Families dropping out

[Outdoors]

I have found that quite a few families actually have no idea about the extent of BSA's discriminatory policies. And all of them that I talked to strongly feel those values are wrong to teach to their kids. They also feel that the positives outweigh the negatives because the local unit puts on a good program and there is no other alternative.

 

I am aware of quite a few people have or are planning to leave BSA because of their policies. B-PSA is an option for them.

[Eagle732]

Outdoors, BSA doesn't discriminate, they have membership requirements.

My son can't join Girl Scouts and I can't play little league baseball.

 

Feel free to join B-PSA, there's 7 groups (troops) in the entire country but they might be a good alternative for those who don't agree with BSA's policies.

 

[WAKWIB]

packsaddle sez: "Good question. I'll send an email out to all the families in the CO and inform them of the issue. I'll get back to you if I hear anything from them."

 

Did you receive any feedback on this, packsaddle?

 

[ponce3]

I'm a new wolf den leader and about half of the Tigers from the previous year didn't return. Most gave a reason like sports, not enough campouts and for the most part, just bored. Scouts isn't for everyone. I think most parents tell their boys to choose between scouts or sports. I'm a single father of 2 and and sometimes i dont have time to juggle everything so i could see why. Parents shouldn't force their boys to stay in scouts if they don't want to be apart of it. Just because National says you should do something like this or that, doesnt mean you have to. Its your program, run it like you want(to an extent).

[Outdoors]

"BSA doesn't discriminate, they have membership requirements."

 

OMG are you serious? If that makes you sleep at night I guess. Have you looked up the word discrimination in a dictionary you moron?

 

So when African Americans had to sit in the back of the bus it is because the front of bus had membership requirements for white skinned people only. That wasn't discrimination either I guess as far as you are concerned.

 

I am completely dumbfounded at that comment.

 

 

 

(You can ask if the poster is serious without being vulgar in describing "How serious and OMG is plenty)

OGE

 

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Outdoors,

 

 

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with "discrimination."

 

 

My liberal friends tend to be big advocates and supporters of racial discrimination in college admissions, government contracting and employment, and currently orchestrating legal efforts to convince the Supreme Court to continue to allow such programs of discrimination to occur.

 

They are defending such programs under the rubric of "diversity," but somehow they don't seem to like the diversity BSA's policies represent. They only want their policies to rule --- no diversity needed there.

[Eagle732]

Hello Outdoors,

Most organizations discriminate. I belong to several that do.

Sons of the American Revolution, have to prove an ancestor that fought in the Revolutionary War.

International Association of Firefighters, have to be a professional firefighter.

Heck, even the mens bowling and baseball leagues discriminate.

 

BSA doesn't discriminate in an illegal manner.

 

It's obvious that you're not capable of having a civil discussion and have no understanding of the Scout Law.

 

A moron? Thank you (This message has been edited by Eagle732)

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

That's the spirit!

 

Some attempts at insult ought be taken as accolades.

 

And SP, well said.(This message has been edited by Callooh! Callay!)

[MattR]

I haven't had any families drop because of the policy. I have had several non-scouting families tell me, very politely, that they didn't like the policy although they did like the rest of the program. So maybe the drop is coming before anyone enters scouting.

 

At the same time there are those that say they will leave a unit if the policy is changed. What all this says to me is there are a number of people on both sides of the policy that think more about the policy than the rest of the program. That's what bothers me the most.

 

I'd like to see an honest survey of non LDS scouters to see what they think about the policy. For, against, or don't care.

[Eagle732]

What purpose would a survey that excludes LDS, a major element of BSA serve?

 

I'd vote "Don't Care"(This message has been edited by Eagle732)

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

I vote present.

 

But in this proposed plebiscite that discriminates to exclude LDS Scouters, how is LDS Scouter defined?

 

Are you proposing we discriminate against any Scouter who is a member of the LDS church?

 

Or are you proposing to discriminate against any Scouter whose troop's chartered org. is an LDS ward, even if the Scouter himself is not a member of the LDS church?

 

Or will you only discriminate against Scouters who are both church members and whose troops' chartered orgs are LDS?

 

(This message has been edited by Callooh! Callay!)

[Eagle732]

Remember BSA doesn't discriminate (in an illegal manner)

[BadenP]

 

This debate about kids leaving the BSA because of its discriminatory practices is really quite humorous and inaccurate. The reason most families leave a scouting unit is because the units program is very weak and the kids are not having any fun. The discriminatory excuse and sports excuses are really just smokescreens to the reality that too many scouting units are doing a lousy job with their programs, have lazy untrained leadership who give less than minimal effort to their position. If your unit is shrinking it is time for your leadership to get together and discern what you are doing wrong internally. Many packs I have seen in my council do the exact same thing every year because toquote the leaders "the program is already planned out for each year and makes a lot less work for us."

The result is the kids get bored in the second year and drop out, and the parents will make up excuses to avoid arguments with the leaders.

 

The reality is if you are losing a large number of kids each year it is time to look at the way your unit is delivering the scouting program instead of blaming a National policy that most people with kids in scouting do not really even care about in the first place.

 

 

[BadenP]

(This message has been edited by BadenP)

[BadenP]

(This message has been edited by BadenP)