Just to reiterate what bacpackjac said, for Scouting you don't need to purchase gear like tents & stoves; the troop will have all that stuff for the kids and likely all the volunteers too.

What I found I really needed to pick up for my son to get going were the personal items like appropriate outdoor clothing, a decent backpack & good sleeping gear.
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Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck. Roald Amundsen