The Boy Scouts Removing 'Boy' From Their Name Shows That Boys Aren't Their Concern Anymore

Being a Scout isn't about just doing a bunch of activities, it's living out a philosophy, and changing their name is akin to changing their philosophy.

The Boy Scouts were an important part of my childhood, especially as a boy who had no father at home.

It was an opportunity to be led by strong men who were loving fathers. So it saddens me that they are purposefully removing "Boy" from their name for the sake of "inclusion".

One thing I am grateful for was that my mother put me in the Scouts at an early age and I climbed from being a Cub Scout to becoming a Boy Scout, something I was really proud of achieving. But there was so much more to the Scouts than the badges we wore on our uniforms.

My memories of the Scouts revolve around our local troop meetings being run by the fathers of the boys involved. I believe I was the only child who came from a home where his father wasn't active in his child's life but they never treated me differently.

They were men who sacrificed their time and possibly personal interests to do childlike Scout activities, which might have been boring for them, but they never gave that impression. Through these activities, these men were bonding with their sons and teaching them about life.

The Scouts were a Godsend of an opportunity for a child like me who lacked an understanding of what a real father looked like when learning how to interact with their child healthily. And, of course, I also caught the shrapnel of love that was in the room by being surrounded by them.

From what I remember, I really did enjoy being part of the Scouts because I got to interact with other boys like me who had similar interests as myself. We were surrounded by men who accepted us as goofball kids like most boys.

I still remember spending a couple of summers at Boy Scout camp, sleeping in a tent with other boys and eating together in the mess hall. We were a bunch of funky-smelling boys having fun in the summer heat outside without a care in the world.

One year I got really sick (I believe food poisoning) but outside of that, I had fun there. To me, the Scouts were always a good experience because I connected with it as a young boy and I think there is something important about having a place for boys to be themselves.

I believe removing "Boy" from their name is to signal that fostering an environment for boys to thrive, like how I was able to, is not their focus. They no longer care about the bonding experience that is unique between sons and fathers and minimized it to a membership item.

To them, it's just a bunch of activities that they could probably put on a pamphlet and market online instead of an opportunity for men to mold rambunctious boys into becoming productive young men with the guidance of their active fathers and male volunteers.

The Scout motto is "On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

The Boy Scout oath is one of the most morally sound statements constructed and is specifically directed at the future men of America for a reason. We are important in our own unique way and erasing manhood from the equation doesn't help us thrive: It stifles us.

I don't know where I would be in life if I didn't have the experience of being involved with the Scouts. So, it's sad that this organization is falling at the waist side of progressivism and shying away from its original name and objective of supporting boys.

Being a Scout isn't about just doing a bunch of activities, it's living out a philosophy, and changing their name is akin to changing their philosophy.

Boys are no longer the object of concern for them: Inclusion is.