Bartlett Youth Foundation (BYF) is an organization that was established and granted a charter by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in the early 1950’s. That charter has since been renewed annually and subsequently gives “permission” to BYF, in conjunction with BSA, to provide programs for youth which you may recognize as the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Venturing, and Exploring programs. In addition, BYF supports the mission and vision of the Girl Scouts of the USA and is home to at least one Girl Scout Troop. The Chartered Organization (BYF) is like a “franchisee” and as such is the “owner operator” of the Scouting programs. Without the chartered organization the scouting programs could not exist.
Most commonly the chartered organization is a church, civic group, club or lodge; an urban agency, school or industry.
- 71.5% of all units are chartered to faith-based organizations
- 21.3% of all units are chartered to civic organizations
- 7.2% of all units are chartered to educational organizations
Bartlett Youth Foundation, however, is none of these. This independent organization was founded by a group of concerned and committed parents, from the former Bartlett School, who understood the merits, values and traditions of Scouting as a proven program to teach their youth how to make good decisions throughout their lives and to give them confidence as they become the adult leaders of tomorrow. Lifetime values are developed through fun and educational activities. Who better to be trusted with a child’s future, then their parent? This concern, this commitment, this vision for our children has flourished at BYF for over 60 years and has been passed on from parent to parent. You…the past, present and future parents of Boy Scout Pack 142, Troop 142 and Girl Scout Troop 5103 or 30008…are the members of Bartlett Youth Foundation. Very few groups in Scouting, that we are aware of, have a chartered organization guided and administrated, over generations, primarily by the volunteer parents of the youth it serves.
Per the BSA, the primary responsibilities the chartered organization provides include:
- Provide adequate meeting facilities.
– In 1950 a group of parents, through fund raising, placed a $400 down payment on about 2 acres of land at 1120 Stuart Road
– In 1953 they built a foundation and capped it for a meeting place below ground and in 1954 they continued to raise money and built a small structure for meetings which is present today
– In the 1990’s parents removed a flat roof and installed a peak roof to stop leaks and upgraded the siding
– In 2000 parent volunteers broke ground to add a 1300 square foot addition to the facility and in 2001 the garage was added. As the organization progressed, the dirt drive was blacktopped, the grounds were landscaped, trees were planted, city water was connected and a fire pit constructed
-In 2012 steel siding was installed to the building. The organization continues to upgrade both the grounds and the facility
- Provide quality leadership for the Scouting units
– approving the appointment of the Cubmaster
– approving the appointment of the Scoutmaster
– approving the senior leadership of Venturing, Exploring and other BSA units as they may occur within the organization
– approving the adult leadership of the Girl Scout Troop
– verifying with the unit leadership the completion of adult training, the delivery of the Scouting program, and committee involvement as outlined by the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA.
- Appointing a chartered organization representative to coordinate all Scouting unit operations within the organization
– coordinates facility utilization with the needs of the units
– liaison between the chartered organization, the scouting units, and the BSA structure at the district, council & national levels
– represents and submits a vote for the chartered organization at the district, council and national level