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What is Old North State Council?
Old North State Council (ONSC) is the local Scouting America council serving families in the greater Greensboro, North Carolina area. It acts as the regional organizing body for Scouting programs rather than a single troop or pack: it groups local units into districts, runs council-wide events and trainings, publishes a council calendar, and operates Cherokee Scout Reservation, described as its premier camp with summer programs and year-round adventures.
Who it serves
ONSC covers eight counties—Rockingham, Caswell, Person, Guilford, Alamance, Randolph, Davidson, and Davie—organized into five districts. Its programs span age ranges:
| Program | Who it's for |
|---|---|
| Cub Scouts | Boys and girls, grades K–5 (ages 5–10) |
| Scouts BSA | Boys and girls, grades 6–12 (ages 11–17) |
| Venturing | Co-ed, ages 14–20 |
| Exploring | Co-ed, ages 14–20 |
| Sea Scouts | Co-ed, ages 14–20 |
The council frames its purpose around outdoor adventure, leadership development, and service, with adult volunteers guiding Scouts.
What this means in practice
If you are a parent in Greensboro or a nearby county, ONSC is the entry point for finding the right program for your child's age and for joining a local unit. If you are a volunteer or unit leader, it is where you find training, district contacts, and council events. The council calendar is the practical tool for keeping a family or unit connected to campouts, service projects, and trainings.
As a next step, check the ONSC council calendar and the "Join Scouting" pages to identify your county's district and the program matching your child's age; families outside the eight listed counties should look up their own local council instead.
Which counties and districts does ONSC serve in North Carolina?
The Old North State Council serves eight counties in the greater Greensboro area of North Carolina: Rockingham, Caswell, Person, Guilford, Alamance, Randolph, Davidson, and Davie. Those counties are organized into five districts.
What this means in practice
- If you are looking for a local unit: Start with your county. A family in Guilford or Alamance will usually find the densest concentration of packs, troops and crews, since Greensboro and Burlington anchor that corridor. Families in Person, Caswell or Rockingham are more rural and may need to travel further to reach a meeting night that fits.
- If you are a volunteer or leader: District is the layer that matters most. Roundtables, training events and camporees are run by district, so knowing your district tells you which calendar and which volunteer contacts are relevant to you.
- If you are comparing councils: County lines are the practical boundary. A family near the edge of Davidson or Davie counties may sit closer to a neighboring council's events than to ONSC's, so check drive times before committing to a unit.
Useful next step
The council's site lists the counties alongside its five districts but does not spell out which district covers which county in the page text. Use the council's district pages or calendar to match your county to a district before contacting a unit, then confirm meeting location and schedule directly with the pack or troop. For the council's own overview, see Old North State Council.
How do I register my child for Cub Scouts or Scouts BSA through ONSC?
Start with the age group, then register through the council that covers your county.
Which program fits your child
- Cub Scouts: boys and girls in grades K–5 (roughly ages 5–10).
- Scouts BSA: boys and girls in grades 6–12 (roughly ages 11–17).
The Old North State Council serves families in Rockingham, Caswell, Person, Guilford, Alamance, Randolph, Davidson, and Davie counties in the greater Greensboro area, organized into five districts. Your first practical step is to confirm which district covers your address, since that determines your local contacts and units.
How to register
- Go to Old North State Council and use the Join Scouting or Join Cub Scouts path on the site.
- Identify your county and district so you reach the right local group.
- Choose a nearby pack (Cub Scouts) or troop (Scouts BSA). Visiting a meeting before committing is the best way to judge fit—ask about meeting times, den or patrol size, and how active the unit is.
- Complete the youth application and any required parent or guardian information, then pay the fees the council or unit quotes you. Current amounts aren't listed here, so confirm them directly.
A useful decision criterion
If your child is near the grade 5–6 boundary, ask the local leaders whether they'd start in Cub Scouts or move straight to Scouts BSA. The programs differ in structure: Cub Scouts is family- and den-centered with adult-led activities, while Scouts BSA is more youth-led, with Scouts running patrols and taking on more responsibility. Matching that style to your child's maturity and interests matters more than the exact age.
For camp and year-round activity planning after registering, the council's Cherokee Scout Reservation page and council calendar are the places to check.
What programs and facilities does Cherokee Scout Reservation offer for Scouts?
Cherokee Scout Reservation (CSR) is described on the council site as the Old North State Council's "premier camp," offering summer programs and year-round adventures for Scouts. Beyond that framing, the page itself gives no program list, activity details, session types, or facility specifics—so treat any concrete claims about merit badge offerings, campsites, aquatics, or dining facilities as unconfirmed until you check the reservation's own pages or the council calendar.
What the page does establish
- CSR is run by the Old North State Council, which serves eight North Carolina counties (Rockingham, Caswell, Person, Guilford, Alamance, Randolph, Davidson, and Davie) across five districts.
- Its programs are positioned as part of the council's broader outdoor and leadership emphasis, alongside campouts, service projects, trainings, and community events listed on the council calendar.
- Eligibility for council programs generally follows the standard Scouting America age structure shown on the page: Cub Scouts (grades K–5), Scouts BSA (grades 6–12), and Venturing, Exploring, and Sea Scouts (co-ed, ages 14–20).
Practical next step
If you are a unit leader planning a summer trip, start with the council calendar to confirm dates and registration windows, then contact the council office directly with specific questions: session lengths, troop vs. provisional camping, available program areas, and any facility accessibility needs. For a family weighing a first summer camp, ask what a typical daily schedule looks like and how younger Scouts are grouped—these details determine whether CSR fits your unit's experience level far more than the "premier camp" label does.
For comparison while planning, you can review how neighboring councils describe their camps, such as Scouting America for national program standards and age requirements.
How can I find upcoming council and district events on the ONSC calendar?
Start on the council's calendar page, linked from the “ONSC & District Calendars” section of the site, and check both levels: council-wide entries (campouts, trainings, community events) and your own district's listings, since the council serves eight counties through five districts. The homepage describes the calendar as the place to keep your unit, family, and yourself connected, and it is organized so you can find events by council or district.
A practical way to use it
- Identify your district first. The council covers Rockingham, Caswell, Person, Guilford, Alamance, Randolph, Davidson, and Davie counties; knowing which district you belong to tells you which listings apply to your unit.
- Check the district calendar for recurring local meetings, camporees, and service projects, and the council calendar for larger events and training dates.
- Filter by your program level. Cub Scouts (grades K–5), Scouts BSA (grades 6–12), and Venturing, Exploring, and Sea Scouts (ages 14–20) often have separate event listings, so an event your child sees may not apply to their age group.
- For camp events, cross-check Cherokee Scout Reservation, which the site describes as the council's main camp offering summer programs and year-round adventures.
Example
A parent of a new Webelos Scout in Guilford County would scan the Guilford district calendar for the next district event, then the council calendar for a training session or camp workday, and finally the Cherokee Scout Reservation page if the family is considering summer camp.
Decision criteria
If you are planning a unit schedule, confirm dates on the district calendar first, since district events usually take precedence for local participation. If you are registering for a specific program, verify the age or grade range on the program page before committing, because the site lists different eligibility for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and the older-youth programs. For a broader view of how the council organizes its programs, see Old North State Council.
How can my unit participate in ONSC popcorn sales for fundraising?
The page identifies Popcorn Sales as a council program, but it does not publish the unit-level steps, deadlines, or order forms. The practical route is to start from ONSC's Popcorn Sales page or contact the council office directly and ask for the current unit chair or staff adviser for your district. Your unit's popcorn kernel—the volunteer who coordinates sales—is the person who registers the unit, distributes take-order forms and online store links, and schedules storefront shifts.
What to confirm with the council before your sale
- Registration and timing: the current sale window, when unit registration opens, and the deadline for turning in paper orders.
- Online versus take-order sales: which platform Scouts use for online sales, how credit is attributed to your unit, and when online orders ship.
- Storefront rules: whether your district assigns show-and-sell locations, how shifts are reserved, and any restrictions on where Scouts may sell.
- Prize and commission structure: what percentage your unit keeps and which prizes apply, so you can set a realistic goal.
- Payment handling: accepted payment methods, check procedures, and the process for handling returned payments.
- Returns and unsold product: what happens to unsold popcorn and how to handle damaged items.
A workable first season
For a pack or troop new to popcorn, set a modest unit goal tied to a specific purchase—camp fees, a trailer, or scholarship funds—rather than a generic total. Pair each Scout's online store link with two or three storefront shifts, since online sales reach far-flung family while storefronts build local visibility. Track sales by Scout so prize eligibility is transparent to families.
Where to look next
- Old North State Council for the Popcorn Sales page, council calendar, and district contacts covering Guilford, Alamance, Randolph, Davidson, Davie, Rockingham, Caswell, and Person counties.
- Scouting America for general guidance on unit money-earning projects and youth fundraising policies that apply alongside council rules.
If your unit already runs a fall campout or service project in the same weeks, check the council calendar first—overlapping commitments are the most common reason popcorn participation drops.
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