Rest in peace, BSA. You were once a treasured institution!

Tombstone representing the life of a treasured institution

https://www.prageru.com/video/girling-the-boy-scouts

I became a member of the Boy Scouts of America at the earliest opportunity, which was at the age of 13. Boys were eligible to join at 11, but due to my family’s time in Germany, we did not relocate to Aberdeen until later. While it is difficult to fully convey the profound impact the Scout program had on me, I can say without hesitation that it shaped me in innumerable ways. Perhaps my inclination toward idealism was innate, or perhaps it was instilled by my parents. Regardless of the reason, I embraced the program wholeheartedly.

Every year, in commemoration of the birth of its founder, Lord Baden-Powell, the Boy Scouts celebrated "Scout Week," during which members were encouraged to wear their uniforms to school. In high school, wearing a Scout uniform was not exactly a reliable way to enhance one’s social standing. Quite the opposite: it was a surefire way to invite mockery from the popular crowd. Though I was reluctant to draw additional scorn upon myself, I found no plausible excuse to avoid my mother’s pointed question: “Are you ashamed of the principles you claim to hold?” The answer was clear, and the resulting lesson underscored my commitment to speaking my opinion, regardless of opposition or the power of the person with whom I may disagree. To be clear, this has cost me both opportunities and relationships. The lost opportunities do not weigh upon me nearly as much as the loss of what I thought to be friendship.

The outdoor skills I learned in Scouting were far from trivial. Whether it was tying knots for various practical uses, building and maintaining fires, respecting natural resources, or working in collaboration as part of a patrol, every aspect had its purpose. Teamwork was central to many of our activities, but individual skills could prove lifesaving—either my own or someone else’s.

Shortly after my discharge from the Army, I returned to Scouting as an adult leader. Due to my work-related travel, I was best able to serve as a Commissioner, assisting multiple Scout Troops, Cub Packs, and Explorer Posts, rather than committing to a single unit requiring regular attendance. Before long, the local Scout Executive approached me, asking if I would consider becoming a professional Scouter. This led to a five-year tenure as a full-time, paid professional in the BSA. My responsibilities ranged from organizing units and recruiting volunteers to providing training, addressing resource challenges, and raising funds to support the Council’s programs. It was the most demanding role I’ve ever held, with its scope best summarized by three words: Membership, Manpower, and Money.

I eventually left this career when an opportunity arose in the private sector offering double the salary I was earning with Scouting, and with a growing family to consider. Now, after more than 60 years of affiliation with the BSA, I have witnessed many changes—some beneficial, others, in my view, eroding the program’s efficacy. The change I most regret is the increasing dominance of professional Scouters. Scouting was intended to be a volunteer-led organization, a structure that helped keep membership costs affordable for all. Yet, as the number of professionals grew and employment costs mounted, there was a gradual but inexorable shift of control from volunteers to paid staff.

As I was told when I became a professional, the emphasis on membership was to recruit as many eligible boys as possible. At that time, the BSA reached nearly one-third of all eligible boys in the country. Though it’s important to acknowledge that correlation does not imply causation, it is undeniable that as the number of professionals swelled, youth membership in the BSA oddly began to decline. It was not all the direct fault of the professional corps, several other factors were involved. While the challenge of Scouting being perceived as “uncool” among teenagers was not new, I recall one Eagle Scout candidate’s response when I asked how his non-Scouting friends viewed his involvement. He shared his typical response with me, “While you guys were at the mall last summer, looking for something to do, I was hiking through the mountains of New Mexico, horseback riding along western trails, and panning for gold. Who do you guys think had more fun?”

The link to the PragerU video above, highlights what I view as a damning indictment of the BSA’s current trajectory. I can personally attest to the steady, unrelenting erosion of the program’s core values and the attacks on what it stood for. The Scout Oath and Scout Law, once revered, have been dismissed as juvenile in the face of society’s shifting moral code. These changes occurred even as society condoned the actions of a sitting Vice President, who would go on to become President, as he broadcast an obscenity on an open microphone—a moment covered by all major television networks. The foulness uttered had the unfortunate consequence of serving as an endorsement for the language regularly heard not only on the streets but in schools in front of teachers. "What's wrong with that? Joe Biden used it," would surely not be accredited an acceptable excuse, but it did have validity!

What has been most egregious and damaging to me, however, is the fervor with which people have rallied against the organization, not for what it did, but for what a few individuals did under its auspices. The media conveniently ignored the fact that the BSA only allowed openly homosexual men to serve as leaders because they were legally compelled to do so. This was not due to homophobia, but for the protection of youth. The consequences of this shift should have been self-evident, and those guilty of misconduct should have been held accountable, not the entire organization. Women were also welcomed to register in any adult role although the benefit of a wholesome, adult male role model was universally accepted until recently. But, as we’ve seen too often in recent years, lawyers discovered that a deep-pocketed organization like the church or the BSA was an easier target for financial gain than the perpetrators of the actual crimes.

In my view, the national Council, men and women who are community and corporate leaders at the highest level, capitulated in concert with the newest norms which were obviously prized the most in contemporary society.

I do not fully agree with everything stated, but the PragerU posting makes a strong case that emasculation was what was wanted by the progressive left!