Scouting America Tidewater Council

The mission of Scouting America 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 vision of Scouting America is to prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law.

The Scout Oath is, "On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

The Scout Law is, "A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent."

Tidewater Council traces its origin to 1911, when it was first known as the Norfolk Council, BSA. In January 1935, the council was given its present name of Tidewater Council when it expanded to provide Boy Scouts of America programming in the North Carolina counties of Currituck, Camden, Gates, Perquimans, Pasquotank, and Chowan. In January 1942, Tidewater Council expanded to serve Dare County as well. In October 2024, Tidewater Council became known as Scouting America Tidewater Council, reflecting the ongoing commitment to welcome every youth and family in America to experience the benefits of Scouting.

From those first days with only a few Scouts, the values of Scouting have directly influenced hundreds of thousands of lives here in the Tidewater Council.

Tidewater Council provides extracurricular youth development programs for boys and girls ages 5-20, and their families, in Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans.

Based on proven curriculums, year-round Scouting programs engage youth through service projects, STEM, camping and outdoor adventures, experiential learning, career exploration, high adventure, and leadership opportunities.

Scouting builds confidence and positive mental wellbeing through age-appropriate goals and recognition. Scouting provides a series of challenges, and the skills needed to overcome them. Scouts are recognized for their accomplishments, gaining self-confidence and progressive levels of independence. Scouts thrive with focused social support, learning to contribute to team success and to resolve conflict peacefully. Service projects give Scouts a sense of purpose.

The goal of Scouting is to prepare young people for life, teaching life lessons centered on citizenship, character, personal fitness, and leadership.

• Cub Scouting for boys and girls grades K-5 encourages youth to make friends, be helpful to others, and do their very best no matter the outcome. With the help of powerful learning projects and exciting outdoor activities, children learn that doing their best can be a fun and rewarding experience, no matter the difficulty of the challenge.
• Scouts BSA for boys and girls ages 11-17 is the traditional Scouting experience where youth can have their share of adventure in the great outdoors. Scouts develop a love of service by volunteering in their community, boost their leadership skills through fun and exciting challenges, and create memories that last a lifetime.
• Venturing for boys and girls ages 14-20 is a youth-led program all about building adventures with friends. Venturers choose to do activities that matter to them and develop essential skills like leadership, event-planning, organization, communication, and responsibility through high adventure outdoor activities and challenging real-world projects.
• Sea Scouting for boys and girls ages 14-20 promotes citizenship and aquatic skills through instruction and practice in water safety, boating skills, outdoor programming, social connections, service experiences, and knowledge of maritime heritage.
• Exploring for boys and girls ages 10-20 teaches important life and career skills to young people from all backgrounds through immersive career experiences and mentorship for youth looking to discover their future.
• ScoutReach provides Scouting programs to youth in underserved communities, at no cost to participants. Accessible programs, led by paid staff, make it possible for all youth to benefit from Scouting's character-building youth development opportunities.