It is the Vision of Northern Star Council to be be recognized as a positive influence in the lives of 100 percent of the youth in the communities we serve.

Scouting Changes Lives
Scouting serves young people and their families by creating the foundation for making good decisions, based on personal values and ethical experiences. A 2005 study by Harris Interactive for Boy Scouts of America found that boys who are or were Scouts agree that Scouting is a positive influence in their life. Scouting has helped them gain self-confidence, leadership skills, determination, and social interaction skills. Scouting has also impacted their academic skills; Scouting activities have helped boys improve their reading, science, engineering, physical fitness, and emergency preparedness skills. In addition, boys who are Scouts report earning higher grades than do boys who were never Scouts. Scouts are also more likely to make the most ethical decisions, not the easiest. Scouts are more likely to volunteer to be a leader, practice responsible recycling procedures, and take part in community service.

Scouting Goals
At all program levels, the goal of Scouting is to meet the critical needs of today’s young people in order to help them become responsible, productive, and contributing members of society. Scouting seeks to accomplish this by:
• Providing youth with adult role models and a place where they find acceptance as part of a group.
• Encouraging civic responsibility through participation in community service projects.
• Teaching self-discipline, personal responsibility, and encouraging children to make wise choices.
• Giving youth the opportunity to socially interact with others in a safe, supervised environment.
• Encouraging youth to test new skills and knowledge, and exposing them to exciting outdoor adventures and lifelong hobbies.
• Helping young people learn to set and achieve their goals, and gain an understanding of where they want to go in the future.
• Providing opportunities for positive interaction with their peers and adult leaders, and to work as productive team members.
• Teaching youth proficiency in many skills and topics, to take on leadership roles that help them prepare to be leaders in life, and to recognize them for their achievements.

Scouting Impact
Northern Star Council supports over 22,000 adult volunteers who developed and enriched the lives of more than 100,000 boys and girls, ages 6 through 20. The council is comprised of youth and adults representing most racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, physical and mental abilities, and educational experiences. It serves 25 counties across central Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Wilder Research has found that through participation in Scouting activities young people develop strong relationships with adults, they develop self-esteem through service to others, they develop critical social competencies such as working as a team member, making good decisions, solving problems, and knowing right from wrong; all qualities that help young people become full participants in our communities and the world.

Working with Others
Scouting only works though its partnerships and in collaboration with other organizations; more than 1,300 community organizations enter into an agreement with the council to become a chartered organization and become responsible for a pack, troop, team and/or crew. The organizations are comprised of 233 education, 428 religious, and 591 civic and labor groups. In 2008, these groups charter 605 Cub Scout packs, 491 Boy Scout troops, 24 Varsity teams, 255 Venture crews, 3 ships, 224 Explorer posts, and 122 Learning for Life classrooms.

All Scouting units perform community service projects, often in partnership with volunteers from their charter organization, to the benefit of their community. This service is as varied as helping keep highways and byways clear of litter, to the Scouting for Food drive which annually collects more than 300,000 pounds of food, and cash, to support community based food shelves in the council service area. In 2008, youth members provided s total of 641,400 hours of service to their communities.