BSA <> UW attitudes
Steve Souza (76703.633@COMPUSERVE.COM)
Sat, 27 Nov 1993 02:43:54 EST
quoting From: Mike Walton waltoml@WKUVX1.WKU.EDU
> only to answer "That's the way *I* feel about it...but my opionion is NOT
> the BSA's, and it's the BSA's that really counts here."
> There IS room for dissent in ANYTHING we do as Scouters as long as it
> makes sense.
> We don't live in this "command box" whereby the BSA says "this is the way
> we will do it" and we have to do it EXACTLY the way the BSA says it.
Mike, I agree with all you've said here. The one point I'd make, and the one
I was trying to make earlier, is that someone "representing BSA" (giving a
boy talk, presenting a program to a PTA, etc....) sure had better be
presenting the party line.
The other point is things like uniforms (gee, a car ad comes to mind), we
don't have a choice, patches are put on one way, period... some do it
otherwise, but it's wrong.
> That's part of the reasoning behind chartered partners and them "owning"
> the BSA program. As long as the tenants of the program are being met and
> the program conforms to what the BSA says SHOULD be the program...
My point also... How a SM carries out Patrol Spirit in a Troop is not set in
stone, everyone gets opinions. What requirements a SM insists a boy pass
before moving on in rank has NO leway at all (barring a handicapped youth).
There are some grey areas, but I suspect National would not consider the
issues of gay leaders or athiest leaders right now as something that is open
to interpretation. Leaders "publicly" espouse the "BSA way" or they remain
silent.
I have been close to the Welsh vs BSA case since it first went to court and
can assure you that several well meaning leaders who spoke up had their
memberships yanked by National (just for speaking up, not because they
themselves were in "violation" of BSA policy).
> Our programs are NOT in stone, despite some wishes that it would be.
And if those who objected to my comments will use their memories [saving
bandwidth and not re-quoting <g>...] and recall my comments, they were in a
thread talking about gays/athiests and the UW (and a certain university as I
recall) reaction by withdrawing (and then subsequently reinstating) BSA
funding support.
Those were the type of comments I was objecting to if made by a leader. I
NEVER will complain about someone being contrary to a "program" concept in
public.
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