At minimum, each Scout will need a uniform and a handbook. Additional supplies and equipment may be needed for certain activities such as camping trips or field days. What equipment is needed, as well as whether it will be provided by the unit, will vary. Unit leaders should provide parents with information about any supplies that will be required at the beginning of each program year.
Our uniforms, literature, and other Scouting merchandise is available at your local council, Scout shops, and other licensed distributors. Visit the Supply Group Web site at www.scoutstuff.org 
to find a list of distributors in your area. If there aren't any suppliers near you, you can order directly from the Supply Group by telephone.
The buddy system is a safety routine that calls for a Scout to be paired with a buddy whenever he participates in Scouting activities such as aquatics, cycling, or hiking, and when he meets with his merit badge counselor. It is a way for Scouts to look after one another, stay safe, and have more fun. During meetings with adult leaders, a Scout's buddy can be another Scout or friend, or a relative.
The religious emblems programs are created by the various religious groups to encourage youth to grow stronger in their faith. The religious groups—not the Boy Scouts of America—have created the religious emblems programs themselves.
The Boy Scouts of America has approved of these programs and allows the recognition to be worn on the official uniform, but each religious organization develops and administers its own program.