Boy Scouts Lose 425,000 Members After Announcing Name Change-Truth! & Unproven!
Summary of eRumor:
After announcing it would change its name to Scouts BSA and start welcoming girls, Boy Scouts lost 425,000 members in just over a week.
The Truth:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been one of the Boy Scouts of America’s biggest supporters over the year, with about 425,000 church members belonging to the group as of 2014. The church announced that it would sever ties with Boy Scouts of America in 2019 days after the name change.
These development led to reports that the Boy Scouts of America lost 425,000 members within a week of announcing that it was changing it’s name. That might not be the case, however. It’s not clear that all 425,000 Mormon boys will quit scouting — only that the church will no longer automatically enroll each boy who attends a Mormon church as a Boy Scout beginning in 2019.
And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been discussing the possibility fo ending its relationship with Boy Scouts for years. In 2017, the church announced it would leave Boy Scouts of America teen programs — but denied that it was because of inclusiveness or LGBT issues. “The BSA has always allowed the Church to operate its programs in ways that are consistent with our standards and beliefs, and they have been very supportive,” the church said in a statement.
In announcing the end of its BSA partnership on May 10, the church indicated that it had been considering launching its own youth initiative for past several years. “In the new experience, children and youth will be encouraged to focus on setting and achieving goals to develop spiritually, socially, physically, and intellectually as they seek to follow Jesus Christ. This approach is intended to reduce burdens on families, with greater flexibility to adapt to the needs of individuals and families around the world in many different circumstances.”
We’re calling this one true because the Mormon church ended its partnership with Boy Scouts of America, and the church has 425,000 Boy Scout members. However, we’re also calling this one “unproven” because it’s not clear that all of those members will leave the scouts.