Two of the largest youth organizations in the country, the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA, have both reported dramatic drops in membership numbers to The Associated Press.
The Cub Scout and the Scouts BSA programs reported a combined fall of 43%, from 1.97 million members in 2019 to 1.12 million in 2020. More recently, membership dropped to about 762,000. The Girl Scouts report a slightly smaller hit, from about 1.4 million in 2019 to just over 1 million in this year, or about 30% of their membership.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced both groups to cancel in-person activities, and forced the BSA into a difficult financial situation, with the organization reporting a drastic fall in revenue, down from $394 million in 2019 to $187 million in 2020.
Roger Mosby, BSA president and CEO, told the AP in a statement: ''We understand that this is a difficult and often emotional decision, but in some instances may be a necessary step as we work toward our shared imperatives of equitably compensating survivors and continuing Scouting's mission.''
The BSA said that in response to the decline in revenue, the annual youth membership fee will increase from $66 to $72 starting Aug. 1, and some councils could end up combining in order to save resources.
One New Jersey father of a Boy Scout, high school history teacher Jay Yaros, told the AP that his son stopped attending meetings after the COVID-19 pandemic forced in-person gatherings to be abandoned and said he might not return. Yaros said that he and his other three sons all participated in the Scouts and eventually earned the rank of Eagle Scout, but since his son had started to struggle with virtual school classes the family didn't want to push him into extracurricular activities.
''If there are den meetings in the fall, we'll see if he gets back in the swing of it,'' Yaros said. ''There are a lot of interesting things for kids to do these days, and scouting doesn't seem to be keeping up.''
Girl Scouts spokeswoman Kelly Parisi told the AP that ''we knew some girls would take a pause. But as the pandemic goes in the rear-view mirror, we've seen a substantial rebound. ... We feel really good going into the fall recruitment.''
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.