Boy Scout council 'devastated' by United Way cuts -program for inner-city children lost

philly.com ^

[chance33_98]

Boy Scout council 'devastated' by United Way cuts

The board chairman of the local group said a program for inner-city children would be lost.

By Linda K. Harris Inquirer Staff Writer

The board chairman of a regional Boy Scouts council said yesterday that the group was distraught over the loss of funding from the United Way.

On Thursday, the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania voted to cancel the second half of a $400,862 grant for the Cradle of Liberty Council because the council reneged on its adoption of a nondiscrimination policy against gays. United Way also cut the second half of a $17,901 grant to the Boy Scouts' Chester County Council, also because of discrimination against gays.

"We're absolutely devastated by this," said David H. Lipson Jr., Cradle of Liberty's board chairman. "We met with United Way. We told them clearly that we're trying to bring about change. It's evolutionary rather than revolutionary."

The United Way had been working with Cradle of Liberty representatives for two years on the issue of discrimination against gays. The United Way has a policy of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation and does not provide funds to organizations that discriminate.

The Boy Scouts of America won a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2000 that upheld the group's decision to fire an openly gay scout leader.

Since that time, the United Way has targeted its Boy Scouts grant money exclusively for the scouts' Learning for Life Program, which was organized in the schools. Anyone could participate.

In its public statement released after the announcement of the funding cut, the United Way said it had "determined that there was not sufficient organizational separation between the Learning for Life program and the overall Boy Scouts organization."

Lipson, however, mourned the loss of the program for inner-city children.

"It's character-building training for kids, how to be a better citizen," Lipson said. "I don't know how we're going to do this. The program cost $600,000 a year, and United Way gave us $400,000."

Jennifer Hathaway, spokeswoman for United Way, said yesterday that the response to the agency's move had been low-key, partially because United Way president Christine James-Brown had spoken to many people in the community before the decision was made.

"The corporations locally said this was aligned with our policies of nondiscrimination," Hathaway said.

The Cradle of Liberty Council voted unanimously in May to adopt an antidiscrimination policy regarding sexual orientation. The move was directly related to negotiations with United Way and was an attempt to bring the local council into compliance with United Way's nondiscrimination policies.

But when the national Boy Scouts of America organization learned of the local council's decision, it immediately threatened to revoke the Cradle of Liberty Council's charter and to replace the board.

The local council succumbed to the pressure and ousted a South Philadelphia Life Scout, Gregory Lattera, who announced he was gay.

"The irony is that we are a council that is working to bring about change in the Boy Scouts," Lipson said. "It can't be done in a day. We've learned that."

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[watchin]

First of all, consider how you'd feel about a young man wanting to lead a girl scout troop. Uncomfortable with that?

As for your argument against a homosexual/pedophile link, you'd better get past the emotions and do some homework. Simply looking at the statistics, comparing the percentage of homosexuals in the population with the percentage of homosexual child-molestors - one finds that they are forty times more likely to molest children than heterosexuals.

Of course, homosexuals avoid the percentages, and would rather focus on the raw numbers, citing the fact that more heterosexuals than homosexuals are child molestors. Remember that they are only a small percentage of the population.

Oh, and you might like this picture of Elton John:

Probably no relation to this story, though.

[watchin]

Tim!!

[scripter]

Scripter...please add me to the list.

Done.

You just missed a ping here: Older women urged to become lesbians. As some have said, the gay agenda never sleeps.

[I got the rope]

This is for you Graybeard58...looks like you're right.

United Way and Planned Parenthood in Illinois

[Paleo Conservative]

Up the United Way and their homosexual tyrany funding practices. Give to your local Boy Scouts.

If you can afford it, also donate to Boy Scouts in areas where funding is cut off by the United Way.

[I got the rope]

LOL! The epitome of Trolls.

[Paleo Conservative]

Our local United Way doesn't support Planned Parenthood. I don't know aboout other cities. You should ask.

As far as I am concerned, we should boycott the United Way everywhere not just the areas of the country where they enforce an extreme leftist agenda.

[GOPJ]

bump

[demkicker]

Looks like we've got to target this particular Boy Scout council:

Boy Scouts of America Council
504 S Concord Rd
West Chester, PA 19382

Go HERE and click View Full Report and you will be able to make a donation.

[ScrtAccess]

"Read this troll "

Nothing like resorting to name calling when you disagree with an opinion, huh! See, I thought the whole idea of the forumn was to share opinions and look at other views. I kind of like people explaining to me why my opinions may be wrong and that helps me decide if they really are wrong. Name calling don't seem particularly productive though.

[EdReform]

Bump

[ampat]

Its like the 1950's again, but this time there's no Joe McCarthy. The marxist liberals have a free hand to destroy this country.

[I got the rope]

Free Republic was never intended to be a liberal debating society. It has a purpose and goals. The long term goal is to promote the cause of conservatism and to work for a return to the constitutionally limited republican form of government as established by our founders. If these are not your goals then I don't want you here. I am defending my first amendment right to freedom of association. I only want to associate myself and FR with people who will work with me to achieve my goals.---Jim Robinson (Owner and founder of FreeRepublic)

[First Amendment]

Regarding the United Way, a friend's husband works at US Cellular, and last year everyone (who works) in the store was INSTUCTED to donate a certain percentage of their paycheck to United Way. Fortunately I read FR, so I told them what United Way does to the Boy Scouts. As a result, my friend's hubby told all his co-workers about UW's hatred towards the Boy Scouts and why, and all the employees at that stores refused en masse to donate to the UW. It was company policy, so all US Cel employees had to do it. Except at this one store. But you can imagine the money.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Yes true, but there's Ann Coulter and Michael Savage. Unfortunately the homo agenda has gotten Michael kicked off the air.

There's also Dr. Laura, but they've succeeded in kicking her off the air too.

Both are still on radio, although here in SF, Savage had to go to another radio station, and he's not on in NYC anymore...

The commies hate free speech.

[First Amendment]

Now, they want to use property and funds that those groups they exluded help pay for, and now because doors are closing thats a problem?

The crux of the matter is that you are being morally neutral. That stance doesn't really work, because you wind up falling on one side or the other. Same sex acts are not morally neutral, nor are they a benign condition like race or ethnic origin. Engaging in same sex acts is a choice, and it is not a good choice. The Boy Scouts also made a choice - a choice to exclude practicing homosexuals from its ranks. And that is a good choice.

Look what happened in the Catholic Church when they DIDN'T make that choice. So to remain morally neutral on this issue means that you side with the homosexual infiltration of the C. Church and the moral devastation that has followed.

IOW, the Boy Scouts have every right - and indeed, every obligation - to protect boys from the known predator influence of homosexuals, and this should be applauded and supported, not the opposite.

[I still care]

Wasn't it a GA congressman that lost the election last year because he did something like this to the boy scouts? Any GA freepers to enlighten us?

The media wouldn't admit it but that's what happened.

[First Amendment]

You must be aware of the many studies showing that at least one third of all molestations are same sex, although homosexuals are roughly 2% of the population. And the "gay culture" is rife with pederastic literature, websites, and clubs. Not only NAMBLA, but the whole concept of adult "mentors" initiating sex with young teenagers is not a hidden current in the "gay lifestyle". Either you know this or you have done absolutely no reading about homosexuality.

[EdReform]

Bump

Choice4Truth

[hattend]

Of course, homosexuals avoid the percentages, and would rather focus on the raw numbers, citing the fact that more heterosexuals than homosexuals are child molesters.

I always wondered about this. If a man has sex with a boy how is he not homosexual (or at least bisexual)? The homos use this as a deflection but a pervert is a pervert, whether they want to admit it or not.