Statements
Mission
The mission of the Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America (MTC, BSA) is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. The mission is accomplished through programs that provide adventure, leadership, and a sense of accomplishment.
Background
The MTC, BSA is responsible for ensuring the success of Scouting programs in 37 Tennessee counties and Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The MTC, BSA serves 11,818 Scouts through youth development programs for ages 5-21:
• Cub Scouting - coeducational, grades Kindergarten thru 5 or ages 5-10 years (7,957 youth)
• Scouts BSA - youth in grades 6 thru 12 or ages 11-18 years in single gender units (3,433 youth)
• STEM Scouts - coeducational, grades 3 thru 12 or ages 8-18 years (168 youth)
• Venturing - coeducational, between ages 14 and 21 (103 youth)
• Exploring - coeducational, between ages 14 and 21 (157 youth)
Each of these programs use proven and tested methods of youth development with a foundation of leadership, values, community service, self-reliance and a duty to God and Country.
Impact
Scouting Has a Positive Impact on the Youth of Tennessee: The MTC,BSA ended 2022 with 12,681 youth and 6,201 adult volunteer leaders.
274 Scouts earned the prestigious Eagle rank in 2023. Annually, seven in every 100 Scouts BSA in the Middle Tennessee Council earn this rank, beating the National average of 4%. Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA earned 7,836 Rank Advancements. The Middle Tennessee Council completed its eight year of a STEM program with 168 STEM Scouts. The program is designed to teach the values of Scouting to youth who have an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
The MTC,BSA continues its Scoutreach Initiative that serves youth of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds from inner-city Davidson County. Scoutreach aims to keep at-risk youth engaged in programs that add value to their lives by teaching them leadership, self-confidence and life skills. In 2023, Scoutreach served 551 youth with 217 adult leaders in 40 different programs or units.
Needs
Scouting caters to the need for a proactive youth development program that instills positive values, leadership, and self- confidence to our youth. With the constantly changing environment in which we live, Scouting remains as a tried and tested youth program that instills values in the youth in the Middle Tennessee area. Each camp opportunity provides a different experience for Scouts, but all provide adventure, discovery, leadership and educations opportunities for Scouts and their families. While the program is volunteer led, the recruitment of youth and adults is done by professional staff who covers designated areas across 37 counties in Middle Tennessee. Support to the MTC,BSA covers the cost of these programs and other support including that of four camping facilities.
CEO Statement
Dear Middle Tennessee Communities,
Scouting programs in the Middle Tennessee Council are stronger than ever. We have come back from the challenges faced during the pandemic and our youth are "back to normal" with exciting and adventurous Scouting programs that instill self-confidence, teach leadership skills and positive values and encourage mental and physical fitness.
Many young people throughout our Nation are experiencing a mental health crisis, and if you look at the solutions to improving the mental health of our youth, Scouting programs meet almost all of the criteria. Supportive role models, robust outdoor activities and programs, consistency in their friends and leaders, and a sense of purpose just to name a few of the positive aspects of Scouting programs. Scouting is needed now more than ever, and we need to provide even more youth and adult volunteer leaders with the opportunity to benefit from Scouting.
Our youth membership is growing and our new camp improvements and programs like the Skilled Trades Merit Badges at Boxwell Scout Reservation are being well received by MTC Scouts, leaders and parents. The new Roy Grindstaff Skilled Trades Center opened summer 2023 and offered merit badges like Automotive Maintenance, Home Repair, Welding, Plumbing, American Business and Electricity. This is the only new, free-standing building of its type on any Scout Camp in the USA. There were more than 10,000 Scouts participating in programs at one of our four Council Camps in 2023.
We built the 100th Anniversary Veteran's Gateway this past year. This iconic gateway was built as a smaller version of the "Crab". Not only does it provide more security for the camp, but we also have a monument next to the gateway that recognizes Scouts and leaders who attended Boxwell and later went on to serve in the US Armed Forces. Over 400 names are currently listed on the monument.
We are looking forward to even bigger and better Scouting results in 2024. Scouting programs are part of the backbone of our Middle Tennessee communities and have made them better places to live and work for all citizens. Thank you for your continued support to ensure these programs make a difference for many generations to come.
Yours in Scouting,
Clay Bright Karen Bengtson Larry Brown
Council President Council Commissioner Scout Executive/CEO
Board Chair Statement
The opportunity to give, in order to benefit others, is one of the highest callings we can do in this life.
One of the priorities of the Middle Tennessee Boy Scout Council is servanthood.
We feel passing on the Scout Oath and Law is a way to provide this principle for a lifetime of values. Nothing is more important than preparing young men and women to lead the next generation. For the Boy Scouts of America, and our Middle Tennessee Council, this is our calling. This is why we serve.
Clay Bright
President, Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Youth Development - Boy Scouts of America |
| Secondary Category: | - |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
The Middle Tennessee Council serves 37 counties in Middle Tennessee and Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - White |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
