Other Scouting Groups

Are independent scouting groups legitimate, or are they a threat to the scouting movement?

I would consider it a threat to the Boy Scouts of America because they could cause problems and put a bad reputation all around.

Hi and welcome.

Some while back one of the cable channels did a show about the people who had had the most impact over the last hundred years.

As you can imagine there were a lot of good people on the list, many were world leaders, or inventors.

Sad to say Baden Powell, was not on the list. I have to admit to being a little upset.

Most of the people in this forum are in someway connected to Scouts and Scouting. We want what we know and love to keep on doing what we have been doing and what Scouting has been doing dating back to that little camp at Brown Sea Island.

Some of us are a little stick in the mud, while others are a little more,progressive.

I, just for the heck of it did take a visit to some of the "Independent" Scouting Groups/Organizations web sites the other day. While there are a few that are trying to do the same job as we are, but have different rules or different methods. Most of the others have only one thing on their agenda. That being to discredit, the Boy Scouts Of America.

It is very hard to build something up, when your main purpose is to tear something down. Of course I am very aware that I am very biased.

But even so we have been around for almost 100 years, I know Scouts all over the world, these "Independents" might chip away at the paint a little - But the Scout movement, is just that. A movement. The world council has plans to bring Scouts and Scouting to more and more places and do more great work.

These others just don't stand a chance.

As to if they are legitimate?

In their eyes they are, and they have every right to keep on doing what ever they are doing. Most are very careful not to break any laws.

Some may even stand the test of time.

In England there is a group called Baden Powell scouts, who have been going for a long time. They really don't have the membership or the funding to do very much. At some stage they didn't like something that happened in English Scouting, so they packed their bags. I think there was a court case about the name and they won.

Still, I think it would be great if we could look at the 2007 world jamboree logo " One World One Promise." and start making it really work.

This is all about kids. And I have never met a kid that I didn't like.

Not a threat in my book. Check out: http://www.bpscouts.ca/world_associations.htm

You may notice (if you venture there) that on the World Organizaton of the Scout Movement (WOSM, which BSA is a member) states that, "Scouting is Education for Life, a Movement for Youth, International, Open to All, Fun with a Purpose, a Challenge for Adults, Voluntary, Non-Political, Non-Governmental."

I remember reading some comments on this forum when discussing the controversial subjects that stated, "If they don't like the Boy Scout policies, then start their own". I agreed with this sentiment at the time I read it and still do.

It looks like some people are doing just that. I say let them. And yes, they are legitimate.

I agree 100% with the venerable Eamonn. As long as the goal of the organization is to benefit their youth members and not simply as a stage to try and damage the BSA, I wish them well and hope they thrive.

Bob White

If an entity cant stand competition, then they dont deserve to exist. Its the fire of competition that tempers an organization.