The state of Scouting in Utah

Deep in grizzly country just outside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, more than 160 boys and girls seated on planed logs overlooking the rippling Lake of the Woods sang campfire songs as flames danced in the falling darkness.

A spark of lightning broke through the starless sky, followed by a crack of thunder and a rush of wind.

Moments later, the heavens opened.

The downpour started to extinguish the fire but didnt dampen the spirits of those gathered in the Wyoming woods at a storied outpost known as Camp Loll in late July.

The singing continued: On my honor, Ill do my best, to do my duty to God.

On my honor, Ill do my best, to serve my country as I may.

On my honor, Ill do my best, to do a good turn each day, to keep my body strengthened, to keep my mind awakened, to follow paths of righteousness.

On my honor, Ill do my best.

Like those Scouts in the rain-soaked pines, Boy Scouts of America rebranded just this year as Scouting America weathered a major storm that saw enrollment plummet when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ended its 105-year affiliation with the organization after 2019.

Overnight, 400,000 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, including nearly 190,000 in Utah, were without packs and troops.

That same year, the organization had another monumental shift, allowing girls age 11-17 to join and changing its name from Boy Scouts to Scouts BSA.

In addition to Scouts BSA, Scouting America includes Cub Scouts, Venturing/Sea Scouts and Exploring.

Girls could join Cub Scouts starting in 2018 .

While boys and girls Scout troops are generally separate, the organization launched a pilot program last year allowing coed troops.

Several in Utah are participating.

It isnt unusual for adult leaders out and about in their Scout uniforms to have someone ask, Scoutings still a thing? One scoutmaster, Merinda Reeder, had a person comment on how authentic her costume looked.

It was October.

Allen Endicott, Scout executive for the Ogden-based Crossroads of the West Council, gets that question several times a week.

I think thats a misunderstanding in our area because of the change with the largest faith-based organization in the community.

Scouting, he said, is doing just fine in Utah.

For anyone who thought otherwise, the dissolution did not mark the end of Scouting in Utah, the state that consistently produced the most Eagle Scouts.

It has survived, maybe even thrived in new ways, amid transformational change.

While some in the Beehive State silently, maybe even openly, cheered what one Scouter called the great divorce, others went to work to help Scouting regain its footing.

So, what is the state of Scouting in Utah? To answer that question, Deseret News talked to dozens of Scouts, Scout leaders and parents, attended troop meetings and spent a couple of days at Scout camp.

What happened after the church and Scouting parted ways? The numbers tell a story, but not the whole story.

Prior to 2019, Latter-day Saint boys at age 12 were automatically enrolled in Scouting, which served as the churchs program to help strengthen young men through age 17.

Troops in Utah consisted of boys living in the same neighborhood who attended the same church congregation, called a ward.

Some boys embraced Scouting, some were lukewarm and others didnt participate, but all were on the membership rolls at the churchs expense.

Adult men were called by their ward bishops to serve as scoutmasters and assistant scoutmasters.

Some had interest and experience in Scouting, some did not.

When the Church of Jesus Christ ended its formal partnership with Scouting, there were 186,287 youth registered across three councils covering Utah, southern Idaho and western Wyoming.

Those councils merged in 2020 to form the Crossroads of the West Council with enrollment totaling 6,898 boys and girls.

In 2024, the council reported 6,107 youth in its programs, including 2,393 Cub Scouts and 3,200 Scouts BSA.

It marked a 3.35% increase over the previous year and the highest total since 2020.

Of that total, about 20% are girls, and their numbers have risen each of the past four years, while the number of boys has declined.

In 2019, Utah produced 9,723 Eagle Scouts 4,000 more than the year before as Latter-day Saint boys no doubt rushed to tie that final knot before the church and BSA separated.

Those numbers, too, have dropped dramatically from the thousands each year to the hundreds.

Last year, 334 boys and 34 girls earned Eagle Scout awards.

And like membership overall, the number of boys reaching the highest rank is dropping, while its on the rise for girls.

Nationally in 2019, Scouting America reported nearly 2.1 million participants, including nearly 1.2 million Cub Scouts and 798,516 Scouts BSA.

Today, that number is around 1 million in all of its programs.

What the numbers dont say Numbers arent everything.

They dont account for what the emblem stitched on the Life Scout patch represents: heart.

The red heart on the badge one rank below Eagle symbolizes that the ideals of Scouting have become part of a Scouts life and character.

Scouting still has heart.

To a person, everyone interviewed for this story noted the biggest difference between the program now and five years ago is that boys and girls want to be there, as do their leaders.

Theyre fully invested.

Individual troops in Utah are larger and in some cases, stronger now.

They have become more religiously, ethnically, culturally, geographically and gender diverse.

Its been really inspiring as a microcosm of our society, said Bonnie Marsh, scoutmaster for a Draper-based Troop 3444.

Instead of one church sponsoring thousands of troops, other organizations stepped in such as service clubs, various faith denominations, businesses, foundations, nonprofits and parents.

Troops have fewer constraints.

Scouts can travel farther for summer camp.

The emphasis isnt only on rank advancement but on individuals getting what they want from the program.

The sponsors often provide a place to meet but no money, so fundraising is a constant, whether its selling popcorn and beef jerky or holding a spaghetti dinner.

Scouts has changed a lot and not at all at the same time, said 21-year-old college student Thatcher Eames, an Eagle Scout who has spent two-thirds of his life in the program, including seven years working on the Camp Loll staff paid and volunteer.

Scouts have evolved.

Weve changed kind of our rules and our culture as the rules and culture of our society have changed.

Eames, who grew up in Ogden, called the inclusion of girls a drastic change but in the end it felt natural.

It felt like what should have happened all along.

Now, I dont even think twice about all of the changes that weve gone through.

Every moment it feels like the right place where were supposed to be.

Kids today join Scouts for all sorts of reasons: to make new friends, learn life skills, serve the community, achieve goals, enjoy nature and the outdoors and to have experiences they cant get in other settings.

Theyre trading video game controllers for canoe paddles.

I like video games, too, said 16-year-old Stephen Kennedy, the senior patrol leader in Troop 1444 in Draper.

But in Scouting you get to actually do stuff instead of just pretending to do stuff.

A difficult end Longtime Scout leader Michael Nebeker was more than disappointed when the church withdrew from Scouting and still harbors some hard feelings, though he said at some point youve got to forgive people.

Nebeker started a troop for Karen and Karenni refugees from Myanmar in 2008 and has been involved ever since.

Even though it wasnt affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ, the troop dissolved.

I come at this with great passion for providing activities, he said, adding Scouting also is devoted to respect for nature and caring for the planet.

And I love the diversity of these kids and the diversity of religions.

Nebeker now leads Muslim troops chartered by the Khadeeja Islamic Center in West Valley City.

The boys and girls come from countries in Africa, the Middle East and other regions.

Some of their Scout leaders are, like him, Latter-day Saints.

A lot of people said, Oh, thank goodness were done with Scouts and all that work.

What are we here for? You think this is easy for us? Were exhausted.

And why do we do it? Because were called to do it, he said, eating a hamburger his Scouts cooked using halal beef as required by Islamic dietary laws.

Nobody called me on the phone and said will you do this.

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This calling came from God.

Unmistakable.

Aaron Torres was disappointed when the church and Scouting parted ways.

The program in his Sugar House ward was active and vibrant, producing 10 Eagle Scouts in the final month before the separation.

His son and oldest daughter have achieved the rank and his younger daughter is on her way.

The reason I was not too happy about it is because I think the kids needed it.

About half the kids were there because they were forced to be there, even though I think they all got something out of it.

There was another half that wanted to be there.

But as a whole, all of them benefitted from it, said Torres, who served a couple of stints as a scoutmaster.

Still, he said the program is better in some ways because its less restrictive and more open to troops operating how they see best.

And its all volunteer, he said, not voluntold, including the kids.

In a May 2018 statement announcing the end to its partnership with Scouting, the church said the program benefited hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saint boys and young men.

The statement said the church continues to support the goals and values reflected in the Scout Oath and Scout Law and expresses its profound desire for Scoutings continuing and growing success in the years ahead.

Endicott said the church does a lot of good for the community and for Scouting.

I want the LDS church to be successful.

I want Scouting to be successful, he said.

I have grandkids who benefit from all these things.

Theres no animosity, not in our council, not in our organization.

We appreciate the good that goes on.

Many Latter-day Saint youth groups now go to former Scout camps that were converted to youth camps after the number of Scouts diminished.

The activities are largely the same as at Scout camps.

In all, about 31,000 young people from various organizations, including Scouts, participated in a camp this summer, Endicott said.

Duty to God The essence of Scouting has not changed.

Its mission to help young people make ethical and moral decisions over their lifetimes is still at the core.

On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

Duty to God remains a cornerstone.

While the organization is nonsectarian, it encourages Scouts to explore their faith and fulfill their religious obligations in their chosen tradition.

David Craner, a Scout leader in Lehi, said that hasnt changed in the 27 years he has been part of Scouting.

The goal, he said, is not becoming an Eagle but to focus on a duty to others and to God, regardless of the religion a Scout belongs to.

He said theres always an opportunity to encourage them to look at the sky, to hear God or the Holy Ghost or the Great Spirit.

The Bountiful Community Church founded Troop 220 in Bountiful in 1954.

Its currently made up of 45 boys of various faiths.

They say grace over meals on campouts and hold a devotional or Scouts Own on Sunday mornings as they break camp.

Its a short, informal gathering for reflection and spiritual development.

Its not a preaching opportunity.

Its a sharing opportunity, said Brett Sutherland, one of the troops adult leaders.

Anthony Gomez, 18, who earned his Eagle award in January, said faith has played a role in his time in the troop.

Its helped me become closer to God, he said.

Its really just helped have a greater appreciation for the world.

He recalled a camp where he spoke at the Scouts Own after his troop had restored a campsite for terminally ill people.

It really helped put into perspective how fortunate I and the rest of the troop are, Gomez said.

Endicott said prayers are common at all types of Scout gatherings and a routine part of his councils executive board meetings.

" I think its really a great blessing to be able to be involved with an organization that no matter what faith background you have, we have a commonality that we reverence a supreme being," he said.

Im grateful for that opportunity.

Here a troop, there a troop On any given week night in Utah theres a Scout meeting somewhere.

On any given weekend theres a campout, winter, spring, summer or fall.

The girls in a Springville-based Troop 712 all in full uniform, save one pink skirt gathered on a recent Monday evening in a hip meeting room at Wavtronix, a radar traffic detection company in Springville that sponsors the unit.

A security guard ambled through the high-tech machinery as the girls prayed, saluted the flag and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath and Scout Law standard procedure for a troop meeting.

Then they got down to business.

Crowded around a table, the eight girls debated what merit badges to pursue over the next few months.

Pottery? Reptile and Amphibian? (Each could take the frogs for a weekend.) Cooking? Welding? Horsemanship? Reeder, their scoutmaster, mostly lets the girls manage themselves, giving guidance here and there.

Were open to all adventures.

I try really hard not to say no when they want to do something.

Instead, we try and figure out how to get from where we are to where we need to be, whether its raising money, whether its learning skills, whatever it is to get where their dreams and goals lie, she told me.

Next year, the troop is going to Sea Base in the Florida Keys for summer camp.

In a large room at the Bountiful Elks Lodge, Troop 220 spent an evening going over first aid in preparation for an event called Bike the Bear, a 50-mile bike ride around Bear Lake on the Utah-Idaho border.

The 30 boys broke into patrols smaller groups that work as a team to take instruction, not from the adults in the room, but from the more senior boys.

On another recent evening 40 Scouts 30 boys in Troop 1444 and 10 girls in Troop 3444 streamed into the parking lot of the Corner Canyon Church in Draper that teaches that the Bible is the ultimate authority and guide, not any particular denomination or creed.

They checked their camping gear and loaded it into a trailer for their weeklong adventure in Idaho.

The troop isnt coed but the boys and girls do activities together, including camping.

Anders Marr, 13, whose military family recently moved to Utah from Germany, admitted to a bit of a love-hate relationship with camping.

Its fun being with friends, he said, but it can be cold sleeping in a tent.

He tries to get to sleep as fast as he can.

After Kaelyn Armijos family moved to Utah from Florida, the 15-year-old and her sister joined Scouts to make friends, and she said, Its definitely worked out.

Shes also learning to enjoy camping.

I thought, Oh bugs, gross, dirt, camp showers, but its really not that bad.

You have so much fun that you dont even worry about getting dirty or about bugs," she said.

And she doesnt believe girls and boys are much different in that regard, but I think girls are more taught to care about that kind of thing.

Craner said he doesnt see much difference between boys and girls when it comes to camping, other than girls sing better around the campfire.

Troop 1111 in Riverdale decided to combine boys and girls last year under Scouting Americas pilot program.

They spent a week together at Camp Loll.

Jenna Hall is the senior patrol leader, elected by her peers.

I like having one troop.

We always did everything together anyway, the 15-year-old said.

She conceded boys can be annoying but annoying in a good way.

For his part, Miles Callantine, 14, a patrol leader in the troop, said girls can sometimes be annoying.

But he described coed as pretty cool.

It brings everyone together as one big troop.

He regularly receives an email from Scouting America to provide feedback on how its going.

The girls take part When she was 7, Kestle Eames watched her older brother, Thatcher, head off to Scout camp with their dad.

I would get so jealous, she said.

And when they returned, It was magical.

They had all these cool stories.

When Scouting opened up for girls, she immediately joined.

Now 17, shes close to becoming an Eagle Scout.

For her, Scouting is all about respecting different cultures and people.

She has made friends and connections with those she wouldnt necessarily reach out to at school.

Here, were all Scouts, she said.

Theyre all working to become better versions of themselves, she said, and live the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Eames said she also has learned respect for nature and wildlife.

It doesnt matter if youre in the woods or on the beach, you pick up the litter, even if its not yours.

Liz Reeder remembers being told she could never become an Eagle Scout because shes a girl.

She watched the Scouts in her ward not really take advantage of what the organization has to offer.

It was really frustrating to me seeing boys show up not in uniform and it felt like all they did was basketball.

They werent getting the same experiences that I feel like Scouts currently in the units are getting, she said.

When girls were allowed to join, she was one of the first and was a founding member of her troop.

I was so excited, she said.

She finally achieved that Eagle award at 18 and, now at 19, serves as assistant scoutmaster alongside her mother.

Girls have flourished in Scouting.

Troop members in Spanish Fork sport neon green T-shirts that read, I Scout Like a Girl! Try to Keep Up.

One of their male leaders, Jed Anderson, cant wear that shirt.

His reads, I Scout with the Girls.

I try to keep up.

Weve got nerds.

Weve got prissy misses.

Weve got athletes.

Weve got a wrestler.

They run the whole spectrum, Anderson said, adding they mesh well together.

And while some troops have gone coed, this one doesnt want to mix girls and boys, according to one of its other leaders.

The girls would take over.

Thats just the nature of girls.

I dont want the girls to overrun the boys, said Sheryl Winterton, whose granddaughters urged her to start a troop when she moved to Utah in 2020.

I want the boys to still have their leadership time and their leadership opportunity.

The value of camping Camping remains a hallmark of Scouting.

Some troops do a weekend campout which might include Sunday now once a month.

Nearly every troop goes on a weeklong summer camp.

As one Provo scoutmaster, Brad Woods said, Theres no Scouting without the outing.

Lafe Conner practically grew up at Scout camp.

His father, Delose, worked as a camp staff member for 50 years, including 30 years as director of Camp Loll.

His mother, Janice, worked as the business manager.

Delose would probably still be there had cancer not claimed him in 2022.

The mantle at Loll now rests on his son.

Conner met his wife, Diane, at, of course, Scout camp: Cherry Valley on Catalina Island off the coast of California.

Theyve spent the past 31 summers running camps.

He said hed be surprised and confused if someone were to tell him Scouting is dead in Utah.

Its hard to argue from his vantage point in the Wyoming wilderness.

He works closely with hundreds of adults and thousands of youth across the state who are dedicated to the organization.

Opened in 1958, Camp Loll remains a very traditional Scout camp with swimming, canoeing, knot-tying, shooting, Native American lore, slapstick skits and silly songs.

In the week the Deseret News was at Loll with a photographer in late July, there were 13 troops from five states, including six from Utah, 166 Scouts, 70 adult leaders and 55 staff members, some as young as 14.

About 70% of the troops over the summer are from Utah.

Every time I put on my uniform and go out into the community I meet people who say, I was a Scout, or my son or my brother was an Eagle Scout.

And now I also meet people who say, My daughter or my granddaughter is a Scout, said Conner, a high school biology teacher.

Conner also notes that Scouting cant die in Utah because its not just a Utah thing.

Scouting America is one of 176 national scouting organizations that belong to the World Organization of the Scouting Movement that reaches all parts of the globe.

The 57 million Scouts and volunteer leaders represent all religions, all nationalities, languages and cultures.

He said it unites Scout worldwide through our shared values and vision for a life lived close to nature and in service of God and our fellow man.

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Those ideals espoused in Scouting seem to have become lost in our divisive society.

Some might even find them outdated or old-fashioned.

Yeah, but they like that, Conner said of those attracted to the program.

Its one of the draws of it .

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Maybe that is old-fashioned, but I think thats a good thing about it.

Not everything thats new is good.

Gomez, of Bountiful Troop 220, agrees, saying, yes its old, but thats the charm of it Its really going back to what made, to what put together this state and the nation.

Its such a great link to our past that I dont think it should ever go away or it ever should be discounted as old or not cool anymore, he said.

Young men and women, Conner said, are hungry for the things Scouting offers: friendship, adventure and a sense of purpose, value and connection.

The old values are still alive and the organization is being infused with a great new energy and desire.

Bukari Abdi, of Troop 1293 in West Valley City, heard an announcement about Scouts over the loud speaker at the Khadeeja mosque.

He pestered his mom until she signed him up.

The Scout Law has come to mean something to him.

I guess its shaped me into being a better person, the 13-year-old said thoughtfully.

And as an added bonus he says hes cleaner .

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not letting crust sit on my fingers.

I like to wash my hands a lot more now..

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