When I was involved…as a kid and as an adult, the organization was a non profit and ran through bottle drives and Volunteering. Parents were expected to be supportive and involved. I never experienced anything negative.

I was in the GS in 1965. The meetings were held in a church, but were totally secular. However, there was a whole lot of sexist crap going on. I remember one of the meetings I went to was all about how to apply makeup! Helloooo...at 12 years old?!? My best friend and I decided not to go back after about a month. On the plus side, however, they did have a meeting on how to do CPR. I still remember that.

@Organist1 Was there sexual abuse? I volunteered for a Seattle Environmental Learning center. When the BS went over to religious, the center would not allow them to use the camp (with a subsidy). The girl scouts had no such problems and used the camp some 3 weeks a year.

@JackPedigo No sexual abuse, just the usual preparing young ladies for being attractive to men type of thing. My friend and I didn't care for the implied message.

@Organist1 I suspect, given our ages, this was normal for the time. Home Ec. for girls and shop for boys. Later I got to strongly believing the roles needed to be reversed. Too many guys are clueless in how to take care of even their basic needs and seek a maid or mother to cook and clean for them and too many women need a guy to take care of house repairs. In my dating site I mention I'm housebroken LOL (I am more so than most women).

@JackPedigo I just recently connected via dating site with a guy who loves to cook, and we trade recipes. We have not yet met, but this already helps to make him a winner!

@Organist1 Good for you. It hasn't worked for me. Some things have clicked, though but, in the end, there were other problems that got in the way. It takes more than one item to make a relationship work.

Was there no ‘parent advisory group ‘ to keep the best interests of the kids? Or were the parents onboard with the religious slant? As far as I’m concerned the Parents need to take much of the responsibility and get involved!

@bubaj50 I don't know. My oldest was briefly in cub scouts. That was the mid-later 80's. Other than the pledge, there wasn't anything that I remember being religious. It was all parent run - for the most part. Usually there was someone who helped run it for years, even past their kids. It was brief. He didn't find it overly enjoyable abd it was too often boring. I had already taught him the common sense stuff - actually that still continues only we swap off on the common sense.

@Beowulfsfriend , it requires a strong group of involved Parents and responsible adventuresome Leaders. We made it Fun.