US military (Hegseth/Trump) ending relationship with Scouting America (aka BSA)

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K2-HMFIC
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In reply to Ol Jock 99 • 12:51p, 11/25/25
Ol Jock 99 said:
Quote:
Both my kids eagled, and that process requires you to camp, demonstrate physical fitness, interact with local city and state leaders, learn first aid, and so many other things that are just vanishing amidst a new generation of obese, sedentary kids addicted to phones and gaming consoles.

The BSA adventure opportunities from Philmont to Boundary Waters to Sea Base are all first rate, unique experiences.

Every bit of that is still in place.



This has been my experience with Scouting the last few years as well.
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shiftyandquick
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In reply to IndividualFreedom • 1:45p, 11/25/25
IndividualFreedom said:
I will post it again, as an Eagle Scout product from the book of old, I give this pledge:

If I ever come across F you, lottery style money, it will become my mission to rebuild the BSA. I will acquire all BSA assets and go back to the original intent of the organization. #1 rule, No Women allowed. the pedo crap and transie crap is auto-out. Lawyers by the convoy. Boys will become young men and those young men will have a leg up on life while owning a soul.

Some of the stuff that happened in "old" scouting was not so great. There's a bunch of lawsuits that address this.
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Ol Jock 99
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 1:50p, 11/25/25
AG
"the pedo crap", as Exhibit A
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whoop1995
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In reply to Dad-O-Lot • 2:00p, 11/25/25
AG
Dad-O-Lot said:
Making Citizenship in Society MB merit badge "Eagle Required" was (and is) a travesty.

Quote:
Realize the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical leadership with the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. Scouts will research any individual who has demonstrated positive leadership while making an ethical decision, explain what options the leader had when faced with a problem, why they believe they chose their final course of action, and the outcome of the leader's decision


This is the only merit badge that you have to have a trained counselor for. Why is that? If I wanted to teach welding I don't even need to know how to do - yeah I just watched a couple of YouTube videos and slept at a holiday inn and I am the counselor but this merit badge above there are only a certain number of people trained each year and only they can teach it.

go woke go broke
I collect ticket stubs! looking for a 1944 orange bowl ticket stub and Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008 also looking for vs Villanova 1949
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StandUpforAmerica
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 2:03p, 11/25/25
shiftyandquick said:
To be fair, I didn't actually know that there was a relationship. I was in scouts as a kid, and I also have volunteered as a scout leader as an adult. And I've had kids in scouts.

Scouting America has released the following statement: "Secretary of War plans to cease support for youth in Scouting programs on military bases in the U.S. and overseas, cut support for the National Jamboree, and eliminate increases in pay grade for Eagle Scouts who enlist in the military."

From the NPR article: "U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the military to sever all ties with Scouting America, saying the group once known as the Boy Scouts is no longer a meritocracy and has become an organization designed to "attack boy-friendly spaces," according to documents reviewed by NPR.
In a draft memo to Congress, which sources shared with NPR but which has not yet been sent, Hegseth criticizes Scouting for being "genderless" and for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion."

I think this move will be very popular on the F16. Another "owning the libs." And "we need a warrior who will fight wokeness." And "Eagle Scout meant a little 30 years ago, but now it means nothing and probably worse than nothing."

Of course the weird thing is that women actually serve in the military. So it's kind of odd that having girls in Scouts would be seen as anti-military. But clearly this MAGA movement is anti- women in the military I think.

https://www.npr.org/2025/11/25/nx-s1-5615164/pentagon-scouting-hegseth-cut-ties

You should probably bring this up with your church elders... since they cut their ties with Scouts a while back.
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amercer
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In reply to YouBet • 2:35p, 11/25/25
AG
YouBet said:
This will also simply get reversed next time a Dem is in office so no one should really get worked up over this.


I mean, it's petty great optics though. I live in one of the bluest places in America and scout meetings are probably the only time I'm ever in a room with a majority of people who would be inclined to vote republican.

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GenXAg
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3:17p, 11/25/25
Both of my boys have been and one continues to be involved in Boy Scouts (I refuse to call it Scouting America). The oldest stopped wanting to go after getting his first class rank as sports and school took over his spare time.

My youngest is still involved and I'm struggling to keep him engaged. The quality of the kids is his biggest concern. He is the current Senior Patrol Leader and he's getting first hand experience dealing with and trying to lead a generation that is lost and has little male guidance. Half the boys in the troop are from homes where they are being parented by single moms. The moms are depending on the scouting org to teach their little boys how to be men.

The only problem is the moms don't want their kids influenced in ways that teach them to be men. They don't understand rough housing and how boys/young men talk to each other and joke with each other in settings where it is just them among other boys/young men. They don't understand manly discipline. They don't understand letting their boys fail and suffer a little to learn somewhat hard lessons now so they have the ability to deal with rougher lessons later. Most use it as a baby sitting service one day a week for meetings and one weekend a month for campouts.

Getting dads willing to put up with the headache and all the DEI rules is also effecting adult leadership.

There is a fair amount of the DEI message that is shoved down their throats but I've been able to talk with my sons about it and how to deal with it. The thing about most of the DEI initiatives is the subject matter is and has been since the beginning addressed by the Scout Oath and Law. If you follow the oath and law like you should, very little of the DEI initiatives even have a purpose other than telling young white heterosexual males that they are oppressors and have to work extra hard to atone for things that they never had anything to do with.

I loved Scouting when I was a boy. I'm trying to stay positive towards it with my son. My hope is it eventually swings back the other direction. The changes that they've made the last dozen years took an organization that was already struggling and made it nose dive twice as fast.
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IndividualFreedom
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 3:32p, 11/25/25
Quote:
Quote:
IndividualFreedom said:
I will post it again, as an Eagle Scout product from the book of old, I give this pledge:

If I ever come across F you, lottery style money, it will become my mission to rebuild the BSA. I will acquire all BSA assets and go back to the original intent of the organization. #1 rule, No Women allowed. the pedo crap and transie crap is auto-out. Lawyers by the convoy. Boys will become young men and those young men will have a leg up on life while owning a soul.


Some of the stuff that happened in "old" scouting was not so great. There's a bunch of lawsuits that address this.

Of course, there are up to no good things in any function in life and there always will be. The big difference between then and now is that back then it got dealt with, nowadays it is expected and accepted. In the case of the BSA it was hijacked by design to ruin a great institution.

The brand was hijacked with bud light executives and nobody stood up to it. Sure, the West Texas council or rural councils didn't/don't face the same issues as the Houston Heights, but the brand overall was destroyed. Leaders would claim their hands were tied. Untie them.

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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 3:46p, 11/25/25
AG
Quote:
eliminate increases in pay grade for Eagle Scouts who enlist in the military."

That seems pretty reasonable.

Helping Dad install a bench at the neighborhood park shouldn't have anything to do with military pay.
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shiftyandquick
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In reply to GenXAg • 4:07p, 11/25/25
GenXAg said:
Both of my boys have been and one continues to be involved in Boy Scouts (I refuse to call it Scouting America). The oldest stopped wanting to go after getting his first class rank as sports and school took over his spare time.

My youngest is still involved and I'm struggling to keep him engaged. The quality of the kids is his biggest concern. He is the current Senior Patrol Leader and he's getting first hand experience dealing with and trying to lead a generation that is lost and has little male guidance. Half the boys in the troop are from homes where they are being parented by single moms. The moms are depending on the scouting org to teach their little boys how to be men.

The only problem is the moms don't want their kids influenced in ways that teach them to be men. They don't understand rough housing and how boys/young men talk to each other and joke with each other in settings where it is just them among other boys/young men. They don't understand manly discipline. They don't understand letting their boys fail and suffer a little to learn somewhat hard lessons now so they have the ability to deal with rougher lessons later. Most use it as a baby sitting service one day a week for meetings and one weekend a month for campouts.

Getting dads willing to put up with the headache and all the DEI rules is also effecting adult leadership.

There is a fair amount of the DEI message that is shoved down their throats but I've been able to talk with my sons about it and how to deal with it. The thing about most of the DEI initiatives is the subject matter is and has been since the beginning addressed by the Scout Oath and Law. If you follow the oath and law like you should, very little of the DEI initiatives even have a purpose other than telling young white heterosexual males that they are oppressors and have to work extra hard to atone for things that they never had anything to do with.

I loved Scouting when I was a boy. I'm trying to stay positive towards it with my son. My hope is it eventually swings back the other direction. The changes that they've made the last dozen years took an organization that was already struggling and made it nose dive twice as fast.

I've had none of that experience in scouts.

I was a scoutmaster and we were a very small troop so we partnered with another troop for summer camp one year. I gave a ride to a couple of their scouts, and one of them was a recent refugee from Sudan. Just little boy. I marveled at this young kid, having escaped some kind of hell on earth, and here going to summer camp with the Scouts in America. What a great thing.

This is not something MAGA-hardcores like. This is not what Fuentes wants. But this is something that makes America great. The land of opportunity. Land of freedom. No matter your religion, your skin color, how much money you have. You bring your own strength, intellect and character and make a life for yourself in this land.
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McNasty
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4:22p, 11/25/25
AG
Glad to read some measured responses here from many. Our boys have gotten a lot from cub and boy scouts, from the regular meetings and campouts to the summer camps and high adventures like backpacking in Philmont. Like any other large org, there are some aspects I would change if I could, but let's not throw out the baby with the bath water.

I can't speak to the military pay issue, but I would choose an eagle scout over your average 18 year old any day.
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Teslag
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 4:26p, 11/25/25
AG
Kids escaping Sudan are true refugees. People coming across the southern border to bus tables are not.
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KerrAg76
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 4:45p, 11/25/25
What years were you in scouting? I have 2 Eagle Scout sons and was an asst scoutmaster for many years. There is no doubt they were trekking to the left quickly.
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shiftyandquick
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In reply to KerrAg76 • 5:31p, 11/25/25
KerrAg76 said:
What years were you in scouting? I have 2 Eagle Scout sons and was an asst scoutmaster for many years. There is no doubt they were trekking to the left quickly.


As a kid, 12-18, then as an adult off and on since 2006. Before I had kids old enough I was a conscripted leader. And then later when I had kids involved just as a parent participant.
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torrid
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In reply to Bird Poo • 5:43p, 11/25/25
AG
Bird Poo said:

Yes, girls are separated, but they're a total distraction. They still camp at the same time at the same camps. We had 14 year old boys whose main focus was to get phone numbers instead of working on merit badges.

Sounds like their parents raised them right.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 6:45p, 11/25/25
AG
Quote:
d one of them was a recent refugee from Sudan. Just little boy. I marveled at this young kid, having escaped some kind of hell on earth, and here going to summer camp with the Scouts in America. What a great thing.

This is not something MAGA-hardcores like

Bullcrap
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redcrayon
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In reply to Cibalo • 6:49p, 11/25/25
AG
All youth are in crisis today?? No, they aren't.
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Hubert J. Farnsworth
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In reply to redcrayon • 7:38p, 11/25/25
redcrayon said:
All youth are in crisis today?? No, they aren't.


They aren't all in crises outside of those influenced by stupid liberals.
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APHIS AG
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7:41p, 11/25/25
I do know that the academies did look very favorably on Eagle Scouts. Several years ago, before BSA turned into a circus, I took a tour of Annapolis and the tour guide announced that 30% of incoming Midshipman were Eagle Scouts.

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SandyHookVA
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In reply to GenXAg • 7:46p, 11/25/25
AG
GenXAg said:
Getting dads willing to put up with the headache and all the DEI rules is also effecting adult leadership.

There is a fair amount of the DEI message that is shoved down their throats but I've been able to talk with my sons about it and how to deal with it. The thing about most of the DEI initiatives is the subject matter is and has been since the beginning addressed by the Scout Oath and Law. If you follow the oath and law like you should, very little of the DEI initiatives even have a purpose other than telling young white heterosexual males that they are oppressors and have to work extra hard to atone for things that they never had anything to do with.

I loved Scouting when I was a boy. I'm trying to stay positive towards it with my son. My hope is it eventually swings back the other direction. The changes that they've made the last dozen years took an organization that was already struggling and made it nose dive twice as fast.


I'm curious about these DEI rules? What are they? I've been involved now for nearly 15 years in Cubs, Scouts, and Venturing, and have yet to see a DEI rule.

Also curious about the DEI message being shoved down their throats. There's a bit of inclusiveness messaging from council and national, but the scouts don't see any of it in the stuff they do.
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one safe place
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8:00p, 11/25/25
Many, many years ago, I went to work for a guy, a quite well known Aggie in fact, and I did not know many of the people in the small town. A client of the firm approached my boss about asking me to head a fund drive for the Boy Scouts. My boss said ask me and see, lol.

This had traditionally been headed up by someone for a year or three then they found someone to hand the job off to, and not much effort was put into it, so the monies raised had fallen a good bit. He asked me, I felt a bit trapped (since the guy was a client) but I hesitantly accepted. I drafted a letter and tried to make it light hearted, saying guess what got dropped into my lap? And if anyone felt they should have been given the job, give me a call! I introduced myself and who I was married to, our kids, etc. I went on to say that I was happy to help (not the whole truth) because it was for a good cause (at the time it was the whole truth). I listed as a reminder some of the Eagle Scout projects in the area, some well known citizens who had been active in Scouts, and I said if they wanted to make a donation I'd be happy to have them drop by the office since I was new to the community and it would be nice to meet folks.

I don't remember now how much was raised, somewhere in the $13k to $18k range, way more than in recent years.

As the Boy Scouts have evolved, I would no participate in such an effort now, nor give them a nickel.
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SandyHookVA
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In reply to whoop1995 • 8:04p, 11/25/25
AG
whoop1995 said:
Dad-O-Lot said:
Making Citizenship in Society MB merit badge "Eagle Required" was (and is) a travesty.

Quote:
Realize the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical leadership with the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. Scouts will research any individual who has demonstrated positive leadership while making an ethical decision, explain what options the leader had when faced with a problem, why they believe they chose their final course of action, and the outcome of the leader's decision


This is the only merit badge that you have to have a trained counselor for. Why is that?


The training was basically "keep your woke beliefs to your self" Counselors are to keep the discussion on track, but not steer it or spend time on identity politics especially sexual identity.

Here's the requirements for the CIS badge:

https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/citizenship-in-society/

The CIS badge was pointless virtual signaling at best, redundant at worst. Feedback from the kids has been that the leadership parts could be emphasized more, but it makes more sense than the stuff they get bombarded with at school.

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nai06
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8:10p, 11/25/25
AG

The core tenets of Scouting are still alive and well. Regardless of what some talking head wants you to believe. The changes had little to do with going woke and more about keeping the program running. Lawsuits resulting from the cover up of decades of sexual abuse and growing competition from other youth sports have caused far more damage to Scouting than letting gay people or girls in.

A few points to consider:

-The Scouting movement is not a Christian organization and hasn't been that was since at least 1912.

-Girls have been a part of Scouting in the U.S. since 1971

-For the majority of it's existence, there has not been a ban of gays in Scouting. A policy wasn't formally adopted until 1978 and lifted in 2014. For those of you counting that's just 36 out of 115 years.

-The program has always evolved to suit the needs of current Scouts and society. That's why you won't find machinery, dairying, taxidermy, and bee farming being offered today

-Scouting still has an incredible amount of decentralized local control. Different troops will have different focuses and ideas of what Scouting looks like to them. A big part of joining us finding the best troop for your Scout. I went to the meetings of 4 different troops as a kid before settling on the one I would stick with.

-Scouting has had to adapt to stay alive and the changes in recent years are a result of that. If you want a program for kids that teaches them valuable life skills, gets them outside, and keeps them active Scouting is still the best option around.

Predictably this thread is full of people that have very little understanding of the history, purpose, and current state of Scouting America. I say that as someone who has likely been more involved than a lot of the people lamenting the current state of Scouting.


Eagle Scout
Jr Assistant Scoutmaster
Assistant Scoutmaster
Explorer Scout
Sea Scout
Scout Shop Employee
National Council Employee
OA-Brotherhood
Scout Summer camp Counselor
Merit Badge councilor

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Ag in Tiger Country
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In reply to nai06 • 8:22p, 11/25/25
AG
The amount of time, energy, & money dedicated by you towards, & your unshakable commitment to situate yourself in, a kid-dominated environment is unsettling.

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KerrAg76
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In reply to nai06 • 8:24p, 11/25/25
You've done a lot and it is much appreciated. My two cents, sometimes when one is immersed in the depths of an organization they are "heads down working" and do not see the bigger picture. BSA has followed public education left. Im sure the argument can be made they did for good reasons but that doesn't change the fact.
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whoop1995
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In reply to SandyHookVA • 8:25p, 11/25/25
AG
SandyHookVA said:
whoop1995 said:
Dad-O-Lot said:
Making Citizenship in Society MB merit badge "Eagle Required" was (and is) a travesty.

Quote:
Realize the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical leadership with the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. Scouts will research any individual who has demonstrated positive leadership while making an ethical decision, explain what options the leader had when faced with a problem, why they believe they chose their final course of action, and the outcome of the leader's decision


This is the only merit badge that you have to have a trained counselor for. Why is that?


The training was basically "keep your woke beliefs to your self" Counselors are to keep the discussion on track, but not steer it or spend time on identity politics especially sexual identity.

Here's the requirements for the CIS badge:

https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/citizenship-in-society/

The CIS badge was pointless virtual signaling at best, redundant at worst. Feedback from the kids has been that the leadership parts could be emphasized more, but it makes more sense than the stuff they get bombarded with at school.


it is a woke merit badge developed by woke people. The Boy Scouts needs a chief diversity officer? Come on! Below are her goals of diversity in the Boy Scouts. This is bullcrap ******ed. It was not Covid that destroyed the Boy Scouts it was this dei LGBT crap being introduced and enforced through this merit badge.


This stuff has nothing to do with knots, cooking, camping, athletics, sciences, trade skills, etc.





Full letter
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a2cd298f43b551b489d04fd/t/618016075aeee54b2066e745/1635784199761/Elizabeth+Ramirez-Washka+Letter.pdf
I collect ticket stubs! looking for a 1944 orange bowl ticket stub and Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008 also looking for vs Villanova 1949
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DarkBrandon01
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8:31p, 11/25/25
AG
Sad. Scouting instills valuable principles in boys and helps them become great men. This organization is critical to support boys who would otherwise be on the wrong path in life. This decision will just make scouting less popular and appealing, and you'll get a worse society as a result.
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Ellis Wyatt
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In reply to DarkBrandon01 • 10:16p, 11/25/25
No. Destroying the Boy Scouts with leftism did all of that long before now. It is no longer a respected institution.
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nai06
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In reply to Ellis Wyatt • 11:15p, 11/25/25
AG
How long were you in the Scouts for? What's changed now from when you were in it?
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Teslag
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In reply to nai06 • 11:43p, 11/25/25
AG
Quote:
Lawsuits resulting from the cover up of decades of sexual abuse


Which was literately the fault of having gays in scouts with young boys. And your solution is to openly allow it.

And yes, every single instance of a man sexually abusing a boy is perpetrated by a gay man. If you are attracted to males, regardless of age, you are by definition gay.
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stetson
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In reply to shiftyandquick • 5:46a, 11/26/25
AG
1. Identify a respected institution.
2. kill it.
3. gut it.
4. wear its carcass as a skin suit, while demanding respect.
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DevilD77
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8:51a, 11/26/25
AG
As nai06 said, I believe many of the naysayers in this thread have little to no idea what they are talking about. Scouting America still maintains the standards that were set when it was BSA. The requirement for becoming an Eagle Scout has not been watered down and all of the wilderness survival and life skills are still an integral part of the Scouting experience.

The Mormon Church's decision to leave the Scouting movement was decided years before the BSA changed it's membership requirements. They wanted a program that was the same for their members around the world, not different in every country. They still allow their members to join Scouts if they wish.

Though the Girl Scouts do have an "outdoor" program, it is a shadow of what Scouting America offers. This is why there was such interest by girls throughout the country to become part of the Scouting America program. The primary goal of the BSA was to prepare and train tomorrow's leaders. Why would we not want girls to have that opportunity?

As for the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge (what many are calling the woke badge), when conducted properly, the badge guides the Scout through a self-discovery of how he reacts to and interacts with people from backgrounds different than their own. It doesn't force any beliefs on the Scout that are not their own nor does it pass judgement on the Scout's or their family's beliefs.

My Troop was one of the Combined Troops in the pilot program for co-ed Troops. We have had no issues with having both boys and girls in the same units. We have single sex patrols. The boys can still be boys (yes they still do the same stupid things I did when I was their age). How a Troop runs depends on the quality of their adult leaders and the training those adult leaders have provided to the youth leaders who run the Troop.

Pete Hegseth's drive to remove the DOW's support of the Scouting movement is misguided and driven by ignorance, not fact. I have been a registered Scoutmaster for 43 years. Numerous Scouts from my Troop (both Eagles and non-Eagles) have gone on to serve in the armed forces. Less than 1% of US citizens serve in the armed forces. I would be willing to bet that a much larger percentage of those who have participated in Scouting join the military than those that were not Scouts.

I have a daughter who is currently a Major in the US Army. I wish that she would have had the opportunity to experience Scouting like her brother did.

And as for the poster somewhere above who made a snide remark about how much time nai06 had devoted to Scouts, would you say the same thing about a youth football or baseball coach who has done so for years because he enjoys teaching youth? I look back over my many years as a Scoutmaster and the Scouts that I have mentored. I have had the pleasure to award the Eagle to over 60 Scouts. One has a significant position in the Navy band. One is a director at the Mayo Clinic. One is a judge in Bryan/College Station. At least 10 are currently serving law enforcement officers. Several are nurses or EMTs. At least four are currently serving in the armed forces and two more will join them this spring. What have you done for America's youth?

Captain, USAR MSC
First Class Scout (Dropped out at 16. Big mistake)
Scoutmaster (43 yrs)
Vigil Honor Member, Order of the Arrow
Silver Beaver
National Council Presidents Scoutmaster Award of Honor
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Windy City Ag
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In reply to APHIS AG • 9:05a, 11/26/25
AG
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I do know that the academies did look very favorably on Eagle Scouts. Several years ago, before BSA turned into a circus, I took a tour of Annapolis and the tour guide announced that 30% of incoming Midshipman were Eagle Scouts.


We had a midshipmen in his second year at the Naval Academy come speak to the Troop last year and he communicated similar stats.
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In reply to DevilD77 • 9:17a, 11/26/25
SandyHookVA
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In reply to whoop1995 • 9:31a, 11/26/25
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whoop1995 said:
SandyHookVA said:
whoop1995 said:
Dad-O-Lot said:
Making Citizenship in Society MB merit badge "Eagle Required" was (and is) a travesty.

Quote:
Realize the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical leadership with the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. Scouts will research any individual who has demonstrated positive leadership while making an ethical decision, explain what options the leader had when faced with a problem, why they believe they chose their final course of action, and the outcome of the leader's decision


This is the only merit badge that you have to have a trained counselor for. Why is that?


The training was basically "keep your woke beliefs to your self" Counselors are to keep the discussion on track, but not steer it or spend time on identity politics especially sexual identity.

Here's the requirements for the CIS badge:

https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/citizenship-in-society/

The CIS badge was pointless virtual signaling at best, redundant at worst. Feedback from the kids has been that the leadership parts could be emphasized more, but it makes more sense than the stuff they get bombarded with at school.


it is a woke merit badge developed by woke people. The Boy Scouts needs a chief diversity officer? Come on! Below are her goals of diversity in the Boy Scouts. This is bullcrap ******ed. It was not Covid that destroyed the Boy Scouts it was this dei LGBT crap being introduced and enforced through this merit badge.



Show me where in the merit badge the DEI LGBT stuff is introduced and enforced.

I posted the requirements. Please quote the exact requirement.



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