Dear Robert Mazzuca,

Congratulations on your new appointment as Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. I read on the BSA website that as you look at the future of scouting in the next millennium you believe that to be successful you cannot simply rest on the rich heritage and history of the Boy Scouts; which is why I propose you update the Boy Scout motto.

I understand your hesitation to modify the very motto that has been with the BSA since it was founded in 1910, but “Be Prepared” no longer reflects the character and reputation your organization passively condones. Therefore I submit you immediately adopt the following motto as your primary guiding ideal, “Be Prepared to Defend Yourself Against the Sexually Predatory Advances of Your Scoutmaster”.

Your initial reaction to this suggestion may be to give me a modified Scout Salute minus the index and ring fingers, but as you have probably been swamped in paperwork since taking office in September grant me the opportunity to help get you up to speed with some information about your organization that may change your mind.

Last week, for starters, yet another one of your Scoutmasters was arrested on felony charges of molesting and sexually abusing young males in the troops they led. This particular Scout Leader was in your affiliate Sea Scout Program and once actually sued the city of Berkley for successfully challenging your organization’s ban on homosexuals, atheists, and agnostics. I was not aware that the Boy Scouts or any of its affiliate programs offered an Irony Badge.

Moreover, were you aware Mr. Mazzuca that since 1991 a scout leader has been thrown out of the BSA for charges or accussations of child molestation at an alarming rate of one every two days? Before you tell me that your child abuse prevention program is the best in the country or that the entire first chapter of the Boy Scout handbook is dedicated to child abuse prevention I would like to remind you that in 2005 the man entrusted to run the child abuse protection program was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for trafficking in child pornography on the Internet.

Speaking of the internet, I’d like to go back to something attributed to you on the BSA website. You said, “We will continue to reach out to our millions of alumni and to rapidly growing and dynamic segments of our population. I believe that the BSA can guide today's diverse youth into adulthood through mentoring and individual attention. Scouting teaches values, leadership, and character that help shape a better future for every young person in our country.”

This statement must mean that you have decided to finally do away with some of the Boy Scout’s long-standing discriminatory policies like the one that requires a religious test for new members and the one that prohibits atheists, agnostics, girls and homosexuals from membership in your Scouting program. If that is what you meant, then I say it’s about time. On the other hand, if that is not what you meant then I also propose you add homogeneous to your Scout Law along with trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean what you think it does.

You espoused in your keynote speech that the BSA needs to “…take back the agenda and begin to define ourselves rather than let others define us.” I strongly urge you to adopt the motto I submitted as it will be the first step in accurately defining your organization.

Good luck in your new position as Chief Scout Executive Mr. Mazzuca

Best Regards,

A Former Boy Scout