As a former Boy Scout, I have felt a certain mixture of
nostalgia and pride as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have celebrated their
centennial year. First incorporated in
1910, the BSA boasts youth memberships since then of over 114 million. Of those, four have become U.S. Presidents
(Kennedy [#35, Star Scout], Ford [#38, Eagle Scout], Clinton [#42, Cub
Scout], and Bush [#43, Cub Scout]). In addition to helping build
presidents, Scouting served as the impetus for 51 works by Norman
Rockwell and inspired 181 Americans to escape Earth as astronauts.
In
its 100 year history, Scouting has blessed America, yet over the past
few decades, BSA has faced growing opposition, as evidenced by over 30 lawsuits specifically attacking the organization's values since 1975.
Among other things, opponents of the BSA have brought challenges over
the Boy Scout's membership and leadership standards, their duty to God
and to be morally straight, and over their right to disallow girls from
joining.
Having read about these cases, I
decided I better dig a little deeper to see just how dangerous this
group really is. Certainly, the banner over the BSA Legal Issues and BLAWG website, which says, “Preparing Young People to Make Moral and Ethical
Choices Throughout Their Lifetimes,” is hiding something, right?
Fortunately,
my razor sharp memory reminded me of something I had heard on
television many years ago. If you remember the sitcom, Third Rock From the Sun,
you may recall when the character known as Harry decided he was going
to infiltrate the Boy Scouts. Asked who the Boy Scouts were, Harry
responded, “They’re
an
elite, prepubescent, paramilitary society.” Armed with this critical
knowledge, I embarked on my journey, seeking to be enlightened about the
dangers this "paramilitary society" posed for this great nation.
The risks posed by this group are evident in the words and images below.
As
if the Scout Oath and Scout Law aren't disturbing enough (please
forgive my insensitivity for showing these things), the Boy Scouts of
America also flaunts its misdeeds in their mission and vision
statements:
Mission Statement: The mission of the Boy Scouts of
America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their
lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Vision Statement: The Boy Scouts of America is the
nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based
leadership training.
In the future Scouting will continue
to:
- Offer young people responsible fun and adventure;
- Instill in young people lifetime values and develop in
them ethical character as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law;
- Train young people in citizenship, service, and
leadership;
- Serve America’s communities and families with
its quality, values-based program.
I
am sure that you, like me, see the threat and are concerned about an
organization that would seek to instill such dangerous ideas into the
young males of our society.
If you would like to learn more about this dangerous group and its 100 Years of Scouting Celebration, click here.
