Context: I was a Boy Scout for a number of years, making Eagle in 2020 right as COVID was really kicking off.

It was right afterwards, however, that the CSA scandal started popping up everywhere (which thankfully I was never exposed to or involved in during my time), and lately it seems like the organization & movement as a whole has fallen by the sociocultural wayside.

I would say that my time as a Scout did me objective good; I learned a decent amount about first-aid & survival-craft, participated in a number of volunteer & civic projects, and it generally made me a more well-rounded person. However, there’s no denying the impact that something “bigger than the Catholic Church scandal”, as I’ve heard it described, has on an institution such as this.

I’d like to get the community’s opinion, however; were any of you Scouts? How was your experience? What is your opinion of the institution today?

  • Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org
    1·
    7 hours ago

    I had no experience with anything to do with the scandal so can’t comment. I was a cub scout to eagle and I have children in both cubs and scouting.

    I enjoyed many of the activities and think they are great things for young people to do and many of the values are great things for them to learn. Many people don’t have the chance to do lots of the activities like camping, survival, hiking, or shooting sports. Learning leaderships, self confidence, independence, and kindness (all the scout law stuff) is very important for a kind functional kid or adult. It’s can also be a good community for many kids who may not have that. I personally don’t like the uniform, songs, structure, and some traditions, but that’s me.

    I do believe that the organization may be weakening in numbers, but may have less to do with the organization and more to do with the current state of the world and cultural norms. Organizations like scouts are viewed differently than they used to be. Adding girls I think was smart, because there are many girls who feel neglected or left out, and also want to do “boy” things.

    If scouting can accept that they may not be the huge cultural marker that they used be, and can change with the times then they may stick around. They can be a great benefit to many children emotionally and for their growth as a human. Also I’m sure this was always the case, but it feels even more true nowadays with the amount of activities children have and how much parents are asked to do, the quality may vary greatly depending on your area and volunteers.