Over the past week, many of you have seen national headlines referencing Scouting America’s renewed partnership with the Department of War and related program updates.

Whenever Scouting appears in the news, questions naturally follow. I want to provide clarity and reassurance for our volunteers and families here in Scouting Arizona.

First and foremost:

Our mission has not changed.

Our commitment to the Scout Oath, Law, and motto has not changed.

Our membership eligibility and safeguarding  youth practices have not changed.

Scouting America will continue to welcome and serve all youth who choose to participate in our programs.

The recently announced agreement strengthens our longstanding partnership supporting military families across the country and around the world. It ensures continuity of Scouting programs on military installations and expands access for active-duty, Guard, and Reserve families. It also includes certain programmatic updates to comply with Executive Order 14173.

What it does not do is alter who we are. 

For more than a century, Scouting has worked constructively with every administration while remaining anchored in timeless principles — duty to God, duty to country, service to others, and the development of leaders of character. Those principles are not political. They are foundational.

At the local level, our focus remains exactly where it has always been:

• Delivering safe, high-quality programs
• Supporting volunteers
• Welcoming families
• Developing character and leadership in young people

In times when headlines move quickly, our strength is steadiness. A uniform, a community, a shared set of values — these are constants in a changing world.

Thank you for the leadership you provide in your units and communities. Because of you, Scouting continues to make a difference in the lives of young people across Arizona.