Killing the Boy Scouts

By John Stemberger

This week the Boys Scouts of America neutered themselves even further by removing the very DNA of what it had been as an organization by cutting the word “boy” out of its name. 

In 2019, the organization changed its name from “Boy Scouts” to the more generic “Scouts BSA” to be more inclusive to girls joining local Boy Scout troops. But apparently, even the “B” in “BSA” was too offensive for some, so the group has now adopted the completely gender-neutral name “Scouting America.” 

A once steadfast symbol of wholesome Americana, the Boy Scouts of America was transformed from the greatest boy-centered organization in the world to a generic, gender-neutral youth group with neckerchiefs. The iconic masculinity program where boys went to learn from men how to become men is now gone, as most local troops are run by women.

Further, in its passion to be inclusive to girls, gay, and trans youth, the group has further aggravated an already dangerous program by throwing everyone together in an overnight camping environment. It’s common sense not to let boys and girls “tent” together, because naturally, they are attracted to each other. 

Yet the group now allows openly gay boys to tent with other boys of their choice, creating an enormous youth-protection problem. All this has created a radical increase of largely unreportable homosexual contact that is very hard to prevent or regulate as they refuse to identify or separate boys or adults who claim to be gay. 

Sexual Abuse in BSA

Last year the BSA settled 82,000 lawsuits from men who were sexually molested as boys by their adult Scout leaders. They had to set up a $2.4 billion fund to settle all those cases. Yet the sexual abuse still quietly continues, and is now aggravated because the organization doesn’t have the courage or conviction to stand up to the LGBT gender-diversity mob even when it comes to protecting young boys. 

In 2018, at the World Jamboree held in West Virginia and cosponsored by the BSA, organizers “required” condoms to be “readily available” for the duration of the event and even permitted alcohol in certain venues; meanwhile, a significant percentage of the attendees were girls as young as 14. This is utterly outrageous and inappropriate for the organizers of any event with teenagers present. 

The fact that the Boy Scouts’ actual mission is to “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes” makes all of this even more heartbreaking. By its actions, the Boy Scouts are teaches young people to base values and morals on what is popular — a fluctuating and shallow, subjective standard. 

Self-Inflicted Wounds

In announcing the name change, BSA President Roger Krone said, “We want any youth to feel welcome” and for “anyone to bring their authentic self” and be who they are.

Doesn’t this statement leave out atheists, agnostics, and hardcore secularist youth, not to mention the growing number of young people who are anti-American? Surely, they wouldn’t embrace a Scouting America which requires a belief in God and a love for country. 

Sadly, what we have witnessed over the last ten years is truly the killing of the Boy Scouts of America by self-inflected wounds. This is clearly an example of the truth that the left destroys everything it touches. 

Originally published in The Stream.