The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history. The Texas-based organization is announcing at its annual meeting in Florida on Tuesday that it will become Scouting America.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/20749204

Another positive step in the right direction for an organization rife with brokenness. There’s a lot I don’t like about the organization, but this is something a love–a scouting organization open to young women and the lgbtq community. The next step is being inclusive of nonreligious agnostic and atheist youth and leaders. As well as ending the cultural appropriation of Native American peoples.

May this organization continue to build up youth, never allow further violence against youth, and make amends for all the wrongs. There’s a lot of good that comes out of organizations like this and I won’t discount it even though it’s riddled with a dark history.

  • Match!!English
    33·
    7 months ago

    shouldn’t the next step be restructuring to stop the sexual abuse

    • MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      191·
      7 months ago

      BSA literally helped set the standard by which all modern youth organizations operate to keep kids safe. Back in the 80s/90s they began making background checks mandatory, implemented 2-deep leadership (minimum of two leaders present at all functions and never one-on-one with a scout), and mandated reporting suspected abuse to local authorities and the national office. All leaders must go through a training on these policies and recognizing signs of abuse every 2 years. No one is allowed to overnight functions who isn’t a registered leader and current on this training.

      Most of the sexual abuse from the big law suit took place before all this was implemented. At the time BSA tried to cover it all up. Since then they have changed course.

      Are there still things to improve to improve safety? Probably, but I’m honestly not sure what that would be at this point.

      • perishthethought@lemm.eeEnglish
        32·
        7 months ago

        IMHO, three leaders instead of two would be an improvement. I say that, even though I know finding enough parents / leaders willing to give of their time is very difficult.

    • ⓝⓞ🅞🅝🅔@lemmy.caOPEnglish
      12·
      7 months ago

      This has already been done to some degree. Not to say that more can’t be done. I don’t think you could ever be too careful in this regard. But for all leaders, there’s enforced youth protection training and requirements now. They have a lot of rules with how scouts out leaders are able to interact. It’s light years ahead of other organizations, like the church, in this regard. For instance, none of the leaders in the group I’m involved in have ever contacted my children on- on-one. I’m always CC’d on all correspondence. At events, buddy systems and other rules take it further.

      Pragmatically speaking, the scouts have an interest in protecting children. More info here: https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/