The ACLU is offering Scouting an Opportunity...can BSA take Advantage?

[mmhardy 10]

There is an old saying that PR folks like to tell that goes something like this. The press can print anything they like as long as they spell my name right.

 

The recent ACLU activity in a series of lawsuits since the year 2000 has yielded numerous stories in the media. Today, a quick search engine query on the Internet yields over 450 news stories that mention the terms ACLU and Boy Scouts This is a Public Relations firm dream. But who is benefiting? If you examine the content of most of the stories one gets the impression that the ACLU is trying to hold the government to the letter of the law by not allowing any federal funds to support Scouting. Thats fine however to John and Jane Q. Public that aspect is as exciting waiting for paint to dry. The real nuance of these press stories that is getting people excited is that the press is portraying the ACLU as pummeling the BSA for holding on to its core set of traditional values as exemplified by the Scout Oath and Law. That is what is getting people upset. The ACLU is beating up an American institution.

 

Lets face it folks, this is EXACTLY the type of press that the Scouts need. Consider this. The last election showed over 22% of all voters voted with Moral Values in mind. Now one can put various ideas of what Moral Values means but lets assume that these voters are our kind of people. Pull out the envelope and scratch some numbers down and play with them.

 

- 22% of the current US population translates into roughly 64 million people

- 22% of boys aged 6 to 19 is roughly 7 million boys.

- There are currently 3.2 million Scouts (Cubs through Venture)

- Thus BSA has some 3.8 million other boys whose families consider Moral Values as a key core belief. That ladies and gentlemen represents opportunity!!!

 

Now is the time to take advantage of what the ACLU is doing. Scouting needs to be proud of its Timeless Values and look forward to sparing with these clowns at every turn. The ACLU is putting Scoutings message up for everyone to examine and attempt to ridicule it. The BSA organization should ensure that it has the brightest flashlight it can find and turn it on and state Yes that is what we stand for.

 

I would like to see the BSA National issue press releases commenting on every ACLU action taken against the Scouts. We need to let people know that we are here to stay, offer a great program and will remain on message. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

 

We have 3.8 million potential recruits that want to hear it!

 

[acco40 95]

A Scout is ..... obedient. Maybe some ACLU members are former Scouts and holding the Government or the BSA to the "letter of the law" is something to be proud of.

 

I don't look at the ACLU as anti-Scouting. I know many do. I believe the ACLU is pro-civil liberties. I think what many "radicals" who are fervent members of such organizations as PETA, the ACLU, Greenpeace, etc. are guilty of is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. I am a strong supporter of Scouting. However, I think they are dead wrong on their current stance with respect to the declaration of religious principle and ban on avowed homosexuals. I do not believe the "solution" is to denigrate Scouting, Scouters, or Scouting supporters. I agree that these lawsuits raise the awareness of Scouting and I think that is a double edge sword. What I don't want to see is the polarization that is all to prevalent in today's society. The "either your for us or against us" mentality that is all too pervasive now.

 

Maybe I am wrong. I know some would say that the gay community pushed to hard, to fast and created a backlash against them i.e. the eleven state referendums. Maybe the same thing will happen with Scouting. But my preference would be that all would work together to support an organization that tries to instill the values of physical and mental fitness, citizenship and character.(This message has been edited by acco40)

[Merlyn_LeRoy 72]

But the BSA will look hypocritical for dishonestly chartering thousands of packs & troops to public schools; not good for an organization that purports to promote honesty. When the ACLU challenges those, all those packs & troops will have to find new chartering orgs.

 

For lists of government chartered units, see http://www.scoutingforall.org/packtroop

[evmori 11]

But the BSA will look hypocritical for dishonestly chartering thousands of packs & troops to public schools; not good for an organization that purports to promote honesty. When the ACLU challenges those, all those packs & troops will have to find new chartering orgs.

 

Since the chartering organization is the one who "owns" the unit, they would be the dishonest ones not the BSA!

 

The BSA will have no trouble finding organizations to sponsor units. The ones looking like fools in all this is the ACLU!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[mmhardy 10]

Just to get back on the trail...My intent of this posting is to point out that the ACLU (for good or bad intentions I don't care) is handing the BSA the opportunity for excellent press coverage. Don't get twisted around the axle with the minutia of arguments about chartering, gays, or the price of tea in China. The BSA can take the absolute high ground with publicly pointing out every time that there is an attack what its core mission is. It does not have to say anything else.

 

Should we encourage these groups to keep the chatter going? If the ACLU, Scouts-for-All, or the Rainbow Knot Group wants to keep bringing lawsuits let them. It only serves to offer the BSA another opportunity to keep its message and mission in the public eye. Its a beautiful thing!!!

 

The BSA must stay on message with fervor. Scouts Canada succumbed to the political correctness by abandoning the high standards. As a result, since 1990 Scouts Canadas membership of youth has declined over 50%. In that same period BSA has grown by 10%. Bottom lineabandoning BSAs traditional values and mission to please political interest groups is BAD BUSINESS.

 

Look at this ACLU activity has offering the BSA a 10 million dollar PR campaign that it does not have to spend a dime to conduct.

 

 

[WWBPD 10]

Good post...good idea...but remember we are talking about our BSA national headquarters.

 

"I would like to see the BSA National issue press releases commenting on every ACLU action taken against the Scouts."

 

That sounds good but nobody reads press releases (especially boys) and the press won't print them out of the kindness of its heart.

 

 

"We need to let people know that we are here to stay, offer a great program and will remain on message."

 

Only on a local basis...the national BSA office will not spend money on a national campaign...ever see a boy scout commercial on national television?

 

"We have 3.8 million potential recruits that want to hear it!"

 

We are left to reach them one at a time by archaic recruiting efforts...national does not support our efforts with a nationwide marketing campaign.

 

Our national leaders are running scared and they can't seem to understand the term 'offense'. Because of that the positive message of Scouting is not being heard at the national level.

 

 

[Proud Eagle 13]

We need a momentum shift.

 

We (BSA as an organization, not us as individuals) have to take the initiative.

 

There should be BSA reps, in uniform, going on all the cable news shows, the national news programs, the morning shows, and the radio programs to push Scoutings message. We should not respond to the ACLU's criticism, instead, we should be actively pushing a message of our own, and using every chance we get to spread it.

 

If someone wants to have a ACLU and BSA rep come talk about the latest, case, while the BSA rep shouldn't dodge questions, they should use every chance to talk about the positive aspects of BSA (but we should not, as an organization, attack ACLU or others).

 

In any strategic activity, be it a PR campaign or a war, controlling the momentum is critical. We need to shift that momentum into our favor. (I think it is in something of a neutral position at the moment.)