VentureScoutNY Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Ok.. backround-->My major in college is public and professional communications..I hope to become a professional scouter.. I am doing a research project for one of my communications courses this semester. My topic, which was sort of molded into this question by my professor.. "How has the image of the Boy Scouts of America changed since the Supreme Court Decesion banning gays from the program" I know it is sort of a vague question but I can work on the question itself if i want, and change it. But I wanted to know if anyone knows of any websites or news articles that directly talks about this issue. If anyone has any links to help me out that would be great, thanks! Yours in Scouting VentureScoutNY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Dog Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Welcome! Be sure to check out official positions and statements at scouting.org. Then sit back and get ready to get an ear full from this forum as I know there is plenty of opinion to go around. bd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 In my area, there doesn't seem to be any decline in public support of BSA. In fact, I've had many, many adults come up to me and say things like, "Good for you guys, standing up to public opinion takes guts." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltheart Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 Be very wary of what you find on the internet. There's truth out there, and then there's truth as only the author(s) will see it. And then there's those who will bend the truth so that it couldn't be recognized. Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see. Somewhere in there will be the truth, from each side of the issue, and you will have to decipher which is which...unless you hear it straight from the horses mouth. Good luck. Oh, and by the way...to the 'college' student...the spelling is 'decisions'...not 'decesions'.(This message has been edited by saltheart) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britag Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 i wasn't aware that the image of BSA had changed with the ruling. the image of BSA was upheld in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acco40 Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 Number one, the BSA did not "ban gays from the program." Number two, if you check out the book (I enjoyed it immensely) Scout's Honor by Peter Applebome he has many references in the back of the book (many were thesis dissertations by college students) on the BSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentureScoutNY Posted February 10, 2004 Author Share Posted February 10, 2004 I had a feeling that I would have to change the questions. If scouts themselves were not banned, it was leaders than..is that correct? And that Dave guy I believe his name was...His Eagle Award was taken away from him after crossing from youth to adult. He is the one that got a lot of publicity during the court case. Any thoughts.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_Doyle Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 Maybe you should do some research before you start this project. The Supreme Court did not ban gays from being Scouts. The Supreme Court did not ban gays from being Scout leaders. The Supreme Court agreed with BSA's position that BSA is a private organization that can decide it's own membership and leadership criteria. The individual involved was James Dale. His Eagle was not taken away from him after "crossing from youth to adult". Dale was registered as an ASM(?)in his troop after turning 18. His registration as an adult leader was revoked after an article appeared in a NJ paper noting Dale's role as president(?) of a gay student organization at Rutgers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentureScoutNY Posted February 10, 2004 Author Share Posted February 10, 2004 Your right. I do need to do research. I'm asking around for resources for doing this research. Where do I look? I have been combing the campus library and have found little on all of this becuase it was a recent case. I need a source that says the policy's etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentureScoutNY Posted February 10, 2004 Author Share Posted February 10, 2004 I think I have found what I need to figure this all out at : Very interesting stuff here, if anyone wants to take a look. http://www.bsa-discrimination.org/index.html Very interesting stuff here, if anyone wants to take a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 I am not sure I would base my research on a web-site that is anti-Boy Scout any more than I would tell you to only use official BSA web sites, I think to get a full feeling of the issue, you will have to peruse many sites, some pro, some con Boy Scout and then use your own judgement to decide what the issues are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentureScoutNY Posted February 11, 2004 Author Share Posted February 11, 2004 I have been looking through many websites both pro and con when it comes to Discrimination. But throughout all its political jargin I can not answer my questions. If your gay are u denied membership?? If you do not believe in God are u denied mempership?? And in both cases if you are a member, are you asked to leave/kicked out? I can not find this written in Stone anywhere...When I read through all these websites I feel like I'm listening to politicians...no staright answer. Lost.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsmom Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 Your question is not really that vague. You want to know what the public's perception was before and after the Supreme Court's decision in the Dale case. Start with the Dale case. You can read it online - go to Findlaw. The Supreme Court did not ban gays from the Boy Scouts. Then look at newspaper and other media reports about BSA and scouting both before and after the case was decided. You can also look at forums, blogs, etc. You are not so much interested in whether the newspaper and media reports accurately stated the BSA's position, but what the public's perception was, as reflected in the media. You need to analyze the news reports to see how BSA and scouting is characterized, and how that may or may not have changed over time. You can also search for articles discussing this issue and doing the analysis, and see whether these articles support your own analysis. This can be discussed in your paper. There is a lot of material out there. Good luck! gsmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob White Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 If your gay are u denied membership?? No. If you are an avowed homosexual you cannot hold membership. The BSA will not ask if you are homosexual, or seek out homosexuals. So can you be in scouting if homosexual? Yes, as long as you do not express that decision. If you do not believe in God are u denied mempership?? Yes. If you are an avowed atheist you cannot hold membership. The Bsa will allow you to question the role of God in your life. The BSA does not require you to understand the power or mysteries of God. The BSA does not care what religion you are, how you worship or what you call God. But the BSA maintains that with a belief in God you cannot fully develop your character. And in both cases if you are a member, are you asked to leave/kicked out? No, You are told to leave, not asked. But this only happens after you are given the opportunity to decide if you want to follow the rules and responsibilities membership in the BSA or not. You cannot choose to be atheist, and choose to stay in Scouting. BUT none of these questions are related to your original premise. nor is your original question accurate. The Supreme Court did not decision did not ban gays. It was not even addressing banning gays. If you are going into marketing perhaps you should talk to an instructor about methodology. Taking unsubstantiated material from a website is hardly an accurate method. Nor is reading opinions from blogs. I am curious why you came up with this topic. If you are serious about being a scouting professional I would hope that you would have known and accepted the tenets of the organization by this time? No? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentureScoutNY Posted February 11, 2004 Author Share Posted February 11, 2004 Thanks for the reply Bob White. And the straight answers to my questions. I do accept the policies of the BSA and agree with them. I needed to choose a topic of Intrest for this research project, and no topic better suits me that Scouting. My professor pushed the Discrimination issues on me and said it would be a good thing to be aware of if I was heading into the BSA. My background on these issues is weak because I have never followed up on them...to be honest they were not pertinent to me or my scouting trail since I am NOT homosexual and DO believe in God. Hence it did not directly effect me... So this all brings me to today, a sophomore in College, seriously considering professional employment with the Organization I, and We all love; Knowing and Understanding its morals and Values. I hope I have not come off in these posts as green as I may sound. But in this area.. "issues & politics" of the BSA, I am new to. So any thoughts and suggestions I welcome gratefully, and thank all who have posted. " A Scout is Helpful;"..and I appercaiate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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