Other good news from the Sunshine State

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It appears that some people in Southern Florida agree with the Boy Scouts on the gay issue and are willing to vote with their dollars.

 

United Way backers increase donations to Boy Scouts

 

By PATTY PENSA

Staff Writer

Posted March 23 2001

 

 

 

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Preliminary figures released Thursday show the Boy Scouts pulled in about $40,000 more in designated donations than last year, following recent controversies about the decision of the United Way of Palm Beach County to withhold money from agencies that discriminate against gays.

 

United Way officials have yet to calculate how many donors contributed to that increase and they have not clearly identified the significance of their September decision to cut off contributions to the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts. The organization's board of directors decided to stop contributing to the Boy Scouts by 2003 if the group does not alter its policy prohibiting openly gay members.

 

"There are people who still want to support the Scouts, and there are people who said, `I like your decision,'" said United Way President Scott Badesch.

 

Some donors funneled their money to member agencies besides the Scouts, but United Way officials do not have an official tally on that amount. Donors may choose to contribute to a specific agency or agencies instead of giving money to the general fund.

 

However, donors may not restrict their money from a particular agency. They can withhold their donation from a category group, such as "Children and Youth." All agencies within that group lose out on that money.

 

The United Way collected about $61,500 for the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts in its 2000-2001 campaign. The previous year, it received just less than $20,000.

 

Officials announced these figures before a Thursday evening celebration for the end of its campaign, which raised about $52,000 more than its $13 million goal.

 

United Way officials said they decided on their goal before discussions began on adding "sexual orientation" to the organization's nondiscrimination clause. Badesch said reaching that goal in the midst of its controversial decision shows donors have not abandoned the United Way.

 

Instead, Badesch said, the decision prompted more people to join the campaign. But the increase in the number of donors won't be available until June.

 

Badesch and Chuck Edgar, president of the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts, both said they expected the amount designated for the Scouts would actually increase by the time final numbers roll in -- around $90,000.

 

Since September, phone calls, letters and e-mails have trickled into the United Way and Boy Scouts offices in protest and support of the United Way's decision.

 

"We had people calling saying they won't ever give to the United Way again," Badesch said. "We said to them, `Give to the Scouts.'"

 

The United Way's board of directors decided against immediately cutting off support to the Boy Scouts because it did not want to be unfair to donors who already had planned on contributing to the 2000-2001 campaign.

 

Annually the United Way contributes about $118,000 to the Boy Scouts, which is about 6 percent of its budget. That amount is expected to increase slightly next year.

 

"It shows a great deal of community support for the Boy Scouts," Edgar said.

 

Patty Pensa can be reached at ppensa@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6609.

 

 

Copyright 2001, South Florida Sun-Sentinel