(WBAP/KLIF) – The Mormon church announced that it’s severing all ties with the Boy Scouts of America by December 2019.
The Mormon church has long been the biggest sponsor of Boy Scout troops in the United States. Mormon boys represented about 19-percent of the 2.3-million scouts. The move comes amid the controversial decision by the scouts to open up membership to young girls. The church said the move is about creating its own youth program that it can use for its increasingly global membership.
A statement released from the church is below:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America have been
partners for more than 100 years. The Scouting program has benefited hundreds of thousands of
Latter-day Saint boys and young men, and BSA has also been greatly benefited in the process.
We jointly express our gratitude to the thousands of Scout leaders and volunteers who have
selflessly served over the years in Church-sponsored Scouting units, including local BSA districts
and councils.
In this century of shared experience, the Church has grown from a U.S.-centered institution to
a worldwide organization, with a majority of its membership living outside the United States.
That trend is accelerating. The Church has increasingly felt the need to create and implement
a uniform youth leadership and development program that serves its members globally. In so
doing, it will be necessary for the Church to discontinue its role as a chartered partner with BSA.
We have jointly determined that, effective on December 31, 2019, the Church will conclude its
relationship as a chartered organization with all Scouting programs around the world. Until that
date, to allow for an orderly transition, the intention of the Church is to remain a fully engaged
partner in Scouting for boys and young men ages 8–13 and encourages all youth, families, and
leaders to continue their active participation and financial support.
While the Church will no longer be a chartered partner of BSA or sponsor Scouting units after
December 31, 2019, it continues to support the goals and values reflected in the Scout Oath and
Scout Law and expresses its profound desire for Scouting’s continuing and growing success in
the years ahead.
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