When did the Boy Scouts become freeped?

[coloradodem2005]

I was a Cub scout during the late 1980's and a Boy Scout throughout the 1990's, achieved Eagle in 1997 and yes there was some conservativism, but not as much as now, it seems. Was it like that all the time and I didn't realize it or did it just get far worse in the last few years?

[KitchenWitch]

1. There have always been huge ties between the BSA and the Mormon Church

[Gunit_Sangh]

2. When they outed queers

and hired people who peddle child porn

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1350753

</end sarcasm>

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Slow process. The Mormon Church influence is huge in the scouts now

It is their youth program for boys, and the shear volume of enrolled Mormons is enormous, regardless of whether or not they actually participate. Outside of them, interest and donations are way way down.

[sui generis]

4. there was conservatism but also more tolerance

and, very important here: people exercised discretion in how vigorously they pursued getting rid of anyone who didn't bow and scrape three times a day.

But, scouts are an organization that has the power to award merit, and therefore esteem, and there are unscrupulous people who would like to believe that it is their right to judge CHILDREN, who are naturally attracted to power in whatever form they can abuse it.

[gyopsy]

5. Planned?

I wouldn't be surprised. But the Mormons are taking an active role in the orginization so that could be why.

Also, some of it is a conservative backlash from all of the homosexuality "scares" of the past few years. Now they've just really gone nuts and cracked down on anything that isn't very conservative I would imagine.