History
Outdoor Service Guides (OSG), was formed in the U.S. in 2006 as an independent scouting association, Baden Powell Service Association, BPSA. The name was officially changed in 2021 to Outdoor Service Guides. The new name was chosen to better reflect the growing organization and our goal of being welcoming to all who want to scout with us. OSG’s program harkens back to the origins of scouting: promoting self-reliance, good citizenship, training in habits of observation, and loyalty. Our badgework and program are simple, our uniform is minimal. We teach real outdoor skills and engage in adventures, campouts, and community-building. Service is one of our core tenets, as we create a culture where children and adults ask, “How can we help?”
Everybody Scouts
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.
Scouting
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.
Outdoor Service Guides Mission Statement
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.
Find A Group
You can search for a group near you or Contact us.
Outdoor Service Guides Organization
Outdoor Service Guides is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. EIN: 46-1728425