Your Scouting Story

Req 5 — Research Your Scouting Community

Research the history of your unit, council, summer camp, or Order of the Arrow lodge. With the permission of a parent or guardian, your research methods may include an internet or library search, interviews with Scout leaders, or visits to locations where you learn about your topic. Prepare an oral or written report, a presentation, or a video of your research and review it with your counselor.

This requirement brings Scouting history home. Instead of studying national figures and events, you will uncover the story of your own Scouting community.

Choose Your Topic

Pick one:

Your troop (or crew, pack, or ship). When was it chartered? Who started it? What is its sponsoring organization? What traditions make it unique?
Your council. When was it formed? Has it merged with other councils? What camps does it operate? Who are its notable leaders?
Your summer camp. When was the land acquired? Who built the original facilities? What traditions does the camp have? How has it changed over the years?
Your Order of the Arrow lodge. When was it founded? What is the lodge name and totem? What traditions does it maintain? How has membership changed?

How to Research

The requirement gives you several approved methods. Here are practical tips for each:

Internet and Library Search

Your council’s website may have a history page or archived newsletters
Search for your council name or troop number plus “history” online
Check your local library’s community history section — some libraries keep files on local organizations, including Scout troops
Newspaper archives (like Newspapers.com) may have old articles about your unit or council

Interviews

Talk to longtime leaders in your troop — Scoutmasters, committee members, and Eagle Scout mentors often know decades of history
Ask your district executive or council staff for contacts who go way back
Seek out older Eagle Scouts from your troop — they may have stories and photos no one else remembers
Bring a notebook or, with permission, record the conversation so you do not lose details

Site Visits

Visit your council office and ask to see old records, photos, or memorabilia
Walk your summer camp and look for historic markers, old structures, or dedication plaques
Visit the site where your troop first met, if it is still accessible

Presenting Your Research

You can deliver your findings in any of these formats:

Oral report — Walk your counselor through what you found in a conversation
Written report — A few pages covering your topic’s history, key people, and milestones
Presentation — Slides with photos, timelines, and key facts
Video — A short documentary combining interviews, photos, and narration

Whatever format you choose, cover:

When and how your topic (unit, council, camp, or lodge) was founded
Key people in its history
How it has changed over the years
What traditions or stories make it unique
Your sources — where you got your information

Planning note: The people you interview for this requirement must be different from those you interview for Requirement 8. Decide early who you will talk to for each requirement so there is no overlap.

If you completed Requirement 4c by visiting a local exhibit or historian, some of what you learned there may also inform your research here — but this requirement asks for your own deeper investigation and a formal report.