Mormons Drop Boy Scout Programs For Older Teens

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The Mormon church says beginning next year older teens in the United States and Canada will no longer take part in two Boy Scouts programs, removing approximately 180,000 Mormon boys from the Varsity and Venturing Scout programs, according to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints website. The church will create programs replacing them with activities created for boys in those age groups.

The change is an effort to better meet the needs of young men ages 14–18 in the church, who are not being served well by the Varsity and Venturing Scouting programs that are difficult to implement on a local level, the website says.

The church will continue its Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs for boys ages eight through 13 and be involved in Friends of Scouting. “We are grateful for our long-standing and continuing partnership with the Boy Scouts of America and Scouts Canada,” the church's First Presidency wrote in a letter to Mormon leaders. (For more information on this story and more national news, subscribe to the Across America Patch.)

The First Presidency letter also says “young men over the age of 14 who desire to continue to work toward the rank of Eagle Scout or Queen Scout should be encouraged and supported in their efforts and should be properly registered as Scouts.”

The move comes at a time the church has expressed reservations about the Boy Scouts' decision to allow gay and transgender troop leaders, CNN reports. When the Boy Scouts voted to remove its national restriction on openly gay leaders and employees two years ago, the Mormons said it was inconsistent with church doctrine.

The Boy Scouts of America said it "deeply appreciates" its relationship with the church. "We recognize that not all programs are a perfect fit for all partners," it said, according to CNN.

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