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Mr. Perry, the country's longest-serving governor, is an Eagle Scout, and in 2008 he wrote the book "On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For." It detailed his deep love for the organization and explained why it should continue to embrace traditional conservative values — including excluding openly gay members and leaders.

The governor spoke at the Texas Scouts' 64th annual Report to State, where hundreds of scouts from across the state filled the State House of Representatives to announce their delegations' recent accomplishments. Mr. Perry had addressed the gathering several times before, most recently in 2010.

The Scouts' national leadership announced last week that it was considering ending the mandatory exclusion of gay members. The group could allow different religious and civic groups that sponsor Scout units to decide for themselves whether to maintain the exclusion or open up their membership.

Even though the Boy Scouts reaffirmed the policy just seven months ago, the proposal is expected to be discussed, and possibly voted on, at the meeting of the Scouts' national executive board, which will begin Monday in Irving, outside Dallas.

Mr. Perry told the youngsters that the Scouts were a key reason that he had joined the Air Force and later sought public office, and that society's failure to adhere to the organization's core values was a cause for high rates of teenage pregnancy and wayward youths who grow up to be "men joining their fathers in prison."

After his address, Mr. Perry said: "Hopefully the board will follow their historic position of keeping the Scouts strongly supportive of the values that make scouting this very important and impactful organization."