USA Today

[evmori]

There is a 1/2 page ad for Chevrolet on page 8D. The ad is a picture of a Wolf Cub Scout in Den 3 with a big smile & saluting! Properly uniformed, too, I might add! The text in the ad reads

 

Chevy salutes the Cub Scouts. One American original to another.

 

Excellent!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Twocubdad]

Is that today's paper? I usually pick up USAToday for the puzzles but my coffee shop was out by the time I got there.

 

But did anyone see the interview in yesterday's USAToday with new BSA president Rick Cronk? Did you catch his response to the inevitable question about gays and atheists?

 

Q: The BSA has been criticized for not allowing gays and atheists to participate. Do you agree with these policies?

 

A: You have to distinguish between members and leadership standards. Scouting has its own values and you teach and train to be courteous of kids who have different values. We don't expect everyone to agree with BSA, but we are proud of what we do.

 

"When it comes to standards we use as identifying leadership and mentors, we don't quiz anybody. But if somebody -- and these are virtually always adult leaders in Scouting -- avows publicly a gay lifestyle, we say to that leader, 'It violates our standards, and we prefer you offer your services to some other organization.'

 

"When people use the word 'membership' you think of kids and Scouting asking kids if they believe in God. ... We don't ask those questions."

 

Now I would be interested to see what was left out with the elipses following "believe in God. ..." but is he saying we can't ask kids if they believe in God?

 

Well that should certainly shorten Board of Review and Scoutmaster Conferences!

 

Nothing like making a splash your first day on the job!

 

 

[Lisabob]

I missed that one completely. Interesting...

 

I'm curious though - do you explicitly ask scouts whether they believe in a higher power at BORs and SM conferences? I'm still rather new to this but I have yet to sit on a BOR for any rank where this has been asked. In a couple the topic came up but it was at the scout's initiation, not the adults'. Of course our CO is not a religious institution so maybe that would be more common in cases where the CO is a religious group.

 

(Please, let's not get into the political fray here! I just wonder whether it is typical to ask that question, that's all.)

[Aquila calva]

Here is the complete interview with Mr. Cronk. Link is below.

 

For new head of Boy Scouts, mentoring is key

Updated 5/23/2006 10:04 PM ET

 

The Boy Scouts of America will soon be under new management. Rick Cronk, retired president of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and a lifelong Scout, takes over as president of the 96-year-old organization on Friday. USA TODAY's Vicky Markovitz spoke with Cronk, 63, on what the future holds for Scouts in America.

 

Q: How is membership?

A: We've got about 4.6 million kids in Scouting. Basically the same number of kids as it has been for the past 10 or 15 years. We ought to be serving 10 million kids ... but we're working on that.

 

Q: What kind of things are you doing?

A: We work really hard at reaching out to inner-city kids and, in an ever-growing sense, to the Hispanic community. ... We do a pretty good job, but we need to do a perfect job.

We're spending a lot of research money and time talking to kids of different backgrounds and their parents to figure out what gets those kids excited ... and what parents want. The people in the program already enjoy it. It's a matter of introducing ourselves to these constituents.

 

Q: What are the biggest issues for today's youth?

A: The world is much more confusing and it moves very fast. For boys in Scouting, the male mentor is often not there. That is the value of having good role models.

 

Q: How does Boy Scouts of America try to help kids?

A: In Cub Scouting, they don't know they are learning a message. In Boy Scouting, it is much more direct. In a Scout meeting or troop meeting, the Scoutmaster ends the 1-hour meeting with the Scoutmaster's minute ... talking directly on one aspect of the Scout Law (such as being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, etc.), or on respecting people of different backgrounds. If you hear these one-minute presentations 40 or 50 times a year, you start to say, "There must be something here." It becomes part of their value system and part of their soul.

(The Good Turn for America initiative) is focused on these kids actively participating in community projects. ... (It) was founded 100 years ago and is still a big part of what Scouting is today.

 

Q: The BSA has been criticized for not allowing gays and atheists to participate. Do you agree with these policies?

A: You have to distinguish between members and leadership standards. Scouting has its own values, and you teach and train kids to be courteous of kids who have different values. We don't expect everyone to agree with BSA, but we are proud of what we do.

When it comes to standards we use as identifying leadership and mentors, we don't quiz anybody. But if somebody and these are virtually always adult leaders in Scouting avows publicly a gay lifestyle, we say to that leader, "It violates our standards, and we prefer you offer your services to some other organization."

When people use the word "membership" you think of kids, and Scouting asking kids if they believe in God. ... We don't ask those questions.

 

Q: Hypothetically, if a boy were in the Scouts, and he came out about being gay, would he still be allowed to participate?

A: That's a situation that I don't know has ever happened. I think if a Scout were to say to a Scoutmaster, "I think I am gay," I think the Scoutmaster would say, because he cares about the Scout, "I think you ought to talk to your parents about that; you ought to talk to a minister if you go to church; you need someone to help you through it." These are kids that are 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. As you get older, maybe (you start thinking about these things), but we're talking about an event that may not have ever happened. It's an intoxicating subject to talk about, but it's not relevant to a large extent.

 

Q: On March 9, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the BSA, and other non-profits that don't comply with government anti-discrimination laws, may be refused subsidies. Do you think other cities or states will adopt the same policy?

A: I hope not. They shouldn't. ... If they do, we'll be just fine. I don't mean to be arrogant about it, but (they) are not going to change a program that is 100 years old. There are so many organizations that understand the challenges kids face today and support the BSA.

 

Q: How is the BSA working to prevent sexual abuse within the Scouts?

A: We do obvious things with not having adult leaders one-on-one with a Scout. Some of the more recent things are criminal background checks. They are not perfect, but it's one step. There is also online training. If you live in the remotest part of the country, you can go online and be trained.

 

 

Find this article at:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-05-23-cronk-interview_x.htm

 

 

[evmori]

I always ask Scouts at BOR's if they believe in God.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Twocubdad]

Thanks for the full text, I wasn't able to find the full article where I didn't have to pay for it.

 

Our Scouts are more likely to be asked "How do you demonstrate Reverance" or "How do you fulfill your Duty to God?" But yes, that's almost always asked in a BoR or SMC.

 

I didn't realize until later that evmori's original post is in the Program forum. I apologize if I've nudged it into Issues and Politics -- not my intent. I didn't see this as a political issue or even a change in BSA philosophy, mainly just a pretty big mis-statement.

[scoutingagain]

When I sat in on my first Eagle BOR, the District Advancement Chair, who led the BOR, told us specifically we should NOT ask the scout if he believes in God. We can ask how he does his best to be Reverent.

 

SA

[fgoodwin]

I think its appropriate to ask a boy how a Scout might show reverence or how a Scout might do their duty to God, because those two items are in the Scout Oath and Law.

[evmori]

I always ask Scouts at BOR's if they believe in God.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[GernBlansten]

I never ask a question at a BOR or job interview that can be answered in a boolean (yes/no). I like fgoodwin's question better than Ed's. Requires more thought and doesn't let the scout off too easy.

[ozemu]

Lisabob, we talk about a higher power / spiritual beliefs but definately not exclusively about god.

 

For those chartered by a religious body I would expect them to ask about their god.

 

We don't actually have a BOR. When the Scout has passed all required tests they get the awarded level. Duty to their god and oath and law are included in the badges required at all levels.

 

Our oath contains 'duty to my god' and I wonder what the buddhists (among others) make of that. Surely 'spiritual duty' or some such wording would cover the area more inclusively and not too long windedly.

[hikeoholic]

ozemu

 

"We don't actually have a BOR. When the Scout has passed all required tests they get the awarded level. Duty to their god and oath and law are included in the badges required at all levels"

 

A BOR is also included in the badges required at all levels except Scout. So are you saying you reward the scouts before they have completed all the requirments for the badge?

[evmori]

hikeoholic,

 

ozemu is located in Australia so the BSA rules don't apply.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[John-in-KC]

Lisa,

 

I almost always ask "A Scout is Reverent?" How does that work out in your daily life?

 

As a result of hearing answers these past few years, there have been a couple of young men I've asked this question:

"Have you considered actively asking God's Will about you and the Public Ministry?"

 

Many of these young men have well-formed faith sets ... especially as they approach Life and Eagle.

[SueM]

I generally will say something at a SM conference like "One of the points of the Scout Law is A Scout is Reverent...how do you practice that in your every day life?" (I have one boy who claims to be a Wican..discussions with him are always interesting!!) I also ask them the same thing about being Trustworthy, Loyal, Friendly...etc. thought too, so it's not something that sticks out with them as being odd.

 

sue m.