Aug. 3 deadline set for Valley Scouts to sever school ties

[fgoodwin 23]

Aug. 3 deadline set for Valley Scouts to sever school ties

 

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0715BoyScouts15-ON.html

 

Associated Press

Jun. 15, 2005 07:29 AM

 

The Boy Scouts of America has ordered groups across the nation to split from schools by year's end, and officials have set Aug. 3 as the deadline for the Phoenix metropolitan area.

 

The Boy Scouts are severing formal ties to schools, fearful the American Civil Liberties Union will sue because the boys pledge allegiance to God.

 

The decision will affect dozens of Phoenix-area Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs and their roughly 2,300 members.

 

Scout officials made the move because they anticipate the ACLU would file lawsuits that challenge the constitutionality of having government entities sponsor an organization that makes boys swear allegiance to God.

 

Most Phoenix-area Scouts are chartered through private groups, such as churches, charter schools or civic groups.

 

The minority of school-chartered units will need to find similar groups. They can continue to meet on school grounds, however, just as any nonprofit group can.

[ScoutNut 147]

At our council Fall recruitment meeting this week, this subject was brought up. We were told that the ACLU has stated that it will NOT sue the BSA for having schools chartering units. What it will do is sue the SCHOOLS, the districts & the school boards. To prevent our partners from going thru this, the BSA is having their councils change the charters. Most are being picked up by the Parent Associations & other private groups connected with the schools. Private schools are unaffected.