Youth organizations in the United States are of many different types. The largest is the government run
4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...
program, followed by the federally chartered but private
Scouting movement
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
groups: the
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
(BSA) and the
Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as simply Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, it was organized a ...
(GSUSA). Another somewhat smaller but co-ed Scouting derived group is
Camp Fire
A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Campfires ...
. Other youth groups are religious youth ministries such as the evangelical Christian
Awana
Awana is an international evangelical Christian nonprofit organization in child and youth discipleship. The headquarters is in Streamwood, Illinois, United States.
History
In 1941, the children's program at the North Side Gospel Center in Chicago ...
,
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...
Pathfinders, and
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...
Royal Rangers
Assemblies of God youth organizations include two youth organizations operating under the auspices of the Assemblies of God, the Royal Rangers and the Mpact Girls Clubs (formerly known as the Missionettes).
Royal Rangers
Royal Rangers is an adve ...
.
Smaller Scout-like groups include the Christian
Trail Life USA
Trail Life USA (TLUSA or commonly Trail Life) is a faith-based non-aligned Scouting organization providing youth mentorship and character development to more than 40,000 boys in the United States. The organization was founded in 2013 in respons ...
for boys,
American Heritage Girls
The American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christian-based Scouting-like organization for Americans. The organization has more than 52,000 members (2020) with troops or individuals ("trailblazers") in all 50 states of the United States and for Amer ...
for girls, the non-denominational co-ed
Navigators USA and
Baden-Powell Service Association
The Outdoor Service Guides (OSG) (formerly known as the Baden-Powell Service Association (BPSA)) is an inclusive, co-ed scouting organization in the United States. It accepts scouts without regard to gender, gender identity, race, sexual orienta ...
, and pagan but non-discriminatory
SpiralScouts International
SpiralScouts International is a United States-based youth organization based on Wiccan symbolism and values.
History
The program was created in 1999 as a loosely organized children's program at the Aquarian Tabernacle Church
The Aquarian Tabern ...
.
There are also two types of Masonic Youth groups called International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (IORG or just referred to as Rainbow), and Job's Daughters International (JDI). Both of these organizations have a background in the Christian Bible but you do not necessarily need to believe in God, just a supreme being. There are many different charities and service projects that are done throughout the year for those in need.
Rainbow https://www.gorainbow.org/index.php
Job's Daughters https://jobsdaughtersinternational.org/
Catholic organizations
Columbian Squires
Columbian Squires is a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
boys'
Scout-like Non-aligned Scouting organizations is a term used by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and their member national organizations to refer to Scouting organizations that are n ...
organization run by the
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...
. The Squires considers itself to be an athletic team, social club, youth and civic improvement group, management training, civil rights group and spiritual development program.
Squires history
The Columbian Squires were begun in 1925.
[ In December 2012, the Knights of Columbus was sued over supposed sexual abuse that had occurred in Brownsville, Texas by adult Columbian Squires leaders in the 1970s and 1980s.][Stannard, Ed. (December 15, 2010)]
2 suits against Knights of Columbus claim sex abuse by Columbian Squires youth group leader
The Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the Diocese of Bismarck in August 2015 recommended the Squires as a replacement, along with two other organizations, for the BSA, as he directed parishes to disassociate from the BSA due to their recent approval of gay adult leaders.
The Knights of Columbus in January 2016 moved to have the parish youth program dictate whether a Boy Scout troop or a Squire Circle fits and have the parish sponsor the troop. No new circle were to be formed and inactive circle be dissolved.
Squires program
Local groups are called Circles. The program's five advancement levels are:
* Page
* Shield Bearer
* Swordsman
* Lancer
* Squire of the Body of Christ
Federation of North-American Explorers
The Federation of North-American Explorers (FNE) is a Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Scouting association in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. The association is a member of the International Union of Guides and Scouts of Europe
The International Union of the Guides and Scouts of Europe - Federation of Scouts of Europe (Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d’Europe, UIGSE; also known as ''Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe – Fédération du Scou ...
.[
]
FNE history
Federation of North-American Explorers was founded in 1999 by current commissioner Paul Ritchi, who was a Scouts Canada volunteer but felt a lack of "the spiritual component to make it personally fulfilling." While doing research, he found information on the Federation of Scouts of Europe, an international organization of national Catholic Scouting associations. The first FNE group, the "Timber Wolves", was then started with Richi, another leader, and 10 boys, ages 8 to 12.
The Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the Diocese of Bismarck in August 2015 recommended FNE as a replacement, along with two other organizations, for the BSA, as he directed parishes to disassociate from the BSA due to their recent move to allow gay adult leaders.
FNE program
In addition to the usual camping trips, explorers go on pilgrimages, receive the sacraments and get hands-on religious education.[
The age level groups are:][
*Otters, six- and seven-year-olds
*Timber Wolves, eight to 12
*Explorers, ages 12 to 15
*Wayfarers, Explorer "graduates" and senior leaders of other Explorer sections
]
Kepha
Kepha is a Catholic boys' Scouting alternative organization in which the father also participates. The organization's name means "rock" in Greek.[
]
Kepha program
The Kepha program had monthly retreats and shared daily prayers for brotherhood. Member have 2 AM two-hour Eucharistic adoration called "Yawns For Jesus". They go camping but required cold showers for discipline. The service work they do includes visiting nursing homes and hospitals.[
]
Troops of Saint George
The Troops of Saint George, briefly the Scouts of Saint George, is a Catholic boys' Scouting organization[ focusing on father-son camping and catechetics through outdoor experiences. The organization's "hard launch" took place on January 1, 2014.
]
TSG history
The formation of the Scouts of St. George was announced by Taylor Marshall in May 2013 in response to the BSA's changing its membership policies for same-sex attracted youth. The program was planned to be free, open-source, grassroots and a traditional Boy Scout program with no 501(c)3 non-profit status (so as to keep government interference to a minimum).[ By October, the Scouts of St. George was forced, due to the BSA's ownership of the "Scouts" trademark, to change its name to "Troops of St. George". The organization filed for 501(c)3 status around the same time.
]
TSG program
The program is under development with an expected parallel program to the BSA.[
Their "]Trinitarian
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Fa ...
Salute" is "three fingers of the right hand (index, middle, ring) out, and with the pinky and thumb joined signifying that the divine nature of Christ is joined to His human nature: fully God and fully man as taught at the Catholic Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bith ...
".
Protestant groups
Awana
Awana is a coed, nondenominational, Christian, Scout-like organization. AWANA is an acronym for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" from 2 Timothy 2:15.
Awana history
Awana was founded in 1950 in Illinois. Originally, the organization would not affiliate a club with a church that belonged to the National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, usually identified as the National Council of Churches (NCC), is the largest ecumenical body in the United States. NCC is an ecumenical partnership of 38 Christian faith groups in the Uni ...
, World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most juri ...
, Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement church or charismatic church. In 1995, AWANA lifted the restrictions.[
]
Awana program
The program's age groups are:
* Puggles
* Cubbies (3–4 years old)
* Sparks (K-2nd grade)
* Truth & Training (3rd-5th grade)
* Trek (6th-8th grade)
* Journey 24-7 (9th-12th grade)
The AWANA holds various types of model racing events:
* AWANA Grand Prix is a wood car race, similar to a pinewood derby.
* AWANA Regatta or Sail On Night are boat races
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
.
* Airplane Toss is held at Flying Higher Night, in which model airplanes are built with the participant's choice of material. Instead of a speed race there are awards for distance, aerobatics, and design.
Caravan
Caravan is a Christian Scout-like organization run by the Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa within Johnson County, Kansas. With its members co ...
. With a first through sixth grade co-ed membership, the organization has 600 US clubs, which focus on church doctrine. There are also about 150 Boy Scouts of America troops affiliated with Nazarene churches.
Caravan history
One of Caravan's forerunners was started in the 1930s by LeRoy Haynes as Boy's Works. As it spread from church to church. the program was picked up in 1934 by Nazarene's Southern California district as its boys' program under Haynes direction. The next year, Girl's Works was started up under Jeanne Haynes. The Works programs spread past outside the district and were even promoted through a display at the 1936 General Assembly.[(August 30, 2010)]
Local Caravan Girls earn top honors in Christian Scouting
. Lake County News. Accessed on January 13, 2014.
Rev. W. W. Clay, also in the 1930s, developed two Christian principles programs for kids: Bluebirds for young children and Pioneers for older children. With Rev. Milton Bunker, an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...
,[(May 28, 2008 )]
Milton Bunker, Caravan's first general director, passes away at 91
Nazarene Communication Network. Accessed on January 13, 2014. Clay promoted these club programs and continued to develop them.[About]
Caravan. Nazarene.org. Accessed on January 13, 2014.
With inadequate materials and competing programs, the 1940 General Assembly formed a Commission on Boys' and Girls' Work that met from November 17–18 in Santa Cruz, California. The commission was composed of six western districts' representatives, three members of the commission on Boys' and Girls' Work, and two members of the Department of Church Schools. This Commission decided to replace the existing club programs with its own program. The Board of General Superintendents approved this commission's program, while a committee developed and wrote the books.[
Caravan was started in 1946][ with the release of the first Caravan book, ''Trailmarker'', for boys ages 12 and up. Books that followed were ''Pathmarker'' (girls ages 12+), ''Signals'' (boys ages 9 to 11), and ''Signs'' (girls ages 9 to 11). That fall, the first official Nazarene Caravan club in the United States was started by Millington Church of the Nazarene in Michigan,][ under Rev. Bunker. In 1948, Bunker was appointed the first general director of Caravan.][ Carol Wordsworth of Youngstown, Ohio in October 1949 at a district Caravan Round-up was the first person to be granted the Phineas F. Brezee award.][ In 2005, the program was revised with the addition of the Core Values badges and modified or added skill badges.][
]
Caravan program
Caravan's grade level groups are:[
* Searchers (1-2)
* Explorers (3-4)
* Adventurers (5-6)
Adults leaders of a group are called guides. Earning badges is an optional part of this program.][
The Milton Bunker Award is granted to Searchers who complete the necessary two-year requirements.][ The Phineas F. Brezee award, named after the Church of the Nazarene's founding pastor, is the highest award in Caravan. A member earns the award upon completion of eight core values studies, 16 Articles of Faith, 32 skill badges, four ministry projects and four missionary books. Additional awards, the Esther Carson Winans and Haldor Lillenas awards, are achievable using the requirements from the Brezee award.][
]
Christian Service Brigade
Christian Service Brigade is an Evangelical Christian boys' Scout-like organization run by the CSB Ministries. The organization has chartered 300 units with members in the first through 12th grades, and works to build boys' character with an emphasis on the Bible.[ CSB is a partner of the GEMS Girls Clubs.][
]
CSB history
Christian Service Brigade was established in 1937 by Joe Coughlin in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Glen Ellyn is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. A suburb located due west of downtown Chicago, the village has a population of 28,846 as of the 2020 Census.
History
Glen Ellyn, like the neighboring town to the east, Lomba ...
with a Methodist Sunday School sixth-grade boys' class in conjunction with Wheaton College's Christian Service Council.[ In 1939, an affiliated girls group was founded, Girls' Guild. Both groups received backing from Herbert J. Taylor's Christian Workers' Foundation starting in 1943.][ The Guild became Pioneer Girls in 1940 and remained a division of CSB until 1944.
]
CSB program
The Brigade is split into four age levels:
* Tadpoles (ages 4–5)
* Tree Climbers (ages 6–7)
* Stockade (ages 8–11)
* Battalion (ages 12–18)
The organization uses uniforms similar to the BSA. CSB runs a few shape and race events: the Shape N Race Derby wood car race for the Stockade level, and the Shape N Sail Derby boat race and Shape N Sled Derby, model sleds raced in a rain gutter packed with snow with a depression as a trail.[ The equivalent rank to the Boy Scouts' Eagle Scout is the rank of "Herald of Christ".]
The CSB runs 11 camps:
* Stony Glen Camp, Madison, Ohio
* Wilderness Ridge Brigade Camp, Bastrop, Texas
* Camp Teepee Pole, Sundra, Alberta, Canada
* Sequoia Brigade Camp, Concord, Cuualifornia
* New England Frontier Camp, Lovell, Maine
* Camp Kaskitowa, Michigan
* Camp Nathanael, Minnesota
* Northern Frontier Camp, New York
* Hickory Hill Brigade Camp, New York
* Haycock Camping Ministries, Pennsylvania
* Hemlock Wilderness Brigade Camp, Wardensville, West Virginia[
]
Dynamic Youth Ministries
Dynamic Youth Ministries is an organization that runs three youth groups: Calvinist Cadet Corps
The Calvinist Cadet Corps (CCC) is a non-denominational, non-profit Reformed Christian organization that equips men to mentor boys. The ministry establishes clubs primarily in churches. Clubs meet weekly or biweekly and participate in Bible stud ...
, GEMS Girls' Clubs GEMS Girls' Clubs is a non-denominational, non-profit, Christian organization that seeks to equip women and girls to live radically faithful lives for Christ. Clubs are established in churches and other Christian organizations and allow women to me ...
and ThereforeGo Ministries
ThereforeGo Ministries (formerly known as Youth Unlimited, the American Federation of Reformed Young Men's Societies, the Young Calvinist League, and then the Young Calvinist Federation) is a Christian youth ministry for short-term mission trips i ...
.
Calvinist Cadet Corps
Calvinist Cadet Corps is an independent non-denominational Christian boys' Scouting organization usually affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.[ Currently, the Corps has about 440 US clubs with weekly meetings including a Bible lesson. Members range from first grade to high school.][ Merit badges are tied into Scripture.][
]
=CCC history
=
The Calvinist Cadet Corps was officially founded in 1952 in Reformed churches,[ as the Dutch of the Reformed Christian Churches supported Dutch parallel programs, compared to the Dutch of the Reformed Churches who generally joined the general organization. The Calvinettes and Young Calvinist Federation duplicated the GSUSA and ]Christian Endeavour
The Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor was founded in Portland, Maine, in 1881 by Francis Edward Clark, as an interdenominational Christian youth society encouraging them to "work together to know God in Jesus Christ". Operating intern ...
respectively.[Robert P. Swierenga. Page 41]
Dutch Chicago: A History of the Hollanders in the Windy City
William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2002. Accessed on January 13, 2014.
=CCC program
=
The Corps is split into five ministries, or levels:[
* Kingdom Kids (ages 4–5, and the only coed level)
* Junior Cadets (grades 1–3)
* Recruit-Pathfinder-Builder (grades 4–6)
* Guide Trails (grades 7–9)
* Voyageurs (grades 9-11)
The organization uses uniforms similar to the BSA.][
Calvinist Cadet Corps holds Model Car Derbies.
]
GEMS Girls' Clubs
GEMS Girls' Clubs, formerly Calvinettes, is an independent non-denominational Christian girls' Scout-like organization. GEMS is an acronym for "Girls Everywhere Meeting The Savior".[Calvinettes/GEMS Celebrate 50 Years]
. City of Fulton, Illinois
Fulton is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,481 at the 2010 census, down from 3,881 in 2000. Fulton is located across the Mississippi River from Clinton, Iowa.
History
A post office called Fulton has been i ...
. Accessed on January 14, 2014.
=GEMS history
=
The Calvinettes were founded in 1958. The Calvinist Cadet Corps
The Calvinist Cadet Corps (CCC) is a non-denominational, non-profit Reformed Christian organization that equips men to mentor boys. The ministry establishes clubs primarily in churches. Clubs meet weekly or biweekly and participate in Bible stud ...
and Young Calvinist Federation duplicated the Boy Scouts and Christian Endeavour
The Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor was founded in Portland, Maine, in 1881 by Francis Edward Clark, as an interdenominational Christian youth society encouraging them to "work together to know God in Jesus Christ". Operating intern ...
respectively.[
]
Frontier Girls
Frontier Girls is an independent Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
style program for girls, open to girls and volunteers of all faiths.[Connor, Tracy. (July 28, 2013)]
Wiccans, earth-lovers, do-gooders: There's a 'scouting' group for your kid
NBC News. Accessed on January 17, 2013
Archived at AHGonline.org
.
Frontier Girls history
Frontier Girls was founded in 2007 by Kerry Cordy as she felt that GSUSA had moved away from skills and badges. After complaints that FG was for heterosexual girls only, Cordy developed the Quest Clubs program for sexuality-inclusive groups to start their own Scout-like program.[
]
Frontier Girls program
Belief in God (any higher power) and living by the Frontier promise are membership requirements.[ Frontier Girls wear red, white and blue uniforms.][ The red vest is available through the program, but the white shirts and blue slacks and skirts are not.]
Girls can work on over a thousand badges[ in nine Areas of Discovery: Art, Home, Technology, Character, the World, Health & Fitness, Outdoors, Agriculture and Knowledge. Frontier Girls has a set of Character badges with the requirement of earning one such badge a year. There are four badges (Emergency Preparedness, Etiquette, and either the Patriotism or Our Flag Badge) that all troops must earn once every three years; thus a girl would earn these badges at each level.][
The girls can earn the same award, some with variant names, at the different age levels:
* Servant's Heart Award, community service hours
* Life Skills Achievement Award, show proficiency at several life skills
* Make a Difference Award, community service project leadership
* Reaching for the Stars Award, available at the Butterfly and Eagle levels, majoring in an Area of Discovery
* Gem Awards, the highest award at each level]
A troop may consist of all age levels as the meeting time is split between age level activities and joint activities.[
Quest Club is a coed affiliate of Frontier Girls.
]
Pathfinders
Pathfinders is a Christian Scout-like organization run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
for boys (40%) and girls (60%) in grades 5-10. Currently, there are 2,000 clubs in North America, with membership open to non-Seventh-day Adventists.[ Considered a church ministry, the clubs focus on camping and community services with earnable honors and patches.][
]
Pathfinders History
* Missionary Volunteer Society
In 1907, the forerunner Missionary Volunteer Society was founded.[ Seventh-day Adventist boys could not join the Boy Scouts when they started in 1910, due to events happening on the Sabbath, among other reasons. Local Seventh-day Adventist church leaders began, in 1911, various similar groups under names like Pals, Woodland Clans and Takoma Clan.
In 1919, the Mission Scouts of ]Madison, Tennessee
Madison (originally Madison Station) is a former settlement, now a suburban neighborhood of northeast Nashville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
The p ...
were started by Arthur W. Spalding, who wrote a pledge and law for the group. The Missionary Volunteer Department of the General Conference began a class style award earning program in the 1920s. The Department's associate secretary received permission from the BSA to incorporate into a MV honors program parts from Merit Badges in 1928. In 1926, the denomination held its first summer camp in Michigan. In Santa Ana, California around 1929 to 1930, local Adventist clubs using the name Pathfinder were started by John McKim and Dr. Theron Johnston. A JMV summer camp was found in 1930 by the Southeastern California Conference was called Pathfinder Camp mostly likely due to the existence of the Santa Ana Pathfinder. The Santa Ana Pathfinders ended in 1936. A year later in Glendale, California, a new Pathfinder group was founded which also added military drills from the Adventist affiliated Medical Cadet Corps
The Medical Cadet Corp (MCC) is a program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Adventist church) started in the 1930s in the United States with the intention of preparing young men of draft age for military service in noncombatant roles. The trai ...
. There was a general opposition to these clubs by the denomination's leaders as they did not want the focus to be on missionary work as opposed to more secular pursuits. Despite this, Pathfinder Clubs were sprouting up all over California and the Pacific Northwest in the 1940s. The Southeastern California Conference youth director John Hancock started the first conference sponsored Pathfinder Club in Riverside in 1946.
* Pathfinder
With the action of the Southeastern California Conference, discussion regarding these clubs moved to the denomination's General Conference (GC), which in the 1950s recognized the program. The GC then adopted a program and guidelines while adopting a pledge and law similar to the Mission Scouts' version. The next year, the Oregon Conference held the first Pathfinder Fair and the GC issued the ''Pathfinder Staff Training Course'' publication.[
]
Pathfinders program
The organization uses uniforms similar to Scouting. The members follow a Law and Pledge, go on campouts, and earn honor patches.[
]
Pioneer Clubs
Pioneer Clubs, formerly Girls' Guild and Pioneer Girls, is a Christian Scout-like organization run by the Pioneer Ministries. The Ministries consist of four divisions: Pioneer Girls, Pioneer Boys, Pioneer Clubs, and Clubes Pioneros.[About Us]
Pioneer Clubs.org. Pioneer Ministries. Access on January 15, 2014.
PC history
Girls' Guild was founded in 1939 as an affiliated girls' group of the Christian Service Brigade
Christian Service Brigade (CSB) (a.k.a. CSB Ministries) is a non-denominational Christian organization for men and boys in the United States and Canada.Christian Service Brigade Canada Often referred to as "Brigade," it is organized according to a ...
by Joe Coughlin and Betty Whitaker, 1st program director, on the request of Harriet Brehm, a sister of a Brigade member. In 1940, the Guild held its first summer camp at Fish Lake, Volo, Illinois
Volo is a village in Lake County, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller m ...
. A new director took over in 1940, Viola Waterhouse, and another in 1941, Carol Erickson.[
The Girls' Guild in 1941 was revamped and renamed by Erickson to the Pioneer Girls (PG). In 1943, Erickson approached Herbert J. Taylor who through his Christian Workers' Foundation funded the PG, gave advice, free administrative support and gave them office space in Chicago's Civic Opera Building. Taylor also had the organization form its first board of directors and had them incorporate by the end of 1943. The PG also started buying camps, all called Camp Cherith. From 1939 to 1950, the main source of church club sponsors were Baptist, although there was a range of different denomination also sponsoring. In 1953, PG's headquarters was moved. In 1959, a mystery book series featuring two Pioneer Girls, called the Pioneer Girls Adventure Series, releasing at least three books.][
With the camping program and camp expansion in 1971, the camps were placed in a separate corporation, and then a licensing agreement tied them back to Pioneer Girls.]
In 1979, boys were allowed membership and had their own Pioneer Boys clubs in 1981. The Pioneer Girls in 1981 was renamed Pioneer Ministries, but known as Pioneer Clubs.[ In 1945, clubs were started in Canada. By 1976, the organization owned 19 camps in the US and 6 in Canada. Also, while dropping the pioneer theme, sister organizations were set up in 16 other countries including France, Italy, Korea, and Pakistan, with more in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. In Thailand, where its branch was founded by Pioneer alumni and missionary Joan Killilea, the branch was called the Friendship Club.][
]
Pioneer Clubs programs
Clubs can be operated under three formats based on the number and ages of the kids: Pioneer (for churches with 3-12 children per age group), Discovery (for a total of 3-12 kids from K-6) and Exploring (many kids, grades 1–6).
Pioneer program is split into five age levels:
* Skipper – ages 2 & 3
* Scooter – ages 4 & 5
* Voyager – grades 1 – 2
* Pathfinder – grades 3 – 4
* Trailblazer – grades 5 – 7
Pioneer Clubs hold wood car races called Pine Car Derby.[
]
External links
Pioneer Girls
at Vintagekidstuff.com
Royal Rangers
Royal Rangers is a Christian boys' Scout-like organization run by the Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...
. The Rangers have 4,000 US groups with members in kindergarten through 12th grade, with a goal to provide "Christlike character formation". About 90 Boy Scout troops are sponsored by Assemblies of God churches.[ Many Pentecostal churches also use the Royal Rangers program. Some units in German use the name "Christian Royal Ranger Scouting".][
]
History
Royal Rangers was established by the Assemblies of God in 1962.[ In 2012, Camporama had a high-ropes course, two zip lines, a water slide, and a lumberjack show.][
]
Program
The organization uses uniforms similar to Scouting and parallel terms:[
* outpost (troop)
* Ranger Code (Scout Law)
* Ranger Pledge (Scout Promise)
* Commander (Scoutmaster)
* merits (merit badges)
* Gold Medal of Achievement (Eagle Scout)
Their four program levels are divided by school grade:][
* Ranger Kids (K-2nd grade)
* Discovery Rangers (3-5)
* Adventure Rangers (6-8)
* Expedition Rangers (9-12)
A Camporama is scheduled in the summer every four years at the organization's Eagle Rock, Missouri campground.][ The Rangers hold small car races called Pinewood Derby.][
]
Salvation Army
Adventure Corps
Adventure Corps, or The Salvation Army Boys' Adventure Corps, is a Christian Scout-like organization run by the Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
. Currently, the organization has about 1,300 units of grades 1-8 boys. The boys do not have to be members of a Salvation Army congregation. In addition to the Adventure Corps, the Salvation Army has sponsored 130 Boy Scout troops. From 1913, the Salvation Army ran the Life Saving Scouts/Life Saving Guards-Boys teen age program to 1929 when it merged with the BSA.
History
The Adventure Corps was established in January 1983.
Program
The program core is based on Christian fellowship, teamwork and leadership.[ The Corps is split into two levels: Explorers (grades 1 to 4), and Rangers (5 to 8).][
]
Other groups
* @ The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Youth Department - girls and boys in pre-k and kindergarten
* @ The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Youth Department
* Girl Guards - grades 6 - 12
**
**
Southern Baptist Convention
At the Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...
's meeting on June 11–12, 2013, the convention recommended that Southern Baptist Churches disaffiliate from the BSA and join alternative organizations, particularly those run by the Southern Baptist Convention.
Challengers
The Challengers is a Christian teenage boys' Scout-like organization run by the Woman's Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention.[
The Challengers program is to equip boys in "mission education."][
]
Royal Ambassadors
Royal Ambassadors (RA) is a Christian boys' Scout-like organization run by the Woman's Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention. About 3,000 SBC churches sponsor groups. There are some Southern Baptist churches sponsoring Boy Scout troops.[ The name of the program was selected from the New Testament, where Christians are told by the Apostle Paul to be "ambassadors for Christ."][
]
RA history
The Royal Ambassadors was founded in 1908 for elementary school aged boys[ after the WMU Annual Meeting in ]Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...
.
As the RA continued to grow, a convention-wide full-time RA secretary was needed in 1943. The Brotherhood Commission took over the program in 1954. In 1997 that Memphis-based SBC agency was discontinued through a merger forming the North American Mission Board. With a shift in strategy, the board turned over regular operation of the RA in 2011.
The programs' age groups are Lads (grades 1–3), and Crusaders (4-6). The RA wooden mini-car race is called RA Racers. There is no uniform but they generally wear a T-shirt and own a vest to display their earned badges. Members can earn six "campcraft" patches: Discover 1/2/3, Hiker, Camper, Woodsman. The program is for missionary training and development.[ Thus, merit patches are earned for mission work and Bible verse memorization.][
]
Navigators USA
Navigators USA is a secular co-ed Scout-like organization. In 2013, there were 45 chapters.[ The program had no uniform as of July 2013.][ A congress was held in the fall of 2013 where the issue of uniform was on the agenda.][
The organization stresses outdoor activities and community service projects.][
]
Navigators U.S.A. History
The Unitarian Church of All Souls sponsored a Boy Scout troop in New York City's East Harlem neighborhood. After disagreements over the Boy Scouts' exclusionary membership policies in 2003, the troop broke away to become a coed inclusive organization.[ All Souls has been underwriting the organization's operation for $10,000 to $20,000 a year since 2003. In fall 2010, Navigators issued its first handbook for the senior section, thus opening up the organization to the public. By March 2011, the group had seven chapters with four in New York City, three of which are through a partnership with a local service group, and one each in Binghamton, New York; Durham, North Carolina; and Belmont, Massachusetts.][Skinner, Donald E. (March 14, 2011).]
Alternative scouting group starts to grow
UU World Magazine. Accessed on January 17, 2014. In 2012, the first and lone Illinois chapter was formed in Palatine via Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist. By June 2013, 29 new chapters had been formed in the previous year.[Local Navigators USA chapter offers 'inclusive' scouting alternative]
Daily Herald. Accessed on January 17, 2014.
NU program
The organization has two program sections: Junior Navigators, age 7–10, and Senior Navigators age 11–18. Juniors have three levels:[
* Mira
* Vega
* Polaris
The Senior section has four levels:][
* Mira
* Shadow
* Tracker
* Pilot
* Navigator
The program's top award is the Summit Achievement Award.][
]
SpiralScouts International
SpiralScouts International (SSI) is an independent, secular, inclusive, coed, Scout-like organization built on pagan beliefs and practices.[ SSI has 45 units called circles and hearths, or families.][
]
SSI history
The Aquarian Tabernacle Church, a Wiccan
Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...
community in Index, Washington
Index is a town in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 178 at the 2010 census.
History
Prior to settlement by White Americans, the Skykomish lived in the area between Sultan and Index. The Skykomish had a village al ...
, sponsored a pagan Scout group in 1999. The church looked for a non-belief based program but found none.[Coghlan, Heidi]
SpiralScouts International
About.com: Parenting: Kids' Clubs. Accessed on February 6, 2014. It was renamed SpiralScouts International in 2001 to expand nationwide, at which time they dropped their Wiccan identification. The BSA sent a cease and decide letter to SpiralScouts, to which they responded with no future contact with the BSA. Since the Boy Scouts' membership policies are disapproved of by SSI, SSI offered their highest award to any Eagle Scout returning their Eagle Badge in protest.[
]
Program
The group can be a Hearth that consists of one family or as a "circle" with community membership.[ Members are placed into local groups called Circles, which may consist of age group Hearths. The age level groups of the Hearths are FireFlies (ages 3–8), SpiralScouts (8–14), and PathFinders (14–18).][
The program's pagan twist is that its badges have a culture's myth relationship component and its dress uniform of a ]capuche
A Capuche (also almuce) is a friar's cowl, a long, pointed hood which was typically worn by the Franciscan, Capuchin, Augustinian, Carmelite, or Cistercian monks.
The name, which is now the French word for "hood", is of Middle French origin, d ...
and a braided, beaded macramé necklace.[ The activity uniform consists of a forest green polo shirt with khaki bottoms (pants, short, skirt or skort) and the SpiralScouts neck cord.][
]
Earth Scouting
Earth Scouting or Scout-like groups, also called Green Scouting, are those that are eco-oriented groups.[
]
Earth Champs
Earth Champs is an independent non-denominational Scout-like organization, a program of the Sustainable Business Coalition of Tampa Bay, Inc.
Earth Scouts was founded in 2002. The BSA owning the trademark to "Scouts" forced Earth Scouts to change their name a decade later to Earth Champs. By July 2013, four chapters were operational with four more at the start-up level.
The Earth Champs program aims to get children interested and involved in activities that support the environment and living sustainably.[
]
Kids for Earth
Kids for Earth is an independent non-denominational secular eco-focused Scout-like organization.
Kids for Earth was founded in 2009 by Aditi Sen after watching ''An Inconvenient Truth
''An Inconvenient Truth'' is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. The film features a slide show that, by Gore's own e ...
''.
Youth wings of political parties
* Armenian Youth Federation
The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) ( hy, Հայ Երիտասարդական Դաշնակցութիւն) is the youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Founded in 1933, the AYF became a global Armenian organization and stands ...
– founded in 1933, youth wing of the socialist Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ( hy, Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն, ՀՅԴ ( classical spelling), abbr. ARF or ARF-D) also known as Dashnaktsutyun (collectively referred to as Dashnaks for short), is an Armenian ...
* National Socialist Liberation Front
The National Socialist Liberation Front (NSLF) was originally established as a youth wing of the National Socialist White People's Party in 1969. In 1974 it was reconstituted as a separate neo-Nazi organization after its leader Joseph Tommasi ha ...
– a neo-Nazi youth group that existed from 1969 until sometime in the 1980s
* Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade The Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade (RCYB) was the former youth group of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA.
History
The group was launched in 1977.
It was founded as the Attica Brigade, and then was renamed the Revolutionary Student ...
– succeeded by the Revolutionary Student Brigade {{unreferenced, date=November 2014
The Revolutionary Student Brigade (RSB) was a Marxist-Leninist student organization active in the 1970s in the United States. The RSB was founded at a conference on June 15–17, 1974 which was attended by about ...
; both existed during the 1980s
* Socialist Youth League (United States)
The Socialist Youth League was the youth group affiliated with the Workers Party (United States), Workers Party, a splinter Trotskyist party led by Max Shachtman. The parent group changed its name to the Independent Socialist League in 1950. In Feb ...
– existed from 1946 to 1954 and eventually merged with the Young People's Socialist League (1907)
The Young People's Socialist League (YPSL), founded in 1907, was the official youth arm of the Socialist Party of America. Its political activities tend to concentrate on increasing the voter turnout of young democratic socialists and social democ ...
* Teen Age Republicans
National Teen Age Republicans (TARs) is the youth wing of the United States Republican Party (United States), Republican Party.
TARs have a presence in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with membership in the tens of thousands. T ...
* W.E.B. Du Bois Clubs of America
The W.E.B. Du Bois Clubs of America was a national youth organization sponsored by the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and launched at a national convention held in San Francisco in June 1964. The organization was active in the American student move ...
* Young Communist League USA
The Young Communist League USA (YCLUSA) is a communist youth organization in the United States. The stated aim of the League is the development of its members into Communists, through studying Marxism–Leninism and through active participation ...
* Young Democratic Socialists
* Young Democrats of America
The Young Democrats of America (YDA) is the youth wing of the Democratic Party of the United States. YDA operates as a separate organization from the Democratic National Committee; following the passage of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, it ...
* Young People's Socialist League
* Young People's Socialist League (1907)
The Young People's Socialist League (YPSL), founded in 1907, was the official youth arm of the Socialist Party of America. Its political activities tend to concentrate on increasing the voter turnout of young democratic socialists and social democ ...
* Young Pioneers of America
The Young Pioneers of America or Young Pioneers League of America was a children's organization affiliated with the Communist Party USA, under its various names, from 1922 to 1934. It began as the Junior Section of the Young Workers League of Ame ...
* Young Republicans
The Young Republican National Federation, commonly referred to as the Young Republicans or YRNF, is a 527 organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization ...
* Young Socialist Alliance
The Young Socialist Alliance (YSA) was a Trotskyist youth group of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the United States of America. It was founded in 1960, although it had roots going back several years earlier. It was dissolved in 1992. The ...
Religious
* Epworth League
Founded in 1889, the Epworth League is a Methodist young adult association for people aged 18 to 35. It had its beginning in Cleveland, Ohio, at its Central Methodist Church on May 14 and 15, 1889. There was also a Colored Epworth League.
Before ...
– Methodist youth group founded in 1889
* First Priority
First Priority is a youth organization that supports student-initiated, student-led Christian clubs on middle school and high school campuses.
First Priority of America, Inc. supports local city FP movements in cities across the US.
First Priori ...
– middle and high school evangelical Christian clubs founded in 1996
* Generation Joshua
Generation Joshua (often called "GenJ" by its members) is an American Christian youth organization founded in 2003Michael Smith, "A new generation of moral leadership.", ''The Washington Times''23 May 2005. that aims to encourage youth participa ...
– Conservative Christian political group founded in 2003
Jewish
*BBYO
BBYO (formerly ''B'nai B'rith Youth Organization Inc.'') is a Jewish teen movement, organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization is intended to build the identity of Jewish teens and offer l ...
, , Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society. It can indicate one or more of the following:
* Recognizing and tolerating the religious diversity of a society or countr ...
, , Zionism
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...
*NFTY
NFTY: The Reform Jewish Youth Movement (formerly known as the North American Federation for Temple Youth, often referred to simply as NFTY, commonly pronounced ''"nifty"'') is the organized youth movement of Reform Judaism in North America. Fun ...
: The Reform Jewish Youth Movement , , Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...
, , Reform Zionism Reform Zionism, also known as Progressive Zionism, is the ideology of the Zionist arm of the Reform or Progressive branch of Judaism. The Association of Reform Zionists of America is the American Reform movement's Zionist organization. Their mission ...
, , Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established ...
*NCSY
NCSY (formerly known as the National Conference of Synagogue Youth) is a Jewish youth group under the auspices of the Orthodox Union. Its operations include Jewish-inspired after-school programs; summer programs in Israel, Europe, and the United S ...
, , Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
, , , , Orthodox Union
The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for ...
*United Synagogue Youth
United Synagogue Youth (USY) is the youth movement of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ). It was founded in 1951, under the auspices of the Youth Commission of what was then the United Synagogue of America.
USY operates in the ...
, , Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...
, , Zionism
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...
, , United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the major congregational organization of Conservative Judaism in North America, and the largest Conservative Jewish communal body in the world. USCJ closely works with the Rabbinical Assembly, ...
*Young Judaea
Young Judaea is a peer-led Zionist youth movement that runs programs throughout the United States for Jewish youth in grades 2–12. In Hebrew, Young Judaea is called ''Yehuda Hatzair'' (יהודה הצעיר) or is sometimes referred to as ''Hasha ...
, , Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society. It can indicate one or more of the following:
* Recognizing and tolerating the religious diversity of a society or countr ...
, , Zionism
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...
Other
* 4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...
* AFS Intercultural Programs
AFS Intercultural Programs (or AFS, originally the American Field Service) is an international youth exchange organization. It consists of over 50 independent, not-for-profit organizations, each with its own network of Volunteering, volunteers ...
- international youth exchange program, founded in 1915
* Boy Spies of America
The Boy Spies of America was a children's group organized during World War I. It was one of a dozen of extralegal vigilance organizations dedicated to volunteer spying which arose during that war. The group is similar to other organizations, such a ...
- existed during World War I to seek out spies
* Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, ...
* Campus Kitchen A Campus Kitchen is an on-campus student service program that is a member of the nonprofit organization, The Campus Kitchens Project. At a Campus Kitchen, students use on-campus kitchen space and donated food from their cafeterias to prepare and del ...
- founded in 2001, works to have extra food from campus kitchens donated to people in need
* Children's Express - existed 1975–2001, news agency run by children ages 8 to 18
* The Choice Program
* Federation of Galaxy Explorers - founded in 2002
* The First Tee
First Tee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that teaches children life skills, self-confidence, and resilience through golf lessons. First Tee reaches more than 3.6 million youth annually through programs delivered at chapter program locations, ...
- a golfing associated program founded in 1997
* Freedom's Answer - founded in 2002(?), supports voter registration and turnout
* Future Business Leaders of America
The Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, is an American career and technical student organization headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Established in 1940, FBLA is a non-profit organization of high school ("FBLA"), Middle Level ("FBLA ...
- a high school club founded in 1940 to build future business leaders.
* Girls For A Change
Girls For A Change (GFC) is a US 501(c)3 organization based in San Jose, California, that seeks to empower girls and young women by inviting them to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their o ...
- girls implementing social change projects, founded in 2002
* Girls, Inc.
Girls Inc. (established in 1864) is a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which encourages girls to be "Strong, Smart, and Bold" through direct service and advocacy. The organization prioritizes equipping girls with the skills to na ...
- roots back to 1865 but has been national since 1945
* Ignition
Ignition may refer to:
Science and technology
* Firelighting, the human act of creating a fire for warmth, cooking and other uses
* Combustion, an exothermic chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant
* Fusion ignition, the point at which a ...
- student to student high school mentoring program
* Junior Birdmen The Junior Birdmen of America was a national organization for boys and girls interested in aviation and model plane building, founded (ca. 1934) and promoted by the Hearst Communications newspaper chain, with the cooperation of the U.S. Bureau of ...
- existed during the 1930s for boys interested in model airplanes
* Junior G-Men
''Junior G-Men'' was an American boys club and popular culture phenomenon during the late 1930s and early 1940s that began with a radio program and culminated with films featuring the Dead End Kids.
Origins
After leaving the Federal Bureau of Inve ...
- existed during the late 1930s and early 1940s for boys
* Junior State of America
The Junior State of America (formerly the Junior Statesmen of America), abbreviated JSA, is an American non-partisan youth organization. The purpose of JSA is to help high school students acquire leadership skills and the knowledge necessary to ...
- a high school club founded in 1934 to develop political leadership skills; claims about 10,000 members
* Key Club International
Key Club International, also called Key Club, is an international service organization for high school students. As a student-led organization, Key Club's goal is to encourage leadership through serving others. Key Club International is the hig ...
- a high school club founded in 1925 to building community service skills, sponsored by Kiwanis International
Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizatio ...
* Link Crew Link Crew is a North American student leadership program. Its focus is on making select individuals from the Junior and Senior classes, known as "Link Leaders," into mentors for freshmen and new students.
Link Crew operates in 3,705 schools in 47 U ...
- student to student mentoring program
* Mexican American Youth Organization The Mexican American Youth Organization (acronym MAYO, also described as the Mexican Youth Organization) is a civil rights organization formed in 1967 in San Antonio, Texas, USA to fight for Mexican-American rights. The creators of MAYO, Los Cinco ...
- civil rights organization founded in 1967
* Moriya - learning program for young Jewish girls
* National FFA Organization
National FFA Organization is an American 501(c)(3) youth organization, specifically a career and technical student organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agriculture, agricultural education. It was founded i ...
- at one time Future Farmers of America, but name changed in 1988; founded in 1928; membership of 610,245 in 2014
* National High School Rodeo Association
The National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA), based in Denver, Colorado, was incorporated in 1961 to promote interest in rodeo sports among high school students, to provide training, and to establish venues for their performances.
It began ...
- incorporated in 1961 but roots back to 1947
* National Junior Horticultural Association The ''National Junior Horticultural Association'' (NJHA) is a non-profit organization in the United States that was founded in 1934 to promote and develop horticulture
Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, t ...
- founded in 1934
* National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization
The National Professional Agricultural Student Organization, regularly referred to as PAS, is a national organization associated with postsecondary institutions offering baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees, diplomas and/or certificates in a ...
- founded in 1980
* National Student Association
The United States National Student Association (NSA) was a confederation of college and university student governments that was in operation from 1947 to 1978.
Founding and early years
The NSA was founded at a conference at the University of Wisc ...
- an association of university student governments founded in 1947 and merged with the National Student Lobby in 1978 to form the United Statues Student Association
* National Student Federation of America
The National Student Federation of America or NSFA was an association of student government founded in 1925.Altbach, Philip G. (1997) ''Student Politics in America: A Historical Analysis''. Piscataway, NJ, Transaction Publishers. p.40 It was the f ...
- an association of university student governments that existed from 1925 until the Second World War; succeeded by the National Student Association
* National Junior Firefighter Program
* National Youth Administration
The National Youth Administration (NYA) was a New Deal agency sponsored by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidency. It focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 25. It operated from June 26, 1935 to ...
- a New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
agency dealing with youth aged 16–25 from 1935 until 1943
* New Farmers of America
The New Farmers of America (NFA) was organized in Tuskegee Alabama and became a national organization for African-American young men in 1935. The organization was formed to serve agriculture students in southern states where schools were segregated ...
- African-American version of Future Farmers of America; founded in 1935; merged with Future Farmers of America in 1965
* OneMillionOfUs - youth civic education & impact organization, founded in March 2019.
* Rainbow Girls
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (IORG) is a Masonic youth service organization that teaches leadership training through community service. Young women learn about the value of charity and service through their work and involveme ...
- young girl service organization sponsored by Freemasons
* Running Start: Bringing Young Women to Politics
* - founded in 1953
* Safe Schools/Healthy Students
* Sons of the American Legion
The Sons of the American Legion (SAL) is a non-profit organization of male descendants of men or women who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I or since December 7, 1941, through a date of cessation of hostilities as de ...
- organization of male descendants of U.S. war veterans (from World War I to the present day) founded in 1932
* Southern Negro Youth Congress
The Southern Negro Youth Congress was an American organization established in 1937 at a conference in Richmond, Virginia. The Southern Negro Youth Congress consisted of young leaders who participated in the National Negro Congress. The first gath ...
- existed from 1937 until 1949
* Students Today Leaders Forever - founded in 2003
* Taiwanese American Foundation
* Teens in Prevention
* United States Student Association
The United States Student Association (USSA) is an American student organization. According to ''Inside Higher Education'' in 2015, it was the largest of a number of student associations that were arguing for free higher education.
See also
*Oreg ...
- association of university student governments founded in 1978 with the merger of the National Student Association and the National Student Lobby
* United States Youth Council - existed from 1945 until 1986
* United States Youth Government
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
- youth advocacy group with members elected by the public in a structure based on the Constitution of the United States
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
* Urban debate league
An urban debate league (UDL) is a group of high school policy debate teams from urban high schools in the United States. UDLs are generally located in large cities throughout the United States and work predominantly with minority students.
Histo ...
* White Stag Leadership Development Program
The White Stag Leadership Development Program, founded in 1958, is a summer leadership training program for youth 10 1/2–18 led by two California-based non-profits that sponsor leadership development activities. The teen youth staff of the two ...
* YMCA Youth and Government
YMCA Youth and Government (YaG), also known as Youth In Government, or Model Legislature and Court, is a program of the YMCA of the USA that allows high school students to serve in model governments at the local, state, national, and internationa ...
* Young Judaea
Young Judaea is a peer-led Zionist youth movement that runs programs throughout the United States for Jewish youth in grades 2–12. In Hebrew, Young Judaea is called ''Yehuda Hatzair'' (יהודה הצעיר) or is sometimes referred to as ''Hasha ...
- Zionist youth organization
* Youth Activism Project The Youth Activism Project (YAP), founded in 1992, is an international non-partisan organization designed "to encourage young people to speak up and pursue lasting solutions to problems they care deeply about." YAP has various projects and focuses o ...
- founded in 1992
Age groups
Other groups' external links
Keepers of the Faith
is an independent, decentralized purchasable Christian Scout-like Non-aligned Scouting organizations is a term used by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and their member national organizations to refer to Scouting organizations that are n ...
program that originated in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
with separate programs for boys (Contenders for the Faith), and girls (formerly Keepers at Home), though they can be coordinated, and there can be overlap in the skills learned and activities.
Young Vikings Club
is a Norse heathen Scout-like organization for youth from 6–18 years old.
Moriya
is a learning program for Jewish young girls.
* Th
United States Youth Government
is a youth advocacy organization representing U.S. citizens and residents aged 0–29, with a structure based on the Constitution of the United States
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
. Its members, who must be younger than 29, are elected by the public aged 0–29 to represent individual U.S. states and territories in the organization's legislature, the Youth Assembly. The public also elects a Youth President and Vice-President, who lead the organization and appoint Justices to the Supreme Youth Court.
References
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Non-aligned Scouting organizations
Scouting in the United States