It’s difficult to talk about the BSA name change without coming across as provincial and old- fashioned. But my initial reaction to Scouting America is that it sounds like defeat to me.
At this point, I am wondering why an organization can’t just cater to one gender or the other and carry on without worrying about claims of exclusivity or gender bias. I guess I don’t consider this of the same genre as the history at Augusta National, which didn’t allow women until 2012. But maybe it is…
In one respect, I see this as a matter of envy—if one program offers experiences and opportunities the other doesn’t, then maybe the leadership of the other find ways to adopt and use what’s working in the former.
I’m sure the leadership of the new organization will “make it work” somehow, but I will wonder why such a move was necessary in the first place. It must have something to do with the giant lawsuits and attendant bankruptcy a few years back. Or is it just a sign of the times, purely in the name of inclusivity? A matter of evolution?
On its face, it all seems unnecessary, contrived, and even, potentially, an entrée into a whole new set of issues dealing with the birds and bees. But I’m sure they’ll figure it all out and maybe even emerge with an organizational model to be proud of.
And yes, I am provincial and old-fashioned sometimes.
3 Cents' 