Please forgive me for the belated reentry into this discussion. I got slammed
by "back-to-school" for family and with housing needs.
I know that my choice to enroll our son may have offended many dear friends,
and I hope they believe I will continue to advocate for change from within. I
hope for and work toward equal opportunity in many areas, including in
conversations with my children and other kids that I mentor.
Jim's point about people "in the mainstream" works in many directions.
My experience of scouting at the local level is that many of the children are
not in the "mainstream".
Scouting helps inner city kids gain access:
to safe, well supervised pools
scholarships for and transportation to amazing camps
dedicated leaders
friends across religious, class and color lines.
Children of professors meet and cooperate with orphans. Recent immigrants
exchange recipes, idioms and cultural information with multi-generation
Americans. The families with cars provide rides and those without cars make
other contributions. Scout meetings are a place where the "Catholics",
"Publics", "Privates" and "Home Schooled" meet on equal ground. The meetings
and outings provide many benefits that can not be easily replicated in time to
best provide opportunities to the generation coming up, in west Philly today.
My experience of the local leaders is they are generally compassionate,
fair-minded people and NOT homo-phobic.
The Scouts are seen as children and scout meetings are not where these painful
debates take place.
On the rare occasions when children might overhear leader conversation
regarding the offensive policy (e.g. during the recent law-suit), they would
probably learn that their specific leaders and the Philadelphia leadership is
against the national policy.
I look at the best men I know, and many have benefited from the experience of
scouting. This includes many of my gay friends.
Scouting ends with the 18th birthday.
In my ideal world, sexual acts would be off the table for children under 18 and
children would not be made pawns in the agendas of politicized adults.
Bottom line for me, is I am not prepared to dismiss the opportunities that
scouting gives inner city kids, unless and until equal opportunities can be
made available to our kids.
I chose to believe that reasonable policies will ultimately prevail.
Further, I believe that some of today's scout will grow up gay.
I believe most of the kids, (straight and gay), will take much of value from
their scouting experiences.
I believe the experiences of childhood form the adult, and that scouting,
especially in our diverse, SFDS troop, can help kids become more tolerant
adults.
Meanwhile the contra-contributions of Jim and Dan and Frank voice the realities
that anger, pain, sorrow and alienation are the fruits of prejudice. I hope we
all grow in cooperation and compassion and that children who have the greatest
needs, (or most to give), are not turned away from scouting by fear or
prejudice or social stigma.
Best!
Liz
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Jim Cummings <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 16:24: -0400
Dan points out an interesting perspective: people in the "mainstream" have the
privledge of deciding when to go with their values and when to ignore so as to
get on with life. If you are part of oppressed group waiting until the world
will treat you with justice can get in the way of having a life. The Philly Boy
Scouts have said that they do not discriminate on sexual orientation despite
being part of an atavistic national organization.
and I have never witnessed Brain being smug.
Jim
On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 4:11 PM, Dan Widyono <[email protected]> wrote:
Greetings Frank,
That's a very large leap and assumption of the motives of any parent who
enrolls their child, although I'm aware of the source of your concern. �I
myself am displeased with the BSA's continuing stance against openly
supporting homosexuals as a first-class part of our society. �However, I
do
not begrudge those who are seeking to enrich all the other areas of their
boys' lives through a mostly healthy and social-outreach oriented group.
Perhaps when they finally accept as part of their "list of official
religions" any religion which openly promotes acceptance of homosexuals and
actively campaigns against groups which discriminate on this basis, will I
feel better about enrolling my son. �Only then will he also feel that our
religion is not worse, or wrong, or not accepted by another group that he
admires.
Even now, though, I do applaud all the positive work that they accomplish.
Dan W.
On Thu, Sep 02, 2010 at 07:35:30PM +0000, [email protected] wrote:
> � �I recommend that if you want to promote bigotry and
> homophobia then by all
> � �means join the boy scouts!
> � �Frank Sarlo
>
> � �Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
> �
> �---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> � �From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
> � �Sender: [email protected]
> � �Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:25:51 GMT
> � �To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>;
> � �<[email protected]>
> � �ReplyTo: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
> � �Subject: [UC] Boy Scouts recruiting for new members as the
> new School-year
> � �begins
>
> � �I noticed signs are posted to recruit Boy Scouts and thought
> I'd volunteer
> � �that my experiences with the program at St. Francis de Sales
> were mostly
> � �wonderful. �I recommend that parents investigate and
> consider enrolling> � �their sons. �The link provided
> was [1]www.BeAScout.org
>
> � �The De Sales Scouts meet as follows:
> � � � � � � � �Cub
> Pack 352 on Fridays from 7 PM-8:30 PM
> � � � � � � � �Boy
> Troop 152 on Wednesdays from 7 PM-8:30 PM
> � �Show up a few minutes early to meet leaders, introduce your
> kid and sample
> � �a meeting.
> � �De Sales troops have been culturally, ethnically, racially
> and religiously
> � �diverse. �The boys have benefited from experience of
> inter-dependence
> � �and finding common ground.
>
> � �Cub Scouting is for boys in the first through fifth grades,
> or (ages 7-10
> � �if home-schooled).
> � �Each Boy must join with an adult who will attend meetings
> and activities
> � �and share leadership responsibilities. �Cubbing
> strengthens family
> � �relationships, introduces boys to a community beyond school,
> and helps
> � �build character, citizenship training, fitness and life
> skills.
>
> � �Boy Scouting is for boys who are 11-18, (or at least 10 and
> completed
> � �fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award).
> � �Boys experience vigorous outdoor activities, including
> 4-season camping.
> � �They rotate peer leadership responsibilities. They pursue
> merit badges in
> � �the process developing skills and acquiring experiences that
> range from
> � �using tools to planning trips and agendas, to chairing
> meetings. �In past
> � �years the scouts of St. Francis de Sales have enjoyed
> outdoor activities
> � �including Biking, Climbing, Geo-caching, Hiking, and
> Scuba-Diving,
> � �Swimming. Scouts also team up to help Eagle Candidates
> complete projects
> � �that serve our community. �In recent years this
> included building and
> � �stocking a Library for homeless families, promoting
> recycling, converting
> � �a littered lot into a beautiful community garden, running an
> inclusive
> � �public Halloween event and creating an incentive program for
> children with
> � �Diabetes.
>
> � �Venturing is coed, for high School kids and teens, (13-19).
> I am not sure
> � �if SFDS still has an active Venture troop. �But I
> know some local girls
> � �who had some remarkable adventures (including learning to
> juggle and
> � �unicycle, camping, swimming, etc.) as recent members.
> �If not still
> � �active, I hope parents with kids who can benefit from this
> program will
> � �organize to reactivate it. �The Venture program
> encourages positive
> � �experiences through exciting and meaningful youth-run
> activities and
> � �adventures. �It helps teens pursue their special
> interests, grow by
> � �teaching others, and develop leadership skills.
>
> � �Volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America is an
> opportunity to help kids
> � �and work toward a better future families and the community.
> � �Scouting volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and
> experiences,
> � �and include young adults, through housewives, construction
> workers and
> � �folks with Ph.D.s.
> � �Scouting experience is useful but not critical.
> � �Often, Volunteers start as Cub parents and continue as Scout
> Leaders.
> � �For many leaders the opportunities to camp at beautiful
> sites, learn new
> � �skills and build lifelong friendships while having fun, is
> almost as
> � �meaningful as the good they do for their own kids and the
> other children
> � �of the troop.
>
> � �Children grow up fast. The time we invest in our kids today
> will make a
> � �difference in the people they becomes tomorrow.
>
> � �Elizabeth Campion
> � �PRUDENTIAL, FOX & ROACH REALTORS, LLC
> � �210 W. Rittenhouse Square, Suite 406
> � �Phila, PA 19103
>
> � �215-790-5653 Desk & Voicemail
> � �215-880-2930 Cell & Emergency
> � �215-546-9781 Shared office Fax
>> � �[2][email protected] �or
> � �[3][email protected] for Rental questions
>
> � �Link to Photos of available Listings and public, 'social'
> photos:> � �[4]www.PicasaWeb.google.com/CampionEF
>
> � �To check out all PFR and Multiple Listed Properties and
> � �to review CONSUMER NOTICE, link to> �
> �[5]www.PruFoxRoach.com
>
> � �!
>
> � �____________________________________________________________
> � �[6]Globe Life Insurance
> � �$1* Buys $50,000 Life Insurance. Adults or Children. No
> Medical Exam.
> � �CoverageFor1Dollar.com
>> References
>
> � �Visible links
> � �1. http://www.beascout.org/
> � �2. mailto:[email protected]
> � �3. mailto:[email protected]
> � �4. http://www.picasaweb.google.com/CampionEF
> � �5. http://www.prufoxroach.com/
> � �6.
> http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3142/4c7fec7e9cca69e812bst06vuc
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