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?
Great experience. Mother was a den mother. Did a bunch of crafts. Then boy scouts and I never progressed any badges. Was fun! There were two troops that behaved very differently in our town. One was all about rules and mine was all about relaxing and letting us kids do whatever we want most of the time. I understand the greater Scouting org was and is… problematic. Personal experience, it was good.