The Scout Association of Malta has taken umbrage at the use of the term “boy scout” in an opinion piece, saying that the term is “antiquated and derogatory.”

The term was used in an opinion piece written by Saviour Balzan on MaltaToday, where he described PN leader Bernard Grech as a “boy scout”, saying that “you cannot have an opposition if its leader is a boy scout.”

This prompted the Scout Association of Malta to issue a statement expressing its disappointment at the use of the term as a means of disparagement.

“The use of this term is offensive and disrespectful to the thousands of current and former members of the organisation,” the Association said.

The Association described the term ‘Boy scout’ as an archaic name for the organisation that changed in the 1970s when it removed membership restrictions based on gender.

“The use of this term today alienates half of our members and diminishes our work against discrimination and gender equality,” the Association said.

“Furthermore, the idea of using the term Boy Scout as a means to attack, offend or ridicule others goes against all the principles and values of scouting. It devalues the work of thousands of leaders who, over the years, have strived to provide a safe, non-formal educational experience to young people to help them achieve their potential,” it added.

The Scout Association of Malta said that it is the largest non-profit, non-political youth organization in Malta operating for more than 100 years. It is a full member of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement WOSM which has over 55 million members in more than 160 countries worldwide.