As a Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster who now helps young men in our troop reach the rank of Eagle, here are my comments:
1) Boys of the age of 6 can be in Cub Scouts and then get to Boy Scouts at the age of 10 1/2.
2) I always tell the young men that there are two ways they can fail to get their Eagle rank during a board of review: if they say they don’t believe in some heavenly power or if they say they are gay. Being gay DOES keep a Scout from being a Boy Scout because of the “morally straight” part of the Scout Oath.
3) Boy Scouts does not despise homosexuals. Rather, it’s all about being appropriate and setting priorities. Just as a young man who sires illegitimate children isn’t morally straight, so is any young man who places his sexuality above all other priorities. In the case of this young man and many others, you must decided whether being a gay activist is more important than being a Boy Scout. You can’t have it both ways. Boys Scouts does not want to be involved in sexuality—to do so is ENTIRELY inappropriate.
I stand corrected. You and gunny are correct.
See my post to gunny for more detail on why I stated what I did.