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[H1] 30 years of thinking aboutwhat makes Scouting work.
"Scouting is unlike any other youth program;the basics take minutes to learn and a lifetime to master."— Clarke Green
about the author
[H2] Browse 1,700+ Blog Posts & Podcast Clips by Topic
Leadership & Youth Development
547 posts · 311 clips
›Why Youth-Led Scouting Works
The philosophical case for youth-led Scouting: what adultism is, the nature of Scout autonomy, and why adults need to step back.
33 posts · 28 clips
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Putting Youth in Charge
The practical mechanics of stepping back: how the PLC works, proximity effects, and trusting youth leadership in action.
62 posts · 30 clips
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Giving Scouts Authority
Actively giving Scouts real authority, inspiring initiative, and program ownership.
11 posts · 3 clips
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Developing & Training Youth Leaders
How to grow Scout leaders through coaching, training, and building confidence.
55 posts · 18 clips
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Youth Leader Roles
SPL, patrol leader, PLC roles, elections, and job descriptions.
16 posts · 7 clips
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Keeping Older Scouts Engaged
Retaining older Scouts, handling the transition to independence, and keeping 14–17 year olds active.
13 posts · 11 clips
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The Scouter & the Scout
The direct human relationship between Scouter and individual Scout: listening, serving, and encouraging.
107 posts · 6 clips
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Guiding Youth Leaders
Practical techniques for coaching Scouts in leadership roles without taking over.
0 posts · 15 clips
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Working through Problems
Specific difficult situations: Scouts wanting to quit, homesickness, and problem behavior.
10 posts · 4 clips
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The Scouter Role
What the Scoutmaster role means: its identity, mission, philosophy, and why we have Scoutmasters.
54 posts · 44 clips
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The Scouter in Practice
The day-to-day job: mistakes, longevity, troop running, and common challenges.
26 posts · 21 clips
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New & Transitioning Adult Leaders
Leaders starting out, taking over a troop, or new to the role.
13 posts · 19 clips
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Working with Adult Leaders
Building and managing the adult leadership team: the committee, assistant Scoutmasters, and district relationships.
15 posts · 19 clips
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Understanding the Patrol Method
What the patrol method is, its history, philosophy, and why it matters.
38 posts · 45 clips
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How Patrols Work
Day-to-day mechanics: patrol meetings, outings, and fixing patrol problems.
28 posts · 41 clips
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Defining Leadership
Leadership principles, models, and practice in a Scouting context.
20 posts · 0 clips
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What Scouting Does
What Scouting actually accomplishes in the lives of young people and why it works.
46 posts · 0 clips
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Scouting Program & Methods
159 posts · 115 clips
›Scout Advancement
The advancement program: how it works, what it's for, and how to apply it in a way that serves Scouts.
49 posts · 36 clips
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Merit Badges
Merit badges as tools for exploration and growth — and how not to turn them into hoops to jump through.
10 posts · 15 clips
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Eagle Scout
The Eagle Scout rank: what it means, how to support Scouts pursuing it, and how to avoid making it an obstacle.
20 posts · 18 clips
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Instructional Methods
How Scouts learn best: skill instruction, demonstrations, and the difference between showing and telling.
49 posts · 13 clips
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Scout Activities & Games
Games, activities, and program elements that make troop meetings and campouts engaging.
20 posts · 8 clips
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Patrol Planning & Operations
How patrols plan and run their own programs, meetings, and outings.
11 posts · 25 clips
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Downloadable Resources
Free printable guides, instruction sheets, and program materials from the ScoutmasterCG archive.
75 PDFs
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Outdoor Program
122 posts · 61 clips
›Camping
The practical and philosophical dimensions of getting Scouts outdoors and into the wild.
23 posts · 7 clips
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High Adventure & Canoe Trips
Extended expeditions, backcountry travel, canoe treks, and the adventures that define a Scout's career.
29 posts · 18 clips
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Risk Management & Safety
Keeping Scouts safe without eliminating the productive risk and challenge that makes Scouting valuable.
25 posts · 24 clips
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Outdoor Skills & Gear
The practical skills of camping, hiking, and wilderness travel, and the gear that supports them.
33 posts · 11 clips
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Nature & Environment
Developing in Scouts a love and respect for the natural world.
12 posts · 1 clips
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Scoutmaster Practice
127 posts · 174 clips
›Scoutmaster Conference
The Scoutmaster conference as a mentoring conversation — how to make it meaningful rather than a formality.
10 posts · 38 clips
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Troop Administration
The practical business of running a troop: records, meetings, committees, and staying organized.
36 posts · 71 clips
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Discipline & Behavior
Handling difficult behavior in Scouts and adults, setting standards, and maintaining a healthy troop culture.
24 posts · 27 clips
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Parent Relations
Working with Scout parents: setting expectations, handling interference, and turning parents into allies.
30 posts · 25 clips
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Volunteer Management & Burnout
Recruiting and retaining adult volunteers, managing your own energy, and avoiding burnout.
27 posts · 13 clips
›
Scouting Policy & History
179 posts · 76 clips
›Rules & Policy
Official BSA guidelines, advancement rules, safety policies, and how to apply them without losing sight of what Scouting is for.
18 posts · 31 clips
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Scouting History & Tradition
The history of the Scouting movement, its founders, traditions, and the ideas that have endured for over a century.
40 posts · 22 clips
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B.P. on Leadership & the Scouting Method
Baden-Powell on the patrol system, Scouter roles, training, and the game of Scouting.
71 posts · 16 clips
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B.P. on Character & Citizenship
Baden-Powell on ethics, faith, international brotherhood, and character.
19 posts · 1 clips
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Membership & Inclusion
Scouting's evolving membership policies, inclusion of girls and youth with disabilities, and the broader question of who Scouting is for.
27 posts · 5 clips
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Organizational Structure
How troops, districts, councils, and chartered organizations fit together.
4 posts · 1 clips
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Character & Values
150 posts · 32 clips
›Scout Law & Oath
The Scout Oath and Law as living ideals: what each point means and how it shapes Scout character.
42 posts · 15 clips
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What is Meant by Character
Defining character and the philosophical treatment of values.
18 posts · 0 clips
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How Scouting Builds Character
Scouting as a vehicle for character growth through the patrol method and outdoor experience.
31 posts · 5 clips
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Character & Values in Action
Specific virtues, Scout Law points, and examples of character in practice.
18 posts · 0 clips
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Citizenship & Patriotism
What it means to be a good citizen, the Scout's duty to country, and Scouting's relationship with civic life.
7 posts · 3 clips
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Spirituality & Religion
The place of faith, reverence, and spiritual development in Scouting.
14 posts · 2 clips
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Kindness Empathy & Inclusion
Building troops where every Scout belongs: addressing bullying, modeling kindness, and creating genuine inclusion.
20 posts · 7 clips
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Community & Context
77 posts · 40 clips
›Scout Parents
The unique challenge of being both a parent and a Scout leader for the same young person.
7 posts · 10 clips
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Fundraising & Finances
Troop finances, fundraising approaches, and keeping money in its proper place in Scouting.
8 posts · 3 clips
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Summer Camp
Getting the most out of Scout summer camp for the troop, individual Scouts, and adult leaders.
13 posts · 8 clips
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International Scouting
Scouting around the world and what the global movement has to teach American Scouters.
9 posts · 10 clips
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Personal Reflection
Clarke's personal reflections on Scouting, leadership, and thirty years as a Scoutmaster.
40 posts · 9 clips
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Reflections & Humor
13 posts · 396 clips
›Quotes and Brief Reflections
Short observations, quotations, and brief meditations on Scouting and leadership.
13 posts · 0 clips
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Opening Jokes
Clarke's opening jokes from the Scoutmaster podcast.
0 posts · 368 clips
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Brick Mason Episodes
Podcast segments featuring Clarke's friend and fellow Scouter, the Brick Mason.
0 posts · 7 clips
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This Has to Be the Truth
Listener stories from the Scoutmaster podcast.
0 posts · 21 clips
›

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Oldest firstClick the dot to mark played — turns red. Saved in this browser.372
Why no Scout 'deserves' Eagle — they earn it by completing requirements, and your job is to clear the way.Apr '18
✎371
How to introduce the patrol method to a Webelos den and why older scouts disengage from poorly run troopsFeb '17
✎370
How to understand, engage, and work effectively with older Scouts aged 14–17Feb '17
✎369
How to handle patrol structure, annual planning conferences, and older scouts who resist patrol assignmentsFeb '17
✎368
How to apply constructive discipline using the Scout Oath and Law instead of rules and punishmentsJan '17
✎367
How to develop youth leadership by balancing direction, shared responsibility, and letting scouts leadJan '17
✎366
Why advancement is a tool for character development, not a measure of skill mastery, drawing on Baden-Powell's original writings.Jan '17
✎365
Why the patrol method — not the patrol system — is the key stage for developing character in ScoutsJan '17
✎364
Why camping is the essential field of play for developing character in ScoutsJan '17
✎363
Understanding scouts as the essential volunteers whose energy drives character development in the scouting program.Dec '16
✎362
Using perspective, observation, dialogue, discovery, and responsive application as a Scouter's core toolsDec '16
✎361
Scouting explained as a game — patrol method, character development, and the basics of how scouting worksDec '16
✎360
Clarke's holiday greeting card to listeners, with a Scouting twist on a classic Christmas poem.Dec '16
✎359
Using the Scout Oath and Law instead of written rules as a more demanding and effective approach to troop disciplineNov '16
✎358
How to work with over-involved parents on merit badges and advancement without harming the scoutNov '16
✎357
Practical tips for staying warm and comfortable while winter camping, from gear to hot-tenting to sleep routinesNov '16
✎356
How to handle a collapsing troop, Eagle Scout conference disputes, and merit badge work done outside ScoutingNov '16
✎355
How to respond proportionately to scout misbehavior while upholding the Scout Oath and LawOct '16
✎354
Clarke's case for welcoming girls into the BSA, framed around one simple question about gender and opportunity.Oct '16
✎353
Two key concepts: experiential learning over academic methods, and a relentlessly positive attitude rooted in the Scout Oath and Law.Oct '16
✎352
How to use the Scout Oath and Law to guide youth through political and social unrest without promoting personal opinionsOct '16
✎351
How to handle scouts with poor attitudes toward requirements without judging scout spirit yourselfOct '16
✎350
How to handle transportation cancellations and chartered organization finances in your unitSep '16
✎349
Why leadership contracts are ineffective and how to handle scouts who don't want to campSep '16
✎348
How to navigate adult-led troops, committee authority, and working with Scout familiesSep '16
✎347
How to help new scouts develop teamwork and leadership by focusing on camping over structured instructionSep '16
✎346
Interview with Eagle Scouts Wade and Bucky on their Appalachian Trail thru-hike progress at mile 727.Aug '16
✎345
How to increase attendance at roundtables and courts of honor by offering excellent, brief, and rewarding content.Aug '16
✎344
How to transition a troop to youth-led model and use quarterly permission slips to ensure patrol critical massAug '16
✎343
How to correctly interpret the active requirement, First Class camping/cooking requirements, and the purpose of Scoutmaster conferencesAug '16
✎342
How to recruit new Scouts by inviting boys camping as guests rather than chasing WebelosAug '16
✎341
How asking questions instead of telling develops stronger youth leaders in ScoutsJul '16
✎340
Eagle Scouts Bucky Kellogg and Wade Bastion share their Appalachian Trail through-hike experienceJul '16
✎339
How to handle community service requests and what counts as a service project for rank advancementJul '16
✎338
Former Scouts Wade Bastion and Bucky Kellogg reflect on how Scouting prepared them for thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.Jul '16
✎337
How to balance scout responsibility and adult oversight when handling troop money and schedulingJun '16
✎336
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✎335
How to handle parents who won't follow gear lists, and supporting a struggling Venturing crewJun '16
✎334
How to handle Scoutmasters who add unauthorized Eagle Scout requirements and work with anxious new Scout parentsJun '16
✎333
How to run quarterly parent meetings with courts of honor, and advice for overwhelmed new ScoutmastersMay '16
✎332
How to encourage Scouts to fulfill positions of responsibility and set clear, shared expectationsMay '16
✎331
Why rules and contracts like the CyberChip are weak tools for building Scout character compared to the Scout Oath and LawMay '16
✎330
How to respond when a Scout's outside conduct raises questions about their leadership role in the troopMay '16
✎329
Baden Powell's original vision for merit badges versus today's merit badge industrial complexMay '16
✎328
Why responsibility is the horse that pulls the scouting program cart — not advancementApr '16
✎327
Whether troops can place Scouts on probation or block advancement based on age or maturityApr '16
✎326
How a Scout senior patrol leader can work respectfully with adults to strengthen the patrol methodApr '16
✎325
BSA policy on mock boards of review and tips for working with 18-20 year old assistant ScoutmastersApr '16
✎324
Why scouting remains relevant by balancing self-development with service to others through the patrol methodMar '16
✎323
The privilege, opportunity, and obligation of sharing Scout camp with young peopleMar '16
✎322
How to progressively engage youth in leadership through trust, training, and real responsibilityMar '16
✎321
How to recognize and create the transformative 'Brown Sea Island moment' for your ScoutsMar '16
✎320
Scouting compared to gardening, plus answers on BSA liability coverage and turning 18 as SPRFeb '16
✎319
How scout master conferences should be conducted — not as retests, per the Guide to AdvancementFeb '16
✎318
How to make troop meetings extraordinary, work with older scouts, and handle special challenges in your unitFeb '16
✎317
How the BSA's new Troop Leader Guidebook Volume 2 addresses patrol method, youth leadership, and long-term troop visionFeb '16
✎316
Why scouting belongs to scouts — leadership as discovery, not adult-directed instructionFeb '16
✎315
Three foundations of outdoor leadership: technical, interpersonal, and judgment skills for leading youth in the outdoors.Jan '16
✎314
How to handle sensitive troop situations: adult loss, scout behavior, social media, and difficult parentsJan '16
✎313
Walter Underwood and Clarke Green discuss the new BSA Troop Leader Guidebook and its practical value for ScoutmastersJan '16
✎312
Ten tips for scouters at summer camp, plus advice for helping scout parents prepare for drop-off week.Jan '16
✎311
How to re-engage older scouts, set patrol method expectations, and define qualifying scout campoutsDec '15
✎310
How to handle parent pressure around advancement and balance the roles of parent and Scoutmaster.Dec '15
✎309
What every scout parent needs to understand about the scouting process and letting scouts learn for themselvesDec '15
✎308
When and how to require a reluctant adolescent Scout to keep participating in ScoutingDec '15
✎307
Why trust and autonomy—not transferred experience—are the keys to letting Scouts lead themselvesNov '15
✎306
How to help the Patrol Leaders Council develop better planning skills by starting with 'Who are we?' not 'What do we do?'Nov '15
✎305
John Thurman's 1950 Patrol Leaders Handbook on what the patrol system truly requiresNov '15
✎304
How Baden-Powell's foundational patrol ideas still apply when adapted to modern Scouting realitiesNov '15
✎303
How to form new scout patrols by leveraging natural friendships rather than artificial adult-driven assignmentsNov '15
✎302
How to form new Scout patrols by leveraging natural friendships rather than adult-assigned groupingsOct '15
✎301
How examining your vision as a Scouter helps scouts shape and realize their own futureOct '15
✎300
Clarke's 10-year retrospective: what to stop, continue, and start at ScoutmasterCG.comOct '15
✎299
How patience and fortitude help Scoutmasters resist the impulse to react and let Scouts learn by doingOct '15
✎298
How to craft a meaningful first Scoutmaster's Minute, rank requirement changes, and the patrol method in VenturingSep '15
✎297
One-sentence Scouter mission: shape character by applying the patrol method, reducing all aims and methods to their essentials.Sep '15
✎296
How to support scouts from struggling families, rethink merit badge delivery, and select the right ScoutmasterSep '15
✎295
Why comparing scouts to each other misses the point of the Scout Oath's personal standardSep '15
✎294
How to influence positive change in your troop when you're not in a key leadership positionAug '15
✎293
How to handle repeated misbehavior by referring scouts to their families rather than punishing them.Aug '15
✎292
The core principle that answers every scouting question: focus on doing what scouts do and everything else follows.Aug '15
✎291
How to help an overscheduled, pressured Scout find a realistic path to Eagle and navigate OA adult nominationsAug '15
✎290
Answering listener questions on Eagle requirements, lost merit badge blue cards, and flag retirement ceremoniesAug '15
✎289
How to evaluate a Scout's active participation individually rather than by arbitrary attendance percentagesJul '15
✎288
Why individual progress in character matters more than objective measurements in ScoutingJul '15
✎287
How to assess a troop by talking to scouts, and scaling patrol structure for small troops of ten or fewer.Jul '15
✎286
Why positions of responsibility require mentoring and dialogue, not contracts or paperworkJul '15
✎285
How to focus on building Scout character instead of battling outside influences you can't controlJun '15
✎284
How to define the assistant Scoutmaster role and move your troop toward a fully functional patrol methodJun '15
✎283
How the 'granny method' and self-organized learning apply to Scouting's discovery processJun '15
✎282
How to engage youth leadership in the process of developing their own patrol and troop proceduresJun '15
✎281
Answering listener questions on parent-scout role conflicts, service hour eligibility, and organizing a small patrol-sized troopJun '15
✎280
Canoeing Ontario's wilderness parks, portage routes, and the joy of paddling with scoutsMay '15
✎279
Les Stroud on the survivor's mindset, preparation, and practical wilderness survival skillsMay '15
✎278
Mike Malone, author of '4%', explores the century-long history and meaning of the Eagle Scout AwardMay '15
✎277
Andrew Skurka on ultralight backpacking philosophy, gear selection, and guided learning tripsMay '15
✎276
How to facilitate a Scout-led troop — planning, caring leadership, and the patrol method in practiceApr '15
✎275
How the conflicting visions of Seton, Baden-Powell, and Beard shaped the founding decade of the BSAApr '15
✎274
How Scouts Ireland runs coed scouting with single-sex patrols and the ONE advancement programApr '15
✎273
Why the BSA's separate-unit structure creates a perpetual volunteer crisis in Cub Packs — and how the group concept used worldwide could fix itApr '15
✎272
How to view rowdy troop meetings, advancement mistakes, and scouts who 'eagle out' with the right perspectiveMar '15
✎271
How to apply patrol-scale principles when a troop grows too large, and how to empower new youth leadersMar '15
✎270
The true story of a Polish Scout who escaped Auschwitz using his Scout training and spiritMar '15
✎269
How to help parents prepare emotionally for sending their scout to summer campMar '15
✎268
BSA guidance on authorizing patrol leaders and youth to sign off rank advancement requirementsMar '15
✎267
How to interpret Scout requirements, handle troop changes, and avoid unnecessary policy manualsFeb '15
✎266
Green Bar Bill Hillcourt identifies page nine of the ninth Scout Handbook as the essential source code of ScoutingFeb '15
✎265
BSA policies on parents attending campouts and when youth protection training is requiredFeb '15
✎264
Using the 'source code' of Scouting to keep your program on track regardless of organizational changesFeb '15
✎263
Clarifying BSA policy on wilderness first aid requirements, uniforms, and Eagle Scout board of review datesJan '15
✎262
How to use the Patrol Leaders Council to resolve patrol size and membership questionsJan '15
✎261
How troops spiral into adult-led decline and how to apply the patrol method correctlyJan '15
✎260
Answers on permission slip frustration, homesickness prevention, and senior patrol leader patrol membershipJan '15
✎259
How to use Socratic questioning and guided discovery to engage Scouts as active learnersDec '14
✎258
How to empower Scout-led leadership and navigate taking over as a new Scoutmaster in an established troopDec '14
✎257
How the Scoutmaster should coordinate and direct assistant Scoutmasters to avoid conflicting guidance to youth leadersDec '14
✎256
Advice for a young new Scoutmaster, advancement modifications for scouts with disabilities, and running a year-round troop programDec '14
✎255
How to plan an accessible, affordable high adventure trip and adapt troop scheduling to modern Scout lifeDec '14
✎254
How to address merit badge counseling concerns and counsel a scout exhibiting bullying behaviorNov '14
✎253
How to set individualized expectations and coach Scouts in positions of responsibility toward successNov '14
✎252
How to handle foul language, cell phone policies, BSA liability coverage, and merit badge worksheet issuesNov '14
✎251
Make the most of being a ScouterNov '14
✎250
Why every Scout who completes the requirements deserves Eagle, and begins a lifelong journey of becoming oneOct '14
✎249
How to let Scouts discover answers for themselves and embrace a scout-led troop with confidenceOct '14
✎248
A scouting parody of 'The Night Before Christmas' as a holiday thank-you to listenersOct '14
✎247
How to establish a yell-free zone and use voluntary obedience instead of authoritarian disciplineOct '14
✎246
Answering listener emails on merit badge classes, patrol cooking, scouting urban legends, and troop election chicanerySep '14
✎245
How to handle Eagle paperwork, patrol formation, Scout discipline, and adult-led troop problemsSep '14
✎244
How to talk with Scouts, listen with humility, and train youth leaders without taking over the programSep '14
✎243
Why scouts make decisions within the context of the Scout Oath and Law, not unfettered boy-led freedomSep '14
✎242
How to handle SPL elections, merit badge work at meetings, and scout conflict using the Scout Oath and LawSep '14
✎241
How to handle scout master conferences, boards of rev

by Clarke Green · February 25, 2026Almost all of my writing and speaking here focuses on the idea that Scouting works when the Scouts are in charge and adults know when to get out of the way. I said this in a hundred different ways over fifteen years, and every troop I’ve ever known has struggled with it, including mine.The patrol method is the engine of all of this. Not as a slogan or a box to check, but as a living thing — patrols that plan their own campouts, patrol leaders who lead by example rather than authority, Scouts who make real decisions with real consequences. The Patrol Leader’s Real Power and Authority gets at what that actually means in practice. So does the A New Scoutmaster series, a twelve-chapter work of fiction I based on the real stories readers and listeners shared with me over the years — a new Scoutmaster named Chuck Grant, trying to restore the patrol method in a troop that has forgotten how. This series became my book So Far, So Good.There’s also a lot here about what volunteering actually costs. Hitting the Wall is about the moment every dedicated Scouter eventually reaches — when communication breaks down, nothing works, and the get-up-and-go gets up and leaves. How Scouters Deal with Disappointment treats the inner life of a Scout leader as something worth taking seriously.I shared the writings of notable Scouters — Baden-Powell, John Thurman, Ernest Thompson Seton — and returned to them constantly. The long-running B.P.’s Blog series was my attempt to keep Baden-Powell’s original thinking in circulation, because much of it is more useful than anything written since. His writing on the patrol system holds up better than most of what’s been written since.Along the way I was joined by some generous collaborators — Walter Underwood, Larry Geiger, and Enoch Heise among them.You’ll also find practical writing on outdoor skills, gear, Eagle Scout and advancement, working with parents, troop administration, and the broader question of what Scouting is actually for. Some of it I’d write differently now. Some of it I stand behind completely.My greatest satisfaction as a Scoutmaster was figuring out why Scouting works when it works, and why it doesn’t when it doesn’t, and watching a troop full of boys sort themselves out when adults got out of the way. That never got old.The archive covers 2005 to 2019. When I retired from actively serving as a Scoutmaster I decided I had said and written everything I had to say on the subject.A number of kind folks have contacted me over the ensuing years wondering about my health and the site content. My health is fine at this writing (spring of 2025) and this archive answers the second question.One of the best things about the blog was interacting with readers and listeners. I want to thank everyone who participated in discussions, contributed to my work, and supported Scoutmastercg.com.I’ve said everything I intend to say on the subject — roughly a thousand times, as it turns out, and it’s all here. Please don’t write asking for more; there isn’t any. Step away from this screen and go outside with some Scouts. That’s my best advice, and it’s free.Clarke's current writing is available at cagksq.com.Clarke Green became a Scoutmaster in 1984 at the age of 24 and continued in that position for the next thirty years. During that time somewhere north of 120 of his Scouts earned the rank of Eagle.In 2005 he started a blog as a place to think through what he was learning and share it with other volunteers. He added a podcast, and by the time he stopped blogging and podcasting in 2019 there were nearly a thousand posts and 300+ episodes.Clarke was never an official of the BSA or any other Scouting organization. Everything here represents one Scoutmaster’s experience and should be confirmed against current official guidance.He also staffed his council’s summer camp for twelve years, including two seasons as camp director, and is the author of three books: Thoughts on Scouting, The Scouting Journey, and So Far, So Good.Recognition: Silver Beaver · District Award of Merit · Scoutmaster Award of Merit · Boy Scout Leader’s Training Award · Vigil Honor, Order of the ArrowMy retirement coincided with significant changes in the BSA’s membership policies, and some may conclude I left in protest. The opposite is true.I had advocated for the admission of LGBTQ members and leaders — in posts like Jay’s Story, Confessions of a Straight as an Order of the Arrow Boy Scout, and BSA ends the ban on gay leaders — for many years before those changes came.The same goes for girls in the BSA; Girls in the BSA? and BSA Separate But Equal Plan for Girls make my position plain.While I’m on the subject: there is one change I have long advocated still to be made. The BSA continues to exclude non-believers, which I have never been able to reconcile with Scouting’s stated universality. A Scout’s Duty to God, Freedom of and from Religion, and Access and Discrimination explain why.