Scout chiefs quiz children as young six-years old on gender, in what critics call ‘woken nonsense’.
In an annual census, 112-year-olds are being asked to identify their gender instead of biological sex.
The yearly survey allows you to choose between’male or female, I self-identify,’ and ‘I prefer it not to say.
The move provoked fury among parents who claim it’s a blunder that six-year-olds are being forced to declare their gender.
One MP has meanwhile dismissed the options of the survey and called them ‘woken nonsense’.
But the Chief Scout of Bear Grylls’ TV survivalist and television personality, the Youth Group, says the Census is essential for the group’s members.
The survey is also said to have been conducted every year since more than 100 years.
Scouting was originally a boys-only organization. Since 1976, Scouting has been open to girls.
The Scouts, however, say that their group is open to everyone and is happy to welcome anyone despite their gender – although they do note that their gender may be different from their assigned sex.
Speaking about the census, one parent told The Sun: ‘It frustrated me that children can’t be free from this. This is simply not true.
One said, “It’s crazy. They’re kids.” They’re not interested in gender — they just want to build campfires.’
The 112-year old group’s youngster (pictured: Library photo of a Scout), is now being asked for their gender in an annual count of the members.
On the annual survey, you can choose to answer’male, male, or I self-identify’. Pictured: Scouts’ website has a “What Is Gender Identity?” section.
Nigel Mills (Conservative MP for Amber Valley in Derbyshire) labelled it unacceptable.
The paper was told by him that Beaver Scouts is about growing up, and the experiences of life. It should not all be interrupted by wakeful nonsense.
MailOnline received a statement from the Scouts saying: “Every year Scouts conducts a census to determine who is who. The Scouts need this information to be able to assist members.
The census will ask the same questions, regardless of age.
Gender identity is an internal understanding of a person’s gender. It can be referred to as knowing your own gender or having no idea at all.
The Scout chiefs state that there is no evidence of biological sex in their annual census.
After 2017 when Scout chiefs demanded that group leaders stop calling children “boys” and “girls”, the move was met with anger.
Leaders were instead instructed to say “hello everyone” rather than using phrases like that.
David Davis, Conservative MP for the South said that at the time “It now seems that common sense is being thrown out the window.”
Last year the group was forced to apologise to a campaigner after investigating her for two years for ‘misgendering’ someone on Twitter.
Assistant cub scout leader Maya Forstater inadvertently called a bearded transgender scout leader ‘he’ rather than ‘they’ in 2019.
This led to an investigation, in which Miss Forstater was found to have brought disrepute on the organization.
However in December last year the Scouts issued an apology, saying she ‘did not deliberately misgender the complainant in order to cause harm’ and that she ‘did not spread lies about them’.
Assistant cub scout leader Maya Forstater inadvertently called a bearded transgender scout leader ‘he’ rather than ‘they’ in 2019
Miss Forstater, who runs the group Sex Matters and who has been praised by JK Rowling, said the complaint by Gregor Murray was ‘vexatious’.
It came after she raised concerns about the Scouts’ transgender policy.
She added: ‘The whole process has been bullying from start to finish. They didn’t interview me. They did not take into account my evidence. They made things up I hadn’t done.’
A spokesman for the Scouts said: ‘It is inappropriate for us to comment further on a case that has been closed.’
Yesterday’s revelations came as the Scouts saw their largest drop in membership in over a decade.
As activities stopped, or moved online, numbers plummeted by 24.5 Percent from 480 083 to 362,752 Over 15,000 volunteers have left.
The UK’s war brought down youth participation, which fell from 394 615 in 1938 to 284,678 in 1941.
Speaking in May last year Bear Grylls, who is hold the ceremonial role as Chief Scout, said: ‘Scouts play a fundamental role in the lives of thousands of young people and our goal is to build back our membership by welcoming thousands of new volunteers.’
Bear Grylls, who was the Chief Scout in May of last year, stated that Scouts played a vital role in the lives and development of many young people. His goal was to increase our membership through the recruitment of thousands more volunteers.
During the pandemic, volunteers contributed millions of hours to Zoom sessions and helped with at-home problems.
Robert Baden-Powell (a British Army officer) founded the group in 1910.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WoS) was established in 1922. Scouting is now practiced by as many as 50,000,000 people.
Scouts first allowed girls to join them in 1976. They started in older age group, but this expansion was extended to all age categories in 1991.
The UK Scouts are divided into age groups, including Squirrel Scouts (aged 4–6), Beaver Scouts (aged 5–8), Cub Scouts (aged 8–10+), Scouts (aged 10–14), Explorer Scouts (aged 14–18) and adult Network members (aged 18–25).