“Anytime organizations lose their rootedness, and especially if we chase these progressive visions, we end up waking up in a world that’s really hard to recognize and very difficult to navigate.”
Families have decided to ditch the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) after the youth organization unveiled its progressive name rebrand to "Scouting America" to be more "inclusive." In return, they have placed their kids in faith-based alternatives such as Awana and Trail Life USA.
Matt Markins, president and CEO of Awana, told Fox and Friends on Sunday: "Anytime organizations lose their rootedness, and especially if we chase these progressive visions, we end up waking up in a world that’s really hard to recognize and very difficult to navigate, and I think that’s what’s happening to some of these organizations."
While the Boy Scouts only recently announced the name change to "Scouting America," the organization, which was founded in 1910 exclusively for boys, made progressive changes over the past several years to include girls and girls who claim to be boys. Removing the word "boy" from its name represents the most recent effort by the organization to promote inclusivity.
"We have a saying in our organization that Awana is rooted in Scripture, centered on the gospel. We’re never going to move one inch off of that," said Markins. According to data compiled by the Associated Press, BSA had only 1.12 million members last year, down from 1.97 million in 2019.
Before the name change, Roger Krone, president and chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts of America, said that the organization's objective is to eliminate as many obstacles so that all individuals can join. While BSA bleeds support, Markins said Awana is growing by the day. The organization currently operates in 135 countries.
"Our mission is to equip leaders to reach kids with the gospel and to engage them in lifelong discipleship. What does every parent want? Parents want their kids to have a thriving future, so I think over the last few years, we’ve gotten more and more visibility into organizations, what they’re doing, and sometimes we’ve become quite alarmed," said Markins.
"And so we help come alongside parents, churches, coaches and mentors and help them to shape children and youth with lifetime faith. That’s going to help them be resilient in the future and to be able to thrive no matter their cultural context," he said.
Trail Life USA, another Christian-based alternative, can be described as the Boy Scouts but without the woke and is centered around Jesus. The organization's mission is "to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure."
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