"D" Decisions

New Years Day has passed. Have you made New Years' Resolutions? Have you already failed to keep them? Instead of resolutions, I'm trying to make new and better decisions. To make a resolution is to make a promise to yourself, ie. I will diet and exercise and lose weight. I make this resolution every year. Sometimes with some success. In order to do this, I daily have to make decisions on what to put into my mouth.

This year I had to make a decision. I had to decide whether or not to continue as Merit Badge counselor for the Boy Scout Winter Camp. As much as I disagree with the new policy to admit gay boys into Scouting, after much prayer, I decided to volunteer as I have in the past because boys in Scouting would suffer without Christian leadership.

My belief is that if a boy cannot honestly pledge (Boy Scout Oath) to be "morally straight. To be a person of strong character..... be honest and open", and honor the Boy Scout Law which includes being clean ("keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He chooses the company of those who live by high standards) and reverent "toward God", then the boy should choose a different organization, not Scouting..

In my many years as Assistant Scout Master and Merit Badge Counselor, I've repeatedly taken training in Safe Scouting which includes always having two deep leadership to discourage any inappropriate behavior between leaders and youth.

However, with gay scouts being recognized, and gay men's attraction to youth organizations, I fear that our training and awareness will not continue to protect your sons and my grandsons.

This new year we all have decisions to make. May we Pray about those decisions and make the morally correct ones.