DALLAS — After backlash over President Donald Trump’s speech at Boy Scouts of America’s national gathering in West Virginia, the chief executive of Irving-based organization apologized Thursday for “political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree.”

In a letter published online Thursday, Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh said the group invited President Donald Trump because of long-standing tradition. Boy Scouts of America has invited the sitting U.S. president to visit the jamboree since 1937. He said it was “in no way an endorsement of any person, party or policies.”

“I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree,” he said. “That was never our intent.”

He wrote that Boy Scouts of America remains committed to instilling positive traits in young people. “While we live in a challenging time in a country divided along political lines, the focus of Scouting remains the same today as every day,” he said.

Nearly 40,000 scouts, staff members and volunteers attended Boy Scouts of America’s 20th-annual jamboree — including young people from 59 other countries, Surbaugh said.

On Monday, Trump delivered a speech to the large crowd of scouts. In his remarks, he criticized Obamacare, spoke about his need for greater loyalty and made a jab at former President Barack Obama for not attending the jamboree. He criticized the “fake media” and spoke about his election night victory over Hillary Clinton.

Some parents and former Boy Scouts said they were troubled by the remarks, which they likened to Trump’s speeches on the campaign trail, and said Trump was not an appropriate role model. Other Scouts said they found the speech motivational and inspiring.

On Monday evening, Boy Scouts of America tried to distance itself by issuing a statement saying the organization is “wholly nonpartisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy.”

But on social media, a flood of strong reactions and calls for an apology continued.

Surbaugh was the second Boy Scouts of America leader to speak publicly about Trump’s speech. On Wednesday, AT&T CEO and Boy Scouts of America President Randall Stephenson said he was disappointed, but not surprised, that Trump’s jamboree address turned political.

“Anyone knows his speeches get highly political — we anticipated that this could be the case,” Stephenson said in a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press. “Do I wish the president hadn’t gone there and hadn’t been political? Of course.”

Stephenson said the organization issued guidance to staff, urging them to be respectful even if the speech included political remarks. He said not all of them complied.

(c)2017 The Dallas Morning News

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