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Sad
This is sad but understandable. Scout Camps are in many ways, money pits, that have little use other than for the few weeks of summer camp and perhaps a fall or spring camporee. I grew up in the old Wabash Valley Council which was absorbed several years ago by Crossroads Council. Camp Krietenstein holds many memories for me. For the camping committee in the council that have put their heart and soul into the maintenance and upkeep of scout camps it will be an emotional loss. A difficult decision but one many scout councils are facing.
Very disappointing to see the standards lowered, the values changed and the mass migration away from scouting that has crippled the BSA, in addition to all of the lawsuits that were filed against BSA, forcing it into bankruptcy. Just a darn shame that this long-standing organization that did so much for boys has been destroyed.
Thank God, Jim Morris and Jerry Semler, who dedicated their lives to this organization, did not have to witness its collapse. They would have been heartbroken.
Used to direct all of my United Way to Boy Scouts…until they went coed. Why can’t boys have anything of their own? No boys in Girl Scouts, and there shouldn’t be.
I’ve been involved with a local scout troop for 45 years now. The biggest hit scouting took was COVID. Zoom will suck the soul out of anyone.
As for going co-ed, our troop went more than 100 years with out even having a female leader, and when we discussed creating a girls troop we lost a few adults and in hindsight, propagating patriarchal attitudes is the opposite of what scouting is about.
I’ve been amazed by the accomplishments of youth, be they boys or girls. The organizations standards have not fallen. The same amazing program is still in place but the organization is now giving those leadership development opportunities to boy AND girls. The youth protection training is a model that many other organizations strive to imitate. The training offered to scouts and especially leaders is superior to what I have seen in a large corporation (25,000 employees) I worked for.
It’s sad to see facilities close, but selling the headquarters property seems like a great move. Scouting is not about indoor training facilities and offices.
This is a GREAT response.
This is a great response and reflects a position of someone with a growth mindset versus maintaining the status quo. I have been a Scout nearly my entire life, and proud to have earned the Eagle Scout rank. I have been blessed with daughters, one of which is very active in her all-female Scouts BSA troop. The program is largely the same as it was from my youth (albeit with some changes focused on safety). GSA is also a great program, but it does not deliver what many families seek.
On the heels of COVID, school districts began restricting access to community organizations, like the Scouts. The inability to present the option to kids has also led to declines in new membership.
A building is a building and a camp is a camp. There are sentimental ties to these places, but the mission of the organization continues to be delivered through volunteers at Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack meetings and individual outings.
Youth club sports are the biggest factor, competing for kids’ and families’ time. In our peer group, sports are prioritized so it is very challenging to keep a thriving scouts roster. It’s not impossible, but this is the biggest factor in my opinion. It’s not “kids these days” or anything like that… it’s shifting priorities.
Where boys learned to be men and contributors to society.