Exploring began as a senior program in early Boy Scout troops. These older boys carried out high- adventure activities and service projects, and gave leadership to young Scouts.

In 1912, Sea Scouting was founded for older Scouts and flourished as a program based on the traditions of the sea. In 1928, Sea Scout Paul Siple accompanied Commander Richard E. Byrd to the Antarctic.

In 1935, senior Scouts were called Explorers for the first time, and many were organized in separate Explorer crews in troops, using a senior Scout program.

In 1938, Mr. Waite Phillips, a Tulsa oilman, gave the Boy Scouts of America 35,857 acres of northeast New Mexico, which became the Philmont Scout Ranch and Explorer Base.

In 1942, an Air Scout program for boys 15 and older was created in cooperation with the United States Army Air Corps. This cooperative program with the United States Air Force has continued to this day, although Air Scouting was discontinued in 1965.

In May 1949, the national Executive Board and the University of Michigan made a national study that revealed the needs, desires, and concerns of boys 14 to 16. As a result, a completely new Explorer program was developed and put into effect January 1, 1959. This new program included activities, methods, and recognitions that were similar to, but separate from, the Boy Scout program.

After almost ten years of limited progress, a study was made of the special-interest posts being organized by William H. Spurgeon III, a businessman from California, and the newly completed research project of the BSA by Daniel Yankelovich. This study indicated that 83 percent of youth surveyed wanted more information on careers than they were getting at home or in school, and 94 percent wanted adult associations. Coed participation, sports, and adult-life recognition were found necessary to attract young adults to Exploring.

This study was implemented by a national committee that developed the present Explorer program. As a result, special-interest Explorer posts began to be organized by businesses and professional and trade organizations. The career interest survey of high school students was developed to identify and recruit members.

This opportunity to join posts that specialize in careers or recreational programs attracted large numbers of young adults to Exploring. Exploring locally and nationally became a separate division of the Boy Scouts of America designated to serve young men who had dropped out or never were Boy Scouts.

In April 1971, young women became eligible for full membership in Exploring, and the upper age limit in Exploring was increased to age 21. With these new methods came a series of national activities designed and conducted to strengthen the local post and ship- the safe-driving road rally, the Explorer Olympics, and the national Explorer Congress, which led to the organization of the Explorer Presidents' Association, involving Explorers in planning their program at every level.

By 1981, the rapid growth of Exploring led to the development of national specialty programs in aviation, business, science and engineering, law and government, law enforcement, health careers, outdoor, Sea Exploring, sports, career education, arts, skilled trades, social service, fire and rescue, and communications.

An Explorer Presidents' Association Congress was designed to train local and national youth leaders. A national Explorer leadership conference was implemented in 1994 on a biennial basis.