An Open Response to Boy Scouts’ Chief Michael Surbaugh

Nisha Mathur
Jul 28, 2017 · 4 min read

Dear Mr. Surbaugh,

I’d like to first and foremost thank you for your response to the partisan speech given by President Donald Trump at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree. It’s the duty of leaders to respond to the public when any situation puts an organization’s audience at odds, and these days the internet doesn’t allow leaders to get off easy. Thank you for coming forward.

When the Boy Scouts of America released their statement Monday night after the President’s Jamboree speech, I was taken aback by the generic messaging simply reaffirming the Boy Scouts non-partisanship views on politics. As an engaged citizen, I try to remain as rational as possible in an irrational world, so I concluded that the Boy Scouts’ statement was simply a PR move that didn’t want to rock the boat any further. It was a short statement, and not all statements must allude to every injustice, immorality, or division. Just because the Boy Scouts released a statement doesn’t give people the right to assume underlying meaning. However, the Boy Scouts of America live with integrity, morality, and truth. This isn’t an airline, bank, or fast food company. The Boy Scouts of America, by definition, must take a stand on the rhetoric that goes against the values that the organization was founded upon.

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Since Monday, we’ve seen BSA alumni, private citizens, and scout stakeholders come forward voicing their outrage for the President’s carelessness to speak to the Jamboree like he did. The Boy Scouts of America stand for the Oath, Law, and Mission of the organization, and the nation watched as its integrity was botched by a tyrannical speech of division, ridicule, and egotism.

Therefore, when I saw you released a public letter to apologize, I felt encouraged that the outrage of citizens had served a powerful purpose, and their echoes of disappointment made it to the top. However, I was weary to read it because it’s no secret that the President’s ruthlessness can change the identity of those who work with him. A president that puts the self, loyalty, and image before all else is intimidating and can hollow out the parts inside of us that stand up for justice. The President leads by emotion and demands that you follow. If you cross him, there’s no telling what he will do to you and for how long it will be done. You let him gain control of your organization.

This is why I write to you. Someone commented on your letter and said it best, “It was a non-apology apology.” I see your letter as complementary to the previous Boy Scouts’ statement release, and therefore I must challenge you and ask why would you restate the ambivalence of a highly regarded and just organization? The values you live by are the greatest ideals to live by in a world plagued by apathy. Richard Stevenson claims that there was awareness that the speech could be controversial, which implies this was a test and the Boy Scouts leadership failed it. When faced with adversity, wouldn’t Boy Scouts be first in line to defend their communities? I believe tradition is one of the greatest forms of connecting generations, and therefore I am sympathetic that you still offered Trump the chance to speak. Yet, the President has broken many traditions since moving into Office, so tradition can’t be his prerogative. And as the Boy Scouts of America, wouldn’t it make sense to break tradition for a leader that does not uphold the mission and values of the Boy Scouts? You say it “was not your intent” to invoke this controversy, but it concerns me that such a vital and prominent organization that knew what could happen did nothing to stop it. It’s in these times of difficulty, of confusion and concern, that we must choose between what we know and what is right. I do not understand why the President was given this opportunity to be at the podium for 35 minutes to speak division and ridicule to our country. The President said “The Boy Scouts put America first.” However, Boy Scouts from over 50 countries attended the Jamboree, and aren’t their values based on putting others first? It’s much more than politics that you remain separate from, it’s also the values that this particular president put on the Boy Scouts which no one has come forth to condemn.

If we should hope that the Boy Scouts of America do good for the world and their communities, then it’s important that they are taught that making the right decision isn’t always easy. As these young individuals build character and mold into steadfast contributors to society, it’s up to the leaders of the Boy Scouts to be good examples of how to approach tradition when the President has no regard for tradition or what he speaks behind a podium.

I encourage you to reconsider your letter and condemn the speech given by President Trump at this week’s Jamboree. Now more than ever, we need leaders willing to not only stand up for what’s right, but to hold the President accountable when very few in the public eye have the strength to do so, and most importantly, to be an example for the Boy Scouts, the United States, and the world.

Thank you.

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