In the summer of 2019, the Boy Scouts of America, Scouts Canada, and Asociación de Scouts de México will come together to host the 24th World Scout Jamboree in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia.
This event will be the first of its kind to be presented by three national Scout groups. Interestingly, according to the World Scout Committee’s 2016 handbook, condoms must be readily made available to partakers of the festivities.
A section of page 10 of the handbook says, “The Host [Organization] must ensure that condoms are readily and easily accessible for all participants and [International Service Team] at a number of locations on the site.”
The unbelievable mandate also states, “When making this information available onsite, consideration shall be given to the various cultures and beliefs present.” Charisma News reported, “It appears the Jamboree guidelines were drafted after the 2015 World Jamboree in Japan in preparation for the 2019 event and were just recently released in an email.”
Stunningly, the handbook also includes “exceptions” and guidelines concerning the consumption of alcohol in “confined areas” at the 24th World Scout Jamboree. John Stemberger, who is both chairman of the board of Trail Life USA, a Christian alternative to Boy Scouts of America, and president of the Florida Family Policy Council, is incensed with the recent revelations about the upcoming event. In a statement to Charisma News, Stemberger said, “In light of the mandatory condom policy, it is not clear how far down the rabbit hole the Boy Scouts will continue to fall. With the addition of condoms and alcohol, the World Jamboree is starting to sound more like a 1960s Woodstock festival rather than a campout that parents would want to send their children to!”
A concerned Stemberger went on to add, “These policies present a clear youth protection problem that the BSA absolutely refuses to recognize. The fact that they are requiring that condoms be ‘readily accessible’ and are communicating this to everyone—including youth participants—shows that the BSA is both anticipating and facilitating sexual conduct between minors at this event. These policies are both outrageous and completely irresponsible.” The theme for next year’s World Scout Jamboree is “Unlock a New World.” Marketing materials for the event advertise it will be “a celebration of cultural exchange, mutual understanding, peace, and friendship.”
In early May of 2018, the much beguiled organization announced it plans to change its name from Boy Scouts of America to Scouts BSA next year. Citing the reason for the change, the group said in a statement, “It reinforces that the mission and core values in the Scout Oath and Scout Law are welcoming, inclusive and foundational for both young men and women.”
Last year, the group announced it will begin allowing girls to join the organization. It also openly welcomed transgender boys into the fold. In a January 2017 statement on its website, the organization proclaimed, “For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-gender programs. However, that approach is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state.”
At the time, Michael Surbaugh, the chief executive for the Boy Scouts of America, said, “After weeks of significant conversations at all levels of our organization, we realized that referring to birth certificates as the reference point is no longer sufficient.” In 2013, the organization ended its practice of not allowing openly gay youth to become members. Two years later, the Boy Scouts of America voted to accept openly gay employees and troop leaders into its ranks.
Regarding the decision to usher gay employees and troop leaders into Boy Scouts of America, Robert Gates, the former president of the organization said, “For far too long, this issue has divided and distracted us. Now it’s time to unite behind our shared belief in the extraordinary power of scouting to be a force for good in a community and in the lives of its youth members.”
~ 1776 Christian
