Decorum And Acting Scoutlike

[SCOUTER-Terry]

The volunteer moderators of this forum do cheerful service, usually just keeping SCOUTER.com organized and enjoyable. 

 

The policy and standard of decorum for participation here has always included (1) acting Scoutlike and (2) behaving as you would standing around a campfire where Scouts and Scouters could gather.

 

The Issues and Politics Forum have always had greater leeway, because important and interesting issues deserved to be discussed.

 

The expected change in policy by BSA is a major inflection point (one long overdue in my opinion, though I respect that some may disagree based on their religious beliefs). It's certainly roused activity in this forum, and the Moderators are busy trying to maintain some semblance of decorum.

 

Here's the standard and direction I will give to Moderators: 

1. Scouting already decided that every unit must not discriminate, exclude or otherwise harm gay kids. Period. No exceptions. And there very well may be one of those kids in your unit, or certainly reading this forum.
2. Scouting seems poised to decide that only religiously-chartered units may choose to not select gay parents or leaders as mentors, and that would take effect immediately (like, next week). 
3. It is impossible to honor point #1 above while standing around a campfire (or this virtual campfire we call SCOUTER.com) denigrating or shouting angrily into the wind your personal distaste for gay people. It's impossible to honor point #1 while disparaging an entire group of people that may include one of those kids.

As such, I encourage moderators to simply delete posts they feel could violate point #1 above. 

 

If excluding gay adults is something your church sponsored unit decides to do, and a message they want to send to gay kids that might be growing up in that unit, that is up to the sponsor to decide. Similarly, it's now up to the parents and Scouts to decide if they want to stay a part of that unit, or walk across to the street to join or start a new unit.

 

As for THIS public "campfire", we welcome discussion, and we welcome sincerely held, politely-stated personal beliefs. But we will not be used as a platform that sends denigrating messages to gay kids who may be within earshot. Scouting has moved past that, thank God.

 

TERRY

Publisher, SCOUTER.com

 

 

PS - If you dislike my position above, feel free to move on to a different forum (or start one of your own!). If you refuse to follow this standard, be prepared to be blocked from future participation in the forum.

 

PPS - Thank you, thank you, thank you to the volunteer Moderators, who 99% of the time are doing the thankless task of deleting spam, organizing topics and chasing down bug reports, and for their incredible "moderation", patience and service to our community in just keeping the cheerful spark burning.

 

[SSScout]

Amen, friend.

[T2Eagle]

I do appreciate this forum and would ;ike to add my thanks to the moderators, I believe they do an excellent job.

[Scouter99]

EDITED/DELETED by SCOUTER-Terry.

Edited July 24, 2015 by SCOUTER-Terry

[CalicoPenn]

Thank you for the hard work you've put into this forum, and thanks also for providing the issues and politics campfire where we can discuss things with a bit more candor (much like after hours campfires at camp).

 

I too will jump on the bandwagon and thank the moderators for the great job they do and I'll take it one step futher and thank all the posters on these forums for a sometimes funny, sometimes challenging and always entertaining set of conversations.

[Rick_in_CA]

I also wish to thank the moderators and Terry for all that they do here.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Rick_in_CA

[jr56]

Unfortunately, there are  a few people out there that have 2 things in common (as stated previously), a PC, and an opinion.

[MattR]

Terry, I agree with 99% of what you said and what you and the moderators do for this forum and scouting. Without the help I've found on this forum I would have given up on scouting a long time ago - and I'm not done needing help. I also agree that acting scout like is paramount. That said, I'd like to hold your feet to the flame to a much higher standard than anyone else here is held to. Most likely I just want to make a point and picking on you is the best chance I have to do that. Please let me explain. Your post comment "(or start one of your own!)" reflects what was said a lot to those people that wanted a change in the membership policy. That comment was always said with a bit of my way or the highway, take it or leave it, I could care less about what you want attitude. I've never thought it to be scout like. Yes, you said up front that you respect the religious differences of everyone here, and yes, your point that you won't tolerate the denigration of gay scouts is also admirable. However, that phrase doesn't help and right now we need to figure out how to help each other.

 

We need to help each other against the extremes that will never be happy with what the BSA is doing. We also need to keep helping each other learn about scouting. We have a wide range of expertise here and the last thing I'd like to see is a big chunk of that leaving over this issue. Some will. But hopefully many will stay. I would very much like to invite them to my campfire.

 

This forum reminds me of my extended family and how sometimes it's more important to tolerate your father-in-law than confront him. It made me better in the long run, even if it took nearly 30 years!

 

Thanks again for what all y'all on this forum do (All y'all is Southern for "every single one of the many" )

[SCOUTER-Terry]

@@MattR, fair enough... Though my comment was meant more to align with the wonderful news that soon all families will be able to find or start a Scout troop and join the Movement.

 

This here little website may have been around since November of 1995 (20 year celebration needs to start planning soon!), but folks can easily walk across the Internet tubes and launch their own.

 

Happy weekend to y'all.

[Eagledad]

Thanks Matt and well said. I have been  here a long time and feel I have contributed a lot, as well as have a lot more to contribute. But I have also never felt less welcome to the forum than in the last couple of weeks. 

 

Barry

[packsaddle]

Edit: Eagledad, I hope that in the coming weeks you can feel differently about this site.

Edited July 24, 2015 by packsaddle

[Gone]

Thanks Matt and well said. I have been  here a long time and feel I have contributed a lot, as well as have a lot more to contribute. But I have also never felt less welcome to the forum than in the last couple of weeks. 

 

Barry

 

I'd have to agree. And some of the comments (or threats) by those who moderate/own the site do not help either...nor are they in the spirit of this thread title...ironically.

[Rick_in_CA]

Thanks Matt and well said. I have been  here a long time and feel I have contributed a lot, as well as have a lot more to contribute. But I have also never felt less welcome to the forum than in the last couple of weeks. 

 

Barry

I'm sorry you feel unwelcome. You contribute much to this forum, and it would be a lesser place without you. I have learned so much from everyone on this forum (and hopefully will continue to do so).

 

On thing that has always been clear to me, is that we all love scouting and are passionate about it. And because of that, we often bring lots of passion to our discussions. I agree that we need to try and stay scout-like in our debates, even when the topic is something that stirs strong emotion in us. We can disagree passionately, but can remain civil. That is something I have always tried to do (with mixed success). I often find our I&P debates very useful. When my opinions are challenged, it forces me to clarify them and to think more deeply about them. These discussions exposed me to new ideas or points of view that I might not have considered before. It makes me a better, more thoughtful person and scouter (and I hope that my meager contributions help others).

 

And while there are frequent posters here that I disagree with on some topics (and some that I very strongly disagree with), there isn't a single one that hasn't impressed me with their dedication and love for scouting. Who isn't striving to do the best he or she can for their scouts and scouting. I can't think of a single one of you that I wouldn't want to meet at a real campfire, so I would be able to shake your hand and say "thank you friend".

[prof]

I would add my thanks to the moderators of this site!

[Scouter99]

 I can't think of a single one of you that I wouldn't want to meet at a real campfire, so I would be able to shake your hand and say "thank you friend".

Likewise, though I doubt we'd recognize half of each other.