recommend that you read through our website, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, to get an idea of what we’re doing, and who we are. OSG welcomes everyone, in every group, and we are committed to that. It’s also a different program than many are used to, though its origin story is familiar. Inclusive, traditional scouting looks similar to scouting you’d see around the world.
We’d love to talk to you about starting a new group in your area. Visit our Start a Group page for more information and to find your Regional Commissioner, or send us an email and we’ll connect you
1st Lone Scouts
If you’d like to start with just your family, or if you live in a sparsely populated area, we offer the OSG’s 1st Lone Scouts Group. Members can register as a Lone Otter, Lone Timberwolf, Lone Pathfinder, or Lone Rover depending on their age for the appropriate section. To register as a Lone Otter, Timberwolf, or Pathfinder, you must also have a parent or legal guardian register as a Rover member and act as your primary Leader. You may always go on to charter a new group at any time. Lone Scouts may not lead children outside their own families.
For more information about the 1st Lone Scouts, contact us.
Criminal History Checks for Adults (aged 18 and over)
Because we are a youth-oriented organization, the safety of children in our program is a primary concern. Our Code of Ethics & Youth Protection Guidelines addresses many of the methods and resources that encompass our policies and goals in this area. This document is available for download on this website and is required reading for any volunteer leader. OSG requires a yearly independent background check on all adults registering as members, whether or not they intend to be working directly with youth.
If an adult does not agree to a criminal history check, or the check is determined to be detrimental, OSG will privately decline membership. OSG will never reveal or make public the contents of the criminal history check to anyone for any reason, as required by state and federal law. OSG reserves the right to terminate membership for any legal reason, pursuant to our organization’s Bylaws.