Posted on 06/03/2013 7:29:38 AM PDT by Kaslin
This past week has been pretty devastating for me as a long-time supporter of the Boy Scouts. My own two sons grew up in Scouting, and, with their hard work and encouragement from my wonderful husband who was a Scout Master, they both achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
I treasure the time our family spent involved in Scouting - and always will. My heart is broken to realize that the finest institution for young men our country has ever known has grown cowardly, and has disappeared into the great vast wasteland that is modern popular culture.
The recent decision by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to allow “openly gay” youth to become members of the Boy Scouts was nothing short of a betrayal—a betrayal not only of the values scouting has represented for decades but also of the families whose support for the Scouts has spanned generations.
The roughly 1200 delegates who voted on the proposal represent but a fraction of the Boy Scouts’ membership. Their decision was not motivated by a strong and insistent clamor from their membership to change things. It was brought about by the strong-arm pressure tactics of the homosexual lobby, using the contrived protests of a few members for symbolic effect.
Council members assert the fiction that their decision is not a statement about the morality of homosexuality, but merely a compassionate decision to open wide the doors of scouting to even boys that reject scouting's core values.
The blunt reality is that young boys who “come out” are implicitly, and perhaps explicitly, embracing a whole set of “givens” that conflict with the Scouts’ promise of being morally straight. And the moral standards the scouts proclaim on paper will be drowned out by the homosexual advocacy that comes with being “out.”
Does anyone really think that the homosexual pressure groups are going to stop with the admission of kids who declare their homosexuality? Of course not.
Contrary to public perception, the proposal to admit adult homosexuals into leadership was not voted down, it was simply not voted upon. It’s just been taken off the table for now, in a nod to the incremental approach.
The Scouts have lost any coherence in their original mission and message. It’s worth noting that the law does NOT require the change in Scouts’ policy: the ban on homosexual members was upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court, which affirmed the right of the Boy Scouts to remain true to their mission and decide, on a principled basis, who may become a member of their group.
How ironic: After years of successful battles to maintain timeless principles, the BSA has fallen by their own hand.
How to Save Your Family: Embrace Courage, not Appeasement
Some argue that the Boy Scouts’ decision was inevitable, a reality-driven move in light of declining corporate contributions (again, because of pressure tactics), shrinking membership numbers, and changing public positions on homosexuality.
Those are weak, unprincipled positions not worthy of the Boy Scouts I knew. Just when our culture needs courageous voices to uphold traditional standards of morality, the Boy Scouts have chosen instead to appease the insatiable demands of homosexual pressure groups. They have decided to teach our children that political expediency matters more than principle.
So what to do?
Scouts and scouting families must search their hearts and find the courage of their convictions to decide if they are going to stay and fight to try and resurrect the BSA - or if it's time to take a hike from scouting for good. No amount of political pressure or million dollar publicity campaigns can change the fact that homosexual behavior is neither "morally straight" nor personally liberating, and we need to continue to make that case whether in or out of the organization.
And all parents should use this sad moment to explain to young people, in particular, that the freedoms we hold dear will not survive if the moral fabric of our country continues to crumble.
As those of us who have left scouting and now mourn the death of the BSA, let's bind up our broken hearts and resolve to continue to honor the many leaders, families and churches who worked so hard over the years to build the character of young men through scouting.
And to all former scouts - especially the Eagles - I urge you to write down your own treasured scouting memories so that you can share with your own kids one day what it was like when the Boy Scouts of America stood for principle and truth.
RIP, BSA.
there should be no room for any kind of sexuality in youth organizations.
The BSA shall become but a mere shadow of its former self, as its moral standing is now vastly diminished. A good many of the current sponsors will continue to maintain a cadre of youth who are expected to conform to the former standards of Scouting, but they won’t be called “Boy Scouts of America” any longer. Maybe something like God’s Youth, or Young Pioneers, or even something inspiring like “America Reborn”.
There does exist a parallel organization, called “Camp Fire”, a co-ed organization of youth, which was once known as “Camp Fire Girls”. Different organization than Girl Scouts of America.
This is what I plan to do. I will tell my boys that I want them to take everything they can from Scouting, as my oldest is just starting his Eagle Scout project. But to remember that homosexuality is a sin against God, and is also a filthy dirty life style, un-natural and unhealthy. The fact that some people are addicted to sin and filthy dirty lifestytles, is nothing new.
Enjoy your life and leave room for the hopeless sinners. We can’t save them, and are not called to save them. Pray for any boys you meet who claim to be gay, and have pity on them, as we are called to do.
Understand if others have to leave the organization, because God is sovereign over the Scouts, no matter what it looks like to our Earthly eyes.
Go for the Eagle and don’t let the turkeys get us down. That is all we can do.
I disagree.
Reverse the vote. Now.
Reverse it.
This thread on a troop marching the Salt Lake City ‘pride’ parade-
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3026483/posts
Also Scouts participating in the color guard posting the colors-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj0r-ogeq34&feature=player_embedded
Watch the video, at 3:27 the homosexual choir alter the words to the Nation anthem. I can't make out what they said but by having at least one person in BSA uniform on stage holding the American Flag during this is disgusting and unpatriotic. So much for duty to country.
BSA is committing suicide by political correctness.
I don’t think they have the nerve to do it. But I would like it , if they did. I just have learned that most men will appease, not fight. Feminism has won. I pray for better for my children’s generation, but this generation gives in on everything.
I would disagree, but each family needs to make its own choice. Our family will be done by end of the year. I am the Scoutmaster and our two sons are on the Path to Eagle, and just recently made OA. My wife was on the committee. BSA has been corrupted throughout its top leadership, and it will get worse. Remember that Randall Stephenson one the folks who pushed this from the inside is next in line for the top spot.
By remaining I would be telling our sons and the boys in the troop that I give my tacit approval to this policy. I will not do that.
The only way to stay true to the Scout Oath and Law is to leave BSA.
Even the National Catholic Committee on Scouting has decided to stand with the gays. (see http://www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php). The letter from its chairman is available on the link.
Homosexual lawyers and their perverted allies in black-robes are where 98% of the blame rests. The BSA was simply backed into a corner by those that promote the access of male queers, both adult and the young, to young male targets. Sandusky is simply one of the few that got convicted, 99% of them escape reporting and prosecution.
Young Pioneers was the name of a Soviet era youth group, not a good choice.
No support and no contributions ever-after.
Three points ...
1. Since the disastrous 1970s, BSA membership has been constantly eroding from 1980 to current.
2. The BSA National Executive Committee stated back in APR 2013, that based upon BSA's 2012 membership of 2.6 million, they, at worst, could expect a membership loss of 13% and a gain of <1% due to reaction to the new membership standard. IMO, this SWAG seems realistic.
3. Girl Scouts-USA began its moral descent 20+ years ago. They are still around with ~2 million members.
... There does exist a parallel organization, called “Camp Fire”, a co-ed organization of youth, which was once known as “Camp Fire Girls”.
Campfire-USA went co-ed in the 1970s and has also gone politically correct in that it does not discriminate according to sexual orientation.
In my view, the root of their problem was money
The Boy Scout National Council receives much of its funding from corporate sponsors, such as UPS, Merck, Intel. The gay mafia went after those corporations to threaten the Boy Scouts.
When it came down to it, the folks at the National Council would never put themselves out of a job over this issue. Like many national organizations that become complacent and corrupt with time, they probably have some people at HQ who accept the whole progressive, gay thing as well.
The local and regional councils are totally self-funding (as I understand).
the national council sowed the seeds of their own destruction when they became reliant on corporations for their funding.
The United Way largely killed the BSA when they withdrew their funding after the BSA won their supreme court case. I will never give to the United Way and urge others not to support them as well.
This was a letter I wrote to Wayne Brock back when they were considering voting to allow gay leaders in. It still applies to the change in policy to allow openly gay Scouts.
“As a former Cubmaster and Scouting parent, I read with great dismay the letter on your website regarding the proposed change in the policy regarding sexual orientation. This proposed policy claims that Scouting has always been concerned about doing what is best for the young people that you serve. Add my voice to the list of those who will surely tell you in the coming days that a change in this policy will NOT serve those children well.
Your proposal states that “there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation.” This is false. Currently, the national policy disallows homosexual leaders and members. If you remove the policy, you are in force and effect ALLOWING homosexual leaders and members to participate, so whether the policy is written or not, Scouting will have implemented a policy that reverses course and allows what was previously disallowed.
The culture we live in is groaning with changes, and most of them are not good changes. Our kids are exposed to more sex and violence and swearing and examples of public figures who engage in dishonesty and corruption than at any time in our history, and with the ubiquity of cable television and 24 hour news and entertainment channels, the exposure is constant and nearly inescapable. As Scouting parents, we tell our children that “right” and “wrong” aren’t just words, but concepts that have meaning, and that they have to stand against the tide of change in the world. For over a hundred years, Scouting has been a constant that we could point to. When news of the so-called “controversial” policy would come on television, it always offered an opportunity for parents to answer questions that would be asked, or to ask some questions of our own and offer explanations about why Scouting’s stand in this area is important. For many kids who have non-religious parents, the stand by the Boy Scouts was the ONLY opportunity they might ever have to hear that there were reasons why allowing homosexuals in Scouting was not a good idea. By changing policy, you will be removing that potential for our kids to learn a positive message, and you will, instead, be telling them that in the face of withering criticism from politicians and the pop culture, EVEN SCOUTING will bend with the wind and do what’s popular instead of what’s right. You will, in effect, be endorsing homosexuality as an organization.
Your proposal also states that “BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.” Will there be an official list available detailing which local organizations allow gay members and leaders? If not, then you’ll be doing a disservice to those who want to continue in Scouting without those influences, and what happens the first time that a local organization that doesn’t want to allow homosexuals is challenged by a family that wants in anyway? If you do provide such a list, however, then you will in fact be endorsing “homosexual-friendly” units, which would clearly mean that Scouting will have become a “homosexual friendly” organization. Again, you can’t claim to not have a national policy, when the lack of a national policy that once existed leads to proliferation and official sanctioning of something that the policy previously banned.
Change this policy at your peril. Doing so will be the first horn sounded on the march towards the death of Scouting as we know it.”
I think the leftists’ god Hussein and IRS reminded BSA that as of several years ago, they were the nation’s 12th largest non-profit TAX-EXEMPT organization....
FU BSA!
I don’t blame you at all. I just refuse to take this away from my kids. Scouting has been a really important part of our lives. These are long friendships and efforts that leaders have put in to get my guys to Eagle. I am just not going to toss it aside.
But I do not discount your opinion. I understand it. This time, I am going to stay and just make noise about it every time I can.
The biggest problem with the homosexual agenda, as I humbly see it, is that it becomes an all-consuming desire to project perverted sex into every conversation, every situation and every context. Queers have been having sex for centuries, but it has always been a silent affair. Now, the absolute deafening roar from the gay lobby is consuming everything in its path. In an effort to be ‘accepting’, the BSA has become yet another mouthpiece for the massive rainbow machine. Whether or not their leadership intended it, they have been hijacked by the homosexuals.
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