10 Things Scouts BSA Can Do To Increase Diversity
I am brown. I am an Eagle Scout.
I earned my Eagle Scout before I became a citizen of the United States.
I then worked for the Boy Scouts of America for a dozen summers, during which my image was used in promotional material a dozen times. Since then I have run a Scout Troop for refugees, which has been covered by the media more than a dozen times. We all know why: The BSA is mostly a rich white conservative straight male organization. This is a problem in the era of BLM and the related equality movement. What can you do about it?
- Sexual orientation: Have an LGBTQ week at your Camp. Have a reunion weekend for LGBTQ alumni, including those who had to hide their identity previously when staff or campers. Make it free for all, as an amends. Have a provisional Pride Troop campsite or Trek, e.g. Philmont Rayado for LGBTQ kids. I’ve known dozens of people who had to hide their identity while in Scouts, going back decades.
- Ethnic diversity: Reorient programs towards nonwhite history. Hispanic vaqueros and Black cowboys might have outnumbered white ones in your area — learn their songs and serve their foods. If you portray logging or railroads, add in Chinese and Indian stories and songs.
- Colonization: Stop portraying Native Americans in any format, including in the Order of Arrow. “Indian Ceremonies” have been recognized as culturally insensitive for decades, and many sports mascots are dead. If you can get help from current Tribe members of the same heritage, then sure, feel free to dress, dance and drum with them. Whether your subject people still exist or don’t (like the Anasazi), teach a thorough history of the massacres and diseases brought by white people, rather than a romanticized version. (Actually don’t call them Anasazi). Even if you serve toddlers, decolonize your bookshelf.
- Economic diversity: If you have a wealthy benefactor for your camp, remember to also focus on the many people who helped him get there. They were poorer, and may have been minorities. All lives are equal and deserve equal recognition, rather than a broken record hailing rich white men. If your rich white man (Waite Phillips) came from Tulsa, there is no better city to teach about racial issues: the disparity was part of his economic success.
- Gender diversity: Rename Scouts BSA. It isn’t just for Bs anymore, so keeping the B there is a sexist insult to Gs. And stop burying sexism complaints. Any pattern should warrant removing an offender. I have witnessed adult Scouters, staff, youth, and BSA leadership be sexist. It still is rampant.
- History of Prejudice: At the National Scouting museum, have a permanent display on the “History of Prejudice in Scouting.” Discuss gays, girls, atheism, sexism, and the use of Native Americans like in the O.A. Own this history, lest it be continued. Own it to move forward from it. Even the anti long hair firings at Philmont in the 1990s, own it. Invite affected people to post their stories, and have an online version of all this too. Be the leader in this, so organizations like Scouts For Equality need not exist.
- Diversity of Opinion: Here is an example: If you run a gun program, including merit badges, please teach about different gun philosophies. As it stands, kids are pressured by camp staffs, their adult leaders, and their peers to shoot guns, led like cattle to the range, often under the guise of gun safety and leadership advancement. There is another side to guns, and if you aren’t aware of it, then you are living under a rock. This speaks to inclusivity of opinion. Every school kid now does gun drills, making it awkward that Scouts don’t even give a nod to this other side. Give voices and names to people who were harmed by gun violence at schools, in neighborhoods, or by police. Talk about the environmental damage of firing ranges. Have parents sign a separate page “opt in” form in order for their kids to participate with guns, like preschools make parents do with sunscreen.
- Religious diversity: allow atheists. Stop forcing them into a closet. Not believing in a God does not take anything away from Scouts who do believe in one. Plus forcing religion has the opposite of the intended effect. Let them discover it on their own.
- Treatment: Hire a therapist for your staff, on site if possible. Have a bank of tele therapists available nationally for all BSA participants and staff. Adolescence and outdoor group dynamics are stressful, and a chaplain may not be the best you can do, therapeutically or legally. A Muslim Scout in distress from racism is not going to open up to your Catholic chaplain. Similarly, for medical issues, use general practice providers. That means NPs, PAs, or physicians who work in FM or EM year round, not just any doc who will happily practice outside their scope in exchange for a free vacation (as at Philmont).
- Increasing Numbers: Nevermind paying Scoutmasters in low income areas, try this instead: start a pipeline of staff from summer camps and high adventure bases, to underserved Units. Finding such volunteers who don’t have their own kids in the program is the hardest part of running underserved Scouting (which I’ve done for years). This can be a major initiative of the BSA.
There are other areas, like disabilities and dietary inclusivity, which have seen some progress but could use more. This isn’t an exhaustive list, just some concrete possibilities to kickstart things. We are past the time of inaction, and simply writing a BIPOC statement is patronizing (even the acronym is patronizing. I’ve been called an acronym my whole life because others can’t pronounce my name). It isn’t enough to say you will respond to complaints of discrimination, because really, who discriminates overtly anymore? It is way more subtle. Other excuses are made as to why someone is not welcome. You need to hire and retain employees and volunteers who don’t feel comfortable to you, who challenge your thinking, and who look and act different. If you can’t do this, go join a smaller company. Big organizations need diversity of thought.
I test drove this list on the Philmont Staff Association, where many users thought moderation of a discussion forum was slanted conservatively for years. I predicted my post would get shut down. Not only was it shut down, but the whole group was shut down. Then the Board had an emergency meeting where someone said those of us wanting change were immature like protestors while he was in Vietnam. They reopened the forum a month later, but rewrote the rules to say you can no longer write your opinions about Philmont or Scouts there. Ostriching.
Response to my posts was more vigorous than any previous topic on those pages, with 95% of it being positive, including many heartbreaking stories of prejudice in Scouting at Philmont. The opposing 5% were all white men, and mostly older, saying “why fix something that isn’t broken,” “what does this have to do with Philmont?”, “please STOP this,” or even playing a victim role: “don’t be mean to volunteers” or “don’t be reverse prejudiced”. They are the barrier to implementation of Scouting diversity, along with professional Scouting’s strong top-down structure. When everyone needs to check with their supervisor to pee, changes like this will either need to start at the top, or require middle managers with spines to ask forgiveness rather than permission. You will lose some participants, volunteers, and major donors, but will attract many more in return.
And if you don’t change, everything is going to be all white.
About me: For my background, go to www.ardasclinic.com/mangohouse. At the bottom, click on any of the links under “About”, especially the Scouts links.
