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Please see the longer time-series I posted above. Contrary to popular opinion, there was a material uptick in membership in the 1980s. As I wrote elsewhere, I suggested (and was ignored...) that BSA try to examine what "worked" during the Reagan years and try to replicate that vs assume that just because BSA had 100 years of success in forming young men that BSA can simply whip this program on girls with great success.

I agree with the comments made about the ugliness and immorality of predatory leaders, and how National has "lost its way." But as I also noted, there were about 40,000 rabid rank-and-file Scouts who LOVED Trump's red meat speech to them a few years ago. It is THOSE people who are the heart and soul of Scouting: to wit, did we declare America dead when Obama and his retinue were in command of the Executive Branch?

Scouting is more a mindset and collection of values than it is an organization. Thankfully, many adults and Scouts are ignoring the noise from National and the nattering nabobs of negativism and continue to form tomorrow's leaders in the well-worn path established over a century ago. It ain't easy, but then again the Scout Motto isn't "give up when things look bad."