My Scouting Issue

Last week, Hannah Grace’s  blog post about her Girl Scout experience got me thinking about my time in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)…

I am an Eagle Scout, an achievement that required many years of hard work. One of the hardest challenges in Boy Scouts is that you reach an age (around 15 or 16) in which other pressures and interests cause many scouts to want to quit. Though there were times in which I wanted nothing more than to leave scouting behind, my parents encouraged (hint: made) me finish. Though I may not have liked it at the time, I am incredibly happy that I got my Eagle Scout award. Unfortunately, in recent years, I have come to question my views of the Boy Scouts of America because of their organizational outlook.

It’s no secret that the Boy Scouts have come under fire recently due to their organization’s stance to not allow homosexual scouts or leaders. Though the organization recently re-examined the policy (with a secret, behind closed doors panel), the scouts ultimately decided not to change their stance.

Though I heavily disagree with their views, I recognize that as a private organization, the Boy Scouts maintain a right to set whatever rules or standards they choose. However, I believe that it is incredibly detrimental, hypocritical, and damaging to what could be a very positive experience for many boys. It’s not that I’m mad at the Boy Scouts; it’s that I’m disappointed.

One of the first things new Boy Scouts learn is the Scout Oath and Scout Law. In the Scout Law, scouts agree to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. None of these elements are somehow exclusive to heterosexual males. In the Scout Oath, Scouts end with saying they will keep themselves “physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” An argument that is frequently made by those in support of Scouting’s anti-gay position is that homosexuality falls under the category of immorality.

Though I find it sad that anyone believes that sexual preference has anything to do with a moral defect (especially in a day and age in which we can scientifically back the fact that homosexuality is genetic), I understand that there will always be people who dislike others based on elements they cannot control. Still, the Boy Scouts organization doesn’t have to be a part of that mindset. On their website, the BSA states that their organizational purpose:

“We will build their character and ensure they are prepared for something more. We will prepare them for life.”

If the Boy Scouts truly wants to prepare young men for life, then they need to embrace differences and create a policy of acceptance. The world relies on working together and understanding others, not shutting them out and labeling someone who doesn’t conform to outdated norms to be immoral. The BSA had a chance to reject a backward and discriminatory policy. Sadly, they chose to believe that tradition means never having to admit when you’re wrong.

I write this post because the stance Scouting takes leaves me disappointed. As much as there were times that I didn’t love scouting, I took away many more great experiences. Through the Boy Scouts, I experienced countless camping, hiking, canoeing, rafting, caving, and climbing trips. I worked on an extensive community project that I am very proud of. I learned leadership skills that I use today. All of this is why I feel sad and disappointed with scouting. I despise the fact that potentially great scouts and leaders are denied these same experiences because of a genetic difference. I feel awful that if I someday have a son, I would not want him to join an organization which gave me so much, because of one of their policies.

I can only hope that one day, the Boy Scouts of America rejects an outdated and discriminatory policy. Until then, I find myself no longer able to support an organization that gave me so much and left such a positive mark in my life.