LDS membership declines

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Your summary of my position is correct, OGE.

[NWScouter]

If as has been stated before by BSA officials and their agents state that the BSA is a religious organization (establishment) then in Washington State no state support can be had. The prohibition has been in our constitution since the state was admitted in 1889.

Here is the wording: "No public money or property shall be appropriated for or applied to any religious worship, exercise or instruction, or the support of any religious establishment:..."

 

Even the chartering of unit with out any contribution of final support would be against the constitution, because the goodwill of the agency is considered property (am I right NJCubScouter?).

 

Our state constitution even has a clause that forbids Lawmakers to accept passes from the evil railroads (remember it was 1889).

[llwyn]

All politics is local: We have a large LDS scouting influence around here and even hold District Roundtable at the Stake.

Their troops, however, are small and most adults are told to "volunteer" by their bishop.

If cash buys access to the highest reaches of BSA planning & policy, when the cash fades then so should the influence.

Some of my favorite Scouters are LDS, but the LDS Church's cult status is not far different than Scientology - what would a Unit Commissioner do if a Scientology Church wanted to start a Cub Scout Pack?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

There are a few Scientology chartered units in Florida and California.

[OldGreyEagle]

Does anyone know of a situation where a governmental unit that was chartering a BSA unit (such as a Public elementary School) was taken to Court on discrimination charges and the Court decided the BSA unit was allowed to continue being chartered by the School

[evmori]

And let's ask -

 

Does anyone know of a situation where a governmental unit that was chartering a BSA unit (such as a Public elementary School) was taken to Court on discrimination charges and the Court decided the BSA unit was not allowed to continue being chartered by the School

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

I only know of situations where a governmental unit that was chartering a BSA unit (such as a Public elementary School) was dropped like a hot potato as soon as the issue was raised. When Rob Sherman's son was refused membership in the Buffalo Grove Explorer Post (pre-1998), the PD dropped the Exploring program instead of fighting a losing lawsuit. When the Scalise case came up in Michigan, a BSA unit chartered by another school in the same district was dropped.