For the Boy Scouts of America — recently renamed Scouting America — the past 12 years have been challenging. Opening its programs to gay people and later to girls angered some critics. Its 2020 bankruptcy declaration triggered disputes over compensation for thousands of men claiming they were sexually abused as scouts.
While the 115-year-old organization now serves far fewer youths than at its peak decades ago, it seems to be stabilizing with a slight uptick in membership last year. One key reason: The loyalty of major religious denominations that still view scouting’s mission as uniquely valuable and welcome its continued commitment to reverence and prayer.
Here’s a look at the role those faith groups play:
A diversity of faiths in scouting
According to Scouting America’s latest data, faith-based organizations account for 42% of the nearly 40,000 units operated by chartered organizations. The Catholic Church and its affiliates are No. 1 — overseeing 3,514 units serving more than 87,100 of the roughly 1 million boys and girls now active in scouting.
Other major sponsors include the United Methodists, the Episcopal Church and various Lutheran and Presbyterian denominations. Nearly 250 units, serving more than 6,500 scouts, are sponsored by Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist organizations.
Roger Krone, Scouting America’s president and CEO, took the post in 2023 as the organization emerged from bankruptcy proceedings. He appreciates the diversity of the faith groups engaged in scouting.
“It really speaks to the alignment of the mission, vision and values that our organization has and what those organizations have,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s character development, it’s spiritual growth, it’s community service.”
Some changes, but not to Scout Oath and Scout Law
The Boy Scouts lifted a ban on openly gay youth members in 2013 and began accepting girls in 2018 — steps that Krone depicted as a message of welcome to any family considering scouting.
One step the organization will not take, Krone said, is abandoning the religious credo at the core of its mission. The famed Scout Oath begins, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God,” while the Scout Law’s concluding message is: “Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the belief of others.”
Krone acknowledged that some nonreligious families, while admiring aspects of scouting, might be uncomfortable with the “Duty to God” pledge. He encourages them to try scouting nonetheless.
Some faith groups broke away
After the 2013 decision to admit gay youth, some disgruntled conservatives formed a new group, Trail Life USA, which created its own ranks, badges and uniforms. It now claims 65,000 youth members, participating in church-run units aligned with “biblical Christian principles.”
The biggest blow came at the start of 2020, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — then the Boy Scouts’ largest faith-based partner — withdrew more than 400,000 scouts in favor of new programs of its own.
Krone said many Latter-day Saints families remain fond of Boy Scout programming and now place their children in units unaffiliated with their church.
As for Trail Life, Krone acknowledged that its conservative Christian outlook has strong appeal for some families.
“But our program will prepare you better for life,” he said. “Once you get out of high school … you need to learn to get along with others in the world as it is today, outside of the environment that you grew up in.”
COVID and bankruptcy took a toll
The loss of many units affiliated with the Latter-day Saints and conservative Christian churches was part of a broader shrinkage experienced by the Boy Scouts, which served more than 4 million boys in the 1970s. The pandemic and the bankruptcy process were major factors as membership dwindled.
In all, more than 82,000 people filed claims alleging they were sexually abused as scouts. Leading faith-based sponsors of scout units, including Catholic dioceses and Methodist churches, contributed to a $2.4 billion reorganization plan that took effect in 2023, allowing the Boy Scouts to keep operating while compensating abuse survivors.
For those who stayed, scouting is indispensable
Steven Scheid, director of the United Methodists’ Center for Scouting Ministries, sees some upsides for scouting after its previous difficulties. He cited rigorous child-protection policies that he views as effective in curtailing sex abuse.
“The lessons we can gain out of the mistakes of the past can make a better, stronger community, a safer one,” he said.
Back in 2013, the United Methodists accounted for almost 350,000 youth members in the Boy Scouts. The figure now is 52,600.
While Christian churches account for the vast majority of Scouting America’s faith-based units, there are more than 3,500 scouts in Muslim-sponsored units and about 1,560 in Jewish-affiliated units.
“Muslims in America are searching for their identity, and there’s nothing more American than scouting,” said Rashid Abdullah, executive director of the National Association of Muslim Americans on Scouting. “It’s aligning perfectly with the values of our faith.”
Abdullah is also a lead organizer of scout units chartered to the Islamic Center of Northern Virginia Trust and the father of three sons who — like himself — made Eagle Scout.
Another Eagle Scout of long standing is Ricky Mason, a bankruptcy attorney who helped negotiate the reorganization plan and who next year will become the second Jewish chair of the Scouts’ National Executive Committee.
Mason depicts scouting as a way for the U.S. Jewish community to remain connected with American society amid concerns that antisemitism is increasing.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
