The Church's Program To Replace Scouting ... and Possibly the Personal Progress Program For Young Women

       As most of you know already, the LDS Church announced that it would be withdrawing from the Boy Scouts of America (now Scouts-BSA) as of December 31, 2019. The Church has announced that it will be enacting a new program for young men and women as of January 2020. According to a FAQ about the new program, the Church will not just be ceasing Scouting programs in the U.S., but withdrawing from Scouting programs worldwide.

       Interestingly, the FAQ also states: "Beginning January 1, 2020, activity and achievement programs may be affected, including Faith in God for Girls and Boys, Activity Days for Girls and Boys, Personal Progress, and Duty to God." It also indicates that "[t]his approach is intended to help children and youth discover their eternal identity, build character and resilience, develop life skills, participate in outdoor activities and service opportunities, and strengthen their ability to fulfill their divine roles as daughters and sons of God."

       Besides the complaints of how the BSA was abandoning its moral foundations, the other criticism of Church participation had to do with what many viewed as an inequitable division of funds between activities and programs for boys versus girls. There have also long been resentment from the young women that they did not get to engage in outdoor activities to the same extent as boys (although this seems to me to mostly be a choice of the young women leaders than any particular policy--I'm not aware of any prohibition preventing the young women from scheduling camp outs every month). I get the impression that this new program will attempt to address those concerns as well.