Second, I respect anyone who has already decided to leave Scouts. Initially, I had swung to several alternate possibilities - and I have considered many alternatives.
But for now, I see no immediate reason to flee.
That may come, but for me it is not yet the time.
My interest and the purpose of this thread was to seek legal council and guidance for anyone (like me) who is convinced to stay- and hopefully change the system from within. I am not at all interested in the "go or stay" debate. For me, for now, that is settled.
For your consideration, I offer a quote from a letter written by the Alliance Defending Freedom to the BSA:
“Boy Scouts are charged ‘to do the right thing,’ and this is the right moment for Boy Scouts leadership to set the example and do the right thing: defend Scouts’ honor,” said Senior Counsel David Cortman. “For generations, the Boy Scouts have stood firm on certain moral principles that have successfully shaped our nation’s boys into leaders. The Constitution protects the Boy Scouts’ freedom to promote the values that have defined the organization and to ensure that its leaders and members adhere to those values.”
“Boy Scouts of America was founded upon rich and timeless principles. It shouldn’t give in to intimidation or abandon its values,” said Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley, who is an Eagle Scout. “Its leadership should defend the Scouts’ honor and stand strong on the principles that have made the Boy Scouts one of America’s most revered institutions.”
“We write to alert BSA to the legal consequences of giving in to the demands of those who oppose or wish to change BSA’s values,” a summary of the letter to the Boy Scouts states. “Giving in will not alleviate their demands nor will it avoid legal liability for BSA or its many local councils, charters, and troops. It is not legally necessary for BSA to sacrifice its history or its principles in the face of growing threats.”
I do not quote this for the purpose of defending my decision to stay but to set the stage for what the ADF says about the risks of staying. The referenced ADF letter,
"...affirms BSA’s values but warns that an inconsistently applied policy nationwide could open the door to lawsuits. Activist groups could seize upon an inconsistent policy as supposed evidence that the policy is no longer essential to the Boy Scouts’ mission, and local councils and troops could be exposed to individual litigation, the letter explains."
Obviously, our Unit has virtually no control over nationwide policy and its consistent execution. We only have control over the policy that we set locally. For us, consistency with God's Word is paramount. As long as the National policy does not infringe on OUR policy, we can continue.
The BSA National policy includes this (and is marked as having been updated on March 15):
While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.
So, I believe that my Unit must establish Bylaws, or adopt Resolutions that establish a firm commitment to the ideals of the BSA coupled with the biblical tenants of the chartering organization. For our part, we must maintain harmony - both with the stated National policy AND with our church's doctrine. The National policy may change - but OUR policies will not. (REMEMBER: IF a conflict arises, we will join those who, in good conscience have already left BSA.)
I welcome your comments, or advice related to the subject of mitigation of the risk of exposure to legal action while continuing to operate a BSA Unit.
Thank you.
I'm not necessarily asking this in just the context of homosexuality, but in any instance where a kid wanted to join. How DO kids join your troop? Are they all just default members of the Church which sponsors it? That wasn't the case in my troop in the 70's, where we had plenty of friends of members who were outside the Church. Just interested in knowing.