National BSA Guidance

[Scouting_in_the_Greatland]

This may seem like a strange question, but a local debate has developed at our unit level about whether a local unit committee has the authority to define a Scoutmaster as a qualified "man." Some argue that we can not discriminate in that way and that we must always entertain the possibility of a Scoutmaster being a woman. We do not wish to enter the debate about whether a woman is capable of being a Scoutmaster, here or anyplace else; we only want to know if it is okay for our Troop to say that for our unit alone, we want our Scoutmaster to be male. Does anyone know if this is something we can legally do, or will we find ourselves on CNN? Thanks!

 

[FScouter]

BSA guidance may be found in the Troop Committee Guidebook. There is a good discussion therein about the qualites a that make a good Scoutmaster. Your answer may be found there.

 

Anyone that professes the "rules" should be prepared to back it up with the written BSA publication.

[OldGreyEagle]

The LDS program says that the Scoutmaster must be male, the Chartering Organizatin may make such a decision, not the Unit Committee. Now, if the unit committee prevails on the Chartering Institution to say all Scoutmasters must be male, you are fine according to the BSA.

 

Whether or not you end up on CNN is anybody's guess. Augusta National still only admits male members, are a private club and legally may do so but they still end up on CNN and a few other stations as well

[AvidSM]

I don't think you are going to find anything in the BSA's rules and regulations about whether it's OK for a unit committee to limit the scoutmaster position in their troop to a male. I think this is wrong, but if the committee has the backing of the chartering organization, then your council will most likely not do anything about it.

 

The chartering organization has the right to define the qualification of adult leaders in their unit. For example, if the CO was a Catholic Church, then it could say all the adult leaders have to be catholic and a member of their church.

 

If the CO was a men's club and decided that all the adult leaders in their unit had to be male, what could Council do?

[scoutingagain]

I concurr with OGE. The committee does not have the authority to set a unit's membership standards but the Chartering Organization does. If a CO chooses to limit it's adult leadership to only males, or only females, adults meeting the CDC height/weight recommendations, it is free to do. The CO may set it's own membership requirements as long as they don't conflict with National's membership requirements which only restricts adult membership from avowed athiests and gays.

 

As far as a document citation goes, the BSA Policies and Procedures are those documents held by your council executive that you agree to abide by when you join and they are usually only be seen at his/her discretion usually in the council office. I'm sure our old friend Bob White could quote chapter and verse.

 

SA

 

 

[scoutldr]

Simple answer: BSA says any adult 21 or older can be SM, as long as they are not avowed gay, agree to the Declaration of Religious Principles and are approved by the CO. Your chartering organization can limit it to whomever they deem suitable as long as they meet the membership rules of BSA.

[GernBlansten]

Can a CO discriminate based on race?

[John-in-KC]

Gern,

 

If I were the local SE, and I heard of a Chartered Partner discriminating on basis of race, I think I'd be paying a business visit composed of myself, the local DE, and the General Counsel. There had best be a very good reason.

 

I would hope most SE's are media-aware enough to see this particular bad news story before it got to print or the tube, and to head it off at the pass.

[OldGreyEagle]

it would be fun to have the Unit Committee listen to this speech given by B-P

 

http://www.thescoutingpages.org.uk/speeches.html

 

BP Gives a Talks to Scouts

 

About 3/4 or so thorugh he states quite clearly":

 

"we want more young men and even young women to come forward as scoutmasters"

 

If women scoutmasters were good enough for B-P, they should be good enough for everybody, eh?

 

 

[Pack212Scouter]

The CO is free to limit the position to male members and even members of it's congregation (if a church). Our CO does this for several reasons. First, they want no hint of impropropriety. Second, they want the accountability of it being a member of their congregation (as well as it being someone who abides by their statement of faith). And third, a lot of boys now days have single parents (usually moms) and it s felt that boys need good male role models to look to and spend time with.

[Scouting_in_the_Greatland]

Thanks for all the input! This is a great resource.

 

But I guess I'd like to clarify something. Nobody is saying that a woman might not make a good SM in any broad discussion of the matter. But when you get down in the dirt on the local, personal level of each unit's circumstance, such broad concepts are not always useful. Many of the boys who seek out scouting are sorely lacking a positive male role model in their life. Moms are great! But sometimes a boy needs a positive male influence to assist the women in his life, in helping him along his journey to become a better man. I realize how politically incorrect it must sound to suggest that a women be excluded from being a SM; but again, down here where the rubber meets the road, sometimes that is what is often in the boys best interest. So Im glad to see that there does appear to be a local process (via the CO) to determine if this is the best fit for the local situation. Respectfully submitted.

 

 

[John-in-KC]

SIG,

 

Politically correct or not, Male Association became Adult Association over 20 years ago.

 

I know some fantastic women SMs. GWD, right here on this board, is one. There are women out there who are far better outdoors-people than I ever was.

 

[SR540Beaver]

Good Lord FScouter, I think you just channeled ol' BW!

[John-in-KC]

Beav,

 

Do not mention He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

 

tongue firmly in cheek.

[IM_Kathy]

as one of the females on this board I can say that what everyone said is correct... BSA rules can't have it, CO rules is totally up to them.

 

I personally don't ever want to be SM, I do think it's important for these young men to have a good male role model... I hang around because I think it's also good for these young men to see that a woman can do all the same things they do (although peeing standing up requires special tools LOL)