OPINION:
The Boy Scouts of America has officially changed its name to “Scouting America.” As a mom of girls, I’m not just disappointed; I’m angry and deeply concerned. After all, who needs an organization unapologetically dedicated to strengthening boys into confident and service-oriented men? My daughters do. And, oh, America does too.
Media rumblings about an organizational name change and removal of the word “boy” from the BSA surfaced several years ago under the cultish guise of “inclusion.” If you disputed the proposal, you were labeled as a bigot against women or a supporter of toxic masculinity. Virtually all mentions of the word “boy” have been deleted from the updated Scouting America website, even from the timeline detailing the organization’s 1910 founding and historical benchmarks. Scouting America now touts how the program encourages boys to “do fun things together” and offers “a welcoming, safe environment where Scouts can freely express themselves.”
The diversity, equity and inclusion section remains intact, despite how DEI has undermined most merit-based entities, including college admissions, workplace environments and educational instruction. In contrast, the website for the Girl Scouts of the USA, a completely separate entity that does not allow boys to join, brazenly states how girls “call the shots” with an “I got this” attitude. I’d argue that girls and boys deserve their own organizations that champion strength and vigor.
Deleting the word “boy” from the title of an organization created more than 100 years ago to build grit, courage, dependability and service to God and country sends a jarring message, whether intended or not, to our boys: “You are not worthy; you do not matter.” Trendy educators and parenting experts cheer, “You do you!” and “Be yourself!” — except if you’re a young man leaning into innate masculinity during formative years. That is simply unacceptable.
What happens when we discard standards? How will we raise boys into strong men full of purpose and determination? American exceptionalism requires toughness, and the Boy Scouts once prided themselves on preparing the types of young men who would protect national stability. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement in the early 1900s, modeled his Scouts after the military. After years of demonizing masculinity in our culture, the results have been catastrophic. Military enlistment in the United States hit an all-time low, which should concern any reasonable American, especially during global unrest. Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts have become almost unrecognizable.
The demise of once-dependable institutions that trained modern trailblazers is dangerous for all of us, which is why parents like me are begging for reinstalling time-tested ideals at every age of our children’s development, from teaching responsibility to our youngest learners to self-starting capability for adolescents. Our children should learn appreciation for strong men, and our boys have a right to be motivated by experiences that built this nation, skills that the Boy Scouts used to guarantee. As a mom, online edutainer for kindergartners through 12th-graders and unlikely history buff now fascinated with flawed-yet-rugged American risk-takers such as Davy Crockett and John Sutter, I’m disappointed that figures who advanced our nation’s ideals during America’s early years of development and expansion are no longer taught or revered.
I was raised to be self-reliant. I’m raising my daughters to tackle life with vigor and resilience and to appreciate strong, capable young men. Deleting “boy” from organizations meant to build up young men doesn’t empower women; it fosters entitlement and a dangerous disregard for masculinity. That’s not exactly helpful when it comes to marriage, family or a thriving society.
Modern feminists will never acknowledge it, but denigrating respect for strong, risk-taking, honorable men will eventually crush our shared future. America needs men unafraid to explore uncharted terrain, whether to navigate our nation’s most beautiful and natural habitats or launch satellites into outer space. America needs men with respect for God and family to reduce the devastating social consequences of 18 million American children living without an active father at home. America needs men who embrace servant leadership, discipline and courage because we risk losing the foundation of a free and stable nation without them.
I remain cautiously optimistic that perhaps the tide is turning. With new executive orders keeping men out of women’s safe spaces and banning biological boys from competing in girls’ sports, disallowing girls to invade boys’ spaces seems equally warranted.
Boys matter. Their growth, leadership and masculinity matter. And they deserve an organization that isn’t afraid to say so.
• Jill Simonian is a California mother, television contributor and director of outreach for PragerU Kids, which provides free, values-based educational content that teaches standards-aligned history, civics, financial literacy and character development to K-12 students. Subscribe free at PragerUkids.com, and follow @pragerukids and @jillsimonian on Instagram.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.