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I went to quite of few DIBC (Dorchester International Brotherhood Camporee) in London, Ontario every May. Boy Scout troops from all over the northeast attend as well as members from Scouts Canada (a 100% coed organization). I was neutral on the concept for the BSA and had quite a few discussions with our Canadian friends about the plusses and minuses of having a coed Scouting program. The biggest drawback in their eyes was the need (and rightfully so) to have as a minimum at least one registered female adult go on any outing if a female scout attends. The burden was on the troop to find a

I don't recall the time I realized my sexual orientation but I do remember watching television with my four year old. The most censoring that I did with my son was during the news. I really didn't want him to see explicit "real" violence. One day, they were starting to show something about a bombing or something in Israel and I decided to turn the channel (I didn't have cable at the time). I came upon Entertainment Tonight or some such drivel and they showed some starlet in a bikini. I changed the channel about ten seconds later andall of sudden my son asked me to go back to Entertainment

Yeah, but just like the fact that a den meeting or troop meeting should not be the place for Mary Kay selling, asking if I want to buy some trinket for little Johnny's sport team or having an investment broker try to sell me securities - proselytizing doesn't have a place at most scout meetings. Go express your religious and moral beliefs elsewhere.

My boys didn't join the BSA to pad a resumé or impress a college admissions officer. I didn't volunteer to be a Den Leader and Scoutmaster for those reasons either. Personally, I don't care that much what others feel about the BSA. Both of my boys earned the Eagle Rank/Award but neither wear it on their sleeve so to speak. In there eyes, they did it because it was fun and maybe a touch because they knew it made mom & dad proud. :-)

Nonsectarian means I have to do my own typing. :-) Seriously, it simply means that the BSA does not favor one particular sect over another - be it Shias or Sunnis, Catholics or Protestants, etc. It does not imply that the BSA is or is not a Christian organization (while it does not imply it is not, it isn't). Folks can easily confuse nonsectarian, non-denominational and secular - but they have different meanings. Our friend Merlin may be considered part of a sect - and have no religious nor denominational affiliation. Secular is simply non-religious - usually describing an insti

I've got a novel approached that worked wonders for another great institution that I believe in wholeheartedly - let's allow three-fifths of a gay member, adult and youth, to join the BSA. :-)

In January, the BSA said it was considering a plan to give sponsors of local Scout units the option of admitting gays as both youth members and adult leaders or continuing to exclude them. On Friday, the BSA said it changed course in part because of surveys sent out starting in February to about 1 million members of the Scouting community. The review, said a BSA statement, "created an outpouring of feedback" from 200,000 respondents, some supporting the exclusion policy and others favoring a change. "While perspectives and opinions vary significantly, parents, adults in the Scouting

LDS spokesman Michael Purdy said Mormon leaders would study the new proposal. There was no immediate public reaction from Southern Baptist or Catholic officials who have been dealing with the BSA membership issue. The BSA survey tried to gauge the proposal's effect on financial support. Local Scout councils said 51 percent of their major donors opposed easing the ban, while a majority of Fortune 500 companies supported a change. In another revealing section of the survey, the BSA reported feedback from 30 national youth organizations and civic groups, many of them partners of

The resolution doesn't make sense if you look at it from a "is homosexuality a moral issue" perspective. However, viewed from the lens of a safety issue, i.e. from the belief that homosexual leaders (i.e. homosexual men specifically) are a safety threat, or to some public relations threat :-) - then it would make sense. I'm not saying I believe it is a good resolution or believe that homosexual leaders are a safety issue but I'm just trying to understand the logic. If passed, I like the idea that the BSA does not defacto exclude youth due to sexuality. This may be an attempt at

A voice that will me missed. My condolences to his family and friends.

In whose eyes? In the eyes of the BSA and GSUSA there is a huge difference.

Methodists (and many of the other religions listed in this thread) also believe that sex outside of marriage is sinful - yet I don't see a clamoring to ban those Scouts and Scouters who have participated in sex outside of marriage. Why?

"I treat others the way they treat me . . " Merlyn, try treating others the way you would like to be treated. Doesn't always work but give it a chance. I do sympathize with your use of logic with those who vehemently refuse to understand logic. It must get tiresome. However, I must object to one of your comments. "You are a PERFECT example of how the BSA encourages bigotry against atheists." While it is difficult to determine the cause of bigotry against atheists, I would venture to guess that the BSA is not a primary cause - similar to bigotry against homosexuals, while the BSA may not

Simply put, some see homosexuality as immoral, others do not.

I'm confused. I was not aware that the BSA made or produced any food products, nonalcoholic beverages or other tangible personal property. So what would the impact be one way or the other?

The worrisome issue of bad press is not my concern. Right now, chartering organizations have the right to exclude non-catholics, females, etc. I believe they should still have the right to do so - at their own risk. I think, maybe naively, that there will be enough COs that would not turn away homosexuals that it would not become an issue.

Statistically, they found that the vast majority of those sexually abusing young males, ages 6 through 17 were right-handed. Therefore, I propose banning all self-proclaimed "righties" from the BSA! Protect our youth!

Gents, again, the reason for the BSA policy on homosexual members has absolutely nothing to do with safety. It has to do with self-perceived morality.

Keep in mind that even now, the BSA policy does not encourage gay or heterosexual members to "flaunt" their sexuality - that is not what the program is all about. If the BSA goes to a local option, I don't see any issue at all with camporees or "mixing" of units that may have different membership standards. Right now, many units do not allow female leaders of troops (SMs & SAs). Those units don't have an issue mingling with troops that do. Why should this be any different?

Let's take our heated passions out of this. Simply put, should an organization that has won court battles to proclaim themselves private and limit their membership as they see fit get tax breaks? I remember back when I lived in Missouri, a Ku Klux Klan (or similar type "hate" organization), volunteered to take care of a certain stretch of the highway (i.e. litter clean-up) and were denied that priviledge. Yes, we do live in a particular world these days. P.S. Missouri renamed the stretch of the highway the Klan was so interested in keeping clean the Rosa Parks freeway. When Nazi's wa

That's the crux of the issue - who gets to define "real GOOD/MORAL character? You? The BSA? The charter organization? My wife won't eat meat during lent on Friday. I will. Some religions accept homosexuality as moral, some do not. The question is if the BSA declares itself to be nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training, why ban individuals based on the religious training of only certain sects?

Adulation of Obama? As time has marched on, I've seen less and less respect for both the presidents and the office itself - Bush II and Obama to a major degree. I don't like that trend. I guess if one has an intense dislike for Obama and/or his policies, branding anyone or any action as "adulation" if one is in agreement with our President could be a knee jerk response. Most police mottoes are along the vein of "protect and serve" and it usually is the lives and property of the people they serve which could be construed as the "government" or the "people." For example, "The mission o

About the only thing the BSA has stated is that one may not be "Godless" - what ever that means. By the way - Polygamy - not immoral but the burden of one wife is enough for me. If I was married, simulataneously, to two different women, would the women be considered to be in a gay marriage? Bacon eating - that action is heavenly. Gay marriage - see polygamy. Now my question, when Pope Benedict the sixteen steps down, will he now be allowed to make mistakes?

I think it is an education thing. Folks often blame the recipient for reacting negatively or being too sensitive to teasing, etc. While I feel bullying is dependent on intent, an adult leader should be aware that comments about such things as physical attributes (height, weight, hair color/length, etc.) are best not discussed in a teasing manner. Bottom line, if it makes a scout uncomfortable, don't do it. Now, if the leader doesn't realize it makes a scout uncomfortable, another adult, youth or the scout himself should respectfully point that out in a discreet fashion.

The Lone Ranger didn't shoot gold bullets nor ride his horse 'Goldie.' Traditionally, silver often depicts devine intervention, magical powers, purity, virtue, honor, etc. Gold many times simply symbolizes wealth. In the Armed Forces, silver "outranks" gold but gold "outranks" silver with medals and decorations. Also, did you know that in the Olympics, the winner of an event was orginally given a silver medal. It wasn't until 1904 ins St. Louis (at Forest Park) that the gold, silver, bronze order as we know it now was used. Even now, the first place gold medal is over 92% silver!