Since the Boy Scouts—now also known as Scouting—opened its doors for girls a few years ago to appease special interests groups and unfathomable outsider pressures, Scouting participation and support has slipped. While the Scouting program continues to promote God, country and civic leadership (conservative values), it excels at one huge accomplishment: introducing a large number of the US youth market segment to firearms. Yes, Scouting is very pro 2A.
Scouting holds title to more than 400 summer camps across America and every camp has a range that promotes various firearms shooting programs. For many Scouts, this can be the first introduction to the shooting sports. More than 300 of those camps have rifle ranges, and nearly 300 camps have shotgun ranges. Many have both.
Shooting venues are popular at Scout camps and those attendees shoot—and shoot often.
During 2019, Scouting shooting programs at those camp ordered more than 5,130,000 rounds of .22 ammunition, more than 850,000 20-gauge shotshells and more than 360,000 12-gauge shotshells from the national headquarters supply center. Ironically, not all camps order their ammunition supplies through the national headquarters supply program or those numbers would be significantly higher. Several camps have programs with local suppliers to secure ammunition and save shipping costs.
“The shooting programs offered in Scouting camps are one of our most popular programs,” reports Rob Kolb, Scouting Range Program Director. “Adding to those camps in 2019 was the World Scout Jamboree that came to The Summit (a Scout adventure camp) in West Virginia. There were more than 42,000 participants from more than 150 countries, and the shooting range was open and it was one of the top visited sites. For some of those Scouts, this was the first time they had shot any firearm—and for some it was the first time they had ever seen a firearm.” 2019 was the first time the World Scouting Jamboree had been in America in 50 years.
The Summit and the sprawling Philmont Scout Ranch near Raton, New Mexico offer a wide range of shooting programs to the thousands of scouts that pass through their gates each summer. In addition to shooting and basic firearms safety, the camps offer reloading programs and more. Yes, Scouts can work on or complete rifle and shotgunning merit badges at summer camps. The Scouting program could be one of the largest programs in America that introduces young and new shooters to the shooting sports.
Per the national Scouting office: “The safety of our youth members, volunteers and employees is of paramount importance to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), and integral to everything we do. The BSA adheres to its longstanding policy of teaching its youth and adult members the safe, responsible, intelligent handling, care, and use of firearms within the specific parameters of the Scouting program. For more information on the BSA’s shooting sports policies, please visit: https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/shooting-sports/.
Many leaders and key figures in the shooting sports industry today are Eagle Scouts—the Scouting program’s highest rank—or have been in the Scouting program. Other Scouting system honorees include a US President (Gerald Ford), distinguished business men like former Texan H. Ross Perot, former US secretary of Defense and US NATO Ambassador Donald Rumsfeld, and a very long list of military pilots and astronauts. The first person to step onto the moon, Neil Armstrong, was an Eagle Scout. The prestigious title of Eagle Scout is held for life.
— Michael D. Faw
