Wikipedia:WikiProject Scouting/Local Scouting articles (BSA)

Overview

Many editors desire to add articles on subjects of local or non-national interest, such as camps and units. These articles often begin as crufty stubs that do not meet Wikipedia:Notability guidelines and are soon deleted or merged. Managing articles of this nature takes up limited resources best used elsewhere and dealing with the merge and deletion of articles can be contentious.

Editors are encouraged to use a top-down approach; to expand high level articles to the point where they can be split into smaller articles of good quality. Thus, a state article may beget a council article that begets a camp article.

Criteria

States

The top level article in this context is the Scouting in <state> article, such as Scouting in Virginia. The state article covers all of the councils with a presence in that state. Since some councils cross state boundaries, the council will be noted in all of the states and the main section will be in the state article where the council headquarters are located. Links will be placed in each article back to the main article section.

Councils

When a council section is of sufficient length and quality, it may be split into a separate article. District, lodge, chapter and camp articles should remain within the council article, and should be split if and only if there is sufficient notability on a national level.

Units

Units such as packs, troops, teams, crews and ships should not be included as separate articles or as sections within council or state unless they meet notability standards.

Style

• When articles on such smaller entities exist, the lower level articles will link back to upper level articles with main article links and summaries according to Wikipedia:Summary style.
• In addition to the standard Wikipedia:Manual of Style, the Language of Scouting. the BSA style guide, will be used. Section "C" of the LoS covers capitalization in detail.
• The creation of redirects from individual councils or camps is encouraged. For example, Pipsico Scout Reservation redirects to Tidewater Council.
• Gilwell Park is a featured article and should be considered as a model.
• Explain jargon that may not be understood by those outside Scouting. For example, "trading post" should be explained as a camp store.

Information to include

Some of the information that should be included:

General articles

• Notable programs
• History

Camp specific sections and articles

• What is the target audience of the camp? Is it open only to certain units, open only to Scouts/Guides or open to the public? Is it open year round?
• Natural features and geography
• Main building
• Notable programs
• History - should be kept to a few paragraphs.
  • Who owns the camp, what year did it open, where is it located, notable events
• Latitude and longitude coordinates in the External Links section.
• The county category where the camp is located.

Information to exclude

Do not include cruft such as:

• "Notable" staff or alumni unless they really meet WP notability standards
• Information presented in other articles. For example, do not detail information already presented in Order of the Arrow.
• Non-notable building details, such as the number of fridges in the kitchen, construction of latrines and the like
• Individual campsite details within a larger camp; a short, common description would be preferred
• Lyrics to camp specific songs or prayers not used nationally; see Wilderness Grace for a number of variations on this prayer

Article format

A standard format has been developed to aid in article development:

Article format
Introduction use the {{Infobox WorldScouting}} template
History or origins
Geography (if camp)
Notable programs
See also {{Portal|Scouting}} (not needed if the infobox is used) [[Scouting in ...]]
External links {{coord}} lat and long Camp or council website
Category Category:Local council camps (Boy Scouts of America) or Category:Boy Scouts of America Local Councils [[Category:County, State]]