1 00:00:00,009 --> 00:00:02,849 For more than a century , Boy Scouts of 2 00:00:02,849 --> 00:00:05,500 America prepared over 130 million 3 00:00:05,500 --> 00:00:08,130 American boys to make moral and ethical 4 00:00:08,130 --> 00:00:09,970 choices , not just during their 5 00:00:09,970 --> 00:00:12,279 formative years , but for a lifetime as 6 00:00:12,279 --> 00:00:14,223 they grew into men . The first few 7 00:00:14,223 --> 00:00:16,770 words of the Scout oath exemplify this , 8 00:00:17,059 --> 00:00:20,270 quote , On my honor , I will do my best 9 00:00:20,270 --> 00:00:23,909 to do my duty to God and my 10 00:00:24,010 --> 00:00:27,239 country . The Boy Scouts are embedded 11 00:00:27,239 --> 00:00:29,406 in our communities . They're sponsored 12 00:00:29,406 --> 00:00:31,461 by community organizations , service 13 00:00:31,461 --> 00:00:33,628 clubs , and churches . Many Boy Scouts 14 00:00:33,628 --> 00:00:35,517 have gone on to senior leadership 15 00:00:35,517 --> 00:00:37,461 positions in their communities and 16 00:00:37,461 --> 00:00:39,572 business in our nation's military and 17 00:00:39,572 --> 00:00:41,683 as elected representatives in local , 18 00:00:41,683 --> 00:00:43,683 state , and national office . 6 Boy 19 00:00:43,683 --> 00:00:45,795 Scouts have been elected President of 20 00:00:45,795 --> 00:00:48,017 the United States . 11 of the 12 men to 21 00:00:48,017 --> 00:00:51,790 walk on the moon . Boy Scouts Boy Scout 22 00:00:51,790 --> 00:00:53,568 training focused on responsible 23 00:00:53,568 --> 00:00:55,734 citizenship , character and leadership 24 00:00:55,734 --> 00:00:57,734 development , patriotism , personal 25 00:00:57,734 --> 00:01:00,509 fitness , self-reliance , faith , and a 26 00:01:00,509 --> 00:01:04,330 wide range of outdoor skills . It was a 27 00:01:04,330 --> 00:01:06,386 great program , and the department , 28 00:01:06,386 --> 00:01:07,941 this department had a close 29 00:01:07,941 --> 00:01:09,941 relationship with the scouts almost 30 00:01:09,941 --> 00:01:12,410 since its inception . As many troops 31 00:01:12,410 --> 00:01:15,660 meet on military bases . After 32 00:01:15,660 --> 00:01:19,410 2012 , however , the Boy Scouts lost 33 00:01:19,410 --> 00:01:22,190 their way . And a once great 34 00:01:22,190 --> 00:01:24,301 organization became gravely wounded . 35 00:01:25,019 --> 00:01:27,075 Diversity , equity , and inclusion , 36 00:01:27,075 --> 00:01:30,419 DEI crept in . The name was changed to 37 00:01:30,470 --> 00:01:33,709 Scouting America . Girls were accepted . 38 00:01:34,459 --> 00:01:36,515 The focus on God as the ruler of the 39 00:01:36,515 --> 00:01:38,570 universe was watered down to include 40 00:01:39,019 --> 00:01:41,500 openness to humanism and earth-centered 41 00:01:41,500 --> 00:01:44,809 pagan religions . Scouting became an 42 00:01:44,809 --> 00:01:46,920 organization that no longer supported 43 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,989 and celebrated boys . They even 44 00:01:48,989 --> 00:01:51,211 welcomed the destructive myth of gender 45 00:01:51,211 --> 00:01:53,190 fluidity and transgenderism to 46 00:01:53,190 --> 00:01:55,412 infiltrate their membership . Along the 47 00:01:55,412 --> 00:01:57,579 way , standards were lowered and merit 48 00:01:57,579 --> 00:01:59,523 destroyed in favor of an insidious 49 00:01:59,523 --> 00:02:01,669 radical , woke ideology that is 50 00:02:01,669 --> 00:02:04,589 anti-America and anti-American . 51 00:02:05,610 --> 00:02:08,070 The result , membership cratered . 52 00:02:08,690 --> 00:02:11,369 Americans didn't want this . In 1970 , 53 00:02:11,449 --> 00:02:13,569 10 million boys participated in Boy 54 00:02:13,569 --> 00:02:15,968 Scouts . Currently , less than 1 55 00:02:15,968 --> 00:02:18,649 million boys and girls participate . 56 00:02:19,830 --> 00:02:21,719 Further , many of these community 57 00:02:21,719 --> 00:02:23,941 organizations that once supported scout 58 00:02:23,941 --> 00:02:26,108 troops , they withdrew their support . 59 00:02:26,108 --> 00:02:28,110 And Scouting America , the parent 60 00:02:28,110 --> 00:02:30,110 organization , filed for bankruptcy 61 00:02:30,110 --> 00:02:32,820 protection . The changes Scouting 62 00:02:32,820 --> 00:02:35,110 America made since 2012 have also 63 00:02:35,110 --> 00:02:37,389 jeopardized the relationship with this 64 00:02:37,389 --> 00:02:40,199 department . And I was very seriously 65 00:02:40,199 --> 00:02:42,088 considering ending our support of 66 00:02:42,088 --> 00:02:44,039 scouting altogether . We have a 67 00:02:44,039 --> 00:02:46,039 department to protect , after all . 68 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:48,720 Beyond that , the policies Scouting 69 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,942 America have in place violate President 70 00:02:50,942 --> 00:02:54,619 Trump's executive Order 14173 entitled 71 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,119 Ending Illegal Discrimination and 72 00:02:57,119 --> 00:03:00,720 Restoring merit-based Opportunity . But 73 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,609 before making this big change , I 74 00:03:02,609 --> 00:03:04,442 decided to meet with the current 75 00:03:04,442 --> 00:03:06,609 scouting leadership to convey our deep 76 00:03:06,609 --> 00:03:09,160 concerns . Based on that face to face 77 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:10,940 conversation and subsequent 78 00:03:10,940 --> 00:03:13,162 conversations , Scouting America agreed 79 00:03:13,162 --> 00:03:16,559 to make several key reforms . And let 80 00:03:16,559 --> 00:03:18,615 me briefly highlight a few of them . 81 00:03:18,615 --> 00:03:20,781 First , Scouting America has agreed to 82 00:03:20,781 --> 00:03:22,948 comply immediately with the provisions 83 00:03:22,948 --> 00:03:25,759 of Executive Order 14173 . 84 00:03:26,759 --> 00:03:28,870 This includes reviewing and replacing 85 00:03:28,870 --> 00:03:30,481 politicized , divisive , and 86 00:03:30,481 --> 00:03:32,648 discriminatory language throughout the 87 00:03:32,648 --> 00:03:34,537 organization , programs , and all 88 00:03:34,537 --> 00:03:38,139 publications . No more DEI 0 . Second , 89 00:03:38,229 --> 00:03:41,970 the Citizen in Society merit badge that 90 00:03:41,970 --> 00:03:44,248 encouraged scouts to explore diversity , 91 00:03:44,248 --> 00:03:46,248 equity , inclusion , and identity . 92 00:03:46,248 --> 00:03:48,389 They always mask it under a , a name 93 00:03:48,389 --> 00:03:50,333 that sounds great , but it's doing 94 00:03:50,333 --> 00:03:52,389 something else . And then asks those 95 00:03:52,389 --> 00:03:54,500 scouts to engage in activism on those 96 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:56,520 topics . That badge has been 97 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,919 discontinued . Third , Scouting America 98 00:03:59,919 --> 00:04:01,975 will modify its policy to make clear 99 00:04:01,975 --> 00:04:04,197 that membership will be based solely on 100 00:04:04,197 --> 00:04:06,600 biological at birth and not gender 101 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,589 identity . That means that the 102 00:04:09,589 --> 00:04:11,645 application , any application , will 103 00:04:11,645 --> 00:04:13,756 have only two designations , male and 104 00:04:13,756 --> 00:04:15,978 female . And the application must match 105 00:04:15,978 --> 00:04:18,079 the applicant's birth certificate . 106 00:04:19,209 --> 00:04:21,153 Scouting will also make clear that 107 00:04:21,153 --> 00:04:23,265 biological boys and girls will not be 108 00:04:23,265 --> 00:04:25,265 allowed to occupy or share intimate 109 00:04:25,265 --> 00:04:27,376 spaces together , toilets , showers , 110 00:04:27,376 --> 00:04:29,487 tents , anywhere like that . Fourth , 111 00:04:29,688 --> 00:04:31,799 Scouting America will honor those who 112 00:04:31,799 --> 00:04:33,966 serve by waiving the registration fees 113 00:04:33,966 --> 00:04:36,077 for children of active duty , guard , 114 00:04:36,077 --> 00:04:38,329 and reserve families . Should have 115 00:04:38,329 --> 00:04:40,739 happened a long time ago . Fifth , in 116 00:04:40,739 --> 00:04:42,850 partnership with the War Department , 117 00:04:42,850 --> 00:04:44,961 Scouting America will introduce a new 118 00:04:44,961 --> 00:04:47,019 Military Service merit badge . These 119 00:04:47,019 --> 00:04:48,797 and other changes that Scouting 120 00:04:48,797 --> 00:04:51,209 America's leadership committed to in 121 00:04:51,209 --> 00:04:53,209 that room right over there will 122 00:04:53,209 --> 00:04:55,660 hopefully result in a rededication to 123 00:04:55,660 --> 00:04:57,549 the foundational ideals that have 124 00:04:57,549 --> 00:05:00,510 defined scouting for generations . Duty 125 00:05:00,510 --> 00:05:03,059 to God and country . Leadership , 126 00:05:03,399 --> 00:05:07,190 character , and service . However , as 127 00:05:07,410 --> 00:05:09,577 President Reagan famously said , trust 128 00:05:09,577 --> 00:05:12,070 but verify . This agreement is new , 129 00:05:12,429 --> 00:05:14,262 and the department's support for 130 00:05:14,262 --> 00:05:16,429 Scouting America is contingent on them 131 00:05:16,429 --> 00:05:18,373 making substantial progress toward 132 00:05:18,373 --> 00:05:20,540 reaching these and many other positive 133 00:05:20,540 --> 00:05:24,179 changes in the next 6 months . At that 134 00:05:24,179 --> 00:05:26,290 time we'll vigorously review progress 135 00:05:26,290 --> 00:05:28,401 and decide whether or not to continue 136 00:05:28,401 --> 00:05:30,790 our support . The onus is squarely on 137 00:05:30,790 --> 00:05:34,200 Scouting America to deliver . If we're 138 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,200 unsatisfied with Scouting America's 139 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,369 progress toward and commitment to the 140 00:05:38,369 --> 00:05:40,690 agreed upon reforms , we will find them 141 00:05:40,690 --> 00:05:42,519 in violation of the president's 142 00:05:42,519 --> 00:05:45,029 executive order and cease our support . 143 00:05:45,089 --> 00:05:47,145 We hope that doesn't happen , but it 144 00:05:47,145 --> 00:05:50,239 could . Ideally , I believe the Boy 145 00:05:50,239 --> 00:05:52,549 Scouts should go back to being the Boy 146 00:05:52,549 --> 00:05:54,829 Scouts as originally founded , a group 147 00:05:54,829 --> 00:05:56,829 that develops boys into men , maybe 148 00:05:56,829 --> 00:05:59,029 someday . There are also additional 149 00:05:59,029 --> 00:06:01,196 youth and boys' organizations , groups 150 00:06:01,196 --> 00:06:03,196 like Trail Life USA and Iwana Clubs 151 00:06:03,196 --> 00:06:04,973 that are already compliant with 152 00:06:04,973 --> 00:06:07,140 President Trump's executive order that 153 00:06:07,140 --> 00:06:09,251 the department may eventually support 154 00:06:09,251 --> 00:06:11,418 as well , but we're watching and we're 155 00:06:11,418 --> 00:06:13,529 watching closely . We look forward to 156 00:06:13,529 --> 00:06:15,585 providing you with updates after our 157 00:06:15,585 --> 00:06:17,696 six-month review and wish the best to 158 00:06:17,696 --> 00:06:17,549 Scouting America .