Posted on 05/27/2013 9:02:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Members of GLAAD, a nonprofit organization that promotes LGBT advocacy, was at the Boy Scouts of America's headquarters in Irving, Texas, on Friday – one day after the BSA's national council voted to allow openly gay membership – to advocate for additional policy changes acceptable to the gay community.
Former scouts Dave and Joe McGrath, a father and son duo who both earned the rank of Eagle Scout, biked 1,400 miles from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to the BSA's meeting in Grapevine to encourage the 1,400 voting delegates of the BSA's national council to vote in favor of the resolution to allow openly gay scouts, which passed by a vote of 61 to 39 percent. The ban on openly gay adult leaders is still in place.
On Friday, GLAAD documented Dave McGrath's entry into BSA headquarters to meet with staff and to deliver the LGBT community's 95 objections to their policies. Among these objections is the BSA's standing policy that bans adults who are openly gay from becoming scout leaders and volunteers.
Both factions of the scouting community – the LGBT scouts and traditional scouts – agree that the BSA's policies are now in conflict, because it accepts openly gay membership of students, but when they turn 18, they would then be ineligible to participate as scout leaders.
Many say the BSA's only option is to ask the national council delegates to vote on additional policy changes, possibly as soon as next year, to allow openly gay adults to become scout leaders and volunteers.
During Thursday's press conference outside the BSA's convention at the Gaylord Texan, Tico Perez, BSA national commissioner, refused to answer questions about lifting the ban on openly gay adults.
The policy change for openly gay youth will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, and will impact 116,000 scouting units, according to the BSA.
In a statement released Thursday evening, the BSA reiterated its support for the LGBT community by stating they wouldn't allow the organization to be "consumed by a single, divisive and unresolved societal issue."
"As the National Executive Committee just completed a lengthy review process, there are no plans for further review on this matter," the statement reads. "While people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting."
Justin Bickford, communications director for Scouts for Equality, told CP on Thursday that their next mission is to push for openly gay leadership in the BSA. Many traditional scout leaders contend that gay adults are already serving as scout leaders and are doing so with discretion. Their disagreement is with the perceived sexual advocacy among the few LGBT leaders who were asked to leave the BSA for promoting their agenda.
John Stemberger, the founder of OnMyHonor, a coalition of scout leaders and parents of Boy Scouts members, consistently reiterated that gay scouts and gay scout leaders were actively participating in the BSA before Thursday's vote, and said there was never a ban on homosexuals in the scouts. According to Stemberger, "the BSA has a nondiscrimination policy," and the ban was on "gay activism" and "flaunting sexuality."
"With great sorrow, this will be last time I wear this uniform," Stemberger, whose coalition opposed membership changes, announced Thursday evening during the OnMyHonor press conference. He said his role will be to facilitate the process of deciding where the newly displaced scouting community will go, after being exiled from the BSA.
Stemberger said his movement includes "tens of thousands of parents, scouts that are disillusioned, troops that are going to fold and chartering partners."
On his website, OnMyHonor.Net, Stemberger has announced a June coalition meeting in Louisville, Ky., to "discuss the creation of a new character development organization for boys. We will host a national coalition meeting of former BSA parents and youth leaders who wish to return to timeless values that once made the BSA great."
Elizabeth Pritchard, the pack committee chair for Pack 928 in Southlake, Texas, told CP that she's been calling the American Heritage Girls to ask if they plan to start a program for boys. One program that has been announced is FaithBasedBoys.org, a newly created interdenominational organization for boys 5 to 18, that is scheduled to launch in the fall, and will receive guidance from American Heritage Girls.
Others who are departing the BSA en masse are waiting to see if the Royal Ambassadors, a Southern Baptist missions organization for boys in first through sixth grades, will be expanding their program to include the estimated 200,000 to 400,000 scouts who will be leaving the BSA.
From my years of observing how Mormon policy evolves, it seems they have weathervane spirits. Whatever keeps them viable as a political organization. Well I think their weathervane just got pulled into a tornado this time.
The diabolical thing is, it is almost impossible to forgive, which goes along with the other thing that Jesus said, that it is harder for a person to get into heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
GLAAD should mind their own business and go away, but BSA has indeed made a big mistake.
A healthy dose of caution is called for, however some singles might well have the right heart.
If that can't be done, then your 2nd option, disband and regroup, is all that's left.
You have to ask them. Though, they are allowing open gay members in their church now. Doesn't seem okay to me. Romney did not allow the Boy Scouts in the Salt Lake City Olympics opening ceremonies since they refused to allow gay scouts. Romney was the person who had the control of that. I am not buying it was just one group caving. I think it was planned for a long time on the inside by political correctness and weakness. Imo.
To forgive does not mean to forego caution. Forgiving does not mean making yourself a doormat or never saying no or pretending that what was wrong wasn’t wrong. It ultimately means turning the matter over to an almighty God who, if He can see even a chink of an opening in the sinner’s wicked armor will use that to try to win the sinner. And sometimes He even uses humans as part of His actions of winning them.
The once proud Boy Scouts of America has been highjacked by NAMBLA (the North American Man Boy Love Assoc). Keep your kids away!
I think in this case the spectacle could be helpful... by all means GLAAD please do jump into this thing with all fours and one swollen dong. Maybe the BSA leadership will be shocked into doing an 180 here.
“Homos wants themselves some young, fresh meat!
Any parent that is stupid enough to keep their kids in the the Scouts frankly deserves to have them molested. The BSA is a disgrace to everything it once stood for.”
Sane parents will!!
The ones who don’t? Those are the same parents who “let” their boys sleep over at Michael Jackson’s home even after the first charge of child molestation. We all know why those parents “let” their children stay at Jackson’s house.
I hope so, but I won’t hold my breath.
“They caved into their largest donor, The Mormon Church, for one thing.”
->Did the Mormon church want Homosexual activists to take over the BSA?
“You have to ask them”
I was asking you. But now I’ll drop it. It was just a feeling you had, not a fact.
Well the Jackson situation was different. They wanted the vicarious fame of the kids rubbing elbows (though it appeared to be more than elbows by the time this thing was through) with Jackson.
Come to think of it, maybe BSA is similar. Parents want the prestige.
Well, a held breath can’t be used to pray!
Lord! I admire the left. These Sodomites and their leftist supporters never give up. The Sodomites want the young boys, and set out to get them, and did get them. They are within millimeters of fulfilling their hearts desire.
If we on the right had the leftist intelligence, organization, media savvy, creativity and patience we would be in control instead of losing on such critical issues. Just think of the possible expansion of homosexual Sodomy!
You can play on words..like want..and seem to be fair..
Quit admiring the left and how about admiring the Lord God Almighty who never stopped being Wonderful? He tells us that if we are jaded it isn’t His fault... it’s ours. He’s not going to put on vacuous entertainment shows to a dulled people, but if we rediscover Him in praise, then the power will pour out again.
You said the Mormon church was complicit and when asked you said I was supposed to do the research.
that’s a waste of everyone’s time and attention and it is a play on words and logic.
State the facts of your accusations against the Mormon church or drop the slander, please and do keep me out of it.
It clearly defines who the good guys and bad guys are.
We will not win the battle with our words or our fists.
We will win the battle by changing hearts.
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