Would that the BSA would pay attention to it. Sadly, I doubt that they will. I think a new organization is needed, one that is accepting of all. Let the old one fade away into a well-earned obscurity, suitable for its ancient prejudices.

"new" scouting organization probably doesn't give a damn if you do return it ... mine is from decades ago in an incredible council and troop. My scoutmaster was a bachelor and held in high esteem. Today, they would probably put him on a witch hunt list because he wasn't married with 3.2 children and ultra-religious. I'm keeping it so far in memory of the better times and what scouting meant to me back then.

It's an honor to have earned Eagle Scout status. In good troops, that's not an easy thing to do. As you say, they're not going to do anything based on these returned Eagle badges, so if you have good memories of your Boy Scout experience, that's a good thing.

I received my Eagle Scout Award in 1966. That was so long ago that I don't remember the issues of gays even ever coming up. I was in a small troop in rural Upstate NY. I don't think anyone I knew ever thought about it.

{sigh} I really liked the '50's and '60's. Life was so much simpler then.

it didn't come up, either, as far as I remember. I just don't remember thinking about that subject at all until I left there and moved to a larger place. If I look back, I can identify people I knew then who were probably LGBT, but it didn't occur to me at that time. Town of 6000 people, and my high school class was 106. I knew everyone in my class. We had almost all gone to school together since kindergarten.

more interested in camping, the outdoors, wildlife, all of those things. We were also taught compassion and tolerance, getting along in life and trying to minimize hostilities.

thanks for posting.

My son's in Cub Scouts, and I'm always amazed at how much flack they give the Girl Scouts. I had a scout (camp staff) last week at camp tell me to take my daughter out of Girl Scouts because it's such a horrible organization, and the final competition's solution at camp was that a female staffmember had been trying to take down the camp because she was jealous that she couldn't be a Boy Scout because she hated the Girl Scouts so much.

I've been a Girl Scout, I come from three generations of Girl Scouts, and my daughter's been a Girl Scout, and I've never heard any animosity towards the Boy Scouts other than some jealousy over all their funding sources compared to ours. We consider them brothers, and they consider us targets for humor and bullying. Says a lot, don't you think?

either as a youth or as an adult.

Early on when my son was a Tiger Scout, another den's skit at the Blue and Gold dinner had the punchline that it was an ugly, scary Girl Scout who was evil. It made my daughter cry she was so angry and hurt, and the pack leader just shrugged it off (which got me angry). Our pack leader is a woman, so we don't run into it in pack events any more (switched packs--better fit), but then we still ran into it at camp.

hatefulness. I blame a lot of it on the BSA leadership. They condone all of this crap IMO. It's not the organization I grew up with decades ago. Today, it's something I would have no part of ...

Hitler Youth bullshit xtian child fucking ring.

His letter had some sting in it too. He is also a prosecuting attornery. I am so proud to know him because of his action. I salute the bravery and conviction of all Eagle scouts to return their Eagle scout badges and medals with a letter like this.