Common Misconceptions Of The Boy Scouts Of America (BSA)

In order to understand the how the Boy Scouts of America, or BSA, has changed, it is important to understand the purpose of the BSA. The common misconception of what Scouting looks like, typically sets an image of young boys building a fire and tying knots while camping. This is not entirely untrue, the BSA has a large connection to the outdoors, and many skills are necessary for advancement within the organization. There is no other program or group that can match the BSA. From lessons in leadership and, communication to serving others. The Boy Scouts of America has clearly defined the true purpose of what Scouting is about. In the Scout Oath and Scout Law the BSA depicts the way a Scout should live and how a Scout is defined.

“Scout Oath:

It was difficult to move forward with civil rights when much of the country, including some main supports of the Boy Scouts were too firmly ingrained in the status quo to support change. The BSA had experienced some disturbance for even creating Black only Troops by the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK had caused some disruption at camporees and jamborees, even violently at points because of how they disagreed with the progress of the Black Scout Movement. This pushback could have been significantly greater, which would have resulted in membership and funding drops that could have had dangerous effects on the organization as a whole (Banas). After the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Troops began to integrate following the societal shift towards equality. It was not an immediate shift for many and the BSA was no exception. The South did not see integrated Troops until around 1974 and after over 50 years of segregation in the BSA. The progress had reached it’s apex for the Black Scout Movement, giving boys of all colors the opportunities that were otherwise unavailable and allowing them to have great chances for future success

This is the cause for the prolonged ban. There were obstacles every step of the way and, a large portion of the public showed their problems with the progress of equality with threats to funding and membership. The main example of opposition came after the decision in 2015 to permit gay adult leaders. This ruling was unforceful in its policy as it allowed charter organizations to choose the leader’s for their units based on their own morals (Leopold). Still, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS Church, considered removing themselves as a charter organization. This church accounts for the largest percentage of Boy Scouts which included nearly a third of all troops nationally. Luckily for the BSA, the LDS Church stayed stating they would continue to “appoint Scout leaders and volunteers who uphold and exemplify church doctrine, values and standards.” Had the Church left, national membership could have plummeted by nearly twenty percent, and would have destroyed the three councils in Utah whose members range between ninety-six and ninety-nine percent chartered by the LDS Church (Noyce). Yet facing these consequences, the BSA continued on its path toward