Charter FAQ

This is a very important question! Charters are due no later than December 15th, 2020.

A quick and efficient completion depends on your unit’s ability to collect the data needed to perform the charter renewal. For instance, performing a unit roster check, getting any missing members registered right away, making sure all adults are Youth Protection trained, then asking each member if they want to renew their membership for another year, and then collecting renewal membership fees. Once this is all done, the Key 3 and Chartered Organization Representative should hold a meeting to discuss the revisions and receive the COR’s approval and have the COR sign the Annual Charter Agreement. Once those steps are completed, the selected Charter Renewal Processor can complete the online Charter Renewal without errors or delays.

Units with late charters suffer a number of problems after a short grace period. First, their unit, meaning all members and Chartered Organization partner, are no longer covered by the BSA Insurance and Liability coverage. This means that your leaders and Chartered Organization could be liable in the event of an accident. Second, several BSA provided tools like Scoutbook, Internet Advancement 2.0 and BeAScout will no longer be accessible by you to update advancements or by the public to join your unit. Third, Boys’ Life magazine subscriptions will be interrupted. Finally, your unit will not be eligible for the Journey to Excellence Award—an important distinction and an indication that you are providing the best possible program to the youth in your unit.

A Charter Organization is a religious, civic, or community organization that chooses to sponsor a BSA Pack, Troop or Crew. Annually, the local council enters into an agreement with the chartered organization granting them a charter.  This charter enables the organization or group to use the Scouting program under adult leadership they approve of in order to accomplish its objectives and to serve the organization’s youth and families.

Chartered organizations are structured differently so the term Institution Head is used to describe the person who leads the chartered organization.  In a place of worship it may be a pastor or it may be the president of a community group.  The institution head enters into an annual agreement to provide Scouting in the community and to the youth they seek to serve.  In most cases the institution head appoints someone to oversee the Scouting program(s) they charter and this position is a Chartered Organization Representative.

The access code is a number generated each year for each unit that is due to recharter.  This can be found on the Welcome letter sent to the Unit Committee Chair in late August. A full list can be found here.  Do not confuse the access code with the Unit ID number.  They serve different purposes.

The charter processor will need to ask the adult registrants if they hold more than 1 position in the Council.  This can also apply to a youth member of a troop and crew.  They also need to find out where the person is paying their registration fees so the proper unit is charged accordingly.  Registration fees are paid once.  Where the fee is applied creates their primary position.

As soon as the mistake is discovered, please send an email to your District Executive as soon as possible.

The Journey to Excellence (JTE) form is a great tool for communicating with the District and the Council on the ‘health’ of a unit.  The District Executive, District Chairman, and the District Commissioner can use this information to come up with a game plan to help your unit to succeed.

Contact your Chartered Organization and the District Executive as soon as possible.

The copy you printed is a DRAFT copy…you need to return to the online process and Submit to Council.  Then print a copy for signatures.

Printing a draft copy is for the processor to review with the unit to be sure everyone is accounted for.  The charter is not submitted to Council at this point.

The online computer program will calculate the amount owed to National only.  Each Council sets its own Program/Insurance Fee.  DO NOT PAY ONLINE. Payment should only be made when turning in your final submission and payment must be made to Twin Rivers Council.

You do not need to search out a Council Representative.  When the charter paperwork is received in Council, it will be signed at that time.

Maybe.  The Rechartering Night is staffed usually by a Commissioner that tries to find all the problems (Youth Applications, Adult Applications, fee, counts, amounts, YPT, etc) that need to be fixed.  You will be given a Council receipt for the fees paid.  The Youth Protection Training status may be available online for the adult leaders. You can turn in all correctly signed paperwork and ask any questions you may have.  When the Rechartering packet arrives at the office, it is double checked by the District Executive before processing.

The Chartered Organization Representative is the direct contact between the unit and the Chartered Organization. This individual is also the organization’s contact with the District Committee and the Local Council. The chartered organization representative may become a member of the district committee and is a voting member of the council. If the chartered organization has more than one unit, one representative serves them all. The Chartered Organization Representative appoints the Pack Committee Chair and is responsible for reviewing and approving new adult member applications.

The access code is a unique 9-digit number generated new each year by the National BSA that allows a Renewal Processor to link the charter renewal to your unit. The Council Registrar will email the access code to the Unit Key 3 a few days prior to the November 1st opening of the Unit Charter Renewal System web portal. This code will then be given to the unit designated Renewal Processor to begin Internet Recharter.

The Unit Committee Chair and/or Unit Renewal Processor will need to ask each adult registrant if they hold more than 1 position with the Council. For instance, a Committee Member in a Pack may also be a Scoutmaster in a Troop and a District Member-at-Large. This person will pay their renewal fee in the unit with the primary position, Scoutmaster and be a multiple with all other positions. There are some youth in Troops who multiple with a Crew and the CC & Renewal Processor may need to determine which program will be primary for this youth. All multiples will be verified by the Council Registrar to determine payment has been made.

For Charter Renewal purposes, no members would be considered Transfers because all council fee membership expires on the same date each year.