Long Beach Area
Council
Boy Scouts of America
401 E. 37th Street
PO Box 7338
Long Beach, CA 90807
562.427.0911
562.492.9437 fax
Diversity in Scouting
Based on results of the 2000 Census, USA Today has identified Long Beach as America’s “most diverse city” out of the 65 most populous cities in the nation. The integrated ethnic diversity of the Long Beach Area Council’s service area includes significant populations of African American, Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian, Native American/Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island descendants. Correspondingly, nearly all the major religious faiths are represented in our community – including Christian, Jewish, Islam, Buddhist, Hindu and others. The Long Beach Area Council is meeting the challenge of serving the youth of these diverse communities though a variety of programs.
Traditional Charter Partners Institutional sponsors of Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, co-ed Venture Crews and Sea Scout Ships include over 90 churches & faith-based organizations, plus more than three dozen service clubs, businesses, and parent groups. The Scout units sponsored by these institutions have reached out for membership into the city’s significant immigrant communities that include Cambodians, Pacific Islanders and Central Americans.
ScoutReach
ScoutReach is a national initiative designed to bring Scouting to urban communities where adult leadership is the biggest challenge in establishing Scout units. The Council currently operates ScoutReach in at least 16 inner-city schools, with approximately 500 youth in grades 1-5 participating.
Learning for Life
The Council’s school-based Learning for Life program is a national model, with an outstanding partnership forged with the Long Beach Unified School District. It operates outside the traditional BSA program to bring value-based curriculum into schools at the elementary, middle and high school grade levels. This successful outreach program involves more than 5,000 area youth, including 600 career Explorers in units sponsored by business and civic groups.
Special Needs
Youth with special needs are welcomed and involved in all Long Beach Area Council programs, including traditional Scouting, ScoutReach, and Learning for Life.
Scouting Values
Nearly a century ago, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was founded on the premise of teaching boys moral and ethical values through an outdoor program that challenges them and teaches them respect for the environment, individuals, and themselves. Scouting has always represented the best in community, leadership, and service.
The Boy Scouts of America has selected its leaders using the highest standards because strong leaders and positive role models are so important to the healthy development of youth. Today, the organization still stands firm that their leaders exemplify the values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law.
On June 28, 2000, the United States Supreme Court reaffirmed the Boy Scouts of America's standing as a private organization with the right to set its own membership and leadership standards.
The BSA respects the rights of people and groups who hold values that differ from those encompassed in the Scout Oath and Law, and the BSA makes no effort to deny the rights of those whose views differ to hold their attitudes or opinions. Scouts come from all walks of life and are exposed to diversity in Scouting that they may not otherwise experience. The Boy Scouts of America aims to allow youth to live and learn as children and enjoy Scouting without immersing them in the politics of the day.
We hope that our supporters will continue to value the Boy Scouts of America's respect for diversity and the positive impact Scouting has on young people's lives. We realize that not every individual nor organization prescribes to the same beliefs that the BSA does, but we hope that all Americans can be as respectful of our beliefs as we are of theirs and support the overall good Scouting does in American communities.
