Posted on 05/14/2013 8:26:16 AM PDT by MacNaughton
Sometime during the week of May 20, about 1,400 delegates representing Boy Scout troops from across the country will gather in Texas and vote on a proposed policy that, if passed, would allow openly homosexual boys to be Scouts while continuing a ban on homosexual leaders. Most conservative Christians oppose the proposal, so the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have engaged a high-profile advisor to help them make their case: Ralph Reed.
WORLD learned that Reed, founder of the Christian Coalition and now president of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, has arranged meetings and conference calls between Christian conservative leaders and BSA officials who support the pro-gay resolution. According to John Stemberger, founder of OnMyHonor.Net, a group opposed to the policy change, “After the introduction is made, the BSA officials try to convince these top conservative evangelical leaders to support the resolution by finding friendly media venues to discuss it.”
Reed confirmed in a phone conversation with me that he had arranged conference calls in an attempt to be a “peacemaker” in the process. He said he had not personally participated in the calls and acknowledged he is paid a small retainer by the Boy Scouts. Reed would not disclose the amount of his fee except to characterize it as “de minimus.” “[I would] deeply resent any implication that I am helping this policy to pass.” he added. “I am on record opposing a change in the current policy. Period.”
Stemberger, though, called Reed’s comment “doubletalk.” Regardless of Reed’s intention, Stemberger said, “these calls could not help but further the resolution.”
Among the conference calls Reed has set up, one was between the BSA and executives at Salem Communications, the largest Christian radio company in the country. Salem executives had no comment on the content of those calls but published a short editorial statement that aired on most of Salem’s approximately 100 radio stations. Read by Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and a member of Salem’s editorial board, the statement said in part:
“The central authorities of the Boy Scouts of America have announced yet another compromise position on how they propose to deal with the issue of homosexual leaders and Scouts. This came just a year after the Boy Scouts insisted that it would stand behind its ban on openly gay scouts and scouting leaders. But then, earlier this year, they floated a compromise policy amounting to a ‘local option’ for troops. After the outrage from that proposal, the new proposed policy will require all troops to accept boys without regard to sexual orientation, but they will retain an outright ban on openly homosexual adults serving as scout leaders. As one mother said, ‘I knew they would try to split the baby in the end.’ And that’s exactly what they have attempted to do again. In the end, it will please no one.”
UPDATE: In an email to WORLD, Ralph Reed stressed “my 43-year involvement in the Boy Scouts, the fact that I am an Eagle Scout, [and] the fact that I sit on the executive board of one of the most respected local councils in the country [the North Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts (– incorrect – it is either the Northeast Georgia Council or the Northwest Georgia Council)].” He said his role was to “facilitate a dialogue.” Neither Reed nor the Boy Scouts would say how much the organization is paying Reed.
http://www.scouting.org/filestore/media/324-168.pdf
BSA’s 2011 Annual Report – 46 pages
This was released in early 2012. So, some of the members of the BSA National Executive Committee may be outdated. But it is a good starting place.
1. the President , currently Wayne M. Perry (owner, Seattle Mariners)
2. the immediate past-President, currently Rex Tillerson (CEO, ExxonMobil)
3. the executive vice-president and the vice-presidents.
In 2011, BSA vice presidents included Terrence P. Dunn, Randall L. Stephenson (CEO, AT&T), Lyle R. Knight, Nathan O. Rosenberg, Jack D. Furst, O. Temple Sloan Jr., Earl G. Graves, Drayton McLane Jr., Bruce D. Parker, Matthew K. Rose, Henry A. Rosenberg Jr.
4. the regional presidents, Stephen B. King (Central), Arthur F. Oppenheimer (Western), Robert J. Smith (North-East), David M. Weekley (Southern)
5. the international commissioner, Jim Turley (CEO, Ernst & Young)
6. the national commissioner, Hector Perez
7. the treasurer, Aubrey B. Harwell Jr
8. the assistant treasurers, R. Thomas Buffenbarger
9. the chairman of the Advisory Council, R. Michael Daniel
10. the Chief Scout Executive, Wayne Brock
So, you cannot be an executive for a large company and be on the Board for the BSA without HRC blackmailing your company to dictate your stance on gay issues as a BSA Board member.
Yeah, it really doesn't matter if it is gay leaders or gay scouts, the end effect will be the same - a compromised organization that no morally straight person will want to be a part of.
The BSA will be opening themselves up to numerous lawsuits involving gay scouts. Not to mention false allegations.
Do they really want to go down that road?
The homosexual advocates are forcing this too much. It is becoming tantamount to a “rape.”
(ie forcing power over another)
The new-new-new-new proposal just communicates this was always doomed to failure.
The two sitting on the board should just tender their resignations.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3019369/posts
Ralph Reed: No Change of Position on Boy Scouts
Newsmax ^ | Tuesday, 14 May 2013 01:49 PM | Jim Meyers
Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 1:24:07 PM by Olog-hai
statement posted on NewsMax by Ralph Reed:
"My relationship with the Boy Scouts began 43 years ago and continued as I became an Eagle Scout, a vigil member of the Order of the Arrow, the father of two Scouts, and a member of the executive board of the North Georgia Council (this is troubling – the council is actually the Northeast Georgia Council - why would he make that simple mistake?) of the Boy Scouts. To be clear, I support the current membership policy of the Boy Scouts and have said so publicly. The Scouts approached me and asked if I would help foster a conversation with the faith community, which I believe is beneficial to all parties involved and can only strengthen Scouting. My role was to facilitate a dialogue based on mutual understanding and respect. At no time have I acted as either a spokesperson or an advocate for the Scouts or a change in their membership policy.”
Reed also made his position clear on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV back in FEB 2013, saying it would be a "grave mistake" for the BSA to change its policy on gay members.
Read your profile and info from David Horowitz (a favorite of mine) about John Ayers, father of Bill Ayers. Just WOW!!! And the father, CEO of Con Ed, supported his son's activities. All you need to know. Glad I took the time to read your profile.
If the boy scouts goes homo, parents need to get their sons out. No two ways about it.
Homo sexual perverts have been deeply ingrained in the scouts for decades. Before the 80’s victim law suits, when there was no resistence, homo pervs had an prganized, unhindered National field day manipulating perverting boys.
You are confusing WORLD magazine with a supermarket tabloid that has a similar name.
It’s not the supermarket tabloid.
World is a respected evangelical publication. Marvin Olasky is the editor-in-chief.
One of its senior writers helped write Sarah Palin’s book, “Going Rogue: An American Life.”
Ok this is really not good for Reed. What is there to make peace about? Peace isn’t defined by giving homosexuals/liberals their way. The question is whether you want open homosexual boys going on campouts and influencing your young boys. What happens when Joe the token homosexual scout takes a liking to a younger impressionable scout mate? What if a backward kid who hasn’t had any experience with girls is encouraged to think they might be gay? Are those the kind of merit badges we want our kids earning?
Homosexuality has no place in scouting. An individual that feels they must express their gay sexual identity is exactly not the kind of kid that should be in scouting.
What they are trying to do is appease big corporate prohomo donors. Right now this change is set to be voted down. A majority of those who will be voting do not support it.
Thank you. Very disturbing.
Homo abuse happened to two men in my family in the 70’s.
Seriously, get the boys out if they turn homo tolerant again.
It’s about letting openly homosexual scouts join.
The scouts include boys ages six to nineteen.
;God created everything and life works as He created it. It is obvious from public health info, we should not ingest the bacteria homos do.
What I want to know now is where Ralph Reed stands on the Boy Scout decision. If he's going to defend what the Boy Scouts just did, he'll be acting against the stances of the Assemblies of God and Southern Baptist Convention.
I don't think Reed is foolish enough to try that. We'll find out soon.
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