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SCOUT'S HONOR

by Lily Anderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 5, 2022

Anyone with a yen for community service, particularly the martial sort, will be hot to sign up.

Typical Ladybird Scout activities: knitting, baking, white-gloved tea parties—and slaying invisible monsters.

Anderson pits a squad of preteen Northern California trainees and their 16-year-old instructor, Prudence, against mulligrubs—gross, sometimes-dangerous creatures only Ladybirds or, sometimes, their descendants can see that are drawn to this dimension to intensify and feed on anger, sadness, fear, and other feelings. Prue, who has PTSD and quit the Scouts three years ago after her closest circle mate was eaten, has been railroaded by her Ladybird Dame mom into filling in the latest batch of bright-eyed recruits on the basics of martial arts and proper deportment. As she leads them through projects ranging from rooting a toxic Nock Jaw out of a working fun house to setting up a free car wash, she reluctantly finds herself bonding with them. A climactic nighttime graveyard battle with a huge mulligrub eager to feast on her terror and anxieties brings her to the cusp of a decision. The metaphorical level is there for readers inclined to dig for it, but they, particularly the Buffy fans among them, will be better off reveling in the whirl of teen angst and ichor-spattered fun. Led by Prue, who is White and Puerto Rican, and her BFF Sasha “the Beast” Nezhad, cued as Persian, the cast displays an effervescent mix of racial and ethnic identities and character types from meek to (truly) mean girl.

Pub Date: April 5, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-250-24673-8

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TEENAGER

by Ben Philippe ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2019

Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.

A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.

Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.

Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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by Ben Philippe

SEEN & HEARD

From the Aurelian Cycle series , Vol. 1

by Rosaria Munda ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 2019

Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes.

What happens to the world after the dust from a revolution has settled?

Friends Annie and Lee were children from very different circles when Atreus killed Lee’s father, dragonlord Leon Stormscourge, ending the uprising on the bloodiest day in Callipolis’ history. For too long the dragonriders held all the power while their people starved and lived in fear. Nine years later, a new generation of dragonriders is emerging, children selected and trained on merit, not bloodlines. Their dragons are finally mature enough for them to compete for Firstrider, a position of power that can give Lee back a small part of what his family lost. However, not only is Lee competing against Annie, but rumors are circulating that some of the royal family have survived and have dragons of their own. Everyone will have to make a choice: Restore the old regime, support the First Protector and the new caste system he created, or look for a new way, no matter what the cost. From the beginning, this book pulls readers in with political intrigue and action. What keeps them invested, however, are the complex relationships between many cast members. Choices are complex, and the consequences for all could be deadly. The world is well fleshed out and believable. Annie and Lee are light skinned; secondary characters are diverse, and race is a nonissue in this world.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-525-51821-1

Page Count: 448

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT DYSTOPIAN FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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Utopia State of Mind

Book Reviews

Review: Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson

Undead Girl Gang is one of my favorite YA Contemporary books. So when I saw another YA Contemporary with Fantasy from Anderson, I knew I had to read it. And this one was amazing – the world building was unique and inventive. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.

Sixteen-year-old Prudence Perry is a legacy Ladybird Scout, born to a family of hunters sworn to protect humans from mulligrubs―interdimensional parasites who feast on human emotions like sadness and anger. Masquerading as a prim and proper ladies’ social organization, the Ladybirds brew poisons masked as teas and use knitting needles as daggers, at least until they graduate to axes and swords. Three years ago, Prue’s best friend was killed during a hunt, so she kissed the Scouts goodbye, preferring the company of her punkish friends lovingly dubbed the Criminal Element much to her mother and Tía Lo’s disappointment. However, unable to move on from her guilt and trauma, Prue devises a risky plan to infiltrate the Ladybirds in order to swipe the Tea of Forgetting, a restricted tincture laced with a powerful amnesia spell. But old monster-slaying habits die hard and Prue finds herself falling back into the fold, growing close with the junior scouts that she trains to fight the creatures she can’t face. When her town is hit with a mysterious wave of demons, Prue knows it’s time to confront the most powerful monster of all: her past.

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The world can force us to harden ourselves. To lose our emotions and to focus on competition and getting ahead. But Scout’s Honor is a love letter to teamwork and friendship, empathy and love. I was immediately obsessed with the world building. It is unique. A blend of what one might think of when you think of scouts, Anderson introduces fantastical into every aspect. From the charm names to the handbook, Scout’s Honor is one of truly fantastic those contemporary fantasy blends.

As a heroine, Prue is fantastic. Not only is she dealing with the trauma and loss of her best friend, she’s also grappling with this conflict of her monster hunting and her friends. How can we protect someone we love from something they can’t see? Something they aren’t allowed to know? How true to ourselves, to the things we love, are we being in that moment? Scout’s Honor may have originally captured me with the world, but I ended up loving Prue.

She must wrestle with her instinct to protect and to also wonder who she really protecting. Prue is weighed down with responsibility, but she doesn’t have to be alone. In this world beyond our eyes, like the chill on your neck, to be in another world is a heavy burden. But just because it’s always been done one way, to fight alone, doesn’t mean that is how it should be. In Scout’s Honor , Anderson tells a story about girls who want to be seen for who they are, not only what they can do.

(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)

The way Prue opens up to these unlikely friends warmed my heart. If you love the idea of a fantastical contemporary, Scout’s Honor is for you. At the same time if you love stories about friendship and with compassionate heroines, this is for you! Find Scout’s Honor on Goodreads , Amazon , Indiebound , Bookshop.org & The Book Depository .

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One thought on “ review: scout’s honor by lily anderson ”.

This is one I definitely want to get for my school library next year. Great review! https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2022/04/27/blog-tour-review-not-fooling-anyone-lessons-learned-2-by-allie-winters/

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Independent Book Review

A Celebration of Indie Press and Self-Published Books

Book Review: Scout’s Honor

SCOUT'S HONOR by John McNellis is a gripping thriller that explores themes of crime, punishment, confession, and salvation. Reviewed by Lindsay Crandall.

Scout’s Honor

by John McNellis

Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense / Historical

ISBN: 9781736352540

Print Length: 332 pages

Reviewed by Lindsay Crandall

A gripping thriller that explores themes of crime, punishment, confession, and salvation

At 19 years old, all Eddie Kawadsky can think about is earning enough money to put himself through college and achieving his dream of entering the Naval Flight academy. 

After losing his father to the Vietnam War and fleeing his mother’s home, Eddie starts living in his van, working day and night to earn the money he needs for tuition. Both ambitious and naïve, Eddie is convinced by his childhood friend Roy to smuggle 50 kilos of Colombian cocaine across the border into the states. Roy convinces Eddie with money and the guarantee that “this is two hundred percent safe” thanks to his partner, a customs inspector who has cracked the guard rotation code at the border.

What Eddie doesn’t know is that Roy is planning on stealing the 50 kilos and letting Eddie take the fall. Both boys make it to Mexico, but they don’t both make it back across the border. Roy is taken to La Mesa, one of Mexico’s deadliest prisons, where he spends the next seventeen years. But Eddie, fleeing a deadly shootout, vanishes with the cocaine.

Scout’s Honor follows Eddie as he reinvents himself as Richard Austen. In Manhattan real estate, he puts the lessons he was taught in high school and those he learned in his two tours as a Marine in Vietnam to good use. While he tries to bury his guilt and buy his salvation with generous philanthropy, he’s got to constantly look over his shoulder. Just as he relaxes enough to contemplate starting a family with the woman he loves, Roy knocks on his door. 

McNellis’s pacing throughout Scout’s Honor is pitch perfect. His talent for storytelling shines, sparkling with well-placed and downright exciting twists and turns. There may be some rough time jumps occasionally, but this doesn’t take away from the effectiveness of the story. A former lawyer and a nationally recognized real estate expert himself, the author’s knowledge in both fields is demonstrated with authority over and over again.

Eddie and Richard are flawed characters, although they are one in the same. Eddie struggles with his own personal choices that find him homeless and living in his van, and Richard struggles with the choices he’s made to survive and thrive, continually trying to buy his way into heaven with generous donations. A thriller is only as good as its characters; luckily, this one’s got some great ones.

Thesuspense is propulsive, and it’s got characters to care about. Thriller readers are going to leave satisfied. I know I did.

Thank you for reading Lindsay Crandall’s book review of Scout’s Honor by John McNellis! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Scout's Honor : Book summary and reviews of Scout's Honor by Lily Anderson

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Scout's Honor

by Lily Anderson

Critics' Opinion:

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Published Apr 2022 416 pages Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History Publication Information

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About this book

Book summary.

Prudence Perry is a third-generation Ladybird Scout who must battle literal (and figurative) monsters and the weight of her legacy in this YA paranormal perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Buffy the Vampire Slayer .

Sixteen-year-old Prudence Perry is a legacy Ladybird Scout, born to a family of hunters sworn to protect humans from mulligrubs―interdimensional parasites who feast on human emotions like sadness and anger. Masquerading as a prim and proper ladies' social organization, the Ladybirds brew poisons masked as teas and use knitting needles as daggers, at least until they graduate to axes and swords. Three years ago, Prue's best friend was killed during a hunt, so she kissed the Scouts goodbye, preferring the company of her punkish friends lovingly dubbed the Criminal Element much to her mother and Tía Lo's disappointment. However, unable to move on from her guilt and trauma, Prue devises a risky plan to infiltrate the Ladybirds in order to swipe the Tea of Forgetting, a restricted tincture laced with a powerful amnesia spell. But old monster-slaying habits die hard and Prue finds herself falling back into the fold, growing close with the junior scouts that she trains to fight the creatures she can't face. When her town is hit with a mysterious wave of demons, Prue knows it's time to confront the most powerful monster of all: her past.

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Reader reviews.

"Anderson deftly balances snarky humor and heart-thumping action with affecting discussions about friendship, inclusivity, and mental health. The surprise-studded plot seamlessly integrates both Anderson's clever, unique mythology and excerpts from the Ladybird Handbook, and the realistically rendered, intersectionally diverse cast is kind, charismatic, and full of moxie." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) "[A] whirl of teen angst and ichor-spattered fun...the cast displays an effervescent mix of racial and ethnic identities and character types from meek to (truly) mean girl. Anyone with a yen for community service, particularly the martial sort, will be hot to sign up." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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Author Information

Lily anderson.

Lily Anderson is the author of several novels for young adults including The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You , Not Now Not Ever , and Undead Girl Gang . A former school librarian, she is deeply devoted to Shakespeare, fairy tales, and podcasts. Somewhere in Northern California, she is having strong opinions on musical theater.

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BookView Review

An editorial review website, bookview review: scout’s honor by john mcnellis.

BookView Review rated it:

  Hubbard House

Pub date June 4, 2024

ASIN B0CTLNPS93

Price $16.99 (USD) Paperback, $6.99 Kindle edition

McNellis chronicles one man’s journey from innocence to redemption amid a web of betrayal, danger, and enduring love in his latest novel. In the summer of 1969, Eddie Kawadsky, orphaned and dreaming of becoming a Navy pilot, is entrapped by his childhood friend Roy Cross into drug smuggling to fund his education. Betrayed by Roy, Eddie faces a deadly confrontation in Mexico, disappearing thereafter. Rising from the ashes as Richard Austen, he finds success in real estate and love with Margaret Downs. However, Eddie’s past resurfaces with Roy’s return, threatening to shatter his newfound life. 

In the novel, Eddie’s journey serves as a profound examination of morality, guilt, and trust amidst a turbulent era. Tempted into the world of drug smuggling by Roy, Eddie grapples with ethical dilemmas, blurring the lines between right and wrong. Haunted by guilt, his decisions are shaped by internal conflict as betrayal looms at every turn, leaving him wary of those around him. McNellis skillfully crafts atmospheric settings that are integral to the narrative and character development. Tijuana represents the perilous gateway to criminality, while K-39 Beach and the upscale Oncology Ball offer contrasting backdrops, revealing the complexities of human nature and societal divides. With its measured pacing and tight plotting, the novel makes for a must-read for aficionados of literary fiction.

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Scout's Honor

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Author Biography

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Scout's Honor: A Novel by Dori Ann Dupré is the story of Scout Webb, who we literally see grow in front of our eyes. When the novel starts, Scout is 14 years old. A tomboy to boot, she really likes to play basketball and has a huge crush on Brother Doug, a lifeguard on Camp Judah. Her life revolves around playing basketball with her best friend and enjoying her time at camp. However, the summer of 1983 will be the summer that changes her life forever. One disaster and Scout will never be the same. We will be taken on a journey with Scout as she becomes a single mother and closes on her middle age years, when she will ask herself: why did her life change? What changed her? And whose fault was that? This is a women’s fiction novel that leaves an imprint on your mind. I loved the fact that we got to see Scout grow up right in front of our eyes, in every sense of the words. We got to see her mature and learn that life is much more than just a basketball game. Her character growth was immense. The development was very good. Everything was written perfectly. I loved the fact that this novel gave us insight into the minds of real people and why do we do things that hurt other people. We never intend to, but we still do. Dupré did an amazing job with the novel. A beautiful cover too.

Home » Movies

Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America Review

Here is our review of the 2023 Netflix documentary film Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Scouts conjures up a certain image in people’s minds. For many who might have even been in the Scouts, it might be a positive thought, making friends, experiencing the outdoors, camping, and taking part in many of the different activities that the Scouts put on.

One image that likely doesn’t come to mind is sex abuse. And that shouldn’t be the case, especially as the Scouts deal with thousands of children nationally. But the Netflix documentary Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America highlights the anger-inducing truth that for decades, abuse has been covered up by what should be a trustworthy organization.

The documentary tells the story that from the Scout’s humble origins in the UK, they have always struggled with keeping out bad actors that would do their members harm. It helps audiences understand that this isn’t a new problem and one people in the Scouts knew about.

But high-level leaders at the Scouts didn’t think they had an abuse problem; they had a marketing problem. They believed that if stories of abuse got out, it would cause immense damage to their brand.

READ: Star Light Review

So, they hid this information and kept it confidential to prevent it from ruining their image. It’s a despicable and cruel act of cynical marketing, showing that the Scouts cannot be trusted.

This aspect is put front and center, quickly explaining that it’s not a case of a few bad apples, as some people might say. The Scouts failed to perform basic background checks and allowed repeat offenders back in.

But this isn’t to forget the devastating human angle. Boys across decades had their lives heavily impacted by the ineffective safeguards to protect them, and the documentary features interviews from victims, which are difficult to listen to, but their stories must be heard.

READ: All or Nothing: The German National Team in Qatar Review

These tales of wilful mismanagement and harrowing abuse paint a comprehensive and damning account of the activities of what should be the most wholesome group in America.

The documentary wants viewers to be angry that something like that was not only allowed to happen once but is something that has torn through the lives of thousands of people.

Is Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America good or bad?

This documentary tells an anger-inducing tale that an organization that operates with children at this scale would cover up some of the most horrible crimes. It tears down the youthful and positive image many have about it and tells a story that must be seen.

Is Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America worth watching?

The Netflix film is a harrowing and insightful watch about how a child-centric organization harbored a dangerous secret since its very beginning and is a documentary worth the time to see.

What did you think of the 2023 Netflix documentary film Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America – how would you review it? Comment below.

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Article by Kieran Burt

Kieran Burt joined Ready Steady Cut back in October 2022, bringing plenty of knowledge in various universes, including Star Wars, DC, and the MCU. Kieran is also a freelance journalist with a postgraduate degree in Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University in 2023. He’s also a qualified NCTJ journalist.

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Youth Today

Q&A With Patrick Boyle, Author of ‘Scout’s Honor’

And then, all too often, the scout leaders simply moved on to other troops and molested other scouts, continuing the sad cycle of sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America.

In his book “ Scout’s Honor: Sexual Abuse in America’s Most Trusted Institution ,” author Patrick Boyle chronicles widespread abuse and how the Boy Scouts routinely ignored it, tried to keep it quiet or minimized it. Originally published in 1994 and now out in a newly updated Kindle edition, the book is based on exhaustive research by Boyle, a former Youth Today editor. He scrutinized thousands of the once-secret “confidential files” that courts ordered the Boy Scouts to release, detailing decades of sexual abuse in the Scouts.

Boyle, 54, also conducted in-depth interviews with eight former scout leaders convicted of molesting boys, as well as with sexual abuse victims, scout leaders, parents, law enforcement officials, and pedophilia experts.

The result is a book that should be required reading for parents and leaders of youth organizations. “Scout’s Honor” provides a detailed look at disturbing patterns of behavior not only among the molesters but also the Boy Scouts’ national leadership.

Youth Today spoke with Boyle, a national expert on sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts, Excerpts of the hour-long interview follow.

The Interview

Editor’s note: For the record, Boyle responds to two frequently asked questions: He wasn’t molested as a child and he was not a Boy Scout. His parents signed him up for Cub Scouts, but he never attended a meeting. A father of three, Boyle has a son, now 16, who chose not to become a Scout.

Youth Today : What time period does “Scout’s Honor” cover?

Boyle : It covers abuse in scouting from the 1970s to now [the revised Kindle edition], but goes back a century to look at how scouting and American society at large responded to the abuse of boys by men throughout the 1900s.

Youth Today : Did the Boy Scouts’ leadership try to sweep child abuse under the rug?

Boyle : Oh, sure. The Boys Scouts’ reaction was just like any other corporation, which is protect the organization first, basically to deny that there was a problem and if there was a problem, to minimize the problem – minimize it by saying it doesn’t happen a whole lot, and anybody who wants to make a big deal about it just hates the Boy Scouts. For a lot of charities, the defense mechanism is to both minimize and to also shield themselves with the great work that they are doing.

People carrying out the Boy Scout program around the country didn’t have access to these [confidential files kept at Scout headquarters]. They didn’t know there were a couple hundred abuse cases in any given year. [Scout leadership] kept their own people blind to the problem and then basically acted to protect the organization first. That was the instinct. And that meant letting guys go without charges. That meant convincing reporters it was an aberrant story. That meant convincing the cops not to tell the press about stuff. Well into the ‘80s they were doing that.

Youth Today : Based on your review of the confidential files and your interviews with the molesters, what did you learn about their patterns of behavior?

Boyle : The patterns of abuse become immediately clear. There are certain things that continue to happen – for instance, the fact that they use the very structure of the Boy Scouts to their advantage, the fact that abuse occurred during campouts when they were alone with kids, the fact that a lot of the abuse occurred at the Scouts’ homes, all under the guise of Scout activity like merit badge counseling, you know that kind of thing, the fact that they all had befriended the child and the families. They became a real mentor. They preyed on vulnerable kids, especially with single moms, which is ironic because the Scouts had long pitched itself as a place for the single moms to send their fatherless boys to have strong role models, which is a very good pitch.

Often, these guys would move from troop to troop. [The Boy Scouts] would kick them out but not charge them with a crime. I mean, every year you’d see this happening.

Youth Today : How has the public reacted to “Scout’s Honor?”

Boyle : The book didn’t take off like I expected, but what happened was the book remained a cornerstone for what eventually became a sex abuse scandal. It served as kind of a cornerstone for journalists who were doing their own stories, and they’d find the book and call me. It served as a cornerstone for lawyers who were suing, and then they’d find it and they’d learn all about Scouts and sex abuse and about the confidential files. And because of that, it led to the release of other documents, other files that raised public awareness.

Youth Today : What factors contributed to the Boy Scouts sexual abuse scandal exploding in 2010 during the case in which an Oregon jury awarded a sexual abuse victim $18.5 million in punitive damages?

Boyle : By the time the Oregon trial hit in 2010, the world was significantly different in two key ways [compared with 1994], one of which is the Internet, because now all this information suddenly grew viral, and the trial was televised so you had the phenomenon of people tuning in, spreading the word, commenting live. And it just took off and became this national story, and I always thought it would become a national story. The Catholic Church scandal [also] really opened up the door for public discussions about institutional sex abuse and [people realized], “Yes, this happens, it happens in good institutions and good institutions could do bad things, and we have to pay attention to how these [molesters] operate in organizations for youth.” And so that kind of primed the pump, so to speak, in terms of journalistic interest and public interest.

Youth Today : What can parents do to try to ensure their children do not become victims of sexual abuse?

Boyle : You’ve got to keep your eyes open. I tell parents one of the main things is ask questions, meaning you should be asking what kind of background checks are being done on the people who work with your kids. Don’t be shy about that. Outwardly, these [molesters] can lead perfectly normal lives with wives and kids. This isn’t like a drug addict who you notice is having problems at work. And this isn’t like a guy who’s violent and you find out that he’s been charged with assault after he went out and drank at a bar and beat up his wife. These guys can keep this crime really quiet from everybody, including their own families.

Recognize that there’s always a risk that somebody’s going to get involved in a youth group for the wrong reasons and so you have to keep your eyes open, and the best thing you can do is be involved with your kid and be involved with the group.

And you have to ask your child where they’re going and what they’re doing and do not be shy about knowing that even as they get older because a lot of these parents didn’t know that the kids were spending so much time with their scoutmasters. There are a lot of kids in the big Scout files where kids were spending what anybody would consider a ridiculous amount of time with a grown-up who they’re not related to in the guy’s house, going on trips with him. Sometimes, the parents let the guy do this, which is amazing in itself, but I think parents might know better now. But a lot of times, the parents were shocked to find out how much time their kid was spending with this adult and said, “If I had known this, I would have been suspicious.”

When I did this book, I didn’t have kids. Doing this kind of work really informed my outlook as a parent. I learned a lot about how to handle kids and how to look out for things. I didn’t become a parent till I was 36 and by that point, I had a really good sense of not only dangers but also, quite frankly, the way that certain kinds of molesters relate to kids better than their parents do. People have a hard time hearing this: If you strip away the ghastliness of this crime, you can actually learn a lot about dealing with children by listening to certain child molesters. These guys are very good at connecting with kids. It doesn’t mean every parent wants to treat their kid like their best buddy, which is what molesters do. But a lot of these guys are much better than a lot of parents at listening to kids and really listening and giving them the kind of space they need and also recognizing when a kid needs talking and when he needs space.

Youth Today : Did the molesters you interviewed acknowledge that they had done great harm to their victims?

Boyle : They didn’t feel guilty about it at all at first because they justified it in their minds. Even when they recognize it’s wrong, they have trouble staying away. These are generally guys who mean well and really do like children. These guys have an addictive behavior that is really like a lot of other addictive behaviors. They are really almost pathetic in certain ways because they’re not in control of this demon they have. Eventually, they came to realize [their behavior] was doing incredible harm to children and it would make them break down and cry.

Youth Today : Has the Boy Scouts’ handling of sexual abuse allegations improved since the publication of the first edition of “Scout’s Honor?”

Boyle : Yeah, I have to say this: The new regime of the Boy Scouts seems to be taking this very seriously today, which is not to say that they never took it seriously before. For a long time, the Boy Scouts did the minimum they had to do to show that they were doing something. And the lawsuits and the publicity combined up to a point where they had to start trying to do the maximum, to start going well above and beyond what they had to do, and it seems to me that they’re sort of trying to do that now. But they were forced to. Say what you want about litigation and lawsuits and the press, but the fact is the lawsuits and the publicity changed the Boy Scouts just like they changed the Catholic church. And that’s sometimes what it takes.

Youth Today : Do you plan to follow up with another book?

Boyle : The book I’m trying to do now, the book I’ve been outlining, is really looking at abuse across institutions and connecting the dots. I think that we really need to look at the patterns of abuse and institutional behavior that lets abuse occur. My theory here is that a lot of very good institutions have inadvertently enabled child molesters, and there are reasons they’ve done that. They didn’t set out to do that.

But if you look at all these cases – the Boy Scouts, you look at the Catholic church, you look at the sports leagues where they’ve had problems with this, you look at the schools, you look at a lot of religious organizations, including a lot of Jewish communities, Jehovah’s Witnesses, you see very similar patterns of organizational and individual behavior. How is it that good organizations let such a horrible thing happen and let it continue to happen? It’s amazing how much some of these scandals mirror the Scouts. To me, it’s organizational behavior. I really want to talk to the adults who are involved in making decisions. [And] I will talk to victims but we have to learn from the molesters. I’m sorry. You’ve got to talk to child molesters and you’ve got to try to pry out of these guys the behavior patterns to help you protect yourself.

I expect [the book] to be a bigger-picture look at basically what organizations think and how they fail – how organizations fail and how organizations can protect themselves and their kids better.

The Details

Patrick Boyle   is a veteran journalist whose reports on child abuse, mental illness, and drug addiction have won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Headliner Awards, the Missouri School of Journalism, and others. He has been a reporter for many newspapers, including the  Washington Times , and a freelance reporter for the  New York Times , ABC News,  Woman’s Day ,  Spy , and the  American Journalism Review .

Read his article for Youth Today, “ Boy Scout Confidential .”

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Scout's Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America

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Watch Scout's Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America with a subscription on Netflix.

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The Indie Comix Dispatch

Review: scout’s honor.

Rating if the Book Were a Movie: PG-13

Writer/Creator: David Pepose Artist: Luca Casalanguida Colors: Matt Milla Letters: Carlos M. Mangual Cover: Andy Clarke with Jose Villarrrubia Editor: Christina Harrington Publisher: Aftershock 

Growing up I was never in scouts. I wanted to be but between the cost and time commitment Dad wasn’t able to make it happen. To this day I wonder how much was covered in scouts that would have had real-life applications as an adult. Fittingly I was wondering about that in the middle of a six-day power outage we had. Due to a wind storm blowing a tree into the pole that had the transformer for our neighborhood on it my family took up residence at my in-laws’ home for a bit. That’s about the time that Scout’s Honor made its way to the top of the ever-growing reading stack.

Scout’s Honor begins approximately in the not too distant future in Fort Collins, Colorado. We see a group of people coming out of a bunker after equipment finally says it is safe to do so. After 9562 days in a bunker, the people are back on the surface of planet Earth. Everywhere they look they see the results of a nuclear Armageddon. With so much destruction what will they do? The apparent leader says, “Survive.” They’re Ranger Scouts of America. As long as they follow the good book they’ll always be prepared. The good book they refer to is the Ranger Scout Survival Handbook.

We then jump forward 260 years. Some younger scouts are in the Colorado Badlands foraging for food and hoping for the opportunity to earn merit badges when a gamma boar attacks. Imagine a boar…. make it about the size of a small car. Give it more intelligence and a nasty attitude. I present to you: the gamma boar. With a combination of skill and luck two scouts, Kit and Dez, are able to kill the boar.

Upon returning to base from the successful hunt we get a glimpse of the social and political structure of our group of survivors. We also see some of the unfair expectations placed on Dez. What’s of even more interest is the hint of a secret that Kit is keeping from the other scouts. We don’t get to delve into that very much at this time because the issue wraps up with a group of bandits trying to break into the armory. 

The cover on this one is very striking to me. It’s very Moses on Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, which I believe was the desired effect. Well done. It has enough detail to catch the reader’s eye without being too busy.

The interior artwork goes stride for stride with the cover. The artwork is very solid. Mr. Casalanguida did a fine job balancing between vivid and too graphic for the scene with the boar. The use of colors on the pages with the boar makes it even more ferocious.

For a first issue, this book has a lot of intrigue. Mr. Pepose already has done a lot of the heavy lifting. We have a setting that is easy to envision. The characters are likable, and even more importantly believable. The premise of the story doesn’t leave a reader thinking, “There’s no way this could happen”. All of the important bases have been covered. 

There is so much crucial information to this story in the dialogue. That is how we learn how long the original survivors were in the bunker. The dialogue also fills us in on a lot of the dynamics between the scouts and their parents. Most importantly it’s how we learn so much about Kit and Dez.

The lettering in “Scout’s Honor” #1 is fantastic. Everything is done in fonts that are easy to read. Being a first issue, this book gets a pass on if it follows canon. 

“Scout’s Honor” reads at a good pace. It’s easy to fall into the story. I didn’t see anything that made me pause to try to figure out what happened and taking me out of the moment as a byproduct.

I love apocalypse stories. Hunger Games, 12 Monkeys, and the newest Planet of the Apes movies were all well done. This is the challenge facing “Scout’s Honor”. With the gauntlet already having been thrown down can “Scout’s Honor” rise up to the challenge? After round one I am saying it can contend. Before giving more of a commitment I would like to see more of where this story is going. 

It’s definitely worth looking into. Scout’s Honor.

I grew up loving all things geek. I started reading and collecting comics when I was 8. My personal collection has roughly 8,000 books in it. When I’m not doing something geek-related I love spending time with my amazing wife and kids, gaming, and working on cross stitch projects.

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Scout's Honor: Sexual Abuse in America's Most Trusted Institution Kindle Edition

• Print length 416 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publication date July 22, 2013
• File size 1903 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00E3LZ250
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 22, 2013
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1903 KB
• Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
• #189 in Child Abuse (Books)
• #322 in Dysfunctional Relationships
• #1,070 in True Crime Biographies

About the author

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Scout’s Honor by John McNellis

Taut, tense, and beautifully crafted…

McNellis’s latest novel takes readers on a suspenseful journey through the summer of ’69, examining the intricacies of the human psyche and the weighty consequences of one’s decisions in an ever-changing world. In 1969, Eddie Kawadsky finds himself cut off from his family and drawn into a perilous world by the charismatic Roy Cross, who leads him into drug smuggling. Their plan goes awry, leaving Eddie pursued by dangerous foes. Forced to reinvent himself as Richard Austen, Eddie navigates through Vietnam’s turmoil and rises in Manhattan’s real estate scene. Despite his success, his past shadows him. Years later, when a visitor threatens to expose his secrets, Eddie begins to wonder if redemption can erase his past sins. 

Themes of survival, escapism, and redemption are prevalent throughout the narrative as Roy becomes a central figure in Eddie’s life, testing their bond and challenging Eddie’s beliefs. Through their relationship, the novel delves into complex themes such as loyalty, temptation, and morality. Eddie’s transformation into Richard Austen is a turning point in the story, impacting his character development and the plot. It symbolizes a major change in his identity and sets him on a dangerous path filled with moral ambiguity. But this reinvention comes at a cost, forcing Eddie to question authenticity and the consequences of deceit. As the story unfolds, thought-provoking questions arise: Can guilt ever truly fade away? Is any substance truly harmless? Can confession bring peace to a troubled soul? A gripping story that explores concepts of right and wrong, justice and consequence, and the intricate nature of redemption and forgiveness.

Scout’s Honor

John McNellis

  Hubbard House

Pub date June 4, 2024

ASIN B0CTLNPS93

Price $16.99 (USD) Paperback, $6.99 Kindle edition

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‘Scouts Honor’ Review: Uncovering a History of Abuse

This documentary, subtitled “The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,” unveils the legacy organization’s habit of covering up cases of sexual abuse.

By Natalia Winkelman

Almost three years ago, ahead of a bankruptcy court deadline, more than 82,000 people came forward with sexual abuse claims against the Boy Scouts of America. The mostly male survivors were of all ages and came from every state. Some of them had kept mum for decades.

“Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,” directed by Brian Knappenberger and streaming on Netflix , is essentially a walk-through of the monumental case. A solid chunk of its running time is spent with Michael Johnson, a former director at the Boy Scouts who has since become an outspoken critic of its youth protection practices. As the film tracks the organization’s history of abuse and cover-ups, Johnson recounts hitting brick walls during his efforts to reform the system.

News-based passages remind viewers about the organization’s wholesome image, as well as its links to the Catholic and Mormon Churches. Bland archival footage supports the history lesson, and the film pans across enough headlines to populate a Sunday paper.

Knappenberger does, thankfully, make space for survivors to share their own accounts, and their vulnerability lends authority to an otherwise anonymous film. At one point, a middle-aged man laments not having the chance to tell his late mother about the abuse he endured as a child. These are heart-wrenching moments. Unfortunately, the film fails to build on them, leaving the culture of shame and stigma that muzzled these men to hover in the air, unexplored.

Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes. Watch on Netflix.

Claremont Review of Books

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Scouts' Honor

The Boy Scout Handbook at 100.

Books Discussed in this Essay:

The Official Handbook for Boys, 1st Edition

Boy Scouts' Handbook, 12th Edition

The Boy Scouts of America celebrated their hundredth anniversary last year, and this year is the centennial of  The Handbook for Boys , their first official manual. Comparing it with the current edition of the handbook—the 12th, published in 2009—shows that the small outpost of civilization manned by the Scouts holds on bravely in America. But decades of aggressive political correctness have had their effect, and the Scouts have lost some of the confident American boyishness that loves heroes and makes for heroes. This is too bad for the more than 3 million boys enrolled in the Scouts today, and for the society in which they will grow up to become men.

The Original Handbook

The Boy Scouts were founded in Britain in 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell, a lieutenant-general in the British army who authored a series of military training manuals, including one for boys. Scouting was made American in 1910, and since 1911 the  Boy Scout Handbook  has accompanied every Scout as he ascends in rank, providing "advice in practical methods, as well as inspiring information." By the time he reaches Eagle Scout, a Scout's handbook is dog-eared and well worn, his achievements and camping trips logged in the back.

The first edition of the handbook is beautifully written and endless fun to read. It bursts with information, featuring chapters on Scoutcraft; Woodcraft; Campcraft; Tracks, Trailing, and Signaling; Health and Endurance; Chivalry; First Aid and Life Saving; Games and Athletic Standards; and Patriotism and Citizenship. Teaching through stories and examples, it is an invitation to challenge and adventure. Reading it makes you think it no accident that 11 of the 12 men who have walked on the moon were Scouts. "Do you love the woods?" asks Chief Scout Ernest Thompson Seton at the beginning of the handbook. "Do you desire the knowledge to help the wounded quickly, and to make yourself cool and self-reliant in an emergency?" In the chapter on Scoutcraft you learn that the pioneers and the military "scouts of old…left everything behind them, comfort and peace, in order to push forward into the wilderness beyond," and the Boy Scouts must do the same.

The early pages of the 1911 handbook explain that a Scout must learn "riding, swimming, tramping, trailing, photography, first aid, camping, [and] handicraft," and nearly two thirds of the manual is devoted to teaching these outdoor skills. There are diagrams showing 15 or 20 different knots; how to make a bow and arrow; Morse, Myer, and Semaphore code; the difference between dog, cat, and muskrat tracks; the proper method for paddling a canoe; the Pleiades; and the fireman's lift. The manual's chapter on First Aid and Life Saving covers all manner of crises, including the usual burns, scrapes, and scalds, but also snake bite, frost bite, runaway horses, and mad dogs: "The first thing to do is kill the mad dog at once…."

Being a Scout means camping, hiking, and paddling canoes, but Scouts must learn "Life-craft as well as Wood-craft," moral virtue and patriotism along with knowledge of the outdoors. In the original handbook, Scouts' honor is explicitly traced back to the chivalry of the ancient knights. The Pilgrims and the American pioneers carried this knightly virtue to America, and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have taken up their standard. Honor, as the handbook explains, is sacred to a Scout: It "will not permit of anything but the highest and the best and the manliest." "A good Scout must be chivalrous," it tells us:

[H]e should be as manly as the knights or pioneers of old. He should be unselfish. He should show courage. He must do his duty. He should show benevolence and thrift. He should be loyal to his country. He should be obedient to his parents, and show respect to those who are his superiors. He should be very courteous to women. One of his obligations is to do a good turn every day to some one.

The handbook doesn't shrink from invoking shame to motivate Scouts. For example, under Courage: "It is horrible to be a coward. It is weak to yield to fear and heroic to face danger without flinching." There are examples, like the dying Indian who "faced death with a grim smile upon his lips and sang his own death song" and the cowardly knight who fled the battle of Agincourt, much to the disappointment of his lady at home. The original handbook teaches through heroes, providing Scouts with a host of manly examples to emulate. Above all, it cultivates spiritedness, teaching Scouts to defend their honor, their friends, and their country like the great men of the past who "were accustomed to take chances with death" for the sake of the things they loved.

The original handbook assumes that one must know something about the United States to be a citizen of it. The chapter on Patriotism and Citizenship is long and impressive. Several pages detail the first singing of the Star-Spangled Banner, the meaning of the stars and stripes, and rules for flying, folding, and retiring the flag. Much of the chapter is a lesson in American history, covering the Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the gradual conquest of the frontier.

We learn about America's great moments through the heroes who lived them: George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Boone, Betsy Ross, Johnny Appleseed, and most of all, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is a hero among heroes, a central figure in the handbook's discussions of patriotism and of virtue. He is "in heart, brain, and character, not only one of our greatest Americans, but one of the world's greatest men." The manual relays the whole story of his life, from his lowly beginnings that taught him the value of hard work, to his education, and to his presidency and untimely death ("the emancipator of the slave, the friend of the whole people and the savior of our country died, a martyr to the cause of freedom.") This discussion ends with the closing paragraph of the Second Inaugural, "words with which every boy should be familiar, voicing as they do the exalted spirit of a great and good man."

After the history comes a lesson in American government, covering the role of the president, congress, and the courts; majority rule; the difference between local, state, and federal governments; and property rights. The civics lesson is mostly reliable, though written as it was at the height of American Progressivism, it shows some Progressive tendencies, for example in a brief discussion of trust-busting. But it is largely the manly and independent Progressivism of Teddy Roosevelt, an ardent supporter of the BSA and its first and only Chief Scout Citizen. Further along on the Progressive highway, the new handbook suffers from the influence of a cultural liberalism that goes much deeper and is not nearly so benign.

The New Handbook

The Boy Scouts of America have endured their share of criticism over the years, to be sure. Before the First World War, they were accused of being militaristic. More recently, they have been attacked for excluding girls, for insisting that belief in God (any god) is a requirement of citizenship, and especially for being anti-homosexual. This last indictment has taken the BSA all the way to the Supreme Court; in  Boy Scouts v. Dale  (2000), the Court upheld the right of the organization, as a voluntary association, to refuse to hire homosexual scoutmasters. Criticism on this theme has continued since the ruling, and seems to have gotten even nastier in the ensuing decade. The Boy Scouts today bear the scars of these attacks, and their latest handbook reveals that they have succumbed in some ways to these relentless demands for political correctness.

The new handbook retains the traditional focus on the outdoors, with much of the same information on how to camp, hike, fish, sail, and fend for oneself in the wilderness. But its discussions of these things have been pared down and lack the verve, punch, and adventurous spirit—the manliness—of the original handbook. Whereas the first edition imparts tough-minded common sense, the 12th edition brims with cautionary tales and safety checklists, emphasizing timidity rather than adventure. The front cover contains a pull-out manual for parents on How to Protect your Children from Child Abuse. It's as if the first thought our boys should have is that they are potential victims.

The old handbook takes a soldierly approach to health and nutrition that sounds amusing to our 21st-century ears ("a boy ought to take a good soap bath at least twice a week"; "the average boy ought to have and usually does have an appetite like an ostrich.") But one has to admit that its advice is generally sound. The new handbook, concerned and cautious, includes diagrams of the food pyramid and a lesson on how to read nutrition labels. Several pages of the nutrition chapter are devoted to the dangers of smoking and drinking, including page-long infographics on how to resist peer pressure and what will happen to your lungs if you smoke. The Introduction boasts that this is the first green edition of the handbook, printed on recycled paper.

Its discussions of character and of citizenship are very different, too. Character formation is still a top priority for the BSA, but the latest handbook has largely replaced the traditional language of virtue with the progressive language of leadership, and this is not an improvement. The chapter on Chivalry has been completely removed, and the chapter on Leadership, which is presumably meant to replace it, has little to say about moral virtue beyond the Scout Oath and Law. Instead, it presents the EDGE method of teaching (explain, demonstrate, guide, and enable), describes the difference between short term and long term goals, and lists tips for using the internet to become a leader in your community. These may be tools of leadership; but tools are useless or worse in the hands of the wrong people and, compared to the original, the new handbook does little to explain how not to be the wrong kind.

Boy Scouts are still taught to follow their consciences: do the right thing, even though it may be difficult, which is sensible advice as far as it goes. But it does not go far enough. The old handbook treated the subject as if the conscience needed to be formed before it could be followed. Scouts needed to be habituated to the virtues through study and practice, dutifully doing the right thing until it became second nature. This was a stern discipline. Many would not succeed at it; those who did could be proud.

Today, there is a different approach to leadership: "success begins with a vision—picturing yourself where you want to be." And because anyone can have a vision, anyone can be a leader. "You are a collection of wonderful talents, ideas, and experiences," the new handbook's Leadership chapter begins. "What do you want your future to look like tomorrow?"

The old handbook spoke proudly of the chivalric tradition; the new apologizes for the antiquated example of the knights. It sandwiches a few cursory paragraphs on moral virtue between a lengthy discussion of drugs and alcohol and a section on sexual responsibility. Moral choices are reduced to healthy choices. Doing the courageous thing becomes equivalent to refusing a cigarette at a party.

Instead of an exciting chapter on Patriotism and Citizenship, the handbook now offers a perfunctory discussion, re-titled just "Citizenship." In the new handbook Scouts are citizens of their country, but also of the world. There are the same detailed instructions for folding and flying the flag, but the accompanying history lesson has been shortened and stripped of its vividness. There are, by my count, four heroes in the book. They are the founders of Scouting: British founder Robert Baden Powell, the naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, outdoorsman Daniel Carter Beard, and James E. West, who led the BSA through its first 30 years. Each gets a sentence and a picture. American heroes, so numerous and colorful in the original handbook, are almost absent. Washington and Lincoln are each mentioned one time. Here is their sentence: "We remember the sacrifices and achievements of Americans with federal holidays, including observances of the birthdays of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

Private associations like the Boy Scouts are precious nurseries of civic virtue, all the more precious because our public institutions have become so incapable of bolstering our democracy and teaching our citizens to make the most of their freedom. The first American Boy Scouts imagined themselves as unofficial defenders of the nation and the good things in it. Like the army scouts, a Boy Scout belonged "on the danger line…or at the outposts, protecting those of his company who confide in his care." Now it is the Boy Scouts themselves who are in danger.

Robert Mazzuca, the Chief Scout Executive of the BSA, has been quoted as saying that the organization is suffering from "a little arthritis" but is making efforts to modernize. If this means using Gore-tex boots on hikes and ripstop nylon tents instead of canvas, the Boy Scouts may be all right. If it means teaching leadership rather than moral virtue, and timidity rather than manliness, that's another story entirely—one of obtuseness, trendiness, and decline.

Yet even today, all Boy Scouts swear the Scout Oath: "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight." The oath is in spirit and in substance essentially the same as the oath Scouts took a hundred years ago. In this and in many other ways today's Boy Scouts are as good as ever, and better than their handbook. But their handbook suggests what their leadership believes, and foreshadows what they may become.

Next in the fall 2011 Issue

The boitnott doctrine, redeeming higher education.

Scout’s Honor

After the bsa’s implosion, what comes next.

After 114 years, the Boy Scouts of America has officially changed its name to “Scouting America.” At a time when young men are receiving the overwhelming message that masculinity is toxic and patriarchy is evil, it’s sad that an organization which once stressed responsibility and preparedness is no longer a uniquely male space.

This change has been anticipated for quite a while, as the organization has been taking large steps to distance itself from its original boys-only brand rooted in the “muscular Christianity” of the Progressive Era. Perhaps the Boy Scouts, with its many sexual abuse scandals, does deserve to die and be replaced by more localized organizations seeking to solve the problems of our time rather than concede principles when under pressure.

Roger A. Krone, president and chief executive of the new Scouting America, said in a  statement that the name change is “a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.” Creating an organization that is more intentionally targeting and welcoming members who are specifically not boys is a goal the Boy Scouts has been incrementally moving toward for some time. 

Five years ago, the decision was made to allow girls to join Boy Scout troops. In retaliation for undercutting their market, the Girl Scouts launched a lawsuit claiming that the Boy Scouts damaged their recruitment efforts  by using words like “scouts” and “scouting.” Even though a judge rejected the lawsuit, the Girl Scouts sent a clear message that the youth organizations are no longer complementary —they are in competition . This spat mirrors the growing political divide between Gen Z men and women around the globe.

The Boy Scouts ended its longtime ban on openly gay Scouts in 2013 and its ban on gay troop leaders in 2015. Two years later, the organization  announced  that it would allow transgender boys in. This name change is the next logical step to signal that all barriers maintaining a space specifically for boys have fallen.

I’m sympathetic to girls who want to join Boy Scouts. I was a Girl Scout, and although going to Camp Little Cloud in Iowa during the summer was a wonderful, formative experience, the troop didn’t have much to offer during the school year outside of cookie sales.

However, the remedy for lackluster Girl Scout troops isn’t to eliminate activities specifically designated for boys and girls. Instead, the solution lies in enhancing and enriching these activities to better serve the kids participating in them.

Being a girl is uniquely good and special, just as being a boy is uniquely good and special. Creating more opportunities to celebrate the differences between boys and girls should be the task at hand rather than ignoring or papering over them.

This is possibly the worst time for a boy’s-only organization to dissolve considering that the  adult male suicide rate  is rising, boys are falling well behind on  test scores  compared to girls, and young men are attending college at lower rates than women. The ever-growing list of academic articles and books are shedding more light on the problems that boys and men are facing. Just to name a few:  The War Against Boys ,  The Boy Crisis ,  Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis , and  Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling , Why It Matters, and What to Do About It . People and book publishers are clearly noticing the need for improved boys’ education. 

New youth-focused organizations should rise up and fill the gap in young men’s education that the Boy Scouts has left. Fathers should take initiative to form new clubs through churches. Schools, especially private schools, could offer their facilities outside of school hours for meetings and carpentry projects.

We should all “Be prepared” to rise to the challenge of communicating to our sons, brothers, and grandsons that masculinity in its many expressions is good and worth cultivating.

The American Mind presents a range of perspectives. Views are writers’ own and do not necessarily represent those of The Claremont Institute.

The American Mind is a publication of the Claremont Institute, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to restoring the principles of the American Founding to their rightful, preeminent authority in our national life. Interested in supporting our work? Gifts to the Claremont Institute are tax-deductible.

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