Scouting Abbreviations and "Initialisms" --
Acroynms in Common Use
I wanted to keep this file short, so I've tried to avoid definitions, and just list what the letters stand for. I hope this will clarify some of what you read, but I also hope you will avoid excessive abbreviating when you write or speak. Some of these are in very common use by Scouting people of all kinds. Others are very obscure, but have appeared in messages on list servers and e-mail messages.
AAAssociate Advisor (U.S. Explorer Post)
AACAssistant Area Commissioner
ACArea Commissioner
ACLAssistant Cub Leader
ADCAssistant District Commissioner
APCAssistant Provincial Commissioner
APLAssistant Patrol Leader
ARCAssistant Regional Commissioner
ASMAssistant Scoutmaster
ASPL Assistant Senior Patrol Leader
ATAppalachian Trail
BLBoy's Life (U.S. magazine)
BLTBasic Leadership Training (see also CBLT, SBLT)
BPBaden-Powell (Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell)
BP&P By-laws, Policies & Procedures (Boy Scouts of Canada)
BSBoy Scouts
BSABoy Scouts of America
BSC(very rare) Boy Scouts of Canada
CAAssistant Cubmaster
CBLT Cub Basic Leadership Training
CCCommittee Chairman
CICub Instructor
CJCanadian Jamboree
CLCub Leader
CMCubmaster
COChartered Organization (local org. who holds a unit charter)
CORCamp-o-ree; Chartered Organization Representative
CPChartered Partner
CSCub Scout
CSPCouncil Shoulder Patch
CTWB Cub Trainer Wood Badge
DAAssistant Den Leader
DACDistrict Activities Chairman
DAMDistrict Award of Merit
DCDistrict Commissioner
DCLDistrict Cub Leader
DCMDistrict Cubmaster
DEDistrict Executive
DLDen Leader (U.S. Cubs)
DOBDo Our Best (in Cub Grand Howl)
DRPDeclaration of Religious Principle
DSLDistrict Scout Leader
DYBDo Your Best (in Cub Grand Howl)
EAExplorer Post Advisor
EOAExplorer Officers' Association
FDField Director
GGCGirl Guides of Canada
GLGroup Leader
GSGirl Scouts
GSAincorrect form of GSUSA
GSMGroup Scoutmaster
GSUSAGirl Scouts of the U.S.A.
HBHandbook
HQHeadquarters
IHQInternational Headquarters
JALJunior Activity Leader
JLTJunior Leader Training
JOTA Jamboree-on-the-Air (ham radio)
MALMember-at-Large (re: committees)
MBMerit Badge
MCCommittee Member (U.S.)
NOAC National Order of the Arrow Conference
OAOrder of the Arrow
PFEProvincial Field Executive
PLPatrol Leader
PLCPatrol Leaders' Council
PORPolicy, Organisation and Rules (U.K., Aus.)
PTCPhilmont Training Center
QMQuartermaster
RCRegional Commissioner
RTRoundtable
SITScouter-in-Training
SAAssistant Scoutmaster (U.S.)
SBLT Scout Basic Leader Training
SLHB Scout Leaders' Handbook
SEScout Executive
SLWB Scout Leader Wood Badge
SMScoutmaster
SMESustaining Membership Enrollment
SMFScoutmastership Fundamentals
SORScout-o-Rama
SPLSenior Patrol Leader
SWTH Scouting with the Handicapped (Can., now called SYD)
SYDScouting for Youth with Disabilities
TLCTroop Leaders' Council (see PLC)
TTTTrain the Trainer
UWUnited Way
VIQVenturer Interest Questionnaire
WAAssistant Webelos Den Leader
WAGGGSWorld Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts
WBWood Badge
WDLWebelos Den Leader
WJWorld Jamboree
WLWebelos Den Leader
Here are some other terms also in use, but I won't include abbreviations for them, unless I know abbreviations are already in use:
Assistant County Commissioner
District Cub Scout Leader
Group Scout Leader
Here are some COMMON terms in use with computers:
BBS[Computerized] Bulletin Board System
<BG>Big Grin
BTWby the way
CIMCompuServe Information Manager (program to call CIS automatically)
CISCompuServe Information Service
CO [Online] Conference (CIS)
DL download, also Data Library on CIS, now called LIB
ENSExecutive News Service (available on CompuServe)
EPSFEncapsulated PostScript File
FWIWfor what it's worth
FYIfor your information
GIFGraphics Interchange Format (for color pictures)
<gr>grin
IMHOin my humble opinion (also IMO: in my opinion)
IOWin other words
ITOHon the other hand
PD public domain (uncopyrighted)
PPNold name for CIS ID#
RLERun Length Encoded (for black and white pictures)
ROTFL Rolling on the Floor Laughing
<VBG> Very Big Grin
YIBYours in Brotherhood
YISYours In Scouting
YITWBS Yours in the World Brotherhood of Scouting