Boy Scouts Lost 2 Million Members Since Lifting Ban On Gay Perverts

[G.L.R.]

Boy Scouts lost 2 million members since lifting ban on gay youth; now mired in sex abuse claims

July 01, 2021

Eight years after lifting a ban on homosexual youth when it boasted over 2.7 million members, the Boy Scouts of America now has just 762,000 members as it continues to grapple with some 82,000 sexual abuse claims

In just one year alone, from 2019 to 2020 amid the pandemic, the BSA's flagship Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA programs lost 850,000 members dropping from 1.97 million to 1.12 million over the period. Since then, membership in those programs have fallen a further 358,000 to the current 762,000... Lawyers for the BSA, which is going through a federal bankruptcy process as a result of mounting sex abuse claims from former Scouts, are negotiating the creation of a $250 million trust fund for victims. ... The BSA's President and CEO, Roger Mosby, told the AP that its 252 local councils will have to sell off properties to help cover the claims.The Greater Hudson Valley Boy Scouts of America in New York has already listed three of its mid-Hudson camps, including Camp Bullowa in Stony Point, as available for purchase... Jim Monaghan, supervisor of the Town of Stony Point, told the publication that he spoke with the Greater Hudson Valley Council of the BSA, CEO Richard Stockton, about the possibility of the town purchasing the property.

The membership drop, coupled with the pandemic and abuse claims, has resulted in a strain on the BSA's finances... showing gross revenues falling from $394 million in 2019 to $187 million in 2020. The youth organization founded in 1910 is now hoping to increase its bottom-line with a hike in its annual youth membership fee from $66 to $72 which is expected to go in effect on Aug. 1. The BSA, however, has been steadily losing members, particularly from conservative Christian families, since 2013, when it adopted an amendment that effectively lifts the ban on homosexual youth in the organization.

Everything on down from heads of state to Boy Scouts and even kindergarten[/center]

  "I just can't imagine going to camp with my son, being with him every step of the way saying: 'I'm sorry, he can't sleep in tents with other boys. I'm sorry, he can't take a shower unless I'm outside the shower and he's the only person in there...' How is that scouting?" she asked. Some churches like the Southeast Christian Church, a megachurch in Louisville, Kentucky, quickly cut ties with BSA after the announcement. "We want everyone, including ourselves, to live by biblical standards," Tim Hester, the church's executive pastor explained that year." Since 2013, the BSA announced further changes in its membership policy allowing openly gay scout leaders in 2015. It further expanded membership to include girls, prompting a lawsuit from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, which is also reporting a loss in membership.

The changes have resulted in Christian denominations continuing to cut ties with the organization in favor of programs that align with their values like Trail Life USA... In just nine months after it launched in 2014, the "unapologetically Christian" alternative to BSA attracted more than 14,000 members. It recently reported some 30,000 members and has continued growing even during the pandemic. "So far this year, we have seen a 70% increase in new members over this time last year and a 30% increase over the same period the prior year," At the end of 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also completely cut ties with the BSA, noting a shift toward a more globally-focused youth leadership and development program. The Mormons ended scouting programs for about 180,000 older teenage boys 14–18, and replaced them with church-sponsored activities at the beginning of 2018... and the change would allow youths and leaders to implement simplified programs that balanced "spiritual, social, physical and intellectual development goals for young men." Read more ...

Boy Scouts lost 2 million members since lifting ban on gay youth | U.S. News | The Christian Post
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