Another successful coupling of Spanish and derisive street slang (which, of all groups, Mormons would be the least likely to appreciate much less understand).
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My troop met at a church and had our storage shed in the back of their lot where we kept the Troop’s tents and gear between sessions. The troop itself seems to have been around a while, so I think having something that can last past each change in leadership helps.
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I’ll add that Camp Fire (though much smaller than BSA) has been co-ed for over 40 years.
(Disclosure: My daughter’s in Camp Fire)
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As @LeprechnGangstr mentioned, each troop (or pack) has a sponsoring organization. When I was in Cub Scouts, it was the public elementary school. IIRC this became less and less common (probably disappearing altogether) when BSA wouldn’t budge on the religious requirement.
I was reading earlier today, Mormon youth account(ed) for something like 1/5th of the BSA’s members (as the boys are/were automatically granted BSA membership), but I recall reading that the United Methodist Church charters more troops/packs.
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I really hope they’re sponsoring a troop now. If i ever have kids i’m hitting them up.
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IIRC there was at one point an explicitly satanic scouting org. There are also several atheist or atheist friendly scouting groups.
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Couldn’t tell you the why, it’s been that way since the beginning. I suspect it was so the money could come from someone else and BSA wouldn’t have to raise the funds themselves for meeting space. As to who can charter, it has to be a religious, educational, or civic group, so it appears the charter organization has to be a non-profit, no businesses or political parties. BSA gets to decide who gets to hold a charter, so I suspect the Satanists would be out, and US law is in favor of letting them make that decision (Supreme Court ruling from 2000). That said, a look at Wiki indicates there are Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish affiliated troops.
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I think that, certainly in the UK, Scouts in churches, friends meeting houses and the like, might have to do with such places having available halls. The 96th Birmingham Scout Group that I was a member of had a purpose built hall, with space in the rafters to store canoes and everything 
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It works every time they come to my door, I’ll have you know…
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Thanks. In UK we paid our subs each week and met in the local school’s assembly hall one evening a week. No idea what the costs of running a pack/troop were or where the rest of the money came from (if needed) as anything else (trips, camps, etc.) were self-funded. I seem to recall we ran a jumble sale once a year to raise funds - oh, and I just remembered - of course there was always the famous “bob-a-job” week which raised quite a bit of dosh (do they still do that?)
Ah memories - bob-a-job week was probably one of the influences on my later lack of fear of having to do cold-calling. Though I never did get to use the special blade on my Swiss Army knife that was for getting old ladies out of horses’ hooves (or was it for helping stones across the road? It’s all a bit fuzzy now.)
(ETA @papasan I don’t suppose they are at your … nah, that would be too coincidental.)
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Suggestion for door buzzer sign: “YEA, VERILY, WOE TO UNINVITED SOLICITERS FOR THEY SHALL BE SMITTESH DOWN” (John Smith)
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Yes, the 12th Scout Law is “a scout is reverent” but they don’t make any specification beyond that (though as you suggest, presumably Satanism would be out).
I don’t remember (or I didn’t earn) any merit badge associated with religion – or, the merit badge wasn’t required. What I do remember (but also did not earn) are the religious emblems, which are earned like a merit badge but not otherwise required (although now I wonder if some troops, depending on the charter org., require them). In addition to various Christian denominations there are Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish awards. (Until now I didn’t know they had Baha’i, Sikh and Zoroastrian awards.)
Roger That!
Checked security cams. Nope.
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Reading that made me wonder if the Scientologists run a Scout group; Woggle Org.
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Yeah, in my experience as a Cub and Boy Scout, activities varied hugely depending on who the Leader was and where the facilities were. When we met at schools or park facilities, the focus was on crafts and practical skills as well as games and sports and just having fun. When our meeting space changed to a local church and the new leader was the youth minister, all of our activities were church-focused — being required to recite bible verses and the 10 Commandments from memory, wheee.
The thing I liked best about those years was getting Boy’s Life magazine and reading the comic adaptation of the Tripod books.
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" In 1939 Baden-Powell noted in his diary: “Lay up all day. Read Mein Kampf. A wonderful book, with good ideas on education, health, propaganda, organisation etc. – and ideals which Hitler does not practise himself.”
As far as I remember, Baden-Powell set up Scouting to turn whey faced slum boys in to rugged, healthy young men who could serve the Empire in many of her distant wars.
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Those were the best!
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