Dr. Taylor Marshall's Plan for Boy Scouts

Ah, yes, this whole Boy Scout issue…

As I pondered the (not unexpected) news the other day that the Boys Scouts would not deny membership to openly homosexual-oriented boys, I said to my husband that this country needs some real men to start standing up for…well…manhood. Otherwise, there will soon be no real men left.

That would be a shame.

Dr. Taylor Marshall

Dr. Taylor Marshall has a constructive response to this situation, and he’s moving fast. He proposes a new group, to be called “Catholic Scouts of St. George”, and he outlines his ideas for such a group here and here; here’s an excerpt:

We are going to make Catholic Scouts happen: the Scouts of Saint George.

Here's the mini-manifesto in 7 points:

1. The Scouts of Saint George must be Catholic and acknowledge every jot and tittle of the magisterium of the Church - and be in full communion with the Holy Father.

2. A personal relationship with Christ and the growth in manly virtue will be at the heart of the Scouts of Saint George.

3. The Scouts of Saint George will be like the Boy Scouts of America with hiking, fishing, camping, merit badges, and a highest rank (equivalent somehow to Eagle Scout). Same format and structure. The Scouts of Saint George won't reinvent the wheel. Traditional scouting works. Why change it? We're just going to preserve the tradition and import a Catholic identity.

4. The Scouts of Saint George must have protection from government interference, which means it must be grassroots. Otherwise, we are under government regulation and pressure in the years to come. We must avoid influence from lobbyists and governmental powers to compromise (as has happened with the BSA).

5. The Scouts of Saint George will be free and open-source. Like the original Baden-Powell, all you'll need is the book, uniform, and badges. That's it. The rest is grassroots. Fathers and sons organize and simply register or seek recognition from the other Scouts of Saint George.

6. The Scouts of Saint George is global. My goal is to get Pope Francis to approve it and recognize it.

7. Why Saint George? I have a devotion to him and he's the exemplar for young men in the categories of courage and virginity? We need young men to slay the dragons of our era. Wouldn't you agree?

In his follow-up post on the same topic, Dr. Marshall says the following:

The short of it is that we plan to initiate the Scouts of Saint George for young men who love virtue and the outdoors. This is not a club. This a group for scouting. Backpacking, fishing, dutch oven cooking, repelling, sailing, etc. It's based on camping and roughing it.

Best of all, the Scouts of Saint George may be able to have:

1. Holy Mass on camp outs,
2. group Rosaries around the campfires,
3. pilgrimages to shrines or holy places in Europe,
4. Catholic chaplains,
5. magisterial authority,
6. male Catholic leadership,
7. all within the tradition of what it means to be a virtuous outdoorsman.

The response to the 'Scouts of Saint George' has been immense!

• 65 CATHOLIC EAGLE SCOUTS have joined the team to get the Scouts of Saint George started. A core group of 65 Eagle Scouts (and that number is growing) is a powerful asset.
• Over 500 people have signed up and volunteered to get the Saint George Scouts off the ground.
• There have been hundreds of comments and emails flashing around.
• 2000 "Likes" on Facebook.
• We have also had lawyers, graphic artists, and current Scout Leaders volunteer their time.

This all happened in less than 24 hours.

Here is what will happen next. Can you help us in any of these ways:

1. We prayerfully need Pope Francis to recognize the Scouts of Saint George movement in some way. It struck me that Pope Francis' baptismal name is "George" - Jorge Mario Bergoglio! If anyone can open a door, please help. Pope Francis has a love for young people and the Church needs a global movement for young people. I think that he would give it his blessing. If someone could just get him to read the initial Manifesto post!
2. Our goal is to have 100 Troops erected by September 1. Initially, a troop will consist of 2 to 100 boys with a father as a Senior Guide (sorry the word "Scoutmaster" is restricted by the BSA). Would you like to start a troop? Pray about it and let me know.
3. We need a uniform design. It has to be functional and cool looking. Traditional but practical.
4. We need insignia/badges design (this is where graphic artists come in).
5. We need a system of badges and ranking. The terms "Life" "Star" and "Eagle" are restricted by the BSA. The team of Eagle Scouts will create the ranking system. Currently, I like the idea of "Pontifical Scout" or "Papal Scout" as our highest honor - equivalent to Eagle Scout.
6. We need a Handbook. I'll work on this book with the other Eagle Scouts.
7. We need lawyers because the BSA is very protective of "scouting terminology." We need counsel.
8. We need moms and dads talking this up with other parents and scouts. Spread the word. This is not limited to the USA. This could happen on every continent.
9. We need promotion on radio and the internet.

Can you help in any of these ways? If so, please sign up:

Go to Dr. Marshall’s post to “enlist” as someone who wants to help make this new scouting endeavor take hold – you just sign up with your email and he’ll keep you informed.

Finally, Dr. Marshall concludes with this thought:

After reading this you make think an endeavor of this magnitude is crazy. I don't. It could happen. This is an opportunity for Catholic fathers especially. We all know that our culture is feminizing what it means to be a man. The Church needs something cultivate young men in virtue. Young men need the outdoors. It's integral. This could be a great moment for Catholic fathers!

WARNING: After several months go by, the shocked reaction of parents to the BSA decision to tolerate homosexuality will die out. People will forget it and move on. The momentum will be lost. People will return to apathy. This is why it is important that we act now. I hope you agree.

Again, if you are willing to help in any way, even if by praying, please sign up by clicking here.