THSHAW62

I Have seen our council dwindle since the loss of United Way Funding. (as a direct result of our national council's stance) This has hurt all in our council. Its trickle down affect has hurt programs, camps, and eventually the boys themselves.(due to diminshing support from the cut backs in council support staff and programs due to the lack of funding).

By taking such a stance, our national council put a strangle hold on quasi-public funding to the local councils of the Boy Scouts of America.

The third largest council in the country,has had by far the largest cut in quasi public funding. We can all go crawl under a rock and pretend this didn't happen, it did. This is not a (NIMBY) Not in My Back Yard kind of issue. Running a successful scouting program at the pack,troop, crew, district and council level costs money. There is precious little of it out there and the united way was a major supporter of scouting in South-eastern Pennsylvania.

The National Council in turn did little or nothing to help with alternatives sources of revenue. Like dogs left on a chain, The councils were left to fend for themselves. This caused utter chaos in areas where United Way Funding dried up overnight. such as our council. On a positive side the lack of funding brought some much needed belt tightening to our council. But there no more holes left to punch. Our alternative funding sources are being pushed to the limit and the lack of money is hurting scouting in our council.

But lets face it, Scouting is accomplished at the unit level. Each unit raises the funds it needs to survive and flourish. If the council can not raise the funds it needs to survive and flourish, then the boys and the boys alone ultimately suffer.

The values of scouting are taught by the unit leaders. This will not change. The coucnil must and will do what it needs to survive. Is this stance wrong, I am not one to judge, I leave judgement to the lord.

I am glad for what our council did.

I will continue as a scouter to teach the morals of the scouting program. Discrimination, is not and will never be a moral character trait. So why all the confusion. Get back to the boys and help them become better leaders and moral citizens, from your units and chartered organiztions. Like it was in the beginning and remains today. The aims of scouting are taught in your unit. Leave the politics to the paid professionals to worry about.

Perhaps if you dont agree this financial stance you should send your tax deductible contributiuon to the Cradle of Liberty Council. We can certainly use the funds to bring the programs back to their pre supreme court decision levels.

You can find our council's address on our website www.colbsa.org.

Thank You.

THSHAW