Gee I’m glad I WAS a Boy Scout

By Hank Silverberg

      A boy scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind,
obedient, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent, and now sometimes -- a GIRL.
I’m not sure about obedient and reverent anymore, but I retain a lot of the
things I learned in four years of Boy Scouts. It was a good experience. I have never used semaphore, but I have tied an occasional slip knot over the last 50 years. I still love canoeing and though I have never had the occasion to do so, I still remember how to turn my pants into a floatation device if need be. 

(My Order of the Arrow Sash)

                   
    I never made Eagle Scout. I quit after reaching the rank of Star Scout and right after being sworn into the “Order of the Arrow.” (I won’t tell you the Order’s cool initiation ritual; I took an oath 50 years ago not to reveal it.)  Somehow at age 14, competitive baseball was more important than scouting, and at times I have regretted not going for Eagle.
    This all brings me to this past week when the “Boy Scouts of America,” (https://www.scouting.org/ ) founded in 1910, with about 2.3 million active members now, announced it will change the name of the scouting program to "Scouts BSA" next year. It's a move made necessary since girls were officially welcomed into the ranks last October. The change flabbergasted some people, infuriated the religious right (who have never been fans of Girl Scouts, either), and got a “ho hum, what else is new,” from many people.

     It was the last straw for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After sponsoring Boy Scout troops for 100 years, the Mormons are
officially phasing out the relationship -- a move that began in 2015 when
the Boy Scouts removed the ban on gay scoutmasters. The Mormons will
take their estimated 400,000 Boy Scouts and morph them into a church
sponsored youth group.
     For the rest of the public there remains one big question. Why girls are in the Boy Scouts? After all, the Girl Scouts of America (GirlScouts.org) has 1.8 million young women participating in their program. And here is where you get the debate. I asked some friends and relatives what they thought of the move. My daughters and nieces, all in their 20’s and 30’s, who had all participated in Girl Scouting had different takes.
     My eldest daughter remembers the cliques she had to battle in scouting
in Virginia and the endless pitch to sell those yummy but over-priced
cookies. (The actual troop only gets between 45 and 65 cents per box from
the sales depending on where they are sold according to the Girl Scout website. )
     Scouting for my first born was a lot of the “sexist bull girls were
supposed to do,” and some good arts and crafts. My nieces in New
England and New York had a different take. They spent lots of time learning survival, leadership and business skills and were not so thrilled to hear about girls wanting to join the boys.
     Frankly, I think the whole argument is ridiculous. What this move really is about is marketing. Both groups have been losing recruits fast. Some of the things they cling to from the past are useless in the present and the boys and girls know it.
     The young women who are eager to join Boy Scouts are really dealing with some realities. They are going to have to compete with men for jobs and
promotions and they don’t think they’ll get the right training in the Girls
Scouts. The Boy Scouts, as an organization, sees this as a chance to
expand their brand and increase their ranks, keeping scouting from
becoming totally irrelevant.   

(My membership card from 1969

with legal named covered up) 

  This issue reminds me of the battle fought in the 1970’s about girl’s
athletics in public high schools and colleges. They were separate but
unequal to the boys. Title 9, which passed by Congress in 1972, substantially upgraded girl’s athletic programs in most places by law. A few girls still try to make it on to boy’s teams when an equivalent is not available, but in most cases their gender’s teams are just as competitive, supported and well run, making a cross over unnecessary.
     


     The solution here for scouting may be an upgrade for both the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts. They should focus more on science, computer technology, environmental issues that can be promoted through camping, and more relevant community service projects.  Their business training should be more than learning how to convince their parents to sell cookies at their work place. The goal should not be just to earn Eagle or Gold, but community service as part of the overall program for entire troops. And finally, the Boy Scouts need to drop the organization’s traditional paranoia about atheism, though I doubt they will ever remove God from the program.
    The debate should not really be about gender. It should be about
staying relevant to the 21st Century. Do that and both the girls and boys win.
In the meantime, I will fondly remember my days as a Boy Scout, and if
the Internet ever goes down, I can always use semaphore.

                      (Your comments and suggestions are welcome) 

        (If you wish to order a copy of my latest book go to Amazon.com, BN.com or hanksilverbergbooks.com)  

                                                                       

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