Posted on 04/26/2013 1:43:57 PM PDT by NYer
There’s deception going on in the front office of the Boy Scouts. It includes deliberate misrepresentation of polling data, and threats to pack an upcoming meeting with anonymous and unqualified voters so that the Boy Scout policy on homosexuality gets forced on the majority of Scouts and parents who don’t want it.
The Boy Scouts are considering changing their policy of not allowing open homosexuality in either their Scout or leadership ranks. The policy has placed the Boy Scouts in the buzz saw of the zeitgeist and up until recently they have resisted. There are some weak-kneed leaders who want to throw over the policy and appear willing to violate the Scout Law to do it.
The Scout front office released the result of a national survey and “listening” process that purported to show that the Scouts—boys, parents, leaders and donors—favor a change in the policy. The Boy Scouts say the process reveals great changes in attitudes and that a majority of those at all levels of Scouting “tend to agree that youth should not be denied the benefits of Scouting.”
This was dutifully and even triumphantly reported in the mainstream press. The only problem is the news reports were wrong. And the news reports were wrong because the Boy Scouts misrepresented the results. One close observer of the Boy Scouts calls the poll “a pack of lies.”
Do Scouting parents want to overhaul the policy and allow open homosexuality in the Scouts? The Executive Summary of the Poll says, “yes”, but the numbers say “no.” Fifty percent of Cub Scout parents support the current restrictive policy while 45% oppose it. A whopping 61% of Boy Scout parents support the current policy.
How did Boy Scout leadership get anywhere near the assertion that a majority of those in Scouting support homosexuality in Scouting? Part of what they did was what is known as a push-poll, a questionnaire designed not to elicit an accurate opinion but one designed to change opinions.
Here’s the most sympathetic scenario presented to the respondents: “Tom started in the program as a Tiger Cub and finished every requirement for the Eagle Scout award at 16 years of age. At his board of review Tom reveals he is gay. Is it acceptable or unacceptable for the review board to deny his Eagle Scout award based on that admission?”
Read this way, you may conclude that it is not right or just to deny Tom his award. Even so, the numbers show that a majority of parents still continue to support the current policy.
What is going on here? Deception, that’s what. There is a small group on the Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts who want this policy to change. What they face is a membership that largely opposes the measure. So, they try to get their way by lying about a poll. But there is more deception than that.
The Executive Board took up the issue a few months ago and after a tsunami of protest punted the issue to a vote of their National Council set to take place on May 20th. There are usually 1400 voting members of this body who qualify through strict criteria. Insiders have been told there may be an additional 2,000 voting members at the upcoming meeting. Who are they? The Boy Scouts leaders aren’t telling. Are they trying to pack the meeting? It sure looks that way.
A group of Scouting parents have grown alarmed over these deceptive practices and have hired not one but two lawyers to represent their interests and not just their interests but the interest of fairness and making sure the Boy Scout Executive Committee sticks to their own by-laws that are very clear about who can vote. There are legal issues here and this whole process could end up on court.
On the eve of the vote the Executive Committee will make a presentation on this issue to the National Council. The Executive Committee is the group driving this change and is the group presenting these deceptive numbers. You can be sure in that meeting there will be no presentation from supporters of the current policy, and you can be sure the Executive committee will continue to spin their deceptive tale about how most of Scouting is fine with open homosexuality in the program.
All this goes to show once more the lengths of deception that some will go to advance an agenda that is offensive to most Americans. They cannot win an up or down vote so they lie about a poll. They cannot convince regular people so they have to pack the meeting.
The number one item in the Boy Scout law is to be trustworthy. The process ought to be stopped and there ought to be a housecleaning and all these untrustworthy guys should get the boot.
According to the BSA file on him, Slusher was first caught molesting campers in Germany:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/110542554/Boys-Scouts-of-America-Floyd-David-Slusher-File
He was arrested in Colorado, where he is incarcerated with a life sentence.
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&biw=1600&bih=721&sclient=psy-ab&q=Floyd+David+Slusher
Point taken, but I have read the book. For the sake of full disclosure, conservatives need to know what the written record is so they can "Be Prepared." I take no joy in this discourse.
... Whatever may have been the truth, he sure as heck built a lot of good men and developed character in generations of men that made the West tower above the rest of the world.
Yes, he did. His earlier biographer, Bill Hillcourt, painted what is generally considered the "officially BSA sanctioned" biography. "Green Bar" Bill was/is a legend in BSA. On a related note ...
1/28/2013 - Terry Howerton, founder (1994) and owner of the heavily used web-site, http://www.Scouter.com, posted a column for Forbes magazine at Forbe’s website entitled, “The Business of Scouting and a Crisis of Our Own Making.” Howerton is an Eagle Scout with 20 years volunteer service in scouting as an adult. He wrote …
“… When I was 19 years old, I met — then lived with, and traveled the world assisting — 1 of the great mentors of my life. He was 91 years old, and William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt was renowned as 1 of the founding fathers of the worldwide movement of Scouting. … There’s no doubt in my mind how loudly William Hillcourt would have screamed until this (exclusive membership) policy had been changed … in my opinion, and 1 shared by millions of parents with kids who could benefit from Scouting, the corporation that administers Scouting in America lost its moral compass a long time ago. …”
>>I take no joy in this discourse.
“The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true.”
—Albert Einstein
Nobody said being eternally vigilant was gonna be fun.
Nobody said being eternally vigilant was gonna be fun.
Ahhh, 1 of my favorites - well played, Sir!
1750–1817 - John Philpot Curran, Irish politician, Curran’s dictum
“Eternal vigilance is the price for liberty.”
I remember Bill Hillcourt’s page in ‘Boy’s Life’ when I was a kid. I believe I was in the last phase of the ‘old’ Scouting method. In the 1970’s, they began to push the idea that they had to be relevant. Historic methods were tossed and fashionable methods took over. A few years later, women began to take over troops and roles in the system. The logic always was: ‘Well, if men won’t do the job women will’. Perhaps it is just another failed legacy of the Boomer generation or maybe Scouting was irrelevant to the culture. I don’t know. I do know that what it taught me probably served to keep me somewhat sane in my growing up years.
Sad, sad, sad. Commensurate with the death of a nation.
I have ticked off several bosses by refusing to donate to (dis)United Way.
We must be kindred spirits ... I Eagled-out in 1972 and caught a wisp of what was coming down the pike ...
1972 – 1979 – At the end of the 1960s, BSA National saw the underserved communities, primarily in urban areas, and created a new "Urban Emphasis" program. The BSA's modernization was consistent with similar trends in Scouting all over the world starting in the 1960s. Much of these changes could be seen in the 8th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook used from 1972 - 79. The junior leader system, known as the “green bar patrol” was renamed the Leadership Corps. A significant uniform change in the Boy Scout program was made when BSA dropped the traditional garrison cap and adopted a red beret. The rank requirements were changed such that a scout could earn the First Class rank without ever going camping. A tidal wave of frustration arose among veteran scouters who accused the BSA of “taking the outing from Scouting.” The change was so drastic and unpopular that by 1976 long-time veteran scouter, William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt, began writing the 9th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook to bring back the outdoor camping skills that were omitted in the 8th edition. The Leadership Corps also went back to the “green bar patrol” system, now referred to as the patrol leaders’ council. The Urban Emphasis program was the forerunner of the Scoutreach Division of BSA which was created in 1994 to provide service to rural and urban areas and to minority populations.
Actually, the program did go back to some of the old ways starting in 1980 with the new handbook. I started as an assistant scoutmaster in 1981.
... A few years later, women began to take over troops and roles in the system. The logic always was: ‘Well, if men won’t do the job women will’. Perhaps it is just another failed legacy of the Boomer generation or maybe Scouting was irrelevant to the culture. I don’t know. ...
10/07/1975 – POTUS # 38 GRF signed Public Law 94-106 which permitted women to enroll in the U.S. military service academies.
FEB 1988 - BSA dropped its ban against women in all leadership roles in Boy Scout units. Women had previously been allowed to hold support positions in troops and all but 2 positions in Cub Scout packs.
APR 1993 – SoD Les Aspin Jr. reversed the “risk rule” that had limited the scope of women’s participation in the military, opening up thousands of formerly banned combat-related positions to servicewomen. Women became eligible to serve aboard combat aircraft and combat surface ships, but were still prohibited from participating in direct combat.
FEB 2010 - SoD Robert Gates approved the proposed policy and signed letters formally notifying Congress of the intent to authorize women to serve onboard submarines. After receiving no objection, the Department of the Navy officially announced the policy change on 4/29/2010. The 1st group of 24 U.S. female submariners completed the 10-week officer basic course in JUL 2011 at New Groton, CT and then went to nuclear power school in Goose Creek, SC. They officially reported on board 2 ballistic and 2 guided missile submarines in NOV 2011. They will be outnumbered by men by a ratio of roughly 1 to 25. The enlisted ranks, which make up about 90 % of a sub's 160-sailor crew, are not open to women although the Navy is exploring modifications to create separate bunks for men and women.
1/24/2013 – Outgoing SoD Leon Panetta lifted the U.S. armed services' ban on woman serving in combat. He reversed the 1993 policy which kept women out of those positions. It could open up thousands of front-line jobs to women in Army and Marine infantry units.
... I do know that what it taught me probably served to keep me somewhat sane in my growing up years.
It was, and still is, a great program for adolescent boys. It is still worth fighting for. Lots to do between now and the annual National Council business meeting on 5/24/2013.
Sad, sad, sad. Commensurate with the death of a nation.
Things are grim all over and statistics, trends, and culture are all pointing in the wrong direction. Post-modern era Christians in the West are about to get a dose of harsh reality, i.e., persecution. We were never promised good times on earth, only eternal salvation if we maintain and live the faith once delivered.
Thanks for the information - all good points. For me, there will never be another time like boyhood in the outdoors with my handbook nearby doing the thousand one things we did in those days with the goals of the program firmly in mind. If I forget my name from dementia someday, I’ll bet I’ll still remember the Scout Oath, Scout Law and Motto.
But even the devil makes mistakes—look at what happened with the Trayvon Martin defenders who tried to lynch a “white man” for “stalking” and killing an innocent black child. They are in it up to their necks. Arrogance can act like a boomerang coming back and hitting you in the teeth.
It is easy to see how Alinsky’s methods are being used by the Democrat Party but the fool Republicans do not push back. If they at least had some guts they would put them on the defensive. I am listening to Judge Jeanne Pirro, right now. I greatly admire her because she has strong beliefs and isn’t afraid to say them. I wish she would run for office, we need more people like her. I also like Michele Bachmann because she has the same fighting quality. Ronald Reagan was also a happy warrior.
Agreed.
1564-1616 - William Shakespeare: “The devil can cite scripture for his purpose.”
4/03/1965 – Renowned ABC radio commentator Paul Harvey (1918 – 2009) 1st delivered his “If I Were the Devil” essay over the public airwaves. He continued to edit it and deliver the refined/updated versions over the ensuing years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Az0okaHig
Alinsky’s dedicatory to Rules for Radcials (1971):
"Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very 1st radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins — or which is which), the 1st radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom - Lucifer."
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist." Dialog line spoken by petty criminal Roger 'Verbal' Kint, alias of violent international criminal mastermind, Keyser Söze, in the 1995 Hollywood neo noir film, “The Usual Suspects.”
Most of the national GOP members of Congress and the RNC are gutless. We have to face the reality that courage and leadership must be excersized in the individual states by citizens and politicians at the local level. Look for courage in those church denominations which have not been corrupted by the world. Not all of us are going to survive what's coming down the pike, but then again, our Christian forefathers already set the example during the persecutions of the Roman Empire - and the faith survived and spread!
Amen.
The new Scout Song, everybody sing along...
It’s fun to stay at the G.B.S.A.
It’s fun to stay at the G.B.S.A.
They have everything, For young men to enjoy.
You can hang out with all the boys!
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