Free Republic

IDAHO FALLS — Stakeholders with the Grand Teton Council and other local community leaders gathered Wednesday to discuss ways of increasing membership for the Scouting program after a massive drop in numbers five years ago. The Grand Teton Council is part of Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, and covers eastern Idaho and parts of western Wyoming. Since 2019, the Grand Teton Council and Scouting America have struggled to maintain and grow their membership after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stopped using the organization in lieu of starting its own youth program. “We lost 95%...

Last weekend, after being in existence for 114 years, the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts officially changed its name to Scouting America in an attempt to be more inclusive, as the organization offers merit badges championing DEI principles. The Boy Scouts dropped “Boy” from their name in 2018 and became Scouts BSA. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, said succinctly, “Scouting is a game for boys under the leadership of boys under the direction of a man.” “The change was made to reflect the organization’s ongoing commitment to welcoming every youth in America to experience the...

On Feb. 8, 2025, the Boy Scouts of America marked its 115th anniversary in a disheartening way by officially changing its name to "Scouting America." This rebranding reflects more than just a cosmetic adjustment; it signifies a troubling departure from the organization’s foundational principles , succumbing to the relentless pressures of political correctness and gender ideology. BSA announced the name change last year: “Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life. This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that...

The once-iconic Boy Scouts of America has officially changed its name on its 115th anniversary. This renaming, effective Saturday, marks a sad day for traditional American values, as the organization succumbs to the pressures of political correctness and gender ideology, while also attempting to distance itself from its troubled past marred by a torrent of sexual abuse claims and subsequent bankruptcy. The Gateway Pundit reported that the organization was nearly bankrupt after a series of woke decisions, including changing its policies to allow gay leaders and allowing girls to join. Those decisions had a major impact on the organization’s bottom...

The organization officially changed its name on Saturday to Scouting America Nine months after announcing a name change was coming, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) on Saturday officially changed its name in an attempt to "meet the evolving needs of young people." The organization adopted the new name, Scouting America, on its 115th anniversary, "marking a pivotal moment in the organization’s journey," according to a statement released Saturday.The shift comes after a recent policy change in 2018, allowing girls to join the program. The organization began allowing gay youth in 2013 and ended a blanket ban on gay adult...

Donn Fendler credited wild berries and a Boy Scout's 'never-give-up attitude' for his survival after he was separated from his family, aged 12, atop Maine's highest peak in 1939. They helped him through nine tough days traversing Mt. Katahdin's dense wilderness — battling hunger, fatigue, hallucinations, bugs, and leeches. He even lost his shoes in a river. Fendler's gripping survival story was front-page news in the build up to World War Two, and the boy's grit earned him an award from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His memoir, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, has regaled generations of schoolkids in the...

Heritage has announced that it will auction off a collection of iconic paintings and illustrations belonging to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The collection has been valued at $59 million, with the proceeds going towards compensating survivors of childhood sexual abuse within the Scouts, marking a low point in the BSA’s history.

Friends – Growing up in Cincinnati, faith was an integral part of my life. My family, church, school, and troop all provided a community that helped shape who I was and who I would become in life. Even today, the simple, quiet reverence of Scout Vespers moves me. I know many of you who have grown up in Scouting feel the same way. As a parent, I believe that faith should be an integral part of childhood. In an increasingly complicated world, faith helps young people develop a broader perspective on life. Faith gives them a sense of hope and...

In the Cultural Marxists' "long march through the institutions," perhaps their toughest conquest was the Boy Scouts of America. This past week the BSA finally fully succumbed to the life-draining internal parasites with which it was infected 11 years ago after decades of stalwart resistance. As with so many aspects of the fundamental transformation America has suffered in the 21st century, the turning point in the takedown of the Boy Scouts was an Obama operation – headed by deep-state swamp creature Rex Tillerson with a major assist by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Boy Scouts of America changes name to ‘Scouting America’ to be ‘more inclusive’The organization began welcoming homosexual-identifying boys in 2013, halted its ban on gay adult scout masters in 2015, announced in 2017 that girls who identify as 'transgender' could enter boys-only programs, and fully opened its membership to girls in 2018.After years of turmoil and upheaval resulting in a major identity crisis, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) announced today that it’s changing its name to Scouting America in order to be “more inclusive.”The rebranding comes as the troubled organization emerges from bankruptcy after a tsunami of allegations of...

In what is being viewed by many as a final plunge into wokeness, the Boy Scouts of America has announced a name change. No longer will the name include "Boys." It will be just "Scouting America." Effective next year. USA Today reported the organization said its goal is to be more "inclusive."

The Boy Scouts of America scouting organization is inviting “LGBTQ” advocacy at its national jamboree camp in West Virginia. The current welcome for chaotic sexual diversity is being offered to teenagers as the scouting movement shrinks. There were just 15,000 scouts at the 2023 jamboree compared to 40,000 at the 2013 event. The meager attendance reflects the weather-beaten state of the Boy Scouts of America. Though its doors are now open to kids of all gender identities and sexual orientations, fewer than ever are accepting the invitation. The organization lost nearly half of its membership between 2019 and 2020. The...

A seminal moment in the lives of tens of thousands of young men occurred in 2017 when they attended the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Jamboree, where they were addressed by President Donald Trump. The Jambo traditionally has always been a transformative experience for the youths who attend it — two weeks away from their families in a tween- and teen-boy paradise, a sylvan Never Land where they can belch and play with cool, nerdy stuff and whittle and stink without having to worry about impressing girls or being nagged not to do something dangerous. Anywhere from 2% to...

The Boy Scouts of America said Sunday evening that the victim was a parent of a scout and was participating in a planned hike.A woman was killed when she was hit by a falling tree during a hiking trip with the Boys Scouts in Cupertino Sunday morning, officials said. The incident happened just after 10 a.m. on a trail at the Rancho San Antonio County Park. Officials said they received calls for a woman who was trapped under a tree. The Santa Clara County Fire Department said on Twitter that the victim was declared dead after medical aid was rendered....

In recent weeks, it seems like every time I go to the supermarket during the day, there is a small group of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts conducting a fundraiser. The Girl Scouts have cookies, the boy scouts have—whatever is they’re pushing. Today was no different, some local Boy Scout troop was selling something for a fundraiser, and when approached on my way out, I politely declined to buy whatever it was they were selling.And I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.This isn’t something I’m happy about. I know these kids are putting in some effort to...

Children younger than ten watched fully nude bikers at the Seattle Pride Parade, which was kicked off by the Boy Scouts of America. Though it’s not clear what group the nude cyclists were representing, their purpose appeared to address body image, with one sign that read, “Challenge body shame. Build self-esteem.” Both men and women were nude: The parade reportedly began with the Boy Scouts of America leading the proceedings as they carried both pride flags and American flags. Pro-abortion protesters challenging the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade were also enthusiastically received.

Those who hope to find a place that’ll encourage the virtuous masculinity that so often finds itself the target of our mainstream culture have been left with a dwindling set of options. My family intended to guide my formation as a young man and instill traditional values when they put me in Cub Scouts in the first grade, supporting me all the way until I earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2018. It worked. The time I spent in Scouting certainly contributed to my sense of what is required of me as a man; to act on the moral...

The United Methodist Church, a denomination that sponsors thousands of Boy Scout troops, recently told congregations to consider ending or altering their current agreements with the Boy Scouts of America as the embattled scouting organization settles a major sex abuse lawsuit.The UMC’s Office of Public Information released a statement last week explaining that the mainline Protestant denomination had a long history with the BSA, dating back for more than a century.Church leadership cited the recent BSA lawsuit filed by thousands of victims of sexual abuse. Earlier this year, BSA reached a settlement with a proposed payout of over $850 million...

The news over the past few years has offered little to cheer about, but a recent story reporting an unprecedented 43 percent decline in membership in the Boy Scouts of America from 2019 to 2020—from 1.97 million Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts to 1.12 million—was especially dispiriting. To make matters worse, the Associated Press reports that BSA membership has fallen even further since 2020—to about 762,000. For purposes of comparison, combined enrollment in the BSA—Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts—peaked in 1972 at 6.5 million members and as recently as 1998 was 4.8 million. These numbers are shockingly grim. The once-robust...

The BSA’s leftist agenda results in a membership drop from 1.97 million to 762,000. *** The BSA announced last week its $850 million settlement with thousands of abuse claimants, the vast majority being from many decades ago. *** In January of 2013, in a “Letter to an Eagle Scout,” I responded to the dismay over a proposal by the BSA National Board to remove the membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. In May of that year, the BSA’s national board, under the “leadership” of wealthy corporate types who were completely out of touch with grassroots Scouting values, promoted and implemented a...