Scouter Matt

The Church holds that any ministry role in the Church is a sort of vocation. Vocations (callings) must be heard not only by the individual but also by the Church. It ideally should be a process of mutual discernment, carried out both through practical measures and through prayer. Chastity remains a virtue, one which every single person is called to live in accordance with their particular circumstances in life. Generally speaking the Church is going to take the position that it is actions, choices, behavior, and public witness that will be the deciding factors in admitting members to Scout units or any other ministry (not just regarding the homosexual issue, bu others as well). Youth ministry is a particularly sensitive area, because it is such a formative period in the lives of those involved. The Church does not have a strong objection to those with same-sex attraction being in ministry positions (those it does raise some questions and concerns). The Church does, however, strongly object to someone acting on those attractions (grave sin, even if it remains private), and more still making such actions public (which is a cause for grave public scandal for the faithful, itself another sin), and even far more so teaching that such actions are normal or right (which is heresy, another grave sin). Thus the chaste single man with same-sex attractions that he only discloses to his closest friends and family and spiritual director, might well be welcomed into a ministry position (even if those selecting know of his condition), because he agrees with and at least attempts to live the teachings of the Church. The more difficult case would be someone who was widely known as being of the "out and proud" type who had an experience of conversion and repentance. In my area we actually had a cub scout pack fold over a scandalous relationship within the pack (it was a heterosexual relationship). The cubmaster and committee chair began an adulterous extramarital affair. When it become publicly known it destroyed the pack and soured the parish's view of scouting for many years. Ultimately, the Catholic Church never had a moral problem with youth or adults who experience same-sex attraction, per se. The Catholic Church has always objected to homosexual actions, or any sort of endorsement of homosexual actions, or with unhealthy over identification with particular sexual attractions (even over identification with "heterosexuality" is problematic). The Church has also been concerned that people should avoid putting themselves unnecessarily into positions that would be a near occasion for sin for themselves. The only terrible inconsistency in this situation is the fact that some parishes have chosen to dissent from the clear teaching of the Church and thus not apply the moral precepts of the church when selecting people for leadership and ministry positions. (Worse still that bishops have known and been afraid to correct these situations, often for fear of losing money or gaining bad press, much like BSA.) That is the deeper hypocrisy, for a parish or institution to call itself Catholic while quietly carrying out a protest of the teachings of the Church (which is part of the background to the origins of this present story).

There is a lot more to this story and some rather messy history. The additional links above give some hints about it, but there is more for those wanting to dig deeper. Undoubtedly this individual decided to make a media event out of his BSA membership status, yet again. He always makes sure to have some supportive parent ready to give a quote, too, rather better at playing the PR game than BSA, but rather predictable for those that remember his routine.

There is a non-national honor society being used in some councils as a Venturing counterpart to OA, "Corps of Discovery", and I think it takes the Lewis and Clark type angle, but could easily fit with whatever early pioneers or explorers visited a given area. Boy Scouts itself is loosely modeled on military patterns, so I don't see an honor society along military lines making sense, particularly given BSA's non-militaristic attitude. On the other hand, the one period of military history that lends itself very well to honor societies, would be a quasi-Medieval pattern, so using knighthood and chivalry as the basis. There are other options, scientific pioneers, astronauts, major industrialists, all sorts of possibilities but each with rather more limited appeal.

As a member of a Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, my number one desire is a way to identify Catholic families participating in non-Catholic units. We have a mandate and desire to offer our religious emblems and other ministries to them, yet we have no good way of communicating with those families. I hear very similar thoughts from the scouting committees of other church bodies. Probably the majority of Scouts (other than in LDS units) are generally not members of the chartering religion, and likewise the majority of the scouts of a given religion are in units of another faith or a civic organization. This makes religious emblems and other religious ministry through scouting much more difficult. (Has anyone else noticed that religious preference isn't on the medical forms anymore either?) I would be perfectly happy to see some sort of more autonomous form of Catholic Scouting in the USA, but still formally in relationship (even if only as a licensee) with the BSA. Frankly, I think if BSA had been built on a federated model rather than constructed as a rigidly uniform national corporate/bureaucratic organization, many of the present issues and controversies could have been avoided. It still could take a federated path, though I think it unlikely. I don't think there will ever be a global Catholic Scouting organization that reaches from the Vatican directly to the individual Scouts. (Plus the Vatican is often as poorly run as the glass tee-pee in Texas that oversees the BSA, old saying about the Vatican goes: technology should be updated every 75 years if it is needed or not.) However, I do sometimes think some form of international Catholic Scouting honor society, based on a chivalric model, could have some real potential. Imagine the selling power of an organization that had Papal Knighthoods as its top honors. Another note, take all statements from the National Catholic Committee on Scouting with a bit of skepticism. The NCCS-BSA is specifically charged by the bishops with maintaining good relations with BSA. It doesn't really have the option, on its own, of terminating or significantly modifying the Church-BSA relationship. It can't even offer a clear rebuke or criticism, all it can offer is mild statements of disappointment. The NCCS doesn't even really have any clear policy making authority at all. Likewise, the members of the NCCS aren't really objective, most are very deeply embedded in the Scouting system, to a degree that may compromise the independence of the members (I say this with full awareness that I myself am not able to be fully objective on these questions, either). I fear that the more liberal sorts of Catholic parishes will increasingly become the place of refuge of scout units booted out by churches that wash their hands of BSA, meanwhile I suspect more conservative Catholic parishes will convert their BSA units into some other form of youth ministry (alternate "Scout" programs, Columbian Squires, Knights of the Altar, young men's ministry, etc.). Also, the "Troops of Saint George" (BSA persists in its heavy handed monopoly on "Scout") actually does exist. I signed up for their mailing list just to keep aware of what they are up to. Like the Federation of North American Explorers, I expect their growth path to be very gradual, but I think both the FNE and the Troops of Saint George are better fits for Catholic parishes than Trail Life USA. I just don't see a Catholic future in Trail Life from where I sit. Now, the big question is, is there a Catholic future in BSA? I am increasingly skeptical and cynical, but not yet convinced in either direction.

Hello! Newly registered member of the forum, just wanted to say hello. I was a member of the old forum, back about 10 years ago I guess, so sort of a returning member. I keep doing this Scouting stuff now mostly for the youth, but also because (despite all logic) I actually enjoy it and have many friends I only see through Scouting, it is sort of a big substitute family for me. Presently I only take on minor, supporting, behind the scenes roles in Scouting due to other obligations in life, but have been active for a quarter century now between youth and adult tenures. My experiences include being part of the Key 3s of an OA Lodge, a Boy Scout resident camp, and a District; in addition to former Troop level leadership. I am an Eagle Scout, earned Arrow of Light as a Cub, and have received just about every award a Council and Lodge can throw at someone. I have summitted Mt. Baldy at Philmont and been to Jambos and NOACs. I also used to be a Beaver, a good old... As for details of what I presently do in Scouting, where I hail from etc... I don't have any secrets, just prefer using an element of mystery to enhance the program.