Context: I was a Boy Scout for a number of years, making Eagle in 2020 right as COVID was really kicking off.
It was right afterwards, however, that the CSA scandal started popping up everywhere (which thankfully I was never exposed to or involved in during my time), and lately it seems like the organization & movement as a whole has fallen by the sociocultural wayside.
I would say that my time as a Scout did me objective good; I learned a decent amount about first-aid & survival-craft, participated in a number of volunteer & civic projects, and it generally made me a more well-rounded person. However, there’s no denying the impact that something “bigger than the Catholic Church scandal”, as I’ve heard it described, has on an institution such as this.
I’d like to get the community’s opinion, however; were any of you Scouts? How was your experience? What is your opinion of the institution today?
I’m not really as liberal as most Lemmings (by no means conservative though) so take this as you will.
I was a cub scout. Was mostly indifferent to it but when my best friend at the time and cousin left, I didn’t see much reason to stay.
I think your reasons for support are valid. Some people had bad experiences. That’s unfortunate, but I’m not sure it should mean the whole organization needs to collapse. The Catholic Church (I’m a recovering Catholic, by the way 🙂) is a little different in that its hierarchy can send career staff to other locations to sweep things under the rug, whereas scouts tend to interact with other parent volunteers who are only there as long as their kids are.
Lowkey same; on my most recent Political Compass test, I was barely over the line into LibLeft.