Will Boy Scouts Crater?

I have been a volunteer with Boy Scouts since the mid 1980's, first as an Assistant Den Mother, later an Assistant Scout Master of a senior troop, a member of the Board of Review, and a Merit Badge Counselor.

Since the inception of Scouting in 1910, the focus of the program has been to teach boys citizenship and moral behavior, as well as having fun camping and learning other skills.

I am obligated to take Youth Protection Training yearly, and to follow the mandate of two-deep leadership to prevent bulling, harassment, and molestation of the boys. If these safe guards had not been in place, I would not have allowed my sons and grandsons to participate.

Each Scout is to "Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or Promise, Law, Motto, and Slogan, and the Outdoor Code". ( page 9 of the Boy Scout Handbook).

Each Scout is required to learn and repeat the Scout Oath or Promise at every meeting:
      "On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to GOD and my country and to obey the Scout law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and MORALLY straight. (emphasis is mine)

Each Scout also learns and repeats the Scout Law:
     "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and REVERENT. (emphasis is mine).

No boy is required to join Scouting. Any boy (or his parents) who does not agree with the moral and ethical values of Scouting can join other organizations. 100 years of the traditional, conservative core values of Scouting and its strict no-gay membership policy must not bow to popular culture or activism.

I am not homophobic. I have long standing relationships (kinship and friendship) with family and friends who have chosen the homosexual lifestyle. Although I love each person, I do not condone their self-destructive choices. In each case the person has not been happy with life, or their successive relationships (affairs). What once was "in the closet" has now become popular culture and an issue of funding. Check out the Internet sites to see which big companies are threatening to pull funding support if Scouting doesn't crater and give in.

As for me, if Scouting backs down on its stand I will no longer volunteer.