(Daily Signal)—The Boy Scouts of America taught me valuable lessons about tying knots, lighting fires, and what it means to be a man, but I’m glad to see the Department of War reconsidering its historic partnership with the Scouts.
Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America taught young men wilderness survival skills, fostered friendship, and trained boys to become citizens and leaders. In order to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, a young man must not just demonstrate mastery of many skills but also plan his own project, leading others.
For these and other reasons, the military awards an automatic rank increase to Eagle Scouts who enlist. A 2017 post for Scouting Magazine noted that 20% of West Point cadets, 12% of the Naval Academy Class of 2016, and 10% of Air Force Academy cadets had attained the highest rank in Scouting.
Yet the Boy Scouts of America no longer exists, and the organization that replaced it, Scouting America, leaves a great deal to be desired. It is high time the military reconsider, and establish clear benchmarks for a scouting program that fosters virtue, rather than virtue-signaling.
The Trans Scouts of America
As a young man, I learned the Scout Law: “A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”
Tragically, the Boy Scouts of America abandoned these commitments. In January 2017, the organization endorsed transgender ideology, which I’ve long argued is fundamentally at odds with both trustworthiness and reverence:
‘A scout is trustworthy’ means more than just telling the truth. It means living with integrity, not presenting a false sense of yourself to others. There is a fundamental falseness in presenting yourself as a boy when you are in fact biologically a girl. But I think there is a worse loss of integrity among those who encourage biological girls to identify as boys.
‘A scout is reverent’ means honoring God, or at least a principle greater than yourself. Christians—and most Jews and Muslims, to my knowledge—believe that God created humans male and female, and that their sexuality is a good gift from God. Rejecting that gift—or encouraging others to reject it—is arguably irreverent.
Endorsing transgender ideology is a fundamental rejection of the virtues the Boy Scouts of America once championed.
The Boy Scouts of America also faced 82,000 claims of child sexual abuse in a scandal that led the institution to declare bankruptcy in 2020. I thank God that I never experienced any such abuse, but I am horrified by the fact that an institution tarred by such a scandal would go on to embrace an ideology that arguably makes young people more vulnerable to predation.
The Boy Scouts drifted from a non-political home for Democrats and Republicans alike to a left-leaning institution. The transgender policy came after the Boy Scouts allowed open homosexuality among boys in 2013, and then among adult leaders in 2015. In 2020, it announced solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and introduced a “diversity and inclusion” merit badge, now mandatory for the rank of Eagle Scout.
When the BSA changed its position on homosexuality, former scout leaders banded together to form Trail Life USA, a Christian alternative. The BSA encouraged a faith in God or a higher power, but Trail Life USA is explicitly Christian. By 2023, Trail Life USA had grown to more than 50,000 members in all 50 states, with 1,200 troops across the country.
Perhaps fittingly, at the beginning of this year the organization changed its name from Boy Scouts of America to “Scouting America.”
The Department of War
Last week, NPR published a story claiming that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had written a memo cutting off Scouting America. Hegseth reportedly wrote that the Scouts no longer promotes “masculine values,” instead focusing on “gender confusion” and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
A War Department official told The Daily Signal that “the department will not comment on leaked documents that we cannot authenticate and that may be pre-decisional.”
I support the Department of War’s connection with scouting institutions. Scouting trains young boys—and girls—to develop important skills, and the military should reward scouting achievements with a higher initial rank.
That said, I think Scouting America has taken this important relationship for granted, and it is high time the Department of War develop clear guidelines for what kind of scouting program it will honor. Since Scouting America aims to indoctrinate kids on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and rejects the distinction between men and women, Hegseth would be well advised to reconsider this relationship.
I’d recommend two things. First, the Department of War should set forth clear standards for scouting partners: standards focused on key skills and virtues, not political correctness. Second, the Department of War should seriously consider partnering with Trail Life USA and American Heritage Girls, the conservative alternatives to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Perhaps, if the military establishes clear standards, it may not just send Scouting America a well-deserved wake-up call, but also encourage reforms to restore the Boy Scouts to their own high ideals.
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I grew up in scouting starting with Cub Scouts. My Dad was with me all the way. In Boy Scouts, I was Sr Patrol Leader several times. I achieved Eagle and was inducted into Order of the Arrow. I led a contigent to Philmont. My Dad was awarded one of BSA’s top award for Dads; the Silver Beaver. I had some of the best life experiences and lessons while in Boy Scouts. But my Eagle, Dad’s Silver Beaver, and the Philmont expedition were I the mid 1970s. I notified “Scouting” several years ago I was done with them precisely because of the utterly sickening direction they have gone. Lord Baden Powell, BSA’s founder, would disavow them immediately if could see what has become of it. It is very sad as well, because traditional, original, old fashioned Boy Scouts is desperately needed today.
I was a Boy Scout, my kid brothers were Eagle Scouts, they returned their awards well over a decade ago when homosexuality gained control. The hat two times I saw the “Boy” Scouts selling popcorn there wasn’t an XY among them, it broke my heart as much as seeing an XX in a hijab 🧕 marching in the TAMU Corps of Cadets.
It should have been obvious that giving queers leadership positions and access to kids would result in them raping boys from coast to coast. That was when BSA truly died.
I’m an Eagle Scout from the 1970s. Member of the Order of the Arrow since ‘77. I disavowed the BSA years ago when they allowed open homosexuals to mentor the boys.
No sorry but making a homosexual club that tries too corrupt the minds of young boys and girls is the works of satan. Should never ever be supported by our government or military…
I too am an Eagle Scout (’86) and stopped supporting the BSA many years ago due to their turn into deviance. Unfortunately, the BSA can’t be fixed. An alternative is needed.
I was a Boy Scout and I have my horror stories that would freak you out.
I never achieved Eagle Scout.
Notice that word achieved.
I hate the pedophile tolerance and woke culture (redundant), and that’s why I don’t contribute anymore. I never saw Eagle Scouts as warriors. More like valedictorians or investment bankers. They’re going to be fine. But the Boy Scouts are doomed. Woke culture destroys and it has claimed another institution for the woke color revolution.
I remember about 30 or more years ago, Levis was sponsoring the Boy Scouts, but then demanded scouting allow homosexuals into the organization. At the time the Boy Scouts said no, for a time. That was the start of changing scouting. I had been wearing Levis from a time they retailed for less than $4. I never bought another pair after Levis dropped their funding.
I was a Cub Scout in the early 1950s. Later a Boy Scout. We had a fairy assistant leader. I think the adults suspected, but nothing was done. A couple of boys got popped. They were taught everything fairies do. Some of it by force. When we boys heard, we were so shocked nobody said anything. Now homosexuals are spread thru out the scouts. Leaders and boys. I would never allow my children to be part of scouting. I quit not long after the story in my group came out. Nobody was ever punished.
Later I remember reading story after story, over many years, of leaders abusing boys.
In my opinion, homosexuals should never be allow near children, should never be in a position over straight people, or serve as role models for anyone. The problem isn’t just scouting, but schools, businesses, and the military. Homosexuals in power over others will force some people into acts they don’t want to be part of.
Actually, it depends on the troop you are in these days. We have a troop that just simply does not allow the DEI slant and we have old fashioned values. We don’t allow girls either. There are girl troops for that. So the comments above are not a true understanding of the actual situation on the ground today. Yes, the parents have to do their due diligence, but there are good troops and many of them. My boys got more out of scouting that anything else could have given them. They are successful well rounded gentlemen.