With the new way things are done, LDS members who have provided their e-mail address to the Church already know that a new initiative for children and youth will be starting January 2020.
The Mormon newsroom announcement is available online, and there is a FAQ as well.
Seen properly, this is an effort to migrate the ministry for children and youth in the same world-wide egalitarian direction the ministry for adults was redirected in April. Adults can be expected to shift on a dime. But for youth and children and their leaders, shifting on a dime would be rather disruptive.
I would actually flip that … it’s harder for the adults to flip on a dime than it is for the kids….while most of the reaction I’ve seen to this and the drop of scouting has been positive, there are those that are vowing to continue on with scouts in their wards and stakes into 2020.
It will be interesting to see how this manifests as we get closer to 2020 and folks understand what the new initiative entails.
Seems to me that continuing with Scouting after Dec 2019 would be a bit like embracing the gospel of Jesus but continuing to sacrifice animals in the temple. An excess of effort that creates burden on resources without a commensurate benefit.
For what it’s worth, a sibling’s child who is genetically a female is acting to become a male, in part because the interests of this individual were not nurtured within the “boys do scouting, girls do sparkles” mentality where this individual grew up.
I’m chill with whatever direction we get from leadership. I don’t have anyone in my immediate circle who will be affected by this change until years after the transition. I’m sure my extended circle will inform me of how this impacts them in various portions of the globe.
I’ve been hoping for this for years, and I think the Church has been preparing for it for some time. So, I’m all for it.
What saddens me is that there’s an obvious knock that’s sure to come in from the anti grumps: misogyny. The accusation that the Church is bailing out of scouts because of Scouting’s “move into the future” is all too easy to make. It’s stupid, but it’s going to happen.
That said, I’m glad for it, and if anything I think it’s several years late.
I don’t know that many women have been chomping at the bit to camp in sub-zero weather. While I can imagine that there is some woman or girl who might be disappointed at not being able to do scouting within the context of a fully supported Church troop, I don’t think that’s a significant factor for a population that has already navigated the Ordain Women situation.
From the look of it, it’s really only a change for members in the US. Most of the worldwide membership has had youth operating without Scouts for many years, so it’s kind of amusing (and sometimes sad) to see both the for and against angst from American members in response to this.