Having been a member of BSA since tiger scout, and now I'm working on eagle (aka from 6-years old to 17 years old, current time) I've never really had too bad of an experience with Boy Scouts. I'm personally a leader; I've been a troop guide, patrol quartermaster, patrol guide, ALMOST Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (which would lead to Senior Patrol Leader, aka highest obtainable scout job), and I enjoy my troop (consists of 100+ scouts at any given time of the year.)
That said; 100 people. There are good scouts, and stuff scouts. There are people like me, who in the winter when we deliver luminarias (candle kits our town does for Christmas, it's a 48 year old tradition), I stand patiently, I don't bounce around, I look people in the eye, etc.
To address religion; I'm an agnostic christian. Everyone in my troop knows this. But I still pray with the troop, and I don't make an asshat out of myself "I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD, I DON'T WANNA PRAY FOR OUR SAFE RETURN HOME." Really, one of the 12 points of the Scout Law is "A scout is reverent." Which, by definition;
rev·er·ent
/ˈrev(ə)rənt/
Adjective
Feeling or showing deep and solemn respect: "a reverent silence".
Synonyms
respectful - deferential - reverential
I don't have to believe in any god, as long as I'm respectful of others beliefs and I don't try and forget up church for them.
I think BSA gets the most flack, scout-wise, because 90% of the guys IN Boy Scouts are forced by their parents. Camping is SO last century to them, and ew, who eats out of a dutch oven? I have to sleep in a TENT? Nasty.
Really. People. It isn't that bad. Make friends and it's 20x more enjoyable.
Other flack is because BSA itself is too stupid to realize that standing on an anti-gay policy in modern times is financial Self Delete, and their stubbornness to change a
FEW rules only makes them look worse.
Ironically on that subject, while I was doing luminarias this year, in the cold, with a thin jacket on (just my luck), I was standing outside this neat little cottage-type house, and a fairly attractive woman came to the door. She saw my chest (my uniform could be seen out of some of my jacket) and she said "hold on, my husband will talk with you." He came out and we had a chat, and he said they wouldn't like to participate in anything BSA related UNTIL they allow gays; fully. Eagle, no discrimination, etc. He STARTED to turn on me, making comments like "You probably wouldn't understand" or "Being part of it just adds to it." I later shook his hand as we both agreed that the anti-gay stance was simply put; "beyond modern humanity's stupidity."
Also,
THIS WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE. :CC
