Are You Afraid to Speak?

If you’re reading this and feeling uneasy about commenting, about sharing your concerns with others, about speaking up at your lodge or council – you’re not imagining it. The fear is real. And you’re not alone.

The Unspoken Question

As you read about the proposed ceremony changes, the proposed Ordeal changes, the DEI policies, and the elimination of Native American heritage, you might be thinking:

“I agree with this. But what happens if I say so publicly?”

That hesitation – that moment of fear before speaking – is not Scoutlike. And it’s not accidental.

Fear of Retribution

In your lodge:

• Will I lose my OA position if I oppose these changes?
• Will I be labeled as “resistant to progress”?
• Will National or my council leadership retaliate?

In your council:

• Will speaking up cost me opportunities to serve?
• Will I lose my position if I oppose changes?
• Will I be seen as the problem?
• Will my unit lose support?

In your family:

• Will my Scout lose opportunities if I object?
• Will we be pushed out for not conforming?
• Is it safer to just stay quiet?

In your church:

• Do we withdraw our charter rather than comply with policies that violate our beliefs?
• Do we stay silent and compromise our convictions?
• How do we explain to our congregation why we can no longer support Scouting?

These fears are not paranoia. They’re based on real patterns people have witnessed.

This Is Not Normal

Scouting was built on principles:

• A Scout is Trustworthy – willing and able to speak truth
• A Scout is Helpful – willing to do what is necessary to help others
• A Scout is Brave – not silent out of fear

Yet today:

• Lodge and section leaders are afraid to voice concerns about ceremony changes
• Military leadership reconsiders support, but few speak openly about why
• District and Council Scouters know not to discuss the real reasons membership is falling, pretending that issues can be solved by membership drives
• Parents withdraw quietly rather than object to combined troop policies or gender ideology training
• Church sponsors choose to leave entirely rather than fight
• Unit leaders watch membership collapse but say nothing
• Military leadership reconsiders support, but few speak openly about why

This atmosphere of fear is profoundly unScoutlike. And it reveals something important about what’s happening.

The Pattern: Control Through Fear

This pattern isn’t new. It’s been used before.

In Communist systems:

• Question the party line → lose your job, your standing, your freedom
• Everyone knows the truth but fears saying it
• Public conformity masks private dissent
• People learn to stay silent to survive

In modern progressive institutions:

• Question DEI ideology → be labeled a bigot, lose your position
• Those who see problems fear being “that person”
• Public statements don’t match private beliefs
• Organizations enforce conformity through fear of shaming

In Scouting today:

• Question ceremony changes → proposals from experienced OA leaders are ignored without discussion
• Object to gender policies → risk being labeled discriminatory
• Challenge broken promises about separate troops → be told you’re resistant to progress
• Speak about declining membership → be accused of not supporting inclusion
• Everyone privately agrees the direction is wrong but won’t say it publicly

The method is the same: silence dissent through fear of retribution.

Why This Matters

When people are afraid to speak honestly:

• Bad decisions go unchallenged – the ceremony proposals move forward because nobody dares object
• Problems grow worse – membership collapse continues because the real issues can’t be discussed
• Good people leave – LDS withdrew completely, UMC dropped 4,000+ units, churches choose exit over voice
• Families vote with their feet – rather than fight a system that punishes honesty, they simply withdraw
• Truth becomes “controversial” – obvious facts become unspeakable

Fear-based control is fundamentally incompatible with Scouting’s values.

Scouting teaches young people to think independently, speak truthfully, and stand for what’s right. An organization that operates through fear and silence cannot teach these virtues.

The Evidence

You can see this pattern in action:

In the Order of the Arrow:

• When Florida’s Section announced their last Festival of Feathers, twice the normal number showed up. People wanted to say goodbye to something they loved. Yet National claims there’s “no interest” in Native American heritage.
• Lodge chiefs who attended the 2025 National Council of Chiefs presentation came back troubled by what they saw. But few speak openly about their concerns.
• Experienced OA leaders submit thoughtful proposals about ceremonies and programs. They’re dismissed without comment or meaningful discussion.

In the broader BSA:

• The LDS completely withdrew in 2019, the largest single sponsor, representing hundreds of thousands of Scouts. Few asked publicly why.
• The UMC dropped from over 10,000 chartered units to about 6,600 in just two years following policy changes. The cause is obvious but rarely discussed openly.
• The U.S. Military is preparing to withdraw support. Scouters complain and hope it will not happen. But no one talks about why.
• The combined (family) troop concept was piloted and approved despite the explicit promise when girls were first invited that troops would remain separate. Parents who object withdraw their children, but do not tell why.
• Churches face a choice: comply with policies that violate their beliefs, or withdraw their charters. Most choose a silent exit.

The pattern is clear: dissent is not welcome. It’s suppressed.

You’re Not Alone

If you’re feeling this fear, understand:

Most people reading this feel exactly the same way.

They see the same problems you see. They have the same concerns. They want to speak up but fear the consequences.

The silence isn’t because people agree. It’s because they’re afraid.

• The lodge official who privately informs you that the ceremony changes would be catastrophic but won’t disclose this in meetings.
• The pastor who explains to the church board why they can’t sponsor troops but doesn’t want conflict with the council.
• The parent who pulls their Scout out but gives a polite excuse rather than the real reason.
• The Scouter who sees the data on declining membership but knows better than to connect it to policy changes.

They feel it. They’re afraid. And they think they’re alone.

Breaking the Silence

This is why these websites exist. This is why comments here allow pen names. This is why we don’t verify identities.

Someone has to say it first.

Someone has to name what everyone is thinking. Someone has to create space for others to speak.

I am willing to stand publicly because I cannot be threatened the way others can. I’m retired. I’ve received my honors. I have direct knowledge from Dr. Goodman that gives me historical authority National cannot dismiss. I created the Elangomat program – they cannot rewrite that history.

But more importantly, I am not willing to watch Scouting be destroyed by an ideology that operates through fear and silence.

What You Can Do

You don’t have to stay silent.

• Comment here using a pen name if needed
• Share these articles with others who need to know they’re not alone
• Speak up in your lodge or troop when you can do so safely
• Document what you’re seeing
• Support others who speak honestly
• If you cannot speak publicly, at least be honest with yourself and those you trust about what you’re witnessing

The fear loses power when people realize they’re not alone.

• When lodge leaders discover that other lodge leaders share their concerns, the silence breaks.
• When parents realize other families feel the same way, they find courage.
• When church leaders see other churches wrestling with the same impossible choices, they can act together.
• When Scouts see adults standing for principle despite pressure, they learn what Bravery actually means.

The Stakes

This isn’t just about ceremony changes or policy preferences.

It’s about whether Scouting will be an organization that teaches young people to think independently and speak truthfully – or one that teaches them to conform and stay silent.

• If we cannot speak honestly about obvious problems, we cannot fix them.
• If we cannot challenge bad decisions, they will continue.
• If we operate through fear rather than principle, we teach Scouts that power matters more than truth.

That is not Scouting. That is not the Order of the Arrow. And that is not what we will accept.

A Personal Challenge

If you cannot speak publicly yet, that’s understandable. The risks may be real. Your position, your unit, your Scout’s opportunities – these matter.

But don’t let fear make you lie to yourself.

Acknowledge what you’re seeing. Be honest with yourself about why churches are leaving, why membership is collapsing, why the ceremony changes trouble you, and why the ideology driving these decisions is wrong.

Private honesty is the foundation of eventual public courage.

Talk to your spouse. Share concerns with trusted friends. Document what you observe. Build networks with others who see what you see.

Because silence – even private silence, even lying to yourself about what you’re witnessing – lets the destruction continue.

You don’t have to be the first to speak publicly. But you do have to be honest with yourself and those you trust. That’s where resistance begins.

A Final Thought

Dr. Goodman created the Order of the Arrow to develop leaders of character. Leaders who would stand for what’s right even when it’s difficult.

If we’re too afraid to speak about our own organization’s direction, we’ve already lost what the OA was meant to build.

The question isn’t whether speaking up is risky. The question is whether staying silent while watching something you love be destroyed is the kind of person you want to be.

You’re not alone in feeling this fear. And you don’t have to stay silent.

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