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America’s Scouting Tradition Should Be About Moral Principles, Not Shifting Ideology
Once again, Scouting America is in the headlines–and unsurprisingly, it appears the organization is weighing whether its convictions are negotiable.
This time, the Department of War is reportedly reviewing its longstanding relationship with the Boy Scouts of America, now rebranded as “Scouting America.” The War Department has raised concerns that the organization’s recent embrace of DEI initiatives and gender ideology runs counter to the values of the current administration and the department itself.
And suddenly, Scouting America is signaling it may “reconcile” its practices in order to preserve that partnership.
But Americans should not be fooled. We’ve seen this story before.
I founded American Heritage Girls nearly 30 years ago because I could already see the cultural pressures mounting against traditional scouting. It wasn’t because America needed less scouting–it was because girls needed a scout-type program rooted firmly in God, truth, and timeless moral principles. Even then, it was clear that the very foundations that made scouting strong were being treated as optional.
Today, what has happened to once-iconic organizations like the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA is nothing short of devastating. In the name of being “inclusive,” “modern,” and on the so-called “right side of history,” they have rewritten membership standards, diluted duty to God, and replaced timeless values with shifting cultural trends.
But shifting sands are no foundation at all.
Scouting was never meant to reflect whatever ideology happens to dominate the headlines. It was designed to build character, cultivate leadership, and strengthen families and communities. Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of scouting, called it “applied Christianity.” It was a movement built on duty, discipline, service, courage, and moral clarity.
Yet today, moral clarity has been replaced by moral relativism.
We now live in a world where “morally straight” has been redefined, “boy” and “girl” are treated as interchangeable concepts, and truth is determined by feelings rather than reality. The Boy Scouts are no longer for boys, and the Girl Scouts openly permit boys who identify as girls to participate. Whatever one’s political views, this is undeniably confusing for parents–and especially for impressionable children.
And it raises a serious question: if scouting can’t even define what a boy or girl is, how can it form them into men and women of integrity?
This is why claims of returning to “core values” ring hollow. When Scouting America now suggests it may be shifting again–this time away from DEI and gender ideology–it doesn’t represent conviction. It represents calculation.
When principles are treated like a dial that can be turned depending on who holds the purse strings, the message to families is unmistakable: the organization’s values are for sale.
And if money or political pressure can force a “return” to traditional values today, what will push them back in the other direction tomorrow?
History tells us exactly what will happen. Scouting America will fold like a lawn chair.
They have done it before. They will do it again.
That’s the danger of building a youth program on cultural approval rather than on truth. An organization untethered from fixed moral principles will always drift — because drift is the natural consequence of abandoning the anchor.
The need in America is not new, but it is urgent. Parents are desperate for something steady, trustworthy, and true. Children deserve more than shifting standards and rebranded promises. They deserve institutions that are willing to stand firm, even when it costs them.
Scouting can still be a powerful force for good. The traditions of service, outdoor adventure, leadership development and community engagement remain deeply valuable. But the strength of scouting has never been in its uniforms or badges — it has been in its unwavering commitment to truth.
If Scouting America truly wants to return to its core values, it must do more than issue statements or adjust language when government contracts are on the line. It must demonstrate a willingness to stand on principle regardless of cultural pressure or financial consequence.
Because once a movement trades conviction for convenience, the erosion doesn’t stop on its own.
And if scouting is going to shape the next generation, it must return not to what is popular but to what is Godly and true — something American Heritage Girls has been putting into practice for 30 years.
We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.
The post America’s Scouting Tradition Should Be About Moral Principles, Not Shifting Ideology appeared first on The Daily Signal.
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