Unite or Divide

When the BSA was challenged to expand its universality, to open the tent wider and give more people the benefits of membership we refused. We saw it as a diminution of our standards to say that they could be interpreted locally and ceded the local control of our movement to a central entity that decides what is moral for the rest of us. We traded the opportunity for our membership to learn reverence for diversity for claustrophobic exclusivity.

We do not serve our youth well by promulgating fear and disdain for others who do not think as they do. We would serve them better by demonstrating how we can find common ground with those whom we disagree.

The Scout Oath and Law are a declaration of rights as well as ideals for conduct, an expansive set of principals. They are drawn not to exclude but to include, not to punish but inspire, not to divide but to join together.

In a nation that is in a deep cycle of divisiveness Scouting could exert a powerful influence for unity.

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Reverence

Comments

[Peter]

I've been reading your posts about inclusivity in Scouting for a while. It's pretty sad to see how reactionary and conservative the BSA is. Something we have been very lucky with here in South Africa is how inclusive the movement has been. My grandfather was a district commissioner- and his parents fought against the British (including BP) in the the Boer war. During the apartheid years a number of scouters spent time in jail as political prisoners, including the recently retired chief scout, Nkwenkwe Nkomo.

Dogmatism and Conservatism are NOT the founding values of the Scouting movement-I can understand your frustration with the BSA's policies

[Chuck Charbeneau]

As a former scout, I am truly saddened by the BSA's stance. I was looking forward to scouting with my children in the future, but now it's not going to happen. I cannot condone or support a group that declares on the side of discrimination while holding the development of our children's moral fiber in their hands.

The narrow minded and ignorant views of people on this issue are sad, and I think Steven Spielberg had the right of it in removing himself and his name from the BSA.

[Chuck Charbeneau]

I think that just by being a member, you endorse it's beliefs. That isn't to say that I won't be active in trying to change the group's point of view, etc, as I think it's core goals are sound. I just think that the current leadship is narrow minded and shallow.

My wife and I are just now starting to have children, so hopefully we will see change in the future.

[Chuck Charbeneau]

My wife and I were chatting about this last night, and I have to say it here, because I failed to in my posts, that I respect you for your efforts and continued deligence to the core scout values.

I don't have a little one to put in scouting yet, and I will probably have to rethink my stance on my involvement once I do. thank you for your work, and if you keep writing, I'll keep reading.