Diversity Equity & Inclusion

The BSA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

The Boy Scouts of America promotes a culture where each youth, volunteer, and employee feels a sense of belonging and builds communities where every person feels respected and valued. Leading by example and encouraging each other to live by the values of the Scout Oath and Law, we welcome families of all backgrounds to help prepare young people to serve as successful members and leaders of our nation’s increasingly diverse communities.

Chief Seattle Council’s Beliefs, Acknowledgements, and Commitments

We believe our membership should reflect and serve an increasingly diverse population.

We acknowledge:

Our council was named in honor of Chief Si’ahl (1780-1866), a Duwamish and Suquamish leader, for whom the city of Seattle is also named. Our council and programs are on the ancestral lands of Coast Salish Nations, whose people still steward this land.
The legacy of our Council in promoting tolerance and acceptance, and influencing national membership policies on LGBTQ youth/adults, girls/women, and gender-fluid individuals.
The legacy of troops in the Council serving the needs of specific racial, ethnic, and special needs communities.

We commit:

To land-acknowledgement in our meetings and on our properties; to be better listeners and learners from Indigenous communities; to be stewards of the natural environment through Council-wide service projects; to evaluate appropriate use of Indigenous customs and names on our properties in our programs.
To engage at the local, regional, and national level to create a welcoming and inclusive culture, and to develop and adopt best practices that move Scouting forward.
To openness and flexibility to adapt certain program elements to meet the needs of the Chartering organization’s community, while preserving the core program elements of rank advancement and achievement.