Your organization already believes in raising capable, caring young people. Chartering a Scouting unit gives you a proven, ready-to-run way to do exactly that — and Hoosier Trails Council walks with you every step of the way.
No cost to explore. No obligation. A short conversation with a local Scouting representative is all it takes to begin.
A chartered organization is a community group — a church, a civic club, a school group, a veterans’ post, a business, or a neighborhood association — that agrees to “host” a Scouting unit and welcome it as part of its own service to young people.
You provide a home and a caring connection to the community. Scouting America provides the program, the training, the materials, and the support. Together, you give local youth a place to grow.
Our role is to support your mission, not to govern it. You choose the leaders. You keep your values. Scouting simply gives you a trusted framework to serve the young people you already care about.
You open the door and lend your good name; Scouting America brings a complete youth program to your doorstep — and the council supports you the whole way.
Chartering a unit is one of the highest-impact, lowest-lift ways to serve your community. Here’s what it does for you.
If your organization exists to strengthen families, faith, or community, Scouting is a natural extension of that work — youth development you don’t have to build from scratch.
Curriculum, activities, advancement, and adult-leader training already exist and are proven over a century. You don’t have to invent a thing.
A local district team helps you recruit leaders, train volunteers, and keep the unit healthy. You’re never doing this alone.
The young people you serve today become the volunteers, members, and community leaders of tomorrow — often right back in your own organization.
Hosting a unit puts your organization’s name behind something families trust, and connects you with new households in your area.
Scouting America provides liability insurance coverage for chartered organizations for official, authorized Scouting activities, plus youth-protection standards and trained volunteers.
Less than most people assume. Here’s the whole of it — and everything Scouting brings to meet you there.
The Charter Organization Representative is simply your organization’s voice in Scouting — the friendly link between your group and the unit you host. It’s a connection role, not a second job.
Every chartered organization names one Charter Organization Representative (COR). Think of this person as the bridge: they help select the unit’s leaders on your behalf, keep your organization informed on how the unit is doing, and represent your voice with the council.
It’s a light but meaningful role — the difference between a unit that quietly drifts and one that stays genuinely connected to the organization that hosts it. When we say “a relationship, not just a signature,” the COR is what makes that real.
Reach out below. A local Scouting representative will meet with you to learn about your organization and answer every question — no commitment.
Together we choose the right type of unit for the youth you want to serve, identify a meeting space, and line up your first leaders — with our help recruiting them.
You sign a simple annual charter agreement, name your representative, and welcome your first Scouts. From there, your district team keeps you supported.
All kinds of community organizations across our four districts host units. You don’t have to be a church, and you don’t have to be big. If you care about young people, you belong here.
Serving families across our 18 counties in south-central Indiana: Bartholomew, Brown, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Ripley, and Switzerland.
There is a $100 annual charter fee to keep a unit chartered. In most cases the unit itself covers this rather than the chartered organization — but it’s worth knowing that chartering carries a small, real commitment. Beyond that, your main contribution is a place to meet and your good name. Families and the unit handle program costs, and the council can help families who need financial assistance so cost never keeps a child out.
Very little. You host and encourage the unit — you don’t run its meetings. The main ask is naming one Charter Organization Representative to stay connected, plus a simple annual renewal. Trained volunteer leaders handle the week-to-week program.
Not at all. Churches, civic clubs, schools, veterans’ posts, businesses, fire departments, and neighborhood groups all charter units. Any organization that cares about serving young people is a great fit.
Yes. Your organization approves the adult leaders, so the unit always reflects your values. Every adult also completes youth-protection training and a background check through Scouting America.
Scouting America maintains general liability insurance coverage for chartered organizations in connection with official, authorized Scouting activities, and applies nationally recognized youth-protection standards to every unit.
That’s exactly where we come in. Your district team helps you recruit, screen, and train leaders — and keeps supporting them so the unit stays healthy. You’re never left to figure it out alone.
Tell us a little about your organization and we’ll connect you with a local Scouting representative. No pressure, no obligation — just a conversation about serving the young people in your community.
Request a conversationDownloadable pieces your organization’s decision-makers can review.
Already chartering a unit with us? Learn more about the Charter Organization Representative role and how to stay connected to your unit throughout the year.
Resources for current reps