Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts pose with Bishop Larry Silva after receiving their religious emblems and badges last year in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. (Courtesy of the Office for Youth and Young Adults)
By Jennifer Rector
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The connection between the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic parishes and schools in the Diocese of Honolulu officially came to an end Jan 1.
The decision was made at the start of 2023 when Bishop Larry Silva announced the diocese would be parting ways with the Boy Scouts of America on the first day of the year 2024 due to sexual abuse allegations.
In a letter released on Jan. 31, 2023, the bishop wrote, “Unfortunately, given the liability issues and our dissatisfaction with the BSA’s cooperation on the issue, we will no longer allow parishes and parish schools to charter a BSA unit, nor will BSA units be allowed to meet in our facilities.”
“It is important that we continue to minister to our youth in various ways, but continuing our longstanding relationship with BSA has become more of a liability than we judge it prudent to bear,” he said.
When the announcement was made, there were about 10 Catholic-sponsored Boy Scout USA units throughout the diocese.
Nearly a year later, “units have found new charters or have decided to disband due to lack of participation in the unit itself,” said Lisa Gomes, the diocesan director of evangelization and catechesis.
Although youth can no longer join a Catholic-chartered Boy Scout unit in the diocese, Gomes said that there are other options that offer similar activities.
“Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish (in Pearl City) has an American Heritage Girls (AHG) troop. AHG is a Christ-centered program for girls from ages 5-18 years of age. There is an equivalent group for boys called Trail Life USA. However, there is currently no active unit in our parishes,” said Gomes.
Hope for a better future
BSA filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after a slew of sexual abuse allegations.
In April 2023, Boy Scouts of America emerged from bankruptcy and established a $2.4 billion fund for those of its members who were victims of sexual abuse. There were an estimated 82,500 claims since the bankruptcy.
In November, the 113-year-old organization named Roger Krone, a retired businessman and Eagle Scout, as the new chief executive replacing the retiring Roger Mosby.
Krone plans to move forward by promoting outdoor activities that attract everyone and by improving safety programs.
“Scouting is safer today than it ever has been,” Krone told the Associated Press in November.
According to AP, Krone retired as the president of a $15 billion defense, aviation and information technology company based in Virginia. With an extensive background in engineering and aerospace, he previously served as president of the network and space systems at Boeing Co.
Krone also predicted that the Boy Scouts of America will double in size in the next five years.
It’s not clear if the Diocese of Honolulu will open its doors to the Boy Scouts if the organization does change, but in the meantime the diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting will continue to promote earning religious emblems and hosting Catholic activities like the annual scout Mass and days of recollection for all scouting organizations.
For more information on religious emblems, go to www.catholichawaii.org/scouts.
“The Diocese of Honolulu has been blessed for many years with a Catholic Scouting presence through the Boy Scouts of America (BSA),” Bishop Silva wrote in his letter.
The bishop said that each U.S. diocese made its own decision about whether to keep sponsoring Boy Scouts. Other dioceses have also decided to no longer allow its parishes to charter or sponsor a troop or pack.
