Annalisa

I recieve a private post today that I would like to publicly respond to. Perhaps after this respons we can drop the accusations from all around & return to the original question that I posted. The person who wrote me (did not sign the email) stated that opinions had been made of me because people don't know me at this site. This may be true, or from what I'm seeing on this site & private emails I have been receiving, there are some who just like playing devil's advocate to just about anything. In any case, I submit to you a brief history of my relationship with Scouting and children, as well as a clarification in my thesis. I will refuse to respond to any other negative posts, as I choose not to involve myself in negativity. While I may strive on stress, I don't like being around negative energies. I am married with 3 children, 2 boys and a young daughter. I have been a volunteer in our public schools for 12 years. I've taught art in the classrooms, as well as music. I am now responsible for working with my daughter's class newspaper, teaching the kids about being journalists, etc. I started Cub Scouts apx 9 years ago as a Tiger Cub Coach to my middle child. I moved up the ranks with my middle son, as well as supporting my oldest son's interest in Scouting. After a couple of years in cub Scouting, I was asked to become our District Roundtable for Cubs. I have held that position for almost 7 years. When my oldest son joined a Boy Scout Troop, I became an ASM. There were 60 boys in the troop & organization was absent, so we moved to a smaller troop. The Scoutmaster (untrained) of our new troop became frustrated with the boys and left. I took over as Scoutmaster and have retained that position for the past 4 years. I have taken our small troop of 3, to a very managable size of 16. We are a rural troop that has no "feeder" pack, and rely soley on word of mouth for recruitment. I have retained and still retain the following positions in Scouting of Tiger Cub Coach, Den Leader, Advancement Chairman, Webelos Leader, ASM, SM, Chartered Rep, District Cub Trainer, Staff on BALT, and sit on our District Events committee. I am in the process starting a new Venturing unit for Sea Scouts. Completed Woodbadge 4 years ago, and am the only Beaver in my district and have completed all levels of training that Scouting has to offer (minus the completion of my thesis). Finally, I am a member of the Order of the Arrow. My thesis was assigned to us as a 20 page, double spaced paper dealing with ANY subject I saw fit. NOTHING was mentioned as to what the content had to be. When I suggested what I might write about, it was approved, but was told it would never be published in any papers. We all laughed and that was the end of it. I have no agenda or an axe to grind. I am a believer in private enterprise, and as such I believe it is the BSA's right to decide it's membership. Do I wish girls were allowed it? Heck yeah! It's a great program! The Girl Scouting program here is terrible! I would love my 8 year old daughter to bennefit the same ways my boys have. But I absolutely respect the fact that it's the BSA's right to say she can't join. Of course this doesn't stop her from coming to our meetings, nor does it stop her from leading flag ceremonies or telling all of her friends she's a boy scout. My sole purpose for writing my thesis on this subject was because I felt I was in a unique position of seeing both sides of this arguement. Obviously it is a timely subject, as well as a very volitale one. My hope was that I could write a paper that wouldn't change any minds, merely open them to the other person's view point. I wanted them to walk away from the paper saying, "ya know, I never thought about it that way before". That's it, period. No hidden agenda, no axe to grind, nothing. Just sharing the other viewpoint in a manner in which people could understand. Help close the gap of missunderstandings. The original question was very innocent. I still, after re-reading the post, do not see any hidden message that would indicate I had ulterior motives. The original post still stands. If you have an opinion on the subject, I would love to hear it. If not, that's fine, but please take the accusations and insinuations to a different posting. This post was created so that I could collect some, not all, of the information needed for my paper. I've had a mixture of emails, and those of you who gave me your opinion, pro or con, I thank you. Those of you who are looking to intice a reaction out of me, too bad. I let me guard down before, I won't sink to that level again. I appoligize to those I may have offended, but if you re-read the posts, I never said that anybody was disgusting or embarrassing, I said that I was no longer embarrassed, but disgusted by what was going on.

I am astounded at some of you. The comments I have made OUTSIDE of my initial question, was in response to what some of you have been writing. If I was that concerned with discrimination in Scouting, do you really think I would have gotten as far as my Phd in Commissioner's college. And for the record, I have been in Scouting for nearly 9 years. Not as long as many of you, but I'm not spring chicken either. I have worked my way through the many different positions in the voluntary end of Scouting. I am currently a Scoutmaster and a Roundtable commissioner. I also serve on dist. event committies as well as being a Chartered Rep & District Cub Trainer & part of BALT staff. The "20 pages" you seem to be so concerned about was the length given to me by my instructor. Double spaced, to boot! If you knew 2 cents about me, you would know that I didn't choose this subject because I have an axe to grind. It was a topic in our discussions at class. When I heard it, I thought that if anybody could give an unbiased report on that subject, it would be me. I actually see both sides of the issue & thought that by writing about each side, it may actually help others to see a side they've put blinders up to. What some of you have done, is to try and twist everything around and make this entire project a mockery. I truly did have the purest of intentions, but you couldn't see that. I don't know why. I can't think of anything I said in my opening question that would have lead any of you to react the way you have. No longer am I embarrassed, I'm disgusted to think that there are actully people like some of you that have anything to do with our youth. I thought this would be a good forum to get some of my information for my thesis. I stand corrected. I will continue to surf the net and build my thesis based on reliable information. For those of you that have actually stuck to the subject that was originally posted and replied; thank you. I realize that you don't see a consipiracy or plot in everything that comes your way. For those of you who refuse to see the question for what it was... your problem. I'm tired of feeling like I'm Jerry Springer, yelling at the audience, "you don't know me!" I'm done with you. Here's an opinion for you (as you've given way more than I ever asked for) you're a disgrace to your uniform. Trained or not, you don't treat people the way you have treated me and others on this site. Shame on you! A Scout is Kind. Remember that when your posting your next unwelcome comments to me. I'm done and out of here. Ciao!

FORGET IT!!!!! NEVER MIND!!!!!!! All I was attempting to do was to get a couple of opinions to do a NON BIASED report. But without knowing ANYTHING about me, some of you have made some HUGE assumptions. There is no axe to grind. And the only agenda I have is to finish this 20 page thesis. Some, not all, have posted privately. I am ashamed at this moment to think that I am part of this crowd who call themselves Scouters. Some of the attitudes I have witnessed since my posting has been embarrassing to say the least. I will do more research on the subject and write my thesis, but I will do it without the use of this website. P.S. When I first brought the subject of my thesis to the trainer of the course, HE thought it was an excellent subject, and I should have lots of fun debating both sides. Shame on so many of you that chose to see my intentions for being something they never were. Everyday I live the Scout Oath and Law. Not just in Scouts, but to my day care kids, the kids at my daughter's school and to the parents I come into contact with. In reading some of my private and public emails, I wonder what the Law and Oath mean to you. Yours in Scouting... Annalisa Beaver

Bob White, 1. My thesis is not going to contain 20 pages of people's opinions. 2. You're correct, on paper, BSA does treat women equally. However in the real world BSA does NOT. 3. They may be able to hold the same positions as men in Scouting, but I have yet to see a woman in a paid position, unless she's working the cash register. Granted, I have only Western Colorado and Eastern Utah to look at. 4. It may be the commissioner's job to ensure a quality program for every elegable youth, but I am not required to write a thesis regarding a quality program for elegable youth. 5. How will my thesis help my goal as a Roundtable commissioner? I'll let you read the paper when I'm finished, then you can be as opinonated as you want. Until then, please guide your comments to the question at hand. 6. And by the way... it is not a survey that I am doing. It is a 20 page thesis that covers and studies the pros and cons of women and girls in the BSA program.

Please let me say; this paper is not intended to change BSA policy in allowing girls to join BSA. For this portion of my paper, I am simply needing your opinion, that's it. Also, Bob White, women are NOT treated by the BSA exactly the same way men are. As a woman, I can tell you I have had many instances of discrimination because of my gender. Training opportunities are there for us all, but that is where the line is drawn. I am a Scoutmaster and a Roundtable commissioner. I have been in Scouting for nearly 9 years and have seen many women in my council quit because of the "good ol boys" attitude by those in paid positions in scouting.

Bob White. It was a small request to leave an opinion about the pros or cons of women and girls in the boy scouting program. It was never intend to strike up an arguement. The reasons for my writting this paper are my own. If you don't want to participate in my questions that's fine. This not a requirement. For everybody else, thank you for your input. I have gone back and viewed the suggested reading, but I'm looking for more specifics. I'm looking for the whys in your decission. This paper will only be a success if you share your honest opinion on the subject. Thank you to those who have already given an opinion. I feel that after my paper is written, it will, in fact make a difference to those who read it in my area of the woods. Yours in Scouting... Annalisa Beaver

Greetings from Colorful Colorado! I am begining my 20 page thesis for my Phd in Commissioners College. The title of my thesis is as follows... The Pros and Cons of Women and Girls in the Boy Scouts of America. I am looking for EVERYBODY'S opinion on this one. Pro or Con, I need as much data as I can for this paper. Don't let the fact that my name happens to be Annalisa, fool you, I see both sides of the argument. I'm looking for your honest opinion. All names will be with held from the thesis. Thanks for all of your help and input!