Is there a way for boys to be in Scouts if their parents can't (or won't) be involved?

There were a few boys around here who signed up for Scouts, but never came to meetings because their parents were either too busy to take them, or to apathetic to get involved. We were told that no one but a parent could bring a Scout to meetings, but this rule seems to leave a lot of boys out in the cold with no options for joining in.