Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: NBC News: Boy Scouts Close to Ending Ban on Gay Members, Leaders [View all]Xithras
(16,191 posts)In some ways, scouting is more important today than ever. It's one of the few systems that exist to get many urban and suburban kids AWAY from their XBoxes and out into nature. For that reason alone, it's worth preserving.
I've seen kids dragged into scouting kicking and screaming by their parents, who later went on to become avid outdoorsmen and environmentalists simply because scouting gave them an alternative to sitting in front of the TV all day. Most parents nowadays know that their kids should be getting out of their houses, but lack the time, knowledge, money, or ability to take the kids out regularly themselves. That's where scouting-type organizations have value...they give parents and kids the opportunity to experience the outdoors with their peers, for relatively little money ($15 a year), and with little to no previous experience.
I do agree that some of the pomp surrounding scouting is a bit dated and that the program could use some modernization, but the core values and activities that scouting is built around are as relevant now as they ever were.