Recently, on Feb. 27, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth forced Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) to remove all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives by threatening to end the Department of War’s partnership with Scouting America.
The changes already outlined include: eliminating gender designations outside of male and female, changing a policy that now forces Scouts to select the sex assigned at birth, creating a “liaison” between the Pentagon and Scouting America and eliminating the Citizenship in Society merit badge, which focuses on a discussion about how DEI is reflected in Scouting America.
In a press release, Hegseth added, “Ideally, I believe the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts as originally founded: a group that develops boys into men.” It is unclear what extent the Department of War will go, but policies allowing female and LGBT scouts are at risk.
Hegseth has criticized these policies as “woke.” However, Scouting America’s changes to be inclusive of those from all backgrounds and groups were not done for the sake of being “woke.” Rather, they were to extend the skills, experience and leadership offered by Scouting America to all.
The issue with the current division of Scouting America and Girl Scouts USA is historical differences in revenue. The revenue differences have allowed Scouting America to invest heavily in its Leadership and High Adventure Programs – leading Scouting America to grow a larger organization. Because of this, it is important to ensure the High Adventure, advancement and Leadership opportunities offered by Scouting America remain accessible to all.
The leadership and achievement programs offered by Scouting America can be incredibly impactful in the development of its members. Scouting offers the opportunity to advance through seven ranks by developing skills that range from camping to community service, culminating in scouting’s highest honor, Eagle Scout. Eagle Scouts have shown higher levels of connection, well-being and engagement, and are active leaders in their communities. Achieving scouting honors also provides an advantage in college admissions, as it is widely recognized and shows dedication and character development. Scouting America has a variety of skills taught through its seven ranks and over 130 unique merit badges that cover a wide range of topics applicable to careers, life skills and various hobbies and interests. Ensuring that everyone has opportunities to access these skill-building systems, whether through Scouting America or Girl Scouts USA, is important in creating an equitable environment for all prospective scouts.
Scouting America also offers unique experiences through its High Adventure Program. The funding discrepancy mentioned earlier and alumni networks play a large role in the four camps; Philmont, Sea Base, The Summit and Northern Tier, offer a myriad of unique experiences. While other programs have camps, partnerships and destinations that offer similar activities, no other program owns as many properties with as much variety in experiences. This allows for more regular and affordable offerings. It is important that youth of all backgrounds are welcomed and included.
Scouting America has gone through massive changes and rebranding that made it one of the most comprehensive and inclusive scouting organizations. The programs are unparalleled, the experiences provided are unique and the opportunities pave a way to learn skills and differentiate oneself. Before the changes, it was also the only organization that allowed boys, girls, non-binary and transgender youth to participate. It is crucial that these opportunities are provided to everyone.
Hegseth’s strong-arming of the organization represents the Trump administration’s continual overreach into private organizations for their policies. These changes are not to “improve” the organization as Hegseth claims; rather they will push out minority youth and make Scouting a less inclusive community.
