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Unit Rechartering Overview

The Annual Unit Rechartering Process is one of the most vital administrative components of managing a unit (troop, pack, crew, ship or post). The unit charter that is renewed each year as part of this process is the formal document that certifies the agreement between a chartered partner – an organization that agrees to utilize Scouting as a part of its service to youth and community outreach – and the Boy Scouts of America. Without an up-to-date charter, a unit is not part of the Boy Scouts of America and does not have access to council or national resources, including insurance.

What is a Charter?
In the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), a charter authorizes an organization to operate BSA Scouting units. It certifies the agreement between a chartered organization – an organization that agrees to utilize Scouting as a part of its service to youth– and the Boy Scouts of America, setting expectations for the quality of program to be delivered. Issuing a charter is one of the oldest traditions in Scouting.

Why is a charter renewed annually?
Charters are usually issued for a period of 1 year; hence, chartered organizations must submit an application to the council annually to renew its charter. The requirement to renew a charter:

  • Fosters a formal, timely plan for regular dialogue between charter organization and BSA.
  • Assures membership is current so Scouts can participate in Scouting activities and advance in rank.

Who Can I Contact with Specific Questions?
Contact your unit commissioner or a member of the membership & unit service team for help with charter renewal. As always if you have any recharter questions, don’t hesitate to contact us by email.

Internet Rechartering 2.0 Makes Recharter Super Easy!

The National Council BSA has released Internet Rechartering 2.0 — a simplified, modern web application that will make renewing your unit’s charter faster, easier, and potentially paper-free! The National Council has published the Internet Rechartering 2.0 User Guide and a new Frequently Asked Questions documents to get you familiar with the system.

Internet Recharter 2.0 is now part of Internet Advancement. The charter organization representative, committee chair, and unit leader (ie Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Venturing Crew Advisor, Sea Scout Skipper, or Exploring Post Advisor) can login to Internet Rechartering 2.0 using their my.Scouting.org user ID and password.

The new Internet Rechartering system can be accessed through Internet Advancement 2.0.  Click the button above to get started. User name and Password is the same as your ScoutBook or my.scouting account.

Internet Recharter Stages & Timeline

Recharter Timeline

IMPORTANT! The deadline for submitting your completed 2024 charter is Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
If a completed charter hasn’t been submitted by that date, your current charter will expire on December 31, 2023.

Internet Rechartering Getting Started

To get ready for unit recharter, you can do a few simple things to make sure you have a recharter ready roster!

  • Step 1Confirm your membership. In my.Scouting.org, select your unit, go into the Organization Manager and click on the Roster function. This shows your adult and youth members that are registered with the BSA. You can filter the list by adults or youth or export your roster into a printable PDF or a CSV file (spreadsheet). Make sure everyone you think should be on your roster is really on your roster!
  • Step 2Confirm your Key 3. Make sure the adults registered as the committee chairperson, unit leader (Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, crew advisor or skipper), and chartered organization representative are correct and are currently active in your unit. Having accurate information about the Key 3 is important. We’ll be sending emails about your recharter directly to them and they’re the ones who will have access to the new Internet Rechartering system.

By the wayDo these two steps in my.Scouting.org, not Scoutbook. my.Scouting.org is the actual registration database, while Scoutbook is a separate and not always accurate copy.

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