Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one of the largest private youth organizations in the United States, has policies which prohibit those who are not willing to subscribe to the Scouting America's Declaration of Religious Principle, which has been interpreted by some as banning atheists, and, until January 2014, prohibited all "known or avowed homosexuals" from membership in its Scouting program. The ban on adults who are "open or avowed homosexuals" from leadership positions was lifted in July 2015.
The BSA had contended that its policies were essential in its mission to instill in young people the values of the Scout Promise, or Oath, and Scout Law. The organization's legal right to have these policies was upheld by the United States Supreme Court. In Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000), the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that as a private organization, the BSA can set its own membership standards. The BSA's policies have been legally challenged but have not been found to constitute discrimination because as a private organization in the United States, the BSA has the right to freedom of association, as determined in the court case. In recent years, the policy disputes have led to litigation over the terms under which the BSA can access governmental resources, including public lands.
These policies have led to various disputes and controversies. On May 23, 2013, the BSA's National Council approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone effective January 1, 2014. BSA removed a similar restriction for adult leaders on July 27, 2015.
Positions of Boy Scouts of America According to its mission statement, the Boy Scouts of America seeks "to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law". All members are required, as a condition of membership, to promise to uphold and obey both of these pledges. The texts of the BSA's Scout Oath and Scout Law for Boy Scouting have remained unchanged since they were approved in 1911, and every member agrees to follow them on their application form.
Scout Oath On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
Scout Law A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
In reciting the Scout Oath, Scouts promise to do their duty to God and to be morally straight; the Scout Law holds that a Scout is clean and reverent. As early as 1978, the Boy Scouts of America circulated a memorandum among national executive staff stating that it was not appropriate for homosexuals to hold leadership positions in BSA (this has since changed).Boy Scouts of America et al. v. Dale (2000) Decision of the US Supreme Court Similarly, since at least 1985, the BSA has interpreted the Scout Oath and Law as requiring belief in a God or "higher power". In both instances, the organization asserted it was enforcing long-held policies which had never been published or publicly challenged. Currently, the organization's membership policy states, "It is the philosophy of Scouting to welcome all eligible youth, regardless of race, ethnic background, gender or orientation, who are willing to accept Scouting’s values and meet any other requirements of membership. Prejudice, intolerance and unlawful discrimination are unacceptable within the ranks of the Boy Scouts of America."
Program differences
The Boy Scouts of America makes a division between its Scouting programs and the Learning for Life program. The traditional Scouting programs are Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing. Exploring is the worksite-based program of Learning for Life. The positions on religious or spiritual belief within Scouting programs do not apply to leadership positions and membership in the Learning for Life programs.
Position on religious belief
The Boy Scouts of America's official position in the past has been that atheists cannot participate as Scouts or adult Scout Leaders in its traditional Scouting programs.
Organized religion has been an integral part of the international Scouting movement since its inception. As early as 1908, Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell wrote in the first Scout handbook that, "No man is much good unless he believes in God and obeys His laws."
For much of its existence, the BSA has taken the position that atheists are not appropriate role models of the Scout Oath and Law for boys, and thus have not accepted such persons as members or adult leaders. The Bylaws of the BSA contain a Declaration of Religious Principle which all Scouts (adult and youth) are required to subscribe to as part of the membership application process. It states:
The Boy Scout Handbook says that "A Scout is Reverent" means that "A Scout is reverent towards God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others."
The BSA 2019 Guide to Advancement states:
Beyond these requirements, the BSA does not require adherence to particular Christian religious beliefs. Buddhists, followers of Native American religions, Muslims, Jews, Christians of all denominations, and many others, including those who define their own spirituality, can be and are members of the BSA. The BSA recognizes religious awards for about 35 faith groups including Islam, Judaism, Baháʼí, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and 28 varieties of Christianity. for work on a Navajo Native American Church emblem. Boy Scouts of America–approved religious emblems exist for a number of religions, while other emblems remain unrecognized by the BSA.
In regard to Unitarian Universalism, the BSA has had a history of disagreements with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), dating back at least to 1992 when the UUA stated its opposition to the BSA's policies on homosexuals, and atheists. In March 2016, following a change of BSA policy regarding homosexuality, the BSA signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). The MOU gives any Unitarian Universalist congregation the authority over all phases of the program that affect the spiritual welfare of those who participate. As part of the agreement in the MOU, the religious emblems developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association were reinstated as of May 2016. Under the terms of the MOU, the UUA has said that "when a Unitarian Universalist community charters a Boy Scout unit, religious teachings will remain firmly rooted in Unitarian Universalist theology," while also saying that "The UUA, even while moving with gratitude into this new relationship with the Boy Scouts of America, recognizes that the BSA's requirement for scouts and leaders to affirm a religious belief is at odds with our noncreedal faith tradition. The UUA will continue to work to move the BSA toward greater inclusion."
The Secular Coalition for America has urged Congress to revoke the federal charter of the BSA, stating: "Our government must not entangle itself in religious organizations; nor should it establish, with government imprimatur, a private religious club." In 2000, the House of Representatives rejected a bill proposing the revocation of the BSA's federal charter by a 362–12 vote, with 216 Republicans, 144 Democrats, and two independents voting against.
Position on gender
In 1967, the Boy Scouts of America's den mother position was changed to den leader and opened to men and women. In 1969, the Boy Scouts of America opened special-interest posts to young women to be "associate members". Two years later, the Boy Scouts of America decided to allow any Explorer post to accept young women and/or young men, based on the desires of the chartered organization, and many Explorer posts became co-educational. (In 1998, the Exploring program was completely reorganized and split into two program categories, which both accept women and men. All the career-oriented posts were moved to Learning for Life under the name Exploring, while the rest (including outdoor-oriented posts) became the new Venturing program.) In 1973, most Cub Scout leadership positions were opened to women, and in 1976 the Cubmaster, assistant Cubmaster, and all commissioner positions could also be filled by women. Catherine Pollard was the first female Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America; she led Boy Scout Troop 13 in Milford, Connecticut from 1973 to 1975, but the Boy Scouts of America refused to recognize her as a Scoutmaster until 1988.
On January 30, 2017, the Boy Scouts of America announced that transgender boys would be allowed to enroll in boys-only programs, effective immediately. Previously, the sex listed on an applicant's birth certificate determined eligibility for these programs; going forward, the decision would be based on the gender listed on the application. Joe Maldonado became the first openly transgender boy to join the Scouts on February 7, 2017.
Until 2017, the Boy Scouts of America's official position was that girls could not participate in its Cub Scouting or Boy Scouting programs, its largest programs and the ones serving younger and mid-age youth. However, the Venturing and Learning for Life programs were and continue to be open to young men and women ages 14 through 21.
On October 11, 2017, the Boy Scouts announced that girls would be allowed to become Cub Scouts, starting in 2018, and that in 2019, a program for older girls would be available as part of the rebranded Scouts BSA program, enabling girls to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Girls were officially allowed to become full members of all programs of the BSA on February 1, 2019, nationwide.
The movement to include girls as full members of the BSA was put into the public spotlight most notably by Sydney Ireland. Ireland, age 16 in 2017, had unofficially been participating in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts with her brother for twelve years, completing merit badges and the Arrow of Light, but none of this was officially recognized because she is a girl. Ireland and her family started a Change.org petition to the BSA leadership calling for equal membership. Ireland's petition gained media attention and utilized an email campaign for supporters to contact BSA leadership. It was supported by Scouts for Equality and endorsed by the National Organization for Women. The BSA leadership was receptive and unanimously approved new programs allowing girls and young women into Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
The BSA, upon announcing this program, reaffirmed its commitment to youth protection. Part of the BSA's aim in adopting this policy was to accommodate families with children of different genders, so that sisters of Cub Scouts could be included in the program as well, citing requests from families of Scouts.
Michael Surbaugh, former BSA Chief Scout Executive said "This decision is true to the BSA's mission and core values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law. The values of Scouting – trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example – are important for both young men and women." "We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children. We strive to bring what our organization does best – developing character and leadership for young people – to as many families and youth as possible as we help shape the next generation of leaders."