Boy Scouts of America Finally Updates Adult Leader Policy

[Subby]

Boy scouts has lifted the ban on gay adult leaders and will allow adults of any sexual orientation to lead the scouts http://t.co/73zo80X082

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 13, 2015

[Vince, Pt. II]

The first line:

As a result of the rapid changes in society and increasing legal challenges at the federal, state, and local levels...

Rubs me the wrong way. Why make it sound like you're being forced to do this?

[BillJasper]

About time.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

The first line: Rubs me the wrong way. Why make it sound like you're being forced to do this?

Because that's what it is: a capitulation. No more, no less. It's also likely the official beginning of the end for the organization, which is kind of a shame. Already facing pressure from competing groups, the number of troop sponsorships will be reduced with this move as religious organizations are frequently involved and a fair portion of them will be looking for alternatives now.

Just glad my kid got his Eagle done (and therefore qualified for a variety of college scholarships associated with it) before it gets to that point.

[cartman]

Nowhere does it say that religious sponsored troops have to choose a gay leader. If they wouldn't have one today, they won't have to have one tomorrow.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Subby

Boy scouts has lifted the ban on gay adult leaders and will allow adults of any sexual orientation to lead the scouts http://t.co/73zo80X082

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 13, 2015

If they wanted to do it right, they should have run that picture through the rainbow filter.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cartman

Nowhere does it say that religious sponsored troops have to choose a gay leader. If they wouldn't have one today, they won't have to have one tomorrow.

In many circles the risk is being perceived as too great -- again, this IS all about our litigious society after all -- and the formal association with BSA will no longer be an acceptable one for some sponsors.

With a growing number of options for youth (and a decreased interest in Scouting in the first place), the erosion will be a steady one.

[miked]

Yeah, banning gays worked well for them before, and the catholic church.

I think your skull may be a bit to thick and mishapen to understand that those things, so let me know if you want me to put these thoughts in the neanderthal filter.

[heybrad]

I was heavily involved in Scouts as a youth and an adult. I'm an eagle scout. I worked summer camps as part of an honor scouting organization (not OA if anybody cares). I've been an Asst Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster and I even volunteered at the district level for a short period of time. Jon is right that Scouting is dying but it's not because of this decision. We had gay leaders, gay scouts and gay staff members. Nobody cared. It has no relevancy on the Scouting program. That's the part that the scouter in me doesn't understand. It feels like such a huge deal has been made of this but the reality is, your sexual orientation is not part of the program and if it actively is, you're doing something wrong. I'm happy for those that don't have to hide it anymore, but I just think this is way overblown as it relates to the effects to the actual Scouting program.

[bob]

Why is scouting going away? "Sign of the times / kids are more interested in video games" kind of thing or something else?

[heybrad]

Originally Posted by bob

Why is scouting going away? "Sign of the times / kids are more interested in video games" kind of thing or something else?

Competing priorities. There's a lot more options to choose from now and to be honest, probably a lot more fun options. All that aside though, Scouting bureaucracy has grown like crazy and the costs at the council level have caused many councils to either completely fold or roll into a larger area. Summer camp attendance (at least the SoCal area where I was) has gone down every year.