OP-ED: A War on Scouting?

By ALAN SMASON

Yesterday, a news story hit the National Public Radio airwaves regarding a leaked report from the Pentagon regarding a possible change in policy being proposed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

According to the report, several documents were shared including a proposed draft of a report to Congress explaining the intention of Hegseth to break ties between the military and Scouting America, the 115-year-old federally chartered youth organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America.

Hegseth, who has spent much of his short career as a government official fighting “wokeness” in military institutions, has taken his responsibility in recent months to include removing references on official websites that cite heroism or remarkable acts by ethnic and racial minorities, condemning “fat generals,” waging war against “beardos” and holding women to the same combat-ready standards required for males.

I’ve watched as African-American Heritage, Hispanic Heritage and Jewish-American Heritage Months were de-emphasized and books on the Holocaust were purged from military library shelves at the Naval Academy in advance of a visit by Hegseth.

Now, in an apparent effort to fix a problem that does not exist, Hegseth is allegedly looking into severing all ties with Scouting America over its inclusion of girls into its programs and its promotion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Years ago, when the organization was challenged on all levels by forces fighting for acceptance of LGBTQ youth and adult leaders, the use of federal resources such as personnel and military bases to assist with National Jamborees – a law approved by Congress – was questioned. Scouting America was taken to court and eventually purchased a huge reservation in West Virginia at a staggering high price in response.

If the proposed draft were to be put into place, the logistical and medical support the military supplies to Scouting America at National Jamborees would be removed and Scouting units would no longer be allowed on military bases around the world. That’s a very big deal to military families stationed afar, as the Scouting program is viewed as the one constant for their children which they can rely on while they are away.

It may surprise Secretary Hegseth to learn there are only 13 countries in the world that still promote “boys only” Scouting and over half of them are Muslim countries in the Middle East (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen) as well as Pakistan and Sudan. The other countries with similar “boys only” policies are Barbados, Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Liberia, Lesotho and Papua New Guinea.

Are these the countries the Secretary wants the United States of America to align with?

Even the birthplace of Scouting – Merry Olde England – has removed gender restrictions in Scouting since 1991. The United Kingdom made it compulsory in 2007.

In addition, the military offers enhanced pay and advancement in rank to Eagle Scout recruits who join the armed forces. According to Hegseth’s proposal, that would also disappear. The reason, according to the report, is that Hegseth feels Scouting America “is no longer a meritocracy.” In other words, as Hegseth perceives it, Scouts are routinely given their rank advancement rather than earn them.

As a Scouter (adult leader) who has served on many past Eagle Boards of Review, I find the suggestion to be insulting to the Scouts who have worked many hours to achieve their rank advancements and disrespectful to the other adults who stand by to support and challenge them.

The response from Scouting America’s CEO Roger Krone stated they “were surprised and deeply saddened by this move.” He pointed to the historical connections the organization has enjoyed with the military since its founding and added “Scouting isn’t something we do. It’s something we are.”

Regardless of the outcome, Scouting America promised to stand by its military families and noted it has been a part of every administration – Republican and Democratic – for more than 115 years, maintaining a bipartisan stance as a youth organization training tomorrow’s leaders.

Scouting America has also encouraged its members to reach out to their Senators and Representatives and push back against this proposal before it becomes a matter of policy.

I can only state that Secretary Hegseth is either misinformed or delusional. After emerging from a crippling bankruptcy brought on by huge lawsuits filed for alleged sexual abuse, Scouting America has lost critical support from many church groups that are themselves inolved in bankruptcy proceedngs like the Catholic Church or who have distanced themselves over the organization’s focus on opening their ranks to all genders like the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church).

With significant membership losses from the LDS Church and others, Scouting America had little choice but to open its formerly boys-only units to girls. But the organization’s Exploring Posts and Venturing Crews had long been established as co-ed. The Girl Scouts of the USA sued the Boy Scouts of America in court and lost their case. Today there is an implied rule that bars the Girl Scouts from engaging in any group activities that involve Scouting America. That is a shame.

To be as transparent as I can, I am a proud father of an Eagle Scout, the immediate past president of the National Association of Masonic Scouters and a longtime member and leader of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting. I find these proposed breaks with the military to be ill-advised and downright ludicrous.

Now, more than ever, our nation needs the kinds of ethical and morally straight material that Scouting America produces. It is estimated that 10-20% of students at the military academies are Eagle Scouts and many more have been involved with the Scouting programs. Severing ties with Scouting could significantly weaken our military capabilities.

With so many things working against it – emergence from years of protracted bankruptcy proceedings, loss in membership and competition from organized sports and other activities – Scouting America deserves the Department of Defense’s unwavering support, not a declaration of war against it.