For the past two years, I’ve been involved in Scouting through my kids. I originally stepped up as an Assistant Scoutmaster to help out when our Scoutmaster needed support. About a year ago, he asked if I’d be interested in taking over as Scoutmaster, as he was ready to step back after his kids aged out of the program nearly a decade ago.

At the time, I wasn’t fully aware of the time commitment required of a Scoutmaster. As an Assistant Scoutmaster, I’d been fairly insulated from the administrative side, so I didn’t fully grasp the demands of the role.

Let me share some personal context. My wife is an executive for a Fortune 100 company and travels extensively, often Monday through Friday. We have three children: a 21-year-old in college, and two younger kids, ages 14 and 12, who are still at home and need our attention. My career is demanding, and lately, I’ve felt overwhelmed trying to balance everything. During August and September, I was gone almost every weekend for scouting events, and my wife and I barely saw each other. The strain this has put on our marriage and family dynamic is undeniable.

On top of this, the role itself has become increasingly difficult to manage. Our troop shares a committee with another larger troop, and there’s frequent friction over responsibilities. In practice, many tasks—purchasing supplies, coordinating merit badges and rank advancements, scheduling outings, and even managing payments—have fallen solely on me. This isn’t sustainable.

Recently, tensions within the troop have escalated. There’s been infighting among Assistant Scoutmasters, which even led to a shouting match I had to break up during a meeting. Some parents refuse to read communications, then blame me for a lack of information. Others overstep boundaries to the point of violating youth protection guidelines, an issue I’ve escalated to both the committee and council without resolution.

I’ve reached a breaking point. The constant demands of scouting, combined with my career and family responsibilities, have left me no time to focus on my own mental health and well-being. My wife put it best: the moment volunteering stops being personally rewarding is the moment to step away. For me, that moment has arrived.

With the holiday season approaching and no major events planned until February, I feel this is an appropriate time to resign. The troop has about 30 Scouts, and we’re linked with another troop of 80 Scouts, so there are plenty of Assistant Scoutmasters, registered adults, and committee members who can step up.

While I’ve valued my time as Scoutmaster and the memories I’ve created, I can’t continue in a role that is affecting my mental health, my marriage, and my ability to be present for my children. I hope the troop understands my decision, and I believe my stepping away will open the door for someone else who is better positioned to take on this responsibility.

WIBTA, if I quit and told them they have to find a new scoutmaster for the new year?