Hey Ted:
That’s exactly what I was saying this morning to someone…our youth today simply *do not care*.
Gayness doesn’t come up in a typical youth’s discussion with another…and if it does, it is a simple “that’s cool” or “do your own thing, man…” and discussion moves on something else youth-like.
It is we adults who have been getting “out of wack” with all of this “oh my…they’re gonna let the gays in the Scouts…” stuff. Once again, we’ve *had Gays in the Scouts* for some time… those individuals, like most of us, don’t have to bring Gayness in the spotlight no more than we have to bring other aspects of our personal lives up in daily interactions.
Once again, I need to stress that what the National Executive Board is discussing and voting on is a “clean slate” — allowing each and every chartered partner organization the opportunity to decide for themselves if they are “open enough” or not to have Gay, Lesbian and bisexual adults to become volunteers as part of THEIR outreach to Scouting; and whether or not to allow openly Gay youth to become members of THEIR unit.
This isn’t about “gays in Scouting,” open or not. This is simply about CHOICE OF MENTORSHIP and membership. Nothing will change. Some of our chartered partner organizations — Southern Baptists, African Methodist and Free Methodist Churches (AME/FME), LDS, and many business-related firms — have been doing this “restriction” or “calling to leadership” for many, MANY decades with little to no issue or problem.
Our Scout Oath and Law doesn’t change. Our local Councils and the way they approach camping will change. Our youth protection program standards remain as they currently are. From a program, finance, unit service and administration standpoint — nothing changes if they vote “okay” or “nope”.
Some of you will say “wait a minute — finance won’t change?”
No. In my opinion the same reasons why people donate to Scouting today will continue to be the way that they donate in the future if this policy is the way forward. If it won’t be the way forward, finances will continue to flow into Scouting. We have heard this before: in the 80s, people predicted that the BSA would go bankrupt if we allowed females to serve as Scoutmasters and other primary leaders.
Didn’t happen.
And when Councils started closing off their “minority camps” and having all Scouts to attend their camps, yeah…there were places whereby youth and some adults initially made it hard for everyone to camp there…but those folks went away, replaced by adults with some common sense and who understood that the Scout Oath and Law applied to everyone — not just those with fair skin who observed and believed in the Protestant God.
The BSA didn’t fold and go home. James West and Bill Boyce didn’t emerge from the Great Beyond.
They won’t in this case either. So there will be minimal to little impact on the membership policy.
Settummanque!
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Settummanque is writer, retired military officer, dad, friend,
traveler, public speaker, webmaster, Eagle Scout, and/or “sweetie”
(LTC) Mike Walton. South Lake Minnetonka area, Minnesota.
http://www.settummanque.com
Settummanque is writer, retired military officer, dad, friend,
traveler, public speaker, webmaster, Eagle Scout, and/or “sweetie”
(LTC) Mike Walton. South Lake Minnetonka area, Minnesota.
http://www.settummanque.com
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