>> AFTER MORE THAN A CENTURY OF
TEACHING MILLIONS OF AMERICAN
BOYS MARKMANSHIP, WOOD CRAFTS,
PATRIOTISM, GOOD CITIZENSHIP,
THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HAVE
DECIDED TO CHANGE COMPLETELY,
STARTING WITH THEIR NAME.
IT'S NOW THE SCOUTS, GENDER
NEUTRAL.
NUMBER ONE SHOW, CALLED
"RETURNING THE FAVOR."
WE SPOKE TO HIM RECENTLY.
THANKS A LOT FOR JOINING US.
YOU WERE FAMOUSLY AN EAGLE SCOUT
AS A BOY.
THE SCOUTS ARE NO LONGER THE BOY
SCOUTS BUT SIMPLY THE SCOUTS.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> WELL, IT'S FUNNY UNDER ASK,
BECAUSE NO LESS THAN 10,000
PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME THAT VERY
QUESTION OVER THE LAST MONTH.
>> I BET.
>> ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE,
DISTINGUISHED EAGLE SCOUT, IF
YOU'RE KEEPING SCORE, FIVE OR
SIX YEARS AGO I WAS AWARDED
THAT.
IT WAS VERY TOUCHING.
LOOK, I'M WATCHING WHAT'S
HAPPENING CAREFULLY.
I'VE SENT 50,000 TO 55,000
LETTERS OUT OVER THE LAST 10
YEARS TO OTHER EAGLE SCOUTS.
I THINK THE COUNTRY NEEDS THE
SCOUTS.
I THINK THE COUNTRY NEEDS THE
FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA AND
SKILLS USA AND 4-H, DESPERATELY,
NOW MORE THAN EVER.
IT CONCERNS ME TO SEE ALL THE
CONFUSION SWIRLING AROUND THE
ORGANIZATION, BUT LIKE SO MANY
WOUNDS I'M AFRAID SO MANY OF
THESE ARE SELF-INFLICTED.
I ALSO THINK THAT SOME OF THE
CONFUSION GOING ON IS
LEGITIMATE.
I READ THEIR OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
WHILE GIRLS ARE BEING WELCOMED
IN, I DIDN'T READ ANYTHING ABOUT
INTEGRATED CAMPING TRIPS OR
TROOP MEETINGS.
I THINK IT'S A PLAY TO COMPETE
WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS.
I UNDERSTAND WHEN THE GIRL
SCOUTS ARE UPSET, BUT SINCE WHEN
IS COMPETITION A BAD THING?
I THINK CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT HAVE
NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN
THEY ARE TODAY.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT THE BOY
SCOUTS ASSUME THE OPPORTUNITY
THAT'S PRESENTING ITSELF, AND
BECOME AN ANTIDOTE FOR THE SAFE
SPACE ENVIRONMENT THAT'S OUT
THERE, AND PUSH BACK A LITTLE
BIT.
NOT TO SOUND LIKE THE ANGRY GUY
ON YOUR NEIGHBOR'S PORCH YELLING
AT THE KIDS ON THE LAWN, BUT
WHEN I WAS IN THE SCOUTS, IN '64
AND '75, IT WASN'T A SAFE SPACE
IN THE BASEMENT OF OUR CHURCH,
YOU'D GO HOME WITH A BLOODY NOSE
OR A BLACK EYE.
WE HAD A BOXING RING.
IT WAS A VIBRANT PLACE WHERE YOU
REALLY COULD TEST YOURSELF AND
HANDMADE YOU SAFE ENOUGH TO
ATTEMPT, BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND,
DIDN'T TRY AND CHECK EVERY BOX
AND PLEASE EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
IT'S A TOUGH TIME.
YOU KNOW, I'M SYMPATHETIC FOR
THE LEADERS, BUT I'M AFRAID
YOU'VE GOT TO DRAW THE LINE AND
BE CLEAR WHAT YOU STAND FOR AS
WELL AS AGAINST.
>> SO YOU DON'T SEE THIS AS THE
END OF SOMETHING THEN?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU EITHER EVOLVE
OR YOU -- OR YOU DIE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME I THINK
PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED BECAUSE THE
SCOUTS SIMPLY HAVEN'T COME OUT
AND SAID CATEGORICALLY WHAT
THEY'RE FOR, RIGHT?
SO I JUST THINK THIS
CONVERSATION TOUCHES ON EVERY
SINGLE POINT RIGHT NOW GOING ON
IN POPULAR CULTURE, FROM
TOLERANCE TO ACCEPTANCE, WHICH,
BY THE WAY, I'M NOT SURE WHAT
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO
THINGS IS ANYMORE, BUT THERE
USED TO BE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING FOR THEIR
OWN IDENTITY.
LOOK, THE LAST TIME I WAS ON, WE
TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA THAT
EVERYTHING IS EITHER BEING
OR EVERYTHING IS BEING INFORMED
BY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE
CHALLENGED.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE TO
BE CHALLENGED.
MY HOPE FOR THESE YOUTH-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP PREACH
CHARACTER IS THAT THEY LOOK FOR
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE
CHALLENGED, AND NOT CURRY FAVOR
SO MUCH WITH THOSE WHO WANT A
NICE REASSURING PAT ON THE HEAD.
>> YEAH.
THAT'S HOW THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
DIED.
>> YEAH.
WOW.