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Official announcement regarding LDS boy scouting


christineka

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great news, I'm happy and hopeful we can all work together for the sake of the boys.

 

The rumor is that this is a temporary move until LDS can solidify a youth program they can get behind 100%. From what I just heard I don't expect this "support" to last.

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I kinda took it as a stop gap decision while they evaluate better options to meet their global needs.  I don't think BSA is totally out of the woods as of yet.  

 

"With equal concern for the substantial number of youth who live outside the United States and Canada, the Church will continue to evaluate and refine program options that better meet its global needs."

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Personally, I was fairly confident this would be the decision.  But, I am thankful my confidence was proven.

 

Am a bit surprised by the few comments after over 80 views of the original post.  

 

More troubling though is that half appear to have wanted the break, and still continue to pound the drums of negativity and conjecture.

 

To me, this shows a total lack of Scout Spirit, and is truly disappointing.

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Am a bit surprised by the few comments after over 80 views of the original post.

If I may speculate, it may be that a lot of people (including me) are hesitant to comment about what someone else's religion is doing.

 

Not to mention that this thread has only existed for a little over three hours.

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Unless they had another option ready to deploy, they more or less had to stick with BSA for at least another year or so. There is tremendous amount of instutiional inertia and investment behind the BSA/LDS arrangement. To overcome that momentum and change directions really wasn't an option on a few months notice.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years there is some global LDS youth program, with BSA program being an optional extra program here in the US. That would put the LDS more in line with most other chartering organizations, and also ensure that if BSA makes some future change they can't stomach they have an option that doesn't involve torpedoing their entire youth ministry (for boys) program. Already quite a few LDS families opt not to participate in Scouting, and many local stakes/wards have unofficially started creating programs for the youth not active in Scouting.

 

Glad they are staying for now, I would miss my LDS scouting acquaintances (or at least some of them).

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I think this is good news for scouting.  But from the outside it does look like the LDS has an unresolved issue with their ministry to youth.  With the caveat that I have a very limited understanding of the LDS religion, It would seem to be a very real problem that something that is a very large component of their youth ministry is available to only half their Church's youth members.  

 

I have no idea what the LDS will do about this, and I wouldn't presume to give them advice, but having, almost uniquely, evolved from a religion that was almost entirely existent in the United States on to a global religion, the reliance on a US only youth program does not seem to be a sustainable model.  

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Am a bit surprised by the few comments after over 80 views of the original post.  

 

More troubling though is that half appear to have wanted the break, and still continue to pound the drums of negativity and conjecture.

 

To me, this shows a total lack of Scout Spirit, and is truly disappointing.

 

Oh please. The members of this forum often trade in information they see and hear, and what Stosh and I have posted is no different. My LDS contact (the guy who hosts our district and is fairly high up in the LDS scouting side) said that he received word this response was a temporary measure until the LDS church can figure out what it wants to do long term. The boys are beginning a new cycle (new program year) and LDS did not want to go off half-cocked (like BSA does too often) and pull the plug without something to take its place AND a transition plan to get boys bridged to the new program.

 

Speaking for myself, I don't care if they go or stay as it does not affect my unit. But part of me would like to see them stand their ground and show BSA they made a very bad decision. There's plenty of a "total lack of scout spirit" on both sides of this argument for you to be disappointed about. ;)

Edited by Bad Wolf
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Personally, I was fairly confident this would be the decision.  But, I am thankful my confidence was proven.

 

Am a bit surprised by the few comments after over 80 views of the original post.  

 

More troubling though is that half appear to have wanted the break, and still continue to pound the drums of negativity and conjecture.

 

To me, this shows a total lack of Scout Spirit, and is truly disappointing.

 

 

I have to admit I was hoping they would leave, but I also admit that is un-scoutlike

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Part? My guess is that's the part Skeptic was referring to. So maybe it's not a "total" lack of Scout spirit, just a partial lack.

 

Right. So BSA followed the oath and law with how they handled this whole situation? Those pushing for the policy change were acting scout-like? Please.

 

As I said, there's plenty of unscout like thoughts and emotions going on here...from everyone. Let's not hide behind false piety.

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<<

Speaking for myself, I don't care if they go or stay as it does not affect my unit. But part of me would like to see them stand their ground and show BSA they made a very bad decision. There's plenty of a "total lack of scout spirit" on both sides of this argument for you to be disappointed about. ;)>>

 

 

Personally,  I think BSA deserves credit for standing its ground.    BSA took the issue to the USSC  --- and won.

 

 

However,  cultural norms shift, and for good or ill it has shifted in favor of including homosexuals in the program as youth and leaders.

 

BSA has decided that it must adapt to those changes.  It made that decision on it's own,  rather than at the point of a court order.

 

I continue to be a BSA members and volunteer.

 

Similarly,  LDS is entitled to do what they decide they need to do.  They have adapted to similar realities in the past by abandoning plural marriage and a stigmatized role for Blacks in their church.  I wish their leaders wisdom in making difficult choices in how to deal with this issue,  and I wish them well whatever they choose to do.

Edited by SeattlePioneer
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