American Scouting and Guiding overseas: Difference between revisions

There have been American Scouts overseas since almost the inception of the movement, often for similar reasons as the present day. Within the [[Boy Scouts of America]], these expatriate Scouts are now served by two overseas Councils and the Direct Service program. Within the [[GSUSA]], the USAGSO serves such a purpose.

[[Image:Camp Aztec.jpg|thumb|left|140px]]

According to BSA records and Reports to Congress, BSA overseas councils were called "Extra Regional" until the late 1950s. The first council so designated was #803 in Peking, China. The number 803 was later given to the Transatlantic Council which continues to serve American youth in Europe.  The "Direct Service Council" was reportedly formed in 1955, as a result of conversations within the BSA's national offices in New Jersey.  Several Scouting associations, on behalf of their American citizens living in those countries, wanted to have American Scouts and Scouters to serve as part of their associations while overseas. In fact, the high commissioners in Japan, Europe, and Panama invited BSA to send commissioned scout executives to help create a program for Americans living overseas. International Scouting accords discouraged such memberships except via war time criteria that allowed for a small number of youth to take part in local programs when no program of their own host nation existed. The BSA's response was to create within the International Division a "local Council equal" which would do many if not all of the services which the BSA provides to communities in other areas of the world and within the United States. These services include membership accounting, unit chartering and rechartering, advancement reporting and filing, insignia and badge issuance, certification of awards and advice on where to conduct Scouting-related activities (mostly camping or ways that the BSA's requirements to "visit community agencies", for instance, could be met while in Zaire or the Isle of Man or in Peru).  Direct Service Council did not include Transatlantic, Far East, or Canal Zone Councils which had BSA charters to operate as councils since the early 1950s.  

In 1998, the word "Council" was finally removed from the Direct Service and plans to no longer issue or sell the ten existing Council CSPs would be made.  The Direct Service Council finally died although the BSA continues to this day to provide "direct service" to youth and adults living and working around the world -- in those locations where there no longer exists a BSA local Council.

Direct Service is administered by the International Division of the Boy Scouts of America. It provides some of the same services that a local council provides: Processing registration and magazine subscriptions, maintaining records, approving advancements, processing supply orders, organizing [[National Scout jamboree (Boy Scouts of America)|National]] and [[World Jamboree]] participation, operating Gamenowinink Lodge #555, [[Order of the Arrow]], and providing information and program resources.

Currently, the following countries have one or more Scouting units registered through Direct Service:

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The meetings and activities of Direct Service units are basically the same as those in the United States. Minor modifications are sometimes necessary because of circumstances that occur when living in another country. These modifications often lead to cooperative efforts between the BSA members and [[Scouts of other associations]] who attend joint Scouting activities such as jamborees, rallies, community projects, and other events. Local districts maintain their own camps, such as Mexico's Camp Aztec.

Scouting awards are presented as in any local council, including the [[Silver Beaver Award]] and the District Award of Merit. All nominations are reviewed by the BSA Direct Service committee.

Direct Service units organize their own activities to earn money for special programs, equipment, and service projects.

Communication between the [[International Division]] and its Direct Service units is by mail, fax, e-mail, and telephone. Unit leaders receive periodic bulletins containing special information.

[[Image:FEC.jpg|thumb|1950s badge of the Far East Council]]

===Recent history (1953-1990)===

Far East Council is administered by the International Division of the [[Boy Scouts of America]], with agreements with the U.S. military.   

Far East Council members are the children of international businesspeople, [[diplomatic corps]] officials, and U.S. military personnel. Far East serves Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews in five countries.

Currently, the following countries have one or more Scouting units registered through Far East Council:

**Japan District

***Atsugi   

***Kadena

**Korea District

***Camp Humphries,

***Yongsan

**Taiwan District

***Taipei

***Bangkok  

***Chiangmai

**Philippines District

***Manila

The meetings and activities of Far East Council units are basically the same as those in the United States. Minor modifications are sometimes necessary because of circumstances that occur when living in another country. These modifications often lead to cooperative efforts between the BSA members and [[Scouts of other associations]] who attend joint Scouting activities such as jamborees, rallies, community projects, and other events.

The chartered organizations of Far East Council units include American military bases, schools and churches, international schools, U.S. embassies, multinational corporations, parents' groups, and fraternal organizations.

The '''Transatlantic Council''' #802 of the [[Boy Scouts of America]], originally created in May [[1950]] as EUCOM, BSA Advisory Board and later EUCOM Advisory Council, serves to make the Scouting program available to [[United States citizenship|United States citizens]] and their dependents living in west-and-central Europe, the Near East, and North Africa. The boundaries of the Council constantly shift due to changing political alliances and circumstances in nations where servicemen are stationed. Transatlantic Council has served nations as diverse as Norway and Ethiopia. In landmass, it is the largest of the councils of the Boy Scouts of America.

There have been American Scouts overseas since almost the inception of the movement, often for similar reasons as the present day.  Troops existed, sometimes chartered under the British system, sometimes not chartered until the creation of the Council. Lone Scouts were under the [[Direct Service|direct service]] of the Boy Scouts of America.

===Scouting in Transatlantic Council today===

Transatlantic Council remains a council within the North East Region, BSA.

Transatlantic Council members are the children of international businesspeople, [[diplomatic corps]] officials, and U.S. military personnel. Transatlantic serves Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews in 23 countries on three continents.

** England: London, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell, RAF Alconbury/Molesworth, RAF Croughton, JMF Saint Mawgan, Menwith Hill Station, RAF Fairford, Newmarket.  

** Scotland:Aberdeen  

* Charlemagne District  

** Netherlands: Rotterdam, The Hague, Schinnen (AFNORTH)  

** Belgium: Brussels, Waterloo, Antwerp, SHAPE (Mons)  

** Germany: Geilenkirchen, Dusseldorf, Bonn, Bitburg, Spangdahlem  

** France: Paris  

* Edelweiss District  

** Poland: Warsaw  

** Czech Republic: Prague  

** Austria: Vienna  

** Hungary: Budapest  

** Greece: Athens  

** Turkey: Istanbul, Ankara, Incirlik

The meetings and activities of Transatlantic Council units are basically the same as those in the United States. Minor modifications are sometimes necessary because of circumstances that occur when living in another country. These modifications often lead to cooperative efforts between the BSA members and [[List of World Organization of the Scout Movement members|Scouts of other associations]] who attend joint Scouting activities such as jamborees, rallies, community projects, and other events.

The chartered organizations of Transatlantic Council units include American military bases, schools and churches, international schools, U.S. embassies, multinational corporations, parents' groups, veterans' groups, and fraternal organizations.

The [http://www.tac-bsa.org/oa.htm Black Eagle Lodge #482], chartered in 1952 as Bald Eagle Lodge, serves 615 Arrowmen as of 2004. Another Bald Eagle Lodge had been previously chartered and the lodge changed the name to Black Eagle Lodge.  The lodge totem is today, as the name implies, a [[Black Eagle|black eagle]], a stylized version of the traditional heraldic black falcon emblem of Germany.   

[[Image:BoBTAC.jpg|thumb|140px|left|Battle of the Bulge Trail badge]]

Trail medals are issued for the hiking and cleanup of several World War I and World War II sites throughout the Council territory.

The '''West Pacific Girl Scout Council''' serves children of American military families living in Japan, serviced by USAGSO.

*[http://www.directservicebsa.org Direct Service, BSA]

*[http://www.fareastbsa.org/ Far East Council]

[[Category:Girl Scouts of the USA Local Councils]]

[[Category:Overseas branches of Scouting and Guiding associations]]