MySummitKeep

Pilot program

Run a Scouting America Chipmunks Scurry without the group-text chaos.

Scouting America Chipmunks is a pilot program for children aged 4 and 5. MySummitKeep gives the parent who leads a Scurry free tools for talking to families, planning the week, sharing the jobs and keeping the sticker book.

Register a ScurryWhat is Chipmunks?

Free for every Scurry. No trial, no card.

What Scouting America Chipmunks is

It is a preschool program, not a step up a ladder. Families with children aged 4 and 5 meet every week in a small group called a Scurry. A parent leads the meeting, with stories, puppets and hands-on activities led by eight forest friends. Each child collects stickers in a sticker book.

It is its own one-year program, separate from a pack. When a child starts kindergarten, the family can move to a pack as a Lion.

The program began as a pilot in April 2026 in seven councils. Pine Tree Council in Maine joined on October 9, 2026, so the pilot now covers at least eight.

Ages
4 and 5, before kindergarten
Groups
Called Scurries. A Scurry is separate from a pack.
Meetings
Weekly, about an hour, in a playdate style
Length
One year
Who leads
A parent volunteer, the Scurry Coordinator
Support
A Chipmunk Ranger, a district or council volunteer
Recognition
A sticker book and helper stickers. No badges.
Uniform
A neckerchief and slide

How MySummitKeep supports a Scurry

National has said it may build its own parent app one day. Until then, these are the jobs that eat a coordinator’s week, and they are the ones we took on.

  • Parent communication

    Message every family from one place, in the app and by email. Messages to families go to the parent, so a four-year-old never has to be the go-between.

  • The weekly schedule

    Set up the weekly meeting once and let it repeat. It cycles through the eight themes, so the coordinator and the families always know what is next.

  • The parent role rota

    A family adult comes to every meeting, and parents take turns with small jobs. The rota has ready-made roles for snack, setup and story reader, so nobody has to chase volunteers by text.

  • The sticker book

    Chipmunks collect stickers, with helper stickers for the child who lends a hand. Award them from a weekly grid in seconds, and parents see their own child’s book.

  • The hand-off to Lions

    When a child starts kindergarten, or turns 5 by September 1, the family is told. A parent taps once to ask to join the linked pack as a Lion, and the pack approves it. The pack sees a count, never a list of other families’ children.

Eight themes, eight forest friends

Each weekly theme goes with one forest friend. The weekly schedule in MySummitKeep cycles through them in turn.

  1. Citizenship & MulticulturalCyrus the Squirrel
  2. Problem SolvingRuby the Rabbit
  3. AdventureRemy the Raccoon
  4. Friendship & TeamworkDawn the Deer
  5. S.T.E.M.Sebastian the Skunk
  6. Outdoor SkillsMax the Moose
  7. CreativityHeidi the Hedgehog
  8. Music & MovementBella the Bluebird

Theme and character names are from the Pine Tree Council brochure and the national New Programs deck. One character’s name appears as “Cyrus” in National’s On Scouting article and “Syrus” elsewhere; we use National’s spelling.

A Scurry is free.

No trial, no credit card, no upgrade to chase. A Scurry runs on the free Basecamp tools that fit it.

See pricing
  • Parent messaging by email and in the app
  • A weekly meeting that repeats through the eight themes
  • A parent role rota with snack, setup and story reader roles
  • The sticker book, with helper stickers
  • The hand-off to a linked pack when a child is ready to be a Lion
  • Youth safety and privacy features, as on every plan

The pilot councils

These councils are in the Scouting America Chipmunks pilot today. Anyone can set up a Scurry in MySummitKeep, but because the program is a pilot, please check with your council if yours is not on this list.

  • Bay-LakesCouncil 635
  • Circle TenCouncil 571
  • Gateway AreaCouncil 624
  • Great Smoky MountainCouncil 557
  • Patriots' PathCouncil 358
  • Twin RiversCouncil 364
  • Western MassachusettsCouncil 234
  • Pine TreeCouncil 218

Questions

Is this the same as the Chipmunks from Scouts Canada or BPSA?

No. This page is about Scouting America Chipmunks, a pilot in the United States. Scouts Canada runs its own Chipmunks pilot, and BPSA is a separate organization. Check that you are looking at the right program before you sign up.

Is it a drop-off program?

No. A family adult comes each week, and parents take turns with small jobs such as snack, setup and reading the story.

Does my Scurry have to be in a pilot council?

Anyone can set up a Scurry in MySummitKeep. Scouting America Chipmunks is a pilot, though, so if you are outside the councils listed here, please check with your council before you start.

What happens when a child starts kindergarten?

Children move to a pack as Lions. MySummitKeep tells the family when a child is in kindergarten this fall or turns 5 by September 1, and a parent can ask to join the linked pack in one tap. The pack approves the request.

What does it cost to use MySummitKeep for a Scurry?

Nothing. A Scurry is free, with no trial and no card needed.

Ready to register a Scurry?

Set up your Scurry in a few minutes. You can link it to the pack your children will join as Lions.

Register a Scurry

Where these facts come from

MySummitKeep is an independent platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Scouting America. Scouting America Chipmunks is a pilot program, and the official source controls: details can change, so check with your council. This page is not about the Chipmunks run by Scouts Canada or about BPSA, which are separate organizations.