Mormons can't be Scout leaders.

[Piscivore]

The quality of the experience depends heavily on the particular troop you're in. I spent a number of years as part of the Boy Scouts, and I learned two useful things: how to get along with other kids I didn't particularly like, and outdoor skills (camping, backpacking, knots, basic first aid, etc). All the stuff about gays and atheists never came up. Neither, in fact, did any of the religious stuff. The whole ranks and merit badges lost interest to me pretty early, but the camping was always fun.

We didn't do that much camping, and when we did only a few boys turned out. Both my wife and I voluteered extensively, but when it came out I was atheist several boys dropped out of her den and we started getting left out of things.

 

[Piscivore]

Since several of the senior leadership of BSA are LDS, it may very well cause issues.

Out here in AZ there are two BSA's- the one run by the Mormons, which are highly funded badge mills (everyone gets a Eagle, some years before they're supposed to) and the one made up of a gaggle of indepentent struggling troops hosted by other churches.

 

[Ziggurat]

We didn't do that much camping, and when we did only a few boys turned out. Both my wife and I voluteered extensively, but when it came out I was atheist several boys dropped out of her den and we started getting left out of things.

If it's a den, it's cub scouts, not boy scouts. At the national level, it's still the same organization, but the experience for kids is very different. Cub scouts was almost entirely about socializing.

 

[RobRoy]

Yes and no. The LDS do hold sway over the BSA, but they would likely not want to limit a troops ability to exclude leaders who do not toe the line of the sponsoring organization. Can you imagine a Mormon troop welcoming a Catholic Assistant Scout Master?

Errr, that would technically be me. I was raised Catholic, though I don't attend anymore, and I'm an Assistant Scout Master at a local LDS troop. I was specifically asked to join.

So,yeah, I can see that.

 

[sadhatter]

I find it hard to sympathize when one group of people who feel that they are more special than the rest of us, discriminate against another.

Just another example of the foolishness religion causese in my opinion. And that isn't even touching on the " where are the rules of who is a real christian written." aspect.

 

[Sword_Of_Truth]

Errr, that would technically be me. I was raised Catholic, though I don't attend anymore, and I'm an Assistant Scout Master at a local LDS troop. I was specifically asked to join.

So,yeah, I can see that.

I'm a mormon cub scout leader. We often encourage the parents to be more involved. While my troop is mostly LDS, we've had a couple protestant cubs and a muslim boy, and the invitation was open to their parents as well. We had our last Wood Badge Course (scout leader training) at the Stake Center and while our facilities were used the course itself was run and taught by someone from another denomination.

 

[Vermonter]

That's really whacked, considering the Mormon Church became the first sponsoring organization of the BSA. I'd thought it has largely been run by the Mormons for some time, anyway.

 

[John Jones]

What's the deal with the Boy Scouts? All they seem to do is sue each other, and complain about being persecuted by not getting enough special perks. Why can't they be more like the Girl Scouts, and sell delicious cookies? The Girl Scouts don't seem plagued with legal problems and sociosexual complexes that have to be worked out in the court of public opinion. When was the last time the Girl Scouts had to hold a press conference for "damage control"? The Boy Scouts should disband and all the members should join the Girl Scouts, who are clearly superior in every way. Also, more cookies.

Well, the thing with the Girl Scouts is that they are held to different standards compared to Boy Scouts.

This dichotomy continues through their lives in western culture.

 

[RobRoy]

I'm a mormon cub scout leader. We often encourage the parents to be more involved. While my troop is mostly LDS, we've had a couple protestant cubs and a muslim boy, and the invitation was open to their parents as well. We had our last Wood Badge Course (scout leader training) at the Stake Center and while our facilities were used the course itself was run and taught by someone from another denomination.

This isn’t surprising as almost every LDS ward has an attached BSA troop. We also have non-LDS members in our troop, though the majority of the troop is LDS and from the sponsoring ward . . . which is exactly as it was intended.

That's really whacked, considering the Mormon Church became the first sponsoring organization of the BSA. I'd thought it has largely been run by the Mormons for some time, anyway.

They are. As the LDS is a recognized religious group, and sponsoring group, by the BSA, and since 13% of the BSA is made up of LDS troops, the largest of any single sponsoring organization, I would find it hard to believe that this particular troop won’t be on the receiving end of a stern talking to. There might even be a rather terse letter.