Thursday, May 3, 2018

Boy Scouts drop "Boy" from Their Name. One Traditional Catholic's Perspective.

Here is the New York Times coverage:  LINK.  The new name will be "Scouts BSA."

Their stated reason is that this name is more inclusive, applied to both boys and girls, in keeping with the name Cub Scouts.

Horse manure.



                                                 









I was in the Boy Scouts from age 12-18, and then an Assistant Scoutmaster from age 18-22.  I was also in other scouting organizations:  Medical Explorers, Civil Air Patrol, and in college Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity.  If God should bless me with sons, I would get involved again one day.  

But do a google search.  The Girl Scouts are retaining "Girl" in their name.  When the Boy Scouts officially decided to allow girls to enroll in their troops, they protested.


Where to even begin?  

First, removing "Boy" from the name but retaining "BSA" illogically betrays their purpose of setting aside reference to gender, as is done in the name "Cub Scouts."  That is because BSA stands for "Boy Scouts of America."  Hello.  What is their frame of mind?  

Second, 99.9999999999% of its members remain to be BOYS.  That is essential to the very nature of this specific organization. If I wanted to say change the name of the health profession called "Physical Therapy" to "Therapy,"  to be more inclusive to all those other clinical therapies (occupational, speech, respiratory, counseling, etc.), then how is a patient to clearly know they are going to "physical therapy" for rehab after a total hip replacement?  Its ridiculous.

Third, when part of the very nature of your organization is that it is for, you know, BOYS, then when you allow girls to be members, and remove the name BOY from its name, it begs the philosophical question if the Boy Scouts as an organization and cultural institution actually still exists??   I waxed and waned about that possibility last Fall, when they announced girls can join Boy Scout troops.  LINK.

















Solutions?

Well, I'm not 100% done with the BSA.  On the practical level, looking out across the landscape of Boy Scout troops here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, most of which are based at either conservative Evangelical churches or Catholic churches, I think it may still be a viable option for your boys, on a case to case basis.

The Catholic Church has always encouraged the formation of youth in institutions not officially part of the divine institution of the Church.   That is because while we are called to be first and foremost saints, that prime directive indirectly depends on forming ourselves into ladies and gentlemen, citizens, and patriots.  That is traditionally the aim of both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts alike.

But, I advocate for the trend of some Catholic parishes, in particular ones where the truly extraordinary form of the Mass is offered (aka the Latin Mass),  starting alternative scouting organizations.  Attempts have been made here in Tulsa.

The one I grew up with at St. Anne's in Broken Arrow, though, still remains with the politically correct, mainstream institution.

I can see two alternatives.  One would be to start an institutional BSA troop, but do everything you can to retain traditional language and custom -- like, for example, starting an official Knights of Columbus chapter but applying for permission to wear the traditional ceremonial uniform of a Knight (would they allow it?).  

This vs. This.  

Keep the name "Boy Scouts" in the name of your troop.  Be explicit that membership is for BOYS.   Be politically incorrect.  Study and restore the great traditions of American scouting.  

The other option I strongly lean towards is an alternative, Catholic scouting organization, like you traditionally see with Catholic Scouting in France.




LINK  (about Catholic scouting)

LINK  (Latin Mass order of priests, dedicated to scouting)