youth scouting/pioneer programs are absolutely life changing and amazing for those involved. obviously BSA had all sorts of problems, from it’s christian-nationalistic transference to it’s full on SA abuses of minors. far too late, branches of the program became more progressive, such as the co-ed explorer scouts.

what it taught me is that every youth should have this opportunity yet reactionary parents undermined the whole program. BSA has a structure, but scout leaders and parents took it upon themselves to project their individualistic goals and determine the overall orientation of a troop and the council, including issues of accessibility with degrees of classism, ableism and prejudices involved.

seeing the hypocrisy of the leaders in face of the program, the readings and stories I learned in scouts, for me was perhaps one of the earlier radicalization experiences I had. I was in a situation to be able to understand and assess these contradictions. it was one of the earliest time that I began understanding structural issues, that no matter how good the youth could make their program, it was always controlled and manipulated by a disconnected and self-serving leadership.