# Boy Scouts \[have ended\] ban on gays **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668 "2013-01-29T00:02:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/121 "2015-08-03T21:15:09Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I am thinking up Gay Merit Badges even as I post! I wonder if they’ll still have the WEBLOS rank after all this. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/122 "2015-08-03T21:20:49Z")
I actually wonder if there need to be other “Scouts” that would not be so much about camping, since that’s an activity that seems to appeal to only a certain subset. I remember a lot of black comics saying that camping seems absolutely stupid to them. And I know a lot of city people who likewise think giving up the city comforts is dumb. Everyone talks about Scouts as teaching good morals and such, but it seems they are more limited than, say, Girl Scouts. They have troops that don’t do any real outdoor stuff at all. Those boys who would prefer that seem to just be left out. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/123 "2015-08-03T22:45:47Z")
Well, let’s see. The only merit badge that is both required for Eagle and involves camping is Camping. There are plenty of others that can be earned while in activities like camping but most could be done in a totally urban environment. Lots require actually going out into the world and doing things, but a boy could earn Eagle in a troop that’s pretty urban and doesn’t get out too often. Personally, I think he’d miss out on a whole lot, but there are plenty of ways to participate, including boys with physical and/or mental disabilities and even Lone Scouts. Amusingly, some of the badges I earned as optional 15+ years ago are now Eagle required (I’m looking mostly at cooking, which was practically a required badge in my troop. I think Hiking was optional when I earned it as well. I’d have to unpack and look at my sash.) Personally, as an Eagle and OA member, if the Mormons (or anyone else) doesn’t like it, they’re free to leave. It will only makes the BSA better. Now, if they’d just do something about the undue emphasis on Reverent, the people running National may finally make it into this century. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/124 "2015-08-04T02:02:37Z")
> [@Corner\_Case](#): > > My older son has his Eagle requirements and will have his ceremony in September. My middle son has autism and MR and we’ve been advancing him at his rate. He’s at the same level as others just joining and who are 4 years younger than him. And they’ll pass him in rank and merit badges. But that’s okay. He’s having fun, learning new things, and the troop supports and loves him. My daughter is in Girl Scouts, they camp alot too, and want to do more things the boys get to do. Thank you for supporting Scouting, and for bringing your children to Scouting! My son has Asperger’s, and earned his Eagle. It can be done, if that’s what your son wants. I used to be my troop’s Committee Chair. In case you didn’t know, part of BSA’s policy on advancement includes flexibility for Scouts with disabilities. A Scout can get more time to complete his Eagle requirements, A Scout can have some merit badges substituted for Eagle required badges. There’s even a standard list of substitutions, but the District Advancement Committee is allowed to make customized changes on a case-by-case basis. BSA does not want to deny the Eagle rank to a Scout who, for example, uses a wheelchair and cannot hike. If advancement is not what your son wants, that’s cool too! My attitude has always been that if a Scout is having fun and doesn’t care about advancement, he’s still a Scout. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/125 "2015-08-04T02:32:26Z")
> [@Corner\_Case](#): > > …A common situation is that the boy is growing into his teen years and suddenly finds band, athletics, after school jobs, and girls. They reduce activity because of other obligations. This is particularly true for 16-18 year olds advancing to Eagle Scout… I have heard it described as “the three fumes” - car fumes (they want to drive around with friends), pot fumes (they get a bit distracted by Mary Jane) or perfume (girls suddenly become _very_ important). ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/126 "2017-05-13T03:33:48Z")
To no one’s surprise, the LDS church is [moving away](http://www.sltrib.com/news/5278985-155/mormon-church-takes-steps-away-from) from scouting. > [@](#): > > The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that, come January, it is dropping BSA programs known as Varsity and Venturing for boys ages 14 to 18. > > This break will affect, to some degree, more than 130,000 Mormon boys in the United States and 55,000 in Canada. > > The Utah-based faith will continue to use the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs for boys ages 8 through 13, amounting to more than 280,000 LDS kids. As noted previously in the thread, the Mormon church is the largest sponsor of boy scouts. This move will affect about 6% of the total numbers of scouts. They’re claiming that this isn’t related to the decision to allow gay scouts, but at the time the threatened to leave. They claim are developing their own program to “replace” scouting, but it’s unlikely that they will actually have anything equivalent. From my experience, there was barely any effective leadership for many of the Mormon troops. I won’t be surprised if they completely stop scouting in the future. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/127 "2017-05-13T04:15:45Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I am thinking up Gay Merit Badges even as I post! As part of the Pioneering merit badge, see how much fudge you can pack in these saddle bags… but seriously, in Boyo Jim’s home turf, dozens of Scout leaders drafted a scathing letter to the national Board\*, demanding local control. So the passing the buck is okay with me, due to the overwhelming anger on this issue from the local troops, many of which have had multiple gay leaders for years. \*According to the Lawyer/Scoutmaster who spearheaded this, there were a handful of Mormons on the board who were responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/128 "2017-05-13T04:24:38Z")
Very unfortunate, and I don’t think history will treat them kindly for it. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668/129 "2017-05-13T08:05:21Z")
It doesn’t look like the Mormon youth will be the winners here. Looking at the [replacement program](https://www.lds.org/youth/ymactivities?lang=eng), the top activity for each major area is as follows: [ul]Spiritual: Place a Book of Mormon[/ul] [ul]Social: Dinner for elderly singles[/ul] [ul]Physical: Clean a church building[/ul] [ul]Intellectual: Learn skills, then serve[/ul] I’m sure that my 14-year-old self would have been really thrilled about cleaning the chapel instead of scouting. The last one looked like it had some promise, so I clicked on it. > [@](#): > > Purpose > > Learn a useful skill and use it to serve someone in need. > Description > > Invite someone to teach the youth a skill such as painting, babysitting, changing oil in a car, repairing a bicycle, altering dresses, or planting a garden (consider inviting a youth or their parents to teach the skill). Plan a way to use this skill to serve others. Compared to the resources which BSA offers to the leaders, this seems pretty thin. Heading over to socially, you need to drop down to the number 31 to hit Building Self-Confidence, and the written suggestion is anemic. An overwhelming number of the activities are directly tied into church and preparing the boys to become missionaries, rather than well rounded individuals. It is unfortunate. Scouting has such potential (although from my experience and from listening to many others, the potential was never really seen in most Mormon troops). Now it’s not going to be even less interesting and rewarding. The Mormon church has doubled down against LBGT issues theologically as well, and history will not judge them well in that was well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-scouts-have-ended-ban-on-gays/648668.md?page=6)