Posted by:
nevermob
(
)
Date: December 18, 2010 01:24PM
I was a GS for 8 years (got as high as the Silver Leadership award, second highest pin at the time). BUT I joined my troop 2 years before we moved to the ultra-Mormon town (amusingly, I recently found my town's facebook page, and one of the things mentioned in "you know you're from ** when..." is "9 of the 10 people you know are Mormon").
When it came time for my little brother to join the Boy Scouts, we had already moved there. We went to the local sign-up day and every table but ONE belonged to a ward (how they squeezed that many Mormon churches into one small town would be surprising if you didn't know the concentration).
Even as far back as the 80's, I still remember that the leaders at the Mormon tables made it very clear that Mormon teachings would be very much a part of their groups' activities.
It was a shame, too, because, prior to this transformation by the right wing and Mormon contingent, the Boy Scouts were so good for young men. Such good character building. Old-fashioned girls of any political/religious leaning often wanted to marry an Eagle Scout, because they were thought to be very upstanding young men who would do right by their families (I'm sure mileage varied on that one, but that was the perception on the whole).
I do disagree with some of the ways the Girl Scouts have gone, such as promoting more "career women" instead of teaching girls that they have a choice between a career outside the home, or one in the home, as they did in my day. Unfortunately, they don't seem to promote this choice as an option, and thus don't teach young women how to care for their homes and families, so, when it comes time to make that decision, they have to learn the skills I did as a Girl Scout for this choice, much later. What my grandmothers didn't teach me about homemaking, the Girl Scouts did, and I will be eternally grateful to all three.
While I'd still put any daughter I had into the Girl Scouts, even volunteer as a leader, I'd never, EVER put any son of mine into the Boy Scouts as they are today.