Scouting America is proud to provide the Scouting experience to all youth who meet membership requirements. Youth can join Cub Scouting or Scouts BSA and have the opportunity to grow and learn from Scouting. There are many opportunities for youth to benefit from the Scouting experience. In the changing world of today, the Great Alaska Council has expanded this program to all youth, whether in the remotest village of Alaska or the big city of Anchorage, you can participate as a Lone Scout for the program year.

Certain circumstances make traditional Scouting an imperfect fit for certain youth.

Lone Scouts, as the name implies, do much of their Scouting alone. They’re guided by a carefully selected and trusted mentor, usually a parent.

Regular Scout-to-Scout and Scout-to-leader interaction has advantages, so Lone Scouting isn’t right for youth who can attend meetings with traditional Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout troops. These units have the best potential to offer a quality Scouting program. Still, many circumstances are perfect for Lone Scouts, such as:

• A home-schooled Scout, whose parents don’t want them in an outside youth group
• Youth who are unable to attend unit meetings because of life-threatening communicable diseases
• A Scout who has a disability prevents meeting attendance
• A Scout who lives in a rural or remote community far from any unit
• A Scout whose family travels frequently or lives on a boat, etc.
• A Scout whose living arrangements with separated parents frequently take them from one community to another
• A Scout who lives in an environment where getting to and from meetings may put them or their family in danger

Lone Scouts may have an experience that differs from those of traditional Scouts, but they’re still part of the Scouting movement. They still enjoy those experiences only Scouts — Lone or otherwise — can have.

“With the entire Cub Scouting and Scouts BSA programs open to them, they may, under the watchful eye of a Lone Scout friend and counselor, strive for the Eagle Scout rank, just as any other youth. 

How to Join in Five Steps

If Lone Scouts is right for you, follow the steps below to get registered and participate in Scouting. 

Step One: Fill out the Youth Application

• Digital Youth Application

Step Two: Have an Adult Fill out an Adult Application 

• Digital Adult Applications and Additional Background Authorization Form
• Safeguarding Youth Training (for Lone Scout Guide taken at my.scouting.org)

Step Three: Payment

• Registration period runs Year Round
• Scouting costs $170 a year per youth and $65 a year per adult
• Scout Life Magazine is $15 per year
  • The Council Office accepts checks and all major bank cards.

Step Four: Submit the Paperwork and Payments 

• Submit all paperwork and payment to the Great Alaska Council
  • Email it to brenda.bidwell@scouting.org
  • Call us at 907-337-9547
  • Mail it to us at 3117 Patterson Street, Anchorage, AK 99504

Step Five

• Download the guide to Lone Scouting 
• Want a hard copy? Call us or stop by the Scout Store
  • We can ship for a small fee
    • 907-337-9547
    • 3117 Patterson Street, Anchorage, AK 99504