I have two boys that went through scouts from Cubs in first grade through Eagle rank in the early to mid 2010s. I was a den leader and assistant scout master for a few years longer before quitting the program.
I’d typed a book earlier and then dropped it. The guy in the video has it pretty much right in my experience. National essentially dropped the gay scouts and leaders issue on the local troops. We could continue as before, but any lawsuits would be on us, without support.
National also reacted to declining participation by adding girl troops. They aren’t co-Ed yet, but I don’t think they will stay that way. The pressure to mix the scout troops will be huge. National and regional councils put tremendous pressure to increase recruitment on the district executives who act as liaisons between the area council and local troops. Changes to the program were forced out (beyond adding girl troops) without regard to the troop preferences. Cue the constitutional peasant saying, “Well, I didn’t vote for you!”
Along with the internal changes, which were rapid and drastic, the kids were changing, too. They were less into participation and more interested in being entertained. The shift from active to passive engagement was subtle but significant.
The new scouting program was embraced by many, if only because of people who had daughters who wanted to get into what the boys had been doing. For myself, I think a boys-only space gave them room to develop themselves without girls altering the environment.
I have two boys that went through scouts from Cubs in first grade through Eagle rank in the early to mid 2010s. I was a den leader and assistant scout master for a few years longer before quitting the program.
ReplyDeleteI’d typed a book earlier and then dropped it. The guy in the video has it pretty much right in my experience. National essentially dropped the gay scouts and leaders issue on the local troops. We could continue as before, but any lawsuits would be on us, without support.
National also reacted to declining participation by adding girl troops. They aren’t co-Ed yet, but I don’t think they will stay that way. The pressure to mix the scout troops will be huge. National and regional councils put tremendous pressure to increase recruitment on the district executives who act as liaisons between the area council and local troops. Changes to the program were forced out (beyond adding girl troops) without regard to the troop preferences. Cue the constitutional peasant saying, “Well, I didn’t vote for you!”
Along with the internal changes, which were rapid and drastic, the kids were changing, too. They were less into participation and more interested in being entertained. The shift from active to passive engagement was subtle but significant.
The new scouting program was embraced by many, if only because of people who had daughters who wanted to get into what the boys had been doing. For myself, I think a boys-only space gave them room to develop themselves without girls altering the environment.