BSA Other Important Dates
1926 Laura Spellman Rockefeller Foundation funds efforts to recruit Negroes; BSA leads efforts to permit Negroes
to join Scouting in the South through the 1930s.
1943 James E West retires as first Chief Scout Executive; Arthur A Schuck, his Deputy Chief Scout Executive, is
expected to be appointed CSE. National Executive Board decides instead that a change in emphasis is needed and
appoints Elbert K Fretwell, Teachers College, as CSE; one of his mottoes is Forward to Fundamentals.
1949 Resolution is unexpectedly passed at National Council meeting lowering the ages to 8 for Cub Scouts, 11 for
Boy Scouts, and 14 for Explorers, which surprises the field who is unprepared for it.
1968 BSA finally recognizes that most young men really are interested in girls and permits them to join Exploring,
unless the chartered organization objects.
Early 1970s CSE Alden H Barber, who launches and champions the Boypower 76 program to lead the BSA to serve a representative
third of American youth by 1976, resigns after losing a vote of confidence before the National Executive Board
over his desire for another national executives¹ conference to revitalize Boypower 76. There had been membership
scandals, declining membership, discontent with program revisions designed to make Scouting more relevant to the
times, and funding problems.
1978 After several lawsuits, age requirements for developmentally disabled Scouts are eliminated so such boys may
advance in Scouting.
1988 BSA is winning all lawsuits by women wanting to become Scoutmasters; Scout executives of large metropolitan
councils question the legal expense of $11 million annually to defend; the BSA opens all positions to women (although
there is no requirement that chartered organizations or unit committees appoint women).
1980s CSE Ben C Love has been forcing smaller councils to merge into larger ones by refusing to send them names
for vacant Scout executive positions; local council volunteers object and carry their message to the National Executive
Board; Love retires.
February 6, 2002 BSA announces its Resolution denouncing gay and atheist youth and adults.
2000s What's next?
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