The Scouting adventure, camping trips, high-adventure excursions and having fun are important to everyone in Scouting—and so is your safety and well-being. Below is an update to make sure your Scouting is safe and everyone stays healthy.

Guide to Safe Scouting

Completing the Annual Health and Medical Record is the first step in making sure you have a great Scouting experience. So what do you need? Check the sidebar for all forms you may need.

All participants in official Scouting activities should become familiar with the Guide to Safe Scouting, applicable program literature or manuals, and be aware of state or local government regulations that supersede Boy Scouts of America practices, policies, and guidelines. The Guide to Safe Scouting is an overview of Scouting policies and procedures gleaned from a variety of sources. For some items, the policy statements are complete. Unit leaders are expected to review the additional reference material cited prior to conducting such activities.

In situations not specifically covered in this guide, activity planners should evaluate the risk or potential risk of harm, and respond with action plans based on common sense, community standards, the Scout motto, and safety policies and practices commonly prescribed for the activity by experienced providers and practitioners.

Download the print-friendly version below. This is the full PDF version that contains updates as of January 2019. Please refer to the online version for the most updated information.