Our Programs
Forge Character Through Adventure
From First Steps to Leadership
Saga Scouts is not merely an outdoor activity club.
We are a community of families dedicated to raising capable, honorable youth through hands-on learning, ancestral wisdom, and the Nine Noble Virtues.
Our program bridges ancient tradition with practical skill-building, creating experiences that shape character and forge lifelong bonds.
How We Teach
Scouts do not simply learn skills — they build foundations, then learn to teach. A scout first masters the basics: the knot that holds, the fire that burns, the story that teaches.
Then they turn outward, mentoring younger scouts, reinforcing their own knowledge while developing leadership. By the time a scout reaches Skald Mentor, they have spent years both learning and teaching, prepared to charter their own Hearth or guide a Kindred.
Parents participate as leaders, activity specialists, and role models. This is not a drop-off program; it is family involvement by design. Everyone teaches. Everyone serves.
We operate as local Kindreds and Hearths — autonomous groups supported by the national body.
Kindreds are multi-family charters with multiple leaders and families participating together. They pool resources, share leadership responsibilities, and create larger community events.
Hearths are single-family units operating independently. One family runs their own Saga Scouts program for their children, following the same curriculum and standards with direct national support.
Tribes: As we grow, each state will become its own Tribe with unique features and gatherings — similar to councils in traditional scouting, but shaped by local heritage and landscape. State Tribes will host regional events, coordinate training, and build community across Kindreds and Hearths.
Community Structure
Every activity, ceremony, and interaction rests on the Nine Noble Virtues: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, and Perseverance. These are not abstract ideals but practical tools for navigating life’s challenges. Scouts discuss them, practice them, and demonstrate them through action.
Program Levels
Youth progress through five levels, each building skills, responsibility, and connection to heritage. The final level is for our adults because all of us can always use more skills and the opprotunity to have a moment of childlike wonder.
The same core skills appear at every level — the depth and complexity grow as the scout matures.
Tales (ages 3–6):
Introduction through play, story, and observation. Simple outdoor exposure, basic safety, beginning social skills. Learning to listen, follow directions, and explore with wonder.
Scribes (ages 7–9)
Building foundational skills with hands-on practice. Basic knot-tying, fire safety, plant identification, simple crafts. Learning to work in groups and complete tasks.
Bards (ages 10–12):
Applying knowledge in team settings. Complex projects, leadership opportunities, teaching younger scouts, deeper heritage knowledge. Building confidence through demonstrated competence.
Skalds (ages 13–16)
Mastering skills and leading others. Advanced outdoor survival, complex craftsmanship, mentoring younger scouts, planning and executing group activities. Preparing for adult responsibilities.
Skald Mentors (17–18):
Teaching the next generation and transitioning to adulthood. Full leadership roles, curriculum planning, parent-level responsibilities, preparing to charter their own Hearth or lead a Kindred.
Saga Elders (Adults)
Skilled badges for adults to earn alongside their kids.
Badges
Mastery recognized through demonstration, not attendance. Over 80 badges across four paths: outdoor survival, self-reliance, arts & crafts, and sciences. Heritage badges trace the Wheel of the Year and the 24 Deities & Runes. Character badges mark progress through the Nine Virtues. Every badge exists at every level — a seven-year-old learns fire safety while a fifteen-year-old teaches others to build in wind and rain. The Einherjar Award caps the journey: an 18-month project of vision, leadership, and service before adulthood.
Begin Your Journey
Raising capable, honorable children requires intention.
It requires community.
It requires stepping away from screens and into the woods, away from convenience and into craftsmanship.
Saga Scouts offers the structure, support, and shared purpose that families need to do this work together.
Find a charter near you, or gather your courage and start a Hearth.
The next generation is waiting.