LOCAL COUNCILS

[Freddie]

Local Council Registration and Fees
The requirements set forth in the application for new or renewal
charters as well as policies and guidelines must be satisfied in order
to maintain the local council in good standing and eligible for a
renewal charter. The application must also be accompanied by a
statement of compliance with all membership validation requirements and the local council must maintain all membership validation records on file for no less than five years.
An annual registration fee, known as the council charter fee and
determined from time to time by the Executive Committee and
announced to the field, must be paid by local councils to the
National Council upon charter application or renewal application. An annual assessment, known as the national service fee, for
which the calculation will be determined from time to time by the
Executive Committee and announced to the field, must be paid by
the local councils to the National Service Center. This fee will be
paid during the 10-month period beginning in February and ending in November

[Freddie]

Council Operations
Councils must be organized and operated pursuant to the Bylaws,
Rules and Regulations, policies, and guidelines of the Boy Scouts
of America. Local councils serve as the local representative of
the National Council in administering the Scouting program and
accepting and processing applications for membership, registration,
and unit charters, as well as all other applications for certificates,
commissions, awards, and other matters subject to the approval of
the National Council. However, local councils are not agents of the
National Council and have no authority to bind the Boy Scouts of
America or act in a manner inconsistent with the Bylaws, Rules and
Regulations, policies, and guidelines of the Boy Scouts of America.
Council executive board members must be and remain registered
in that position after their election to be eligible to serve

[Freddie]

Responsibilities of Local Council
It is the duty of the local council to promote the Scouting program
through the organization and annual registration of units and their
personnel and to provide leadership and support of program activities in such a manner as to ensure compliance with the provisions
of the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, policies, and guidelines of the
Boy Scouts of America. Local councils must guard against the use
of the official insignia and uniform by persons not registered with
or authorized by the Boy Scouts of America and to bring to the
attention of the Boy Scouts of America violations of regulations or
attempts to commercialize Scouting. Local councils should encourage eligible units and youth to participate in a high-adventure activity or superactivity away from home each year. Local councils must
provide the support necessary to ensure opportunities for advancement, awards, and recognition in accordance with the guidelines of
the Boy Scouts of America.

[Freddie]

District Organization
For the purpose of unit service and program administration, a
local council may be divided geographically or functionally into
such districts as the local council executive board may determine. Districts must operate pursuant to the Bylaws, Rules and
Regulations, policies, and guidelines of the Boy Scouts of America.
Their purpose is to make effective in the territory the policies
and programs adopted by the local council, its executive board,
and council committees. The administration of Scouting in each
district will be exercised by the local council through a district
Key 3, committee, and commissioner staff. The district committee,
the operating committees of the district, and the district commissioner staff have no legislative authority

[Freddie]

Council Program Promotion Outside of
Assigned Territory
Local councils may not directly or indirectly solicit, advertise, or
otherwise use or authorize the use of any logo, insignia, terms in
common usage, or descriptive marks of the Boy Scouts of America
or status as a chartered affiliate outside of the United States to
recruit non-Scouts to local programs. Local councils may publicize the availability of local council programs, including camps, in
domestic publications if the facilities are suitable and in compliance
with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Local Council and Unit Finance
No unit or local council has the authority to commit the National
Council to any financial obligation whatsoever. All money raised
by or received for the benefit of a unit or local council and all
property acquired by a unit or local council will be deemed to be
received or acquired solely for the benefit of Scouting as interpreted
by and in accordance with the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, and
policies of the Boy Scouts of America.
Subject to these Rules and Regulations, local councils control the
raising and expenditure of all funds for local Scouting work in their
jurisdiction. Each chartered local council must render annually to
the community in which it is located a duly audited statement of all
funds collected and expended and must furnish a copy thereof to
the National Service Center.
A local council may charge a unit activity fee or a participant surcharge, to be determined from time to time by the local council, to
be applied to council national liability insurance program charges

[Freddie]

Real Estate
Except as hereafter provided with respect to incorporated local
councils, the title to all real estate acquired for a unit or local council must be vested in a bank or trust company, in trust for the use
of the unit or local council in accordance with the wishes of the
donor with the provision that if such property cannot be utilized in
such a manner, and title does not revert to the donor, that title or
beneficial use of the property must nonetheless be for the benefit of
Scouting in the local area.
Any incorporated local council may hold title to real property in its
own name provided that in the event of the dissolution of the unit
or council or the revocation or lapse of its charter said trustee or
trustees will, after satisfying any claims against such unit or council to which such real estate may be subject, convey said property
or, if sold, pay the net proceeds of such sale to the Boy Scouts of America, which may hold or use said property or funds for the
benefit of Scouting in such locality or elsewhere if there is not
suitable opportunity to use said property or funds in such locality.
Any incorporated local council holding title to real property in its
own name must ensure that its certificate or articles of incorporation expressly provide for the conveyance of such property or the
net proceeds from the sale thereof to the Boy Scouts of America in
the event of the dissolution of the local council or the revocation
or lapse of its charter in a manner consistent with this provision.