I am one of The Last Boy Scouts

In the previous weeks, the Boy Scouts of America announced it would change its flag ship program name from the Boy Scouts to Scouts BSA. This is a result of the BSA’s decision to invite girls into the BSA scouting program in October 2017. As an Eagle Scout, I personally think the name change is a bit redundant. When rebranding is such a big ordeal in our society, it seems a bit ridiculous to call the new program Scouts Boy Scouts of America. In my opinion, it think the organization should change its name from the BSA to Scouts America. It is a simple name, it involves both boys and girls in its representation. In countries such as Canada and the U.K. scouting programs are named Scouts Canada and The Scout Association. Scouting in America has been confusing because for more than a hundred years there have been two organizations. The Girl Scouts of America and the Boy Scouts of America. The same thing was true in the U.K. for many years, but then the two organizations in the U.K. combined to make one scouting program for boys and girls. I currently know a U.K. Air Scout and stay in contact with him whenever I get the chance.

The Girls Scouts are more known than the BSA due to their successful products of Girl Scout Cookies. I am a huge Thin Mint fan, guilty as charged. As a Cub Scout (a branch of the Boy Scouts of America for children ages 5-10) I had to compete by selling Trail’s End Popcorn to neighbors and friends. Not only was the popcorn more expensive, I was definitely out of my league when the Girl Scouts would set up their stand next to me at the local Jewel Osco. As an Eagle Scout today, I still see Girl Scout cookie sales soar through the roof with a box costing only $4, it is the perfect price for the common American. When it comes to the program in and of itself, there really are not a whole lot of activities that are viewed entertaining in the Girl Scouts. I have talked to a few of my friends who have been Girl Scouts in the past and they claim their time with the GSA was not really exciting. Whereas the BSA has another program incorporates boys and girls ages 15-21(Venturing BSA) and activities such as camping in tents, hiking, first aid, wilderness survival, horseback riding, the Girls Scout program seems lame. Knitting, camping in cabins, entrepreneurship, and arts and crafts.

Through my eyes, by incorporating the GSA and the BSA into one giant organization as Scouts America, the two groups would benefit greatly. Not only would boys and girls learn the importance of service to the community, they would be introduced to a whole slew of high adventure activities. Even though Scouts BSA (it still feels weird to say it) will let girls into the program; inviting them to reach the rank of Eagle Scout, the most prestigious rank in all of scouting, the merger between the GSA and the BSA would result in more boys and girls coming together to become America’s next leaders.

*The next posts on my blog may have a few typos in the next coming weeks. I'll be at Summit for work and I do not have access to a computer. I will most likely be posting from my phone.