KEY POINTS

  • Marks end of partnership between the Boy Scouts and Mormon Church that has lasted for nearly a century
  • Scouts will lose over 400,000 boys because of the end of the partnership
  • Boy Scouts of America considering declaring bankruptcy to address financial woes

The Mormon Church announced it would be pulling over 400,000 boys out of the Boy Scouts of America as the organization faces a slew of sexual abuse lawsuits.

The announcement was made Wednesday that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be ending its longtime partnership with the Boy Scouts on Jan. 1. Instead, the church will be moving the boys into a new program it will be running that will offer similar activities to the Scouts, including camping, with an emphasis on religion and spirituality.

Losing the Mormons’ support represents a major blow to the Boy Scouts organization that has faced financial struggles in recent years. A major factor has been hundreds of new and looming lawsuits by men accusing scout leaders of sexual abuse and the organization of actively covering it up. New laws in New York, California, New Jersey, and Arizona have also enacted new laws making it easier for alleged victims to seek damages for alleged abuse from their childhood.

It is forecasted to be an 18% drop in the Scouts’ youth membership from 2018 and will be the first time membership will be under 2 million since World War II.

However, some in the Boy Scouts organization feel the religious focus could end up leaving some kids wanting.

“One of the advantages we always had with Scouting is that it wasn’t ‘churchy,’” Boy Scouts national board member Wayne Perry said. “They were getting the Scout oath and the Scout law, which are incredibly compatible with the church’s philosophies and views, but they weren’t reading out of the Book of Mormon.

“I think there will be a boomerang effect as parents see that there is still a place for Scouting.”

Perry also makes reference to the organization opening up to openly gay troop members and leaders as a point of contention between themselves and the church. He did point, though, to the Scouts’ efforts to ensure religious protections remained intact despite the change, allowing church officials to help write those protections.

The Boy Scouts of America is exploring any and all options to keep programs afloat, but haven’t ruled out declaring bankruptcy.

Boy Scouts
A Boy Scout salutes the American flag at camp Maple Dell on July 31, 2015 outside Payson, Utah. George Frey/Getty Images
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