Re: NO!, but
(no name) ((no email))
Tue, 28 May 1996 12:05:25 -0500
Marque wrote:
>A post does not have the right to Deny ANYONE addmission into thier Post for
>any reason UNLESS they fall under acondition in the bylaws and are within
>BSA, Chartering, Organization, rules plus the Law (of course).
Incorrect. An Explorer Post or Ship, as well as a Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout
Troop
or Varsity Team, has the right to restrict and deny membership to anyone (youth
or adult), if in the opinion of the CHARTERING ORGANIZATION this person should
not serve as a member of *their unit*. Remember, they are NOT refusing
membership
to the BSA....only the BSA (through the local Council) can do this; they are
ONLY
refusing membership into *their unit*.
The head of the Chartering organization has the final authority in this
matter. Yes, it
can be appealed to the Council, but in most cases, the local Council will
ask the
Chartering Organization for "justification", and "just because we don't
approve of this
member/adult" is good enough for the majority of the Council Executives,
because they
would rather keep a good chartered partner rather than *one more member*,
youth or
adult.
This policy has been applied in many way, Marque:
* A Law Enforcement Explorer Post can place in their Bylaws membership
criteria for
membership, to include for instance, a NCIC (National Criminal Information
Center)
check, a fingerprint check through the FBI or their state, and a urinalysis
test. Those
that fail any or all parts may be refused membership.
* A Medical Explorer Post can accept membership applications but will hold them
for a period of two months while the person attends special hospital training,
coaching, and immunizations for Hepitis(sp) B and TB. This is used to "weed
out"
those youth that feel "working in the hospital will be a piece of cake" as
well as to
protect the hospital from claims arising from transmission of disease
between teen
Explorer and patients/staff members in the hospital.
* A Community Service Explorer Post can restrict membership to only those
members whom reside in the community being served because their Post was
funded under a city or state grant which restricts how the organization
chartering
the unit can spend monies under the grant.
* A Religious Studies Explorer Post can restrict and deny membership to
those not
in that particular faith because part of the program of the Post is going out to
activily "witness" through puppetry, dance or other "public ministries".
* A series of Explorer Posts chartered to TRW, Inc., can deny membership to all
except family members of their facility for security reasons.
* A Law and Government Explorer Post chartered to a federal law enforcement
agency can restrict and deny membership to all except those that pass a federal
health and police records screening, and to have each family to sign a
disclosure
statement before participation. This was done to protect "ongoing federal
operations" and to protect the real identity of federal undercover and special
agents working with the Secret Service.
In *all* of these cases, the *Chartered Partner Organization* had the final say
in who became members, who became leaders and "helpers" and what the program
of the unit is. It should be that way, for that's the way the BSA designed the
Chartering Partnership process as back in the early days of the program.
Without
this important "upper hand", the BSA, through the local Council, would be able
to "toss out people" left and right "at will", and also to "bring in anyone
to any
unit for any reason" whatsoever. By allowing the Chartering Partner to make
those
final decisions with regards to membership, keeps the BSA and the local Council
out of potential lawsuits, keeps the Chartering Partner happy by letting
them have
*power and influnce", and most importantly, makes (or should make) the Partner
organization feel that *they own their program* instead of being "used by the
BSA to provide a place for kids to good-off at".
Note that they have NOT refused anyone because of any discriminatory factor
(with the exception of the religious studies Explorer Post, which has never been
fought against, thank Goodness, because most kids and their families whom aren't
Southern Baptists, wouldn't want to become part of a "witnessing group"
sponsered by and advertised as such by the First Baptist Church in that
community).
The BSA will NOT allow for that to happen, and that's where the role of the
Commissioner/Service Team member comes in to play here...to make sure that they
are turning away people because "they cannot match up to our membership
criteria"
not because "they aren't the right kind of people we want".
>THEY CAN THROW THAT PERSON OUT if it is truley found that this person disrupts
>things, even if they are thrown out the first day.
That's always the way that any unit operates.
Remember, the Chartered Partner Organization is the "co-owner" of the UNIT,
and either
they or the BSA can *toss people out* at will and for any reason they see fit.
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Services of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
174 Chapelwood Drive, Henderson, Kentucky 42420-5036 | ** |]
(H) 502.827.9201 (F) 502.826.7046 (W) 888.284.4848 (yea!) coffee?
anytime!
(Email) blackeagle@hcc-uky.campus.mci.net/kyblkeagle@AOL.COM
(WWW) http://scout.net/~cardinal/index.htm
"Geoworks & Leaders' Online--because EVERY PC can open doors!!!"
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
