If we could all just be Scouts

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has every right to withdraw tens of thousands of boys and young men from Boy Scouts of America membership. The church foots the membership fee bill for its Scouts and Scout leaders, after all, and has its own plans and programs that church officials believe will better prepare these lads to become great sons, brothers, fathers, leaders and members of their faith.

We reached out to the author of the story cited on today’s front page, a superb journalist named Tad Walch. We asked what kind of reader reaction his story had generated two months ago, and he said it was easily the most-read story he’s ever written. (That can be backed up these days with digital analytics.)

In describing the reaction, Walch wrote to us:

“Most, however, were very surprised and very sad. For the majority, I think, Scouting and the church’s Young Men program had become synonymous, especially with church President Thomas S. Monson, one of the most decorated Scouting supporters of the past 50 years.”

While the LDS-BSA fracture is painful to many, it doesn’t mean Scouting is a sinking ship. Quite the contrary. BSA and the Inland Northwest Council, with nearly 9,000 Scouts in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, are determined to keep providing the support and services that teach young people leadership skills that will assist them throughout their lives.

Spectacular Camp Easton on the eastern shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene is something of a mecca to Scouting faithful. They come from the region, certainly, but they also come from afar. Karen Meier, who heads up the Inland Northwest Council, previously oversaw the Far East Council, based in Okinawa, Japan. As she says with a laugh, she was sending U.S. Scouts from the Asian Pacific to Easton well before she ever set foot in the camp.

But Meier is completely serious when she describes the benefits of broad new horizons for Scouting, a more inclusive atmosphere that might very well help heal societal scourges like opiate abuse, violent crime and dysfunctional families. Think of the revolutionary change our planet would undergo if the Scout Law became standard operating procedure. Which of these traits could possibly disqualify a person from universal admiration? Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

We can’t think of a better way to build our community the right way than to support Scouting.

See what Scouting can do for you by visiting: https://www.nwscouts.org/

See what you can do for Scouting by calling the local Scout Service Center in Hayden, (208) 772-2455.