Bsa Amends Adult Leadership Standards

[robert12]

Today, the Boy Scouts of America’s National Executive Board ratified a resolution that removes the national restriction on openly gay adult leaders and employees. The change is effective immediately.

 

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/07/27/bsa-amends-adult-leadership-standards-heres-change-means-scout-unit/

 

 

[Sentinel947]

"This policy isn’t perfect, and this is progress, not a final victory—but I hope you’ll join me in celebrating tonight."

 

-Zach Wahls.

 

This concerns me greatly. From this point out, I cannot support groups like GLAAD and SFE. Forcing religious COs to accept leaders they don't approve of will cause those COs to withdraw support for Scouting. This will cripple the BSA.

[walk in the woods]

From the HRC blog:

Today’s vote by the Boy Scouts of America to allow gay, lesbian and bisexual adults to work and volunteer is a welcome step toward erasing a stain on this important organization,†said HRC President Chad Griffin. “But including an exemption for troops sponsored by religious organizations undermines and diminishes the historic nature of today's decision.  Discrimination should have no place in the Boy Scouts, period.â€

 

“BSA officials should now demonstrate true leadership and begin the process of considering a full national policy of inclusion that does not allow discrimination against anyone because of who they are,†Griffin said.

 

In 2013, HRC announced that beginning with its 2016 Corporate Equality Index, which rates Fortune 500 companies and the nation’s top law firms on LGBT-inclusive policies and practices, would penalize corporations that give money to organizations that discriminate against the LGBT community. Companies from Walt Disney to UPS have led the charge to prevent money from flowing from corporate coffers to organizations that actively discriminate against the LGBT community.

 

http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/as-boy-scouts-of-america-takes-historic-step-local-exemptions-will-allow-di

[walk in the woods]

Not the response I expected from the LDS.

 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-re-evaluating-scouting-program

Edited July 28, 2015 by walk in the woods

[NealOnWheels]

Let the schism begin...

 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-re-evaluating-scouting-program

[Scouter99]

"This policy isn’t perfect, and this is progress, not a final victory—but I hope you’ll join me in celebrating tonight."

 

-Zach Wahls.

 

This concerns me greatly. From this point out, I cannot support groups like GLAAD and SFE. Forcing religious COs to accept leaders they don't approve of will cause those COs to withdraw support for Scouting. This will cripple the BSA.

That is the point.  Zach Wahls, GLAAD, HRC, et al. would love nothing more than for BSA to fold tomorrow.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Scouter99

[desertrat77]

From this point forward, the pro-gay element has an easy playbook:

 

Part 1--The Set Up

Gay leader to church sponsored troop:  "Let me join."

Chartered org:   "Sorry but no, our beliefs won't allow it.  Best wishes elsewhere."

Gay leader to media:  "This church is full of bigots and haters."

Media:  "Hateful Church Discriminates Against a Wonderful Leader"

 

Part 2--The Heat

Church bombarded with negative attention from every angle

Gay leader (wearing full scout uniform) receives numerous kind interviews and write ups in the press

 

Part 3--The Drop

Church turns in the charter, calls it quits

Troop disbands

Some scouts join other troops

Some drop out entirely

Media and "pro-choice" elements celebrate

 

Part 4--Chess, Not Checkers

Many churches watch this crap on the news

Turn in their charters before they are on the hot seat

Scouts drift to other troops

Many quit

 

Good luck on those FOS goals, BSA! 

Edited July 28, 2015 by desertrat77

[Gone]

@@desertrat77 our council was uninvited tonight to our COH Saturday where they were supposed to present FOS. They asked why, our COR said "Turn on CNN."

[PbW]

I'm really torn on this issue. One part of me is glad national made this decision as I don't feel discrimination has a place in scouting. On the other side my oldest is going into Webelos-I and my youngest son won't start Tiger until 2017. My oldest is (currently) dead set on earning Eagle like Daddy, being a leader, and being a Buffalo like his dad and his grandpa. I've been taking my youngest to my pack activities for a while and he wants so bad to follow his big brothers foot steps. My daughter is in girls scouts and my wife is her troop leader. We're a scouting family. If this issue causes the major fracturing of support for the BSA that some feel is possible I fear my sons won't have access to the same quality program. I can teach them the skills independent of the program, but the unit environment scouting offers and the leadership opportunities available are aspects I can't teach at home. 

 

Regardless of your side in the politics of this... here's to scouting surviving in the US.

[Scouter99]

@@desertrat77 our council was uninvited tonight to our COH Saturday where they were supposed to present FOS. They asked why, our COR said "Turn on CNN."

What a bunch of bigots

[Gone]

What a bunch of bigots

 

LOL, been called worse.

 

According to our DE, the wave of "un-invites" has reached critical mass. Out of 17 units, all but two have dropped the FOS presentation from their program. One of the units who did not drop FOS had their leadership resign last night (their COH is not a religious group). Second unit in my district to have that issue. The leaders have signed on with the local Catholic unit and taken nearly all their scouts there.

 

I think those unit numbers we were discussing in the other thread are going to drop WELL below 93,000 soon.

[desertrat77]

According to our DE, the wave of "un-invites" has reached critical mass. Out of 17 units, all but two have dropped the FOS presentation from their program. One of the units who did not drop FOS had their leadership resign last night (their COH is not a religious group). Second unit in my district to have that issue. The leaders have signed on with the local Catholic unit and taken nearly all their scouts there.

 

I think those unit numbers we were discussing in the other thread are going to drop WELL below 93,000 soon.

Interesting, Bad Wolf.   Just a hunch, but I think many volunteer scouters have been on the fence for years, not just about this issue, but scouting overall.   And the recent decision may be the proverbial straw.   Volunteer workload, less support from district/council/national, more requests for FOS, sedentary programming, more homework MBs and programs (STEM), more camps closed, more nanny rules (six foot tall signal towers!), WB Via Powerpoint and Picnic Table, etc.  The program overall has been slipping for years, and the spirit of scouting has been kept alive by hard working vols at the unit level.   But they have to buck the tide of strategic mediocrity as published by Irving.

 

Regardless of where many vols stand on the pro-choice issue, it's just more drama and distraction.   Who needs the aggravation?   Of those that call it quits entirely, some will be acting on their convictions about the pro-choice deal.   Others may not have a strong feeling one way or another, but realize that this is just as good a time as any to call it a day and find something else to do.

 

I concur, we'll see those numbers drop.   I think National either a) hopes the losses won't be too bad or b) knows there will be an exodus, in addition to the steady annual decline, and they are resigned to just making the best of it with whatever is left.

Edited July 28, 2015 by desertrat77

[mashmaster]

As of today my company will match $1 for $1 for donations to BSA and also pay $ for every hour I volunteer up to $1000/year.  I am sure other tech companies are in the same boat.  That would not be an insignificant amount if Apple, Intel, UPS, .... started donating money.

[Stosh]

Companies have been doing such donations for years, it has nothing to do with the gay issue.

[CalicoPenn]

Stosh,

 

I believe his point is that prior to now, the anti-gay policy prevented his tech company from matching donations and volnteer hours with the BSA and that this has now changed.