DigitalScout

I expect an increase in membership as well. There are several families who I approached who said they would love to have thier sons in scouts but won't join because of the stigma of being associated with the BSA and their discriminatory policies. NH195SM: I don't understand why you would disband. Firstly, your religious organization could to opt continue their ban gay leaders and scouts. Secondly, you can take your pack/troop and find another religious organization, business, community group, private school or any other group to be your CO. You would just be changing your meeting place

MT, I'm curious if this is a regional thing. Apparently there are a large number of councils accepting registrations of gay scouts and leaders and refusing to enforce the national rules banning gays. Which region are you located?

I saw this coming. The executive board is probably just as divided on this issue as everyone else. But the fact the it was even considered is progress. I don't know why they think that there will be any difference in consensus in the general meeting in May. - The BSA acceptance of gay leaders in inevitable as more society is becoming more and more accepting of equal rights of gay Americans. There is not reversing this trend. - ]We interact with gay people is all aspects of our society including our houses of worship, schools, grocery markets, the military, YMCA, after-school sports

Tampa Turtle: I would imagine that local units will be allowed to include a sexual orientation statement in their anti-discrimination policy. So prospective Scout families can ask to see it. Or just ask if the unit allows gay leaders and scouts. The problem is that most people today don't even know that the BSA doesn't allow gay leaders and scouts because it's not published. Many families are often surprised when they find out about the policy.

Indeed, elected representatives create laws to protect people's lives, rights and property and the police enforce the laws. I was making the leap that police protect people.

Bear with me: I'm trying to promote a discussion without name calling or dismissing certain viewpoints out of hand. My thinking is that we have hghly trained police to protect us, a national guard as our state militia and a well-armed military to defend our borders so why would citizens need an assault rifle? But if one works off the premise that the government is the enemy and is not to going to protect us and that the government is NOT of and for the people, then it would make sense to want to keep an assault rifle and high capacity magazines. Calling people names is dismissing th

It seems there are a lot of changes going in American today: - The possibility of gun control and banning of assault rifles - States legalizing homosexual marriage and the BSA may allow homosexual leaders - A conservative supreme court justice suddenly votes in favor of Obamacare - The rise of militias and the survivalist movement Is this merely a periodic swing of America's political pendulum to the left and the right's subsequent reaction? Or is there some inexplicable conspiracy going on at the hand of an unseen power?

These are some great suggestions and I really appreciate the awesome ideas. We bought two large water containers to serve water and lemonade (lemon juice, sugar, water). No sodas allowed at our events. Walking tacos sound interesting. What is that exactly? I also like the cheese and cut fruit idea. It sounds like common sense but having healthy eating habits requires more money, more planning, more prep, and more clean up. But I think that's the lesson we need to pass along.

Homophobic means an irrational fear of homosexuals or homosexuality. I think the OP is referring to those commenters who believe that there is a gay conspiracy to recruit young men into their ranks, that all gay people are pedophiles or that gay folk are unable to restrain their sexual impulses. Others view homosexuality as immoral like the consumption of alcohol or caffeine, committing adultery, or cheating on a tax return. The latter wouldn't be considered homophobes.

I'm reaching out to get some ideas about healthy food choices for our Cub Scout events. I think it's important to set an example for proper eating for the Scouts. Typically the events at which we serve food are Pinewood Derby, Movie Night, end-of-year party, etc. With the exception of our camp outs and Blue & Gold, we always server hot dogs & chips, pizza & salad w/ranch dressing. After all the discussion about healthy eating, we turn around and feed the kids high-fat, highly-processed junk food. Any ideas on how to up our game and serve kids food that is healthy, ba

Scouting in America may be becoming irrelevant only because the BSA fails to keep up with the times. Scouting can easily be something cool and adventurous but instead it's seen as an alternative for kids who don't do well in sports (i.e., geeks, nerds and autistic kids). And look at the popularity of wilderness survivalist TV shows, rock climbing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and the X-Games. We would be slammed with new kids if we had a X-Game type and wilderness survival competitions. But long ago, the BSA has hooked their wagon to the religious right which has received a real a

In December, the LDS made a big move to welcome the LGBT community into their church where before members were banished. http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/06/us/mormon-lgbt-website/index.html This pending decision appears to be a direct result of the LDS last month. Perhaps nobody wants to be on the wrong side of history. I don't think this I&P forum will ever be quiet. I would like to see the BSA adopt a non-discrimination policy that welcomes all people regardless of sexual orientation, gender, religious beliefs, etc. and not just kick it own to the CO.

AZMike, you are obviously quite smart and reasonable. But citing Hilter? Really? My wise father, my he rest in peace, said that you know you won the debate when your opponent invokes Hitler in his argument. But I still think you rock.

When people say things like gay people are pedophiles or gay people are unable to control themselves sexually, I find that extremely offensive. I understand and appreciate the views about homosexuality by some religions represented in the BSA members. But I don't think it's fair to press those religious views on the rest of us. There a plenty us who don't subscribe to their strict interpretation of the Bible or follow other religions whose beliefs are that homosexuality is a personal choice. Gayness doesn't define a gay person anymore than my heterosexuality defines who I am. Ga

This is something I myself struggle with. I really get dislike confrontating people. It makes me very uncomfortable and I guess that makes me a coward. I know it's a character flaw that I need to work on. In Cub Scouts we talk a lot to the kids about courage, standing up to bullies, and standing up to their friends when they are doing something wrong. But I feel like a hypocrite because I often lack the courage myself to confront strangers or even people I know well. Any tips on how to fix that?

i came across the Baden-Powell Service Association while looking for a scouting program for the sistets of our Cub Scouts. The BPSA is small but has a lot of appeal in that it is a back-to-outdoor-basics and non-discriminitory. Here's a great article about the BPSA in the St. Louis Beacon. http://bit.ly/SrjQ29

America as a whole is shifting left while the Republican Party is shifting right. Americans are less religious than ever, having more children out of wedlock, more tolerant of alternative lifestyles, and marrying at lesser rates than previous generations. Plus the electorate is becoming younger, who votes more liberal, and more Latino. As the Republican party moves farther right, moderate conservatives, like myself, are being pushed out by the neo-conservatives. How can one be party to a group who lies to get us in a war, uses terms like "legitimate rape", and makes compassion-less s

Do you think they will frame and post it in the lobby back in Irving, TX?

It sounds like we aren't getting the whole story on this issue. It sounds like there was some dispute and the den splintered off to start a competing pack. runwithscissors: can you give us more information about why the den split off to form another pack?

The front part of the optic nerve in the retina is called the optic nerve head or optic disc. There are no photoreceptors (cones and rods) in the optic nerve head. In males between the ages of 9 and 14, this disc area of the retina rapidly increases in diameter which often prohibits the nerve from properly responding to light stimulation. Thus, when snack contents are removed from their containers, the loss of mass causes the optic properties of the container to shift slightly towards the red/blue light spectrum just enough to inhibit the responsive in the optic nerve head. The condi

I am amazed how well the BSA system works. I can't think of an equivalent. There can be a Jewish CO, a Catholic CO, an LDS Co, a less-than-religious CO, etc. and everyone gets along great. Packs and troops can focus on camping, high adventure, community service or other emphasis. As a scout, you can pick and choose the pack or troop which your suits your interests. It's really an amazing system.

I think the knots are a good way to recognize adult leaders for the time they put into training and to promote training discussions among newcomers. Being an adult leader is hard work and training takes time away from family time. So a little recognition for their dedication to the program is great.

Thank Kudu! I've been trying to join for months too. With a little detective work, I emailed Kudu (Rick) via his website www.inquiry.net (which is awesome, btw) and he forwarded my request to one of the moderators (packsaddle?). Anyways, they got the new registration working again.