The Boy Scouts is an institution that has stayed true to the same mission for decades: To promote physical fitness, citizenship, and good old-fashioned character building.

Boys in first through fifth grade are eligible for Cub Scouts. From sixth through twelfth grade, they can become Boy Scouts. Many boys join a troop through school or church, but a call to the local council is all it takes to find the nearest unit and get a referral number to contact that pack's leader directly.

Each pack makes its own arrangements for how often it will meet; weekly and monthly are common.

The Girl Scouts, founded in 1912, are about more than just cookies - though the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys sells nearly two million boxes a year! The organization aims to build courage, confidence, and character in young girls, as well as promote community service.

Daisy troops are for girls in kindergarten and first grade; Brownies are in grades one to three; Junior Girl Scouts are in grades three to six; and the Studio 2B program welcomes girls in grades six to 12.

Visit the website for information on local chapters and activities, and summer camp and recreational programs. Summer camps are offered at three locations in the metro area. (And if no one knocks on your door, call 800.845.0787 or visit the website's online cookie finder to find out how to purchase cookies.)

Families can volunteer together to provide assistance and company to senior citizens who are otherwise alone in the community. Activities include baking cookies, serving meals, driving an elder to lunch, delivering flowers (third Saturday each month), decorating gift bags, and more. There are opportunities to suit a wide range of commitments and a family's available time.

The recreation center at Martin Luther King Park boasts craft and activity rooms (and two kilns!), a kitchen, and a large multi-sport gymnasium and field house with a vaulted ceiling, and all of these areas can be rented for parties.

Thoughout the year, the center hosts many sport and recreational programs as well as special events for preschoolers, elementary age kids, teens, and families. Many of the programs, including an afterschool computer lab, are offered at little or no cost. The Youthline program for teens meets at the park, too, and includes leadership, mentoring, social, and educational components.

Outdoors, the park features basketball and tennis courts, a tot lot playground and wading pool with fountain, and ball fields.

The St. Paul JCC offers fitness classes and gym facilities (including a pool) with programming for all ages, as well as a technology center and library, sports leagues, summer camps, school release day trips and workshops, parent/child classes, and afterschool care. The center also hosts family events and special workshops, including babysitter training, and martial arts and scuba lessons for teens.

Childcare is available most mornings for kids ages six weeks to six years (with advance reservations) while parents are on-site to work out or attend classes. ($2/hour; Call 651.255.4757 to book.)

The JCC's offerings for teens are particularly notable. The Teen Lounge (open to members in grades seven to 12) features a stereo and big-screen TV with VCR and DVD player; pool, foosball, and ping pong tables; and internet access and a DVD/CD burner. Teen-only events and programs include a support group for GLBT teens, sports and leaderships organizations, and a Performing Arts School that mounts productions throughout the year. Van service is available to transport kids to the JCC from area schools.

The JCC also offers training for the JCC Maccabi Games, a Jewish Olympics-style competition. Kids in grades eight and nine can apply to be counselors-in-training at the JCC's Camp Butwin near Lebanon Hills County Park in Eagan, an ACA-accredited facility for kindergarteners and up offering summer camps with boating, climbing, crafts, nature, and theatre components.

Teens can also earn money as Party Peppers, helping out during birthday parties for kids ages five to 10 which are offered to member children (guests need not be members) at the center on Sundays. Parties include activity leaders, a decorated party room, set-up and clean-up, and use of the pool and gym. Call 651.255.4740 for more information.

The Enigma, which opened in mid-2004, is a teen-run afterschool hangout and music club supervised by the Shakopee Park & Rec department. Every other Friday evening, a DJ entertains kids in grades six to 12, but alternate Fridays and every Saturday belong to live bands - with five or more playing each all-ages show.

During the week, the site is open as a rec center for kids in grades six to 12 only. Teens can enjoy a large selection of DVD movies, games for XBox, PS2, and Nintendo, foosball, air hockey, pool, and arcade basketball. A skate shop inside and seasonal skateboard park outside offer additional recreational opportunities.

Teen volunteers and adults staffers are on-site during open hours. Adults undergo background checks. The Enigma can also be rented for private parties.

The Southdale YMCA offers free on-site childcare (for kids from six weeks to 10 years old) while parents work out, with both indoor and outdoor play areas. And like most Ys, it also provides a wide variety of programming for kids and teens, including lots of youth sports leagues and enrichment classes, before and after school care, and teen councils and leadership clubs. Enrollment is open to all for most programs, though fees will be higher for non-members.

Group and private swim lessons are offered in the six-lane Olympic-size pool, with a smaller - and quieter - warming pool available for parents to use with babies and toddlers. Men's and women's family locker rooms provide a spacious place to change and shower. Kids can also get a workout on large muscle equipment in a Kids Gym and give the facility's climbing wall a shot.

The Tri-City SkatePark behind the building is open each afternoon from mid-April throught August, weather-permitting. The innovative in-ground concrete bowl provides a safe environment for skateboarders, inline skaters, and freestyle bikers to tool around, with depths ranging from four to 12 feet, street course elements, and challenges for a variety of skill levels. Waivers and safey gear are required for all users. Call 952.897.5462 for information on lessons. Daily use rates: Members $5; Non-members $9. Punch cards and season passes are also available.

Summer camp: Full-day programming is offered on-site all summer for school age kids, but for a real day camp experience the Southdale YMCA uses Kici Yapi, a fairly primitive 80-acre wooded site with a lake located near Prior Lake. Weeklong programs for ages four to 13 include traditional lanyard-and-archery-type camps, as well as specialized offerings for horseback riding, climbing, camping, and crafts. Seventh and eighth graders can take a leaders-in-training camp and assist counselors with younger kids. Bus transportation for campers is provided to/from sites in Minneapolis and several southern suburbs; kids enrolled in extended care in addition to camp get dropped off and/or picked up at the Southdale Y.

Young Dance seeks to nurture and develop "thinking artists" by providing young people with an outlet for creative expression, high quality performance opportunities, and an appreciation of cultural and artistic diversity.

Classes: Open to ages seven to 18, regardless of experience or skill level. Students practice and learn about creative movement and modern dance in a supportive and collaborative environment. A special class is offered just for boys. No audition is required, and students may sign up at any time during the year.

Company: Currently comprises about two dozen kids. They meet twice weekly, for a total of four hours, to develop technical and choreographic skills. Auditions, held in September, are open to youth ages seven to 18.