The BSA wasn’t Hitler Youth outright while I was in, but there is definitely a “God, Duty, Country” vibe that other scouting organizations around the world left behind or never adopted in the first place. Conservatives liked that, and they hated that they had been making a slow march towards more progressive and less nationalist policy that I bet only hastened after the sexual assault lawsuits bankrupted the national organization.
Hegseth is probably doing this to either pressure Scouting into regressing, or to weaken Scouting in order to spin up a Trump Youth later. There is no shortage of conservative dads unhappy with modern Scouting that would love either outcome.
Yeah, BSA was still real weird when I was in it (90’s-very early 00’s). The martial aspects, Christianity, and nationalism were sort of the assumed values. And there was a very disturbing I’ll just say Neo-confederate Mormon flavor to the top level national organization. It was built by straight white conservative men so that their sons would have a safe space, in other words.
Yup, there were a ton of stories about them kicking out atheists back when I was in it. Being reverent is part of the motto, and some troops took that seriously. Summer camps also had a mandatory religious service too attend. There were options, but you had to go to one of them.
A lot of clubs feel culty, especially ones that have a behavioral component. There’s a world of difference between Scouting and a real cult (like MAGA).
The BSA wasn’t Hitler Youth outright while I was in, but there is definitely a “God, Duty, Country” vibe that other scouting organizations around the world left behind or never adopted in the first place. Conservatives liked that, and they hated that they had been making a slow march towards more progressive and less nationalist policy that I bet only hastened after the sexual assault lawsuits bankrupted the national organization.
Hegseth is probably doing this to either pressure Scouting into regressing, or to weaken Scouting in order to spin up a Trump Youth later. There is no shortage of conservative dads unhappy with modern Scouting that would love either outcome.
Yeah, BSA was still real weird when I was in it (90’s-very early 00’s). The martial aspects, Christianity, and nationalism were sort of the assumed values. And there was a very disturbing I’ll just say Neo-confederate Mormon flavor to the top level national organization. It was built by straight white conservative men so that their sons would have a safe space, in other words.
Fuckinnn yikes. Gonna have to watch out for the shitler youth.
Pistol Pete will want to turn the Scouts into the MAGA Youth.
Yeah that’s why I never really got into the scouts - it felt culty (not that I could articulate that back then.)
It was thick with MLMs and reactionary evangelicalism. Didn’t hurt that the Mormon Church was heavily embedded in the national leadership.
Yup, there were a ton of stories about them kicking out atheists back when I was in it. Being reverent is part of the motto, and some troops took that seriously. Summer camps also had a mandatory religious service too attend. There were options, but you had to go to one of them.
God fucking damn, I am so glad I grew up in a NY suburb, sometimes.
A lot of clubs feel culty, especially ones that have a behavioral component. There’s a world of difference between Scouting and a real cult (like MAGA).