Posted on 04/07/2005 4:30:23 PM PDT by neverdem
TIMES-DISPATCH GUEST COLUMNIST
Washington. This August, a diverse cross-section of American boyhood will eat, camp, learn, and work together during the Boy Scout Jamboree. For nine days every fourth year, the Boy Scouts of America's tent city -- which includes 35,000 scouts and 8,000 adult volunteers -- more than doubles the population of Caroline County, Virginia. At Fort A.P. Hill, a military training center about 40 miles from Richmond, Scouts from every state learn about conservation, practice archery, go rappelling, and study citizenship.
As it has done every year since 1937, the United States Army, which runs the fort, will send along 1,400 personnel for a one-of-a-kind-training opportunity in the vast logistical challenges of running an enormous tent city. The military provides no direct support and gives no money to the Scouts. And it gains more than a unique training experience: Since the Jamboree moved to Fort Hill nearly 25 years ago, the Boy Scouts of America have invested $15 million to build tent pads, improve drainage, and install electrical wires. Except during the Jamboree, the military and dozens of other organizations, public and private, can use these facilities free of charge. Since 1972, Congress has formally recognized and authorized the military's role in helping the Scouts.
THE JAMBOREE, however, may not continue this way for much longer: A New York-based special-interest group has sued to demand that the military drop its support for Scouting. A Chicago court will decide the case. Already the military has taken the symbolic action of reaffirming a policy that bars official support for private organizations. Roughly 200 Boy Scout troops -- many of them located on overseas military bases -- may have to find new official sponsors. And, although it is set to go on as planned this summer, the Jamboree's future at Fort...
(Excerpt) Read more at timesdispatch.com ...
This may be the straw that broke the ACLU's and the anti-Scout group's collective backs. The Scouts enjoy a large bipartisan backing in Congress. This may (we hope) cause the congresscritters to grow some cojones and assert their constitutional authority to override the courts.
Ft. AP Hill - I *think* my cousin was stationed there for a while. Either that or my bro.
BSA ping
I trained there when I was in TOBC (Transportation Officers Basic Course).
HEY THERE!! Wasn't sure if it was you or Tim.
This may (we hope) cause the congresscritters to grow some cojones and assert their constitutional authority to override the courts.
This is an atrocity. If nothing else exposes the ACLU as an anti-American organization, this should. They have been pounding the Boy Scouts for years and getting away with it. We have the majority now, so I too hope they grow some cajones and do something about this.
I was on a field problem for three weeks at AP Hill with the 82nd many--okay, many, many years ago. It was all bramble, deadfalls, and armies of man-eating ticks. The notion of 'camping' there leaves me cold.
Dang! I will bust a gasket if Congress lets the ACLU interfere with the Boy Scout Jamboree. My oldest son will be old enough for the next one - he's just turned 11 and started Boy Scouts, after 5 years of Cubs.
This is not a problem. They can still be sponsored by churches on base, NCO or Officer associations, Unit family support groups, or dozens of other options. They'll still be able to use the facilities under these arrangements.
There are ways around the AP Hill thing, too. Transfer the post to the Virginia National Guard seems to be an option.
Yes and no. They've been pounding the Scouts for years, but rarely successfully.
They have been pounding the Boy Scouts for years and getting away with it.
Yes and no. They've been pounding the Scouts for years, but rarely successfully.
Respectfully disagree. I work for the military and they have succeeded in preventing the scouts from utilizing virtually all facilities(even on a reimbursable basis).
I cannot believe I even have to ask this question, but does anyone know of "Senator" Warner's position on this? JoAnn Davis is co-sponsoring this in the House.
If Warner is on the wrong side of this too, I think my head's gonna explode.
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