Military families in Evendale, Woodlawn, Sharonville and Springdale can enroll their children in Scouting America at no cost after the Dan Beard Council waived the $85 national registration fee for kids of active-duty service members.

The waiver is part of a national Scouting America program tied to the country's 250th anniversary. The Dan Beard Council, headquartered at the Scout Achievement Center on Reading Road in Evendale, covers all four corridor communities within its 12-county service territory.

"We've been partnered with them for over 115 years, so we understand the plight of military families," Rachel Estepp-Ennis, vice president of marketing for the council, told WCPO. "Kids have to change schools, change churches, change support systems."

Estepp-Ennis said scouting gives military children something consistent when families receive new orders. They can pick up their rank progress at any troop in the country, make friends quickly and find a support network on arrival.

How to sign up

Enrollment is online only. Families visit BeAScout.org, enter their zip code to find a nearby unit, then complete a military credential verification. The $85 fee drops off automatically at checkout.

The waiver covers the national registration fee. Individual council and troop fees may still apply, but Estepp-Ennis said those costs are often offset through fundraising activities such as popcorn sales.

The council announced the program on June 24 and has not listed an expiration date. Families interested should verify current availability at BeAScout.org.

Council milestones

The Dan Beard Council is the largest youth organization in the Cincinnati area, serving roughly 10,000 families annually with programs from kindergarten through age 20. More than 2,000 youth attended Camp Friedlander and Cub World Adventure Camp in Loveland during the summer 2026 season.

On Jan. 25, the council opened the $2 million Dever Family Foundation Skilled Trades Education Center at Camp Friedlander, featuring automotive bays, plumbing instruction and a robotics bay.

Estepp-Ennis said the council is targeting outreach to more than 100,000 kids across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky during the current recruiting season.