Reply #24: Why should anybody be surprised?

[Wednesdays]

The whole purpose of the Boy Scouts now is to recruit soldiers as early as possible.

I was a scout, back during the time when scouting was often seen as not much more than a "boy's camping club." I understood that the Boy Scouts were first organized in Britain and the USA on the eve of World War I, as a sort of military "pre-training." But by the time I signed up, emphasis on military-related issues had dropped off considerably. I earned merit badges in photography, music, cooking, and astronomy...and none of the leaders batted an eyelash about it. In spite of the rules saying Boy Scouts having to be "reverent," we had open discussions about religion, in which many of us openly questioned the existence of God. There were a few "hawkish" types among us, but to suggest that any of us would carry a weapon and actually shoot people would have been unthinkable. We didn't even play paintball "war games" (that came much later)...the closest we came to any war games was playing "Steal the Bacon."

Things are so different now. I retired from them just as the BSA was starting to really return to being a paramilitary outfit in the mid-1970s, probably as part of the wingnut backlash that was starting to take form at the time. They were starting to change the uniforms to the Vietnam "green beret" look (even though the scout berets were red).

It's gotten steadily right-wing since then, so much so that if I had a son I would never consider letting him join the Boy Scouts. My daughter briefly considered joining the Girl Scouts, and even there I had reservations.

After having so much fun during my time with them, sad to say I wouldn't care if the organization just died out.