“a homogenous group of white boys”

"Get thee behind me..."

Which is what the New York Times described the National Scout Jamboree as in an article dated yesterday.

And they’re right. The Boy Scouts are a very limiting and bigoted in-group that overtly disallows gays, atheists, and girls (at least until the Explorer age). Clearly, they have built in mechanisms that exclude nearly all non-whites, though these are probably quite accidental and unintentional (for the most part). But I personally know of parents who favor the Boy Scouts because they’re a “white institution.” And one of these parents proudly referred to it as “one of the last white institutions.” Luckily his kids didn’t have any interest in scouting, much to his chagrin.

But, honestly, I don’t mind if the Scouts exclude whomever they want. It just irks me that they receive public favor in the way of rent discounts, donations, etc from government. Scouts can meet rent free at public schools, rent buildings at deep, deep discount, and are donated land use (or leased at deep, deep discount) by the DoD for jamborees and events. If they’re going to accept these gifts or subsidies, then they should conform fully to equal opportunity standards and be open to inspection.

To quote the article above on the topic of racial diversity in the Scouts, “A Scout study from a few years ago on ‘tapping into diverse markets’ said that parents of African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians had ‘no emotional connection to scouting.’”

You have to think that if the Boy Scouts truly were an organization that believed in its way of life, that it might be trying harder to reach out to people of color and ethnic diversity (the National Jamboree does have a mosque for its Muslim scouts). And, if they truly thought that their religious worldviews were correct, then they would eagerly welcome both gays and atheists. After all, aren’t these the very people they would seek to educate and inform?

Perhaps the real reason they don’t allow openly gay or atheist members is they fear their influence. Perhaps down deep, they know their worldview has a fault of being wrong. That their religiously guided motivations fly in the face of reason. That if their numbers are invaded by gays and atheists, then reason will also invade. And then Scouting wouldn’t be that “last white institution.” College graduates that also have Boy Scout and Explorer experiences listed in their volunteer section have an advantage among conservative, white employers.

It says, “I was raised as one of you and I’m proud of it.”

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