Fact Sheet

Boy Scouts of America, Minsi Trails Council

Fact Sheet

Contact Info:   Council Office: 991 Postal Road, Allentown PA 18109.  Media Contact:  Don Sachs– office phone: (610) 465-8572, e-mail: dsachs@minsitrails.com .  The national BSA headquarters: Dallas, TX.
www.scouting.org 

Boy Scouts at a Glance: The Boy Scouts of America is the nation's leading youth character and leadership development program serving more than 110 million young people since its founding in 1910.  More than 4.1 million youth and 1.1 million adult volunteers are active in Scouting through more than 300 local Scout Councils. The Boy Scouts of America:

- Offers fun, challenge, and high adventure
- Develops leadership, character and citizenship in today’s youth
- Serves our local communities and families with a program built on youth leadership and service to others

The local Minsi Trails Council, BSA serves nearly 27,000 youth through the leadership of 5,500 adult volunteers.  The Council provides programs to youth throughout the Anthracite Region, Pocono Mountains and Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania along with western New Jersey and serves six-counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe, Carbon, Luzerne, and Warren counties.  The local Scouting heritage dates back nearly 100 years to 1910 when the council’s first Scout troops were established in Allentown and Easton areas.

The Minsi Trails Council has three Scout Camps located in the Pocono Mountains: Akelaland Cub Scout Camp and Settlers Camp at Trexler Scout Reservation in Jonas, PA and Camp Minsi in Pocono Summit, PA.  Combined, these camps serve more than 4,000 campers annually.

Council Leadership:  Tom Harrington, Scout Executive and CEO; John Hayes, Council President; and Eric Chiles, Council Commissioner

Mission Statement

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.

Youth Programs

Cub Scouts  is a family-centered program that develops ethical decision-making skills for boys in the first through fifth grades.  Activities are fun and family-centered, and emphasize character development, citizenship training and personal fitness.

Boy Scouts  is for boys age 11 through 17, who have completed the fifth grade.  The program revolves around a youth-led troop.  The youth take on leadership positions to plan troop activities, run meetings, and plan adventure outings while learning skills that will last a lifetime.  The highest rank, Eagle Scout, is achieved by just five percent of all Scouts.

Venturing  is a high-adventure co-ed program for young men and women who have completed the eighth grade and are 14-20 years of age.  Venturing is designed to provide positive experiences through youth-run, high-adventure activities that help teens pursue their special interests, grow by teaching others, and develop leadership skills.

Exploring  is a career-based co-ed program for young men and women who have completed the eighth grade and are 14-20 years of age.  The program focuses on building career awareness while gaining all the benefits of Scouting.

Learning for Life is a co-ed, school-based program for youth in grades K through 12 helps youth learn social and life skills, assists in character development, provides potential career information and promotes positive values.

Scoutreach is an outreach effort that provides Scouting programs to typically under-served youth from disadvantaged families.  It is an after-school program that provides a safe environment for young people to have fun while gaining the character and leadership development benefits that Scouting provides.