You might have seen the story about a Boy Scout from Utah who has Down syndrome and is working on his Eagle Scout rank. I wanted to clear up some misconceptions about this impressive young man.
First, reports that Logan Blythe’s merit badges were revoked and that he was demoted to Cub Scout aren’t true.
Logan is still registered as a Boy Scout, and the merit badges he earned are still listed in the BSA’s advancement records.
The option to earn the rank of Eagle Scout has been — and still is — available to Logan. The BSA has apologized to the family that this was not always made clear to them and has shared on the Scouting Newsroom blog that it will continue to work with Logan and his family to support his effort to become an Eagle Scout.
The BSA allows Scouts with special needs to remain registered beyond the age of ability. Logan is 15, but if he needs to keep working past the age of 18 to complete some requirements, that’s fine. He’ll get all the time he needs.
That’s because there’s room for everyone in Scouting, especially Scouts with special needs. This raises an important topic and provides a wonderful opportunity to talk about the many ways the BSA supports Scouts with special needs.
A news story about a Scout with Down syndrome who is working toward Eagle raises an important topic concerning the ways the BSA supports Scouts with special needs.