Does Scouting work (video)? Working with the Cradle of Liberty Council and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, Dr. Richard M. Lerner and his team at Tufts University surveyed nearly 1,800 Cub Scouts and nearly 400 non-Scouts to better understand character development of Scouts. After a two-and-a-half-year period, the study proved Scouting builds positive character and prepares young people for life.