UK Chief Scout Peter Duncan on BBC radio

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

BBC radio programme "You and Yours" including an interview

with UK scouting Chief scout Peter Duncan from March 13, 2007:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/ram/2007_11_tue.ram

 

segments with him are from

0:52 - 5:20

29:26 - 52:00

 

His view of the UK's scouting association religion policy

has some in uk.rec.scouting wondering if he meant

that atheists can or can't join.

 

Starting at 46:16

 

[reading email from Hazel Fuller]

Belief in a god of some kind is an absolute requirement,

isn't it, for membership of the scouting movement? As

an atheist and Humanist, I hope I have a morality that

doesn't rely on a belief in a mystical and unprovable

being, but my children, were they still young enough to

join, would be barred from the excellent things that

scouting promotes. I don't believe that religion

should have a place in the scouting movement; just as

I affirm and accord, so should a non-believer be able

to affirm to moral values as a scout.

 

What is the position on that? Peter?

 

Well, you do have to have a faith or a belief system

to be a scout; when you consider it's a world-wide

movement and there's 28 million currently doing it --

in fact there's more Muslim scouts -- the point about,

behind that, really, is that, I think -- and this is

a personal belief -- I think that, a spiritual side to

the question of why we're here and what we're for.

We're not saying you've got to believe in a Christian

god or that kind of god, there is a sense that we

want to explore that territory.

 

The word "god" is used in the promise though, isn't it?

 

It is a word in the promise, but the word "god" could be

a generic god. It doesn't have to be a particular god.

And your leader, you know... it's a difficult thing,

and I know it just puts some people off...

 

...And Hazel may not want her children to be hypocritical.

 

Yes, but in the sense, if you're, if you're an atheist,

or a Humanist, it's as much as having a religion as not

having a religion in some ways, I mean, their...belief

systems...are difficult things to contend with. But

scouting, or people who are scouts and guilds, it's the

cross-section of humanity. It's, it's, people have

little bits of belief, people have great belief. It

encompasses all of our belief systems.

 

 

[Eamonn]

I didn't download the file.

But from reading what is posted, it does seem that Peter was a little muddled.

 

While as we all know Scouting started in the UK. Just about every country that has a Scouting program has changed or altered it to best serve the people in that country.

Coming from the UK, having been all through the Scouting program from Wolf Cubs to Venture Scout, to Scout Leader and then crossing the pond to become a member of the BSA was an adjustment.

While I was born and raised in London, my parents were Irish Catholics, so I attended the Catholic church and Catholic Schools.

While I don't have any numbers or hard fact to back it up, it has always seemed to me that Americans are far more religious than the English.

I remember a good friend of mine who was a RC Priest used to get forms from people who wanted to be God parents or get married in the church, many of the non-catholics would write C of E in the space where it asked for religion. He used to say "That covers a multitude of sins".

I remember how shocked I was when I first came over here that a fast food restaurant was offering a discount on a Sunday to people who brought in a church newsletter. Of course even the church goers in the UK don't stop for a burger after church they are far more lightly to stop for a pint!!

A very good pal of mine is really upset with UK Scouting for allowing gay leaders. He is a Mormon.

Here in the BSA it seems any talk about allowing all the programs to go coed has a lot of Scouter's choking on their Wood Badge beads, but a great many countries have gone coed.

Different Scout organizations and Associations do what they think is best for the people they serve. This doesn't make any one right and the other wrong -Just different.

Eamonn.

 

[evmori]

And this has what to do with the Boy Scouts of America?

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Why, nothing Ed. But this forum is for Issues & Politics in scouting. If you didn't want to read something about UK scouting, maybe you shouldn't have clicked on it.

[Eamonn]

Ed,

I don't think anyone said it had anything to do with the BSA.

Scroll down the page a bit and it states:

This is a private community provided by SCOUTER Network

and reserved for Scouting related discussions.

 

I think this fits in the category.

Ea.

[evmori]

Thanks.

I can read the disclaimers & other verbiage on the site.

Just questioning the relevance of the topic.

And since this is an open forum, that is allowed, isn't it?

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Trevorum]

From the transcript, I can't tell whether he's naturally inarticulate or is being deliberately obfuscatory.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Well, he IS an actor/TV show host working without a script, remember...

[Pint]

If you want to listen to the whole interview, its available at:

 

 

http://media.putfile.com/Chief-Scout-interview

 

It deals with the Image of Scouting, leader shortages, child protection, and the relegion question with people caling in and asking questions