Your goals, hopes and predictions for Scouting in 2022

Right before I signed off for the holidays, I asked you all what you wanted to see from this newsletter in 2022. (Thank you for your feedback!)

But I also asked a number of prominent leaders in Scouting, who are focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, to give me their aspirations for the new year.

You’ll likely recognize many of the people who responded, as I’ve featured them all in the newsletter at one point another. I asked each of them:

What’s one goal, hope or prediction you have for diversity, equity and inclusion in Scouting in 2022?

Here’s how they responded.

Alison Batey, general manager of Base Camp Granite/New England; founder of LGBTQ+ Scouts and Allies group on Facebook

“I believe that kids who identify as nonbinary will be the driving force for formally non-gendered troops, but I expect that the national organization will still give the option for gendered troops to remain in place.

I hope that scouters begin to realize that we need to go beyond the Scout Oath and Law to really do better and learn about those who are different than them.”

Gavin Cho, former youth lead of the Order of the Arrow’s Admonition Team; 2020 Western Region Chief

“I hope Scouting will realize its potential to be a leader in the world as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is clear that the youth of our movement are ready to love and care for their peers.”

Kenneth Morrison, council president of the Northeast Illinois Council

“My hope is that 2022 sees a substantial and sustained increase in what I think of as ‘local actions’ to promote and improve diversity, equity and inclusion in Scouting.

I focus on ‘local’ actions because I think that's where the most impact can be had now. For the past decade or more, the bulk of the attention on DEI efforts in Scouting has been focused on national BSA policies and practices, such as the multi-year struggle over membership standards and the creation of a DEI-focused merit badge. Although there remain valid criticisms of aspects of the current national policies and practices, it seems undeniable that Scouting is in a much better place than it used to be.

Scouting largely operates at a local level, in two different senses. First, it is a local council that is charged with making the Scouting program available in a given geographic area. Local councils provide vital services that make it possible to operate the Scouting program in their service areas (notwithstanding the disdain of many volunteers who question the value or purpose of their local council). But second, and most importantly, it is through the local units — the packs, troops, crews and posts — that Scouting really happens. That's where the action is, where the ideals of Scouting are ingrained, where advancement and personal growth and the other methods of Scouting are utilized.

It's my belief that there's a great deal that can be done, both by local councils and by local units, to make Scouting more diverse, more equitable and more inclusive.”

Gary Carroll, director of field service/COO for the Greater Los Angeles Area Council

“My goal for 2022 in terms of Scouting’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is that our entire teams, including scout executives, will feel empowered and supported enough to embrace the inclusion of LGBTQ members, volunteers, staff members, and will go out of their way to ensure that people in these vulnerable populations are supported, protected, and welcomed.”

Sam Aronson, lead adviser for the NOAC ArrowPride/Admonition Team

“For over two years, a team of OA Members has been working to create the first officially sanctioned LGBTQ+ inclusivity space at a national BSA event. The summer of 2020 was supposed to see this work debut at the National Order of the Arrow Conference but that was canceled due to the pandemic. Now this space, called ArrowPride, will come to life in the summer of 2022.

ArrowPride will have programming every day and evening of the conference, plus a social space for exchanging best practices and just having fun. ArrowPride will be a space for every delegate at the 2022 NOAC to learn and grow and have fun, but it will be especially for our LGBTQ+ delegates to share resources, share stories, and be in community.

My prediction is, after NOAC, hundreds upon hundreds of queer scouts and OA members will feel ... know, without a doubt, they are a valued and respected part of the BSA and every part of their identities is welcomed and celebrated in the OA. I predict lots of laughs, a few tears, and so much dignity.”

Andrew Miller, vice chair for the BSA’s program development committee

“My hope for 2022 is that we further strengthen the ability for families to find the unit that’s right for them – including through the BeAScout portal and working with unit new member coordinators. Scouting can benefit every youth in our nation, and we need to help families find the unit that is best-suited to provide them with a positive, life-changing experience”

What about you? What’s one of your goals, hopes or predictions for diversity, equity and inclusion in Scouting in 2022?