Boy Scouts of America

As an Eagle scout ( which one you are one your always considered one) I probably have really good prespective on the organization. It gives kids a great chance to experience nature, camping , boating, fire arms, and other activities that they wouldn't be able to partake in sitting on the couch at home. Some may wonder, geez Pete if you had such a great time as a boyscout why only 3 stars? Well I'll tell you why, it endoctrinates conservative politics into your kid. You can't be an athesis and be a scout ( well obiviously I lied about that or they would have thrown me out on my ass). Have unwavering and unconditional patriotism toward your country ( don't ever question the way it's govern it's disrespectful), and worst of all it instills homophobia. Homosexuals don't violate little boys, pedphiles do. Some day if I ever have kids I wouldn't steer them away from scout since it is fun for youngsters. However I would rather they discover the organization for themselves much how I did (not... Read more

there would have been a time I would have given this a higher rating. I do not support a group that excludes anyone. I always thought that Girl scouts and Boy scout should be for everyone. Not a group that teaches kids to hate. the idea that a gay leader is some pervert out to molest little kids is just one more prejudice. It is hard enough to find a good leader as it is. I would not let my special needs child join boyscouts because the leader was a PTA mother who was the worst troublemaker gossip in the school. I overheard a conversation she had boasting that she had already picked out who the bad boys were in the troup and she had a " bad boy" chair she had set aside she would punish them with.Real nice leader HUH?The troup had not even started and she had already named the boys she planned on punishing.The boy scout and girl scout troups should welcome every child it should be all about acceptance instead of rejection.   It would be a fine group if they really did include every boy.

I have no problem with an openly fascist youth recruiting organization existing within the borders of this country, as long as they don't insist on using schools, publicly funded facilities or other tax-payer owned parts of our "common wealth" - but I wish that the "Fellow Travellers of the Far-Right" would quit lying about their history, their intentions and their agenda.I was a member of the Boy Scouts way back when I was a kid but their absurdly misplaced ideas of what constitues "morality" and "virture" were already becoming real anachronisms - even 30 years ago. Today, they've become even more of a laughing stock. Church youth camps, tent revivals, the Boy Scouts and even Lord Baden Powell himself have direct ties back to such horrors as Camp Nordland, Camp Siegfried and Camp Hindenburg.The reason this nation has had four American Fuhrers and sent hundreds of thousands of our children off to religiously-themed Hitler Youth Camps that helped them grow-up into adults capable of goos... Read more

It really is great to see someone standing up against the homosexual agenda to make normal certain, but not of course, all human deviant behavior. Certain deviancy is politically correct and certain deviancy is not politically correct. As to the charge it is terrible to discriminate against someone because of sexual preference, well we do that every day. We even ban incest between consenting adults. Imagine the state inserting its power into our bedrooms to keep brother and sister from,... well, you know. Isn't that just horrible! Hypocrisy is rampant in political correctness if you just stop to examine it.

I've been involved as a scout and adult leader, and I have to admit, some of the stuff they do is corny. But they also do a lot of good stuff too. My boys worked at a charity and packaged 6000 meals for starving people in third world countries. We went to sporting events, camping, hiking, guided tours of businesses... We always try to keep the meetings fun, and give the boys things to do. We have always kept the religion stuff private (do it at home with your family), and the patriotic stuff is infused with discussion of rights and responsibilities, not just mindless flag worship. I also do not like the current bunch of fascists that are running scouting into the ground from the top. By refusing to loosen the line on gays and atheists, they are cutting out people who dearly love this organization. I would guess that the majority of scout councils operate on a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" type policy, and most in leadership don't really give a crap if someone is gay or doesn't believ... Read more

I had some of the best sex of my young years in the boy scouts. Nevertheless, the are run by those freakish shame fetishist christian and mimic fascist paramilitary organizations. I say ban them from the planet. Send those kids to art camp.

Although I was a Boy Scout, I can not and will not condone an organization that discriminates according to sexual preference. I do agree they have the right to discriminate, so long as they forgo public financing, but I will not support them myself. There are some very good alternatives popping up, and my children will partake in those efforts instead. Updating to respond to EO: I don't care if there is only one gay person on the planet. If he or she is being discriminated against for whom he or she is, I don't want any part of that organization. I see no difference between this discrimination and racial or sexual discrimination. The south's moral code served it well for centuries. So what? Tolerance? Tolerance for homosexuals? Atheists? The homophobia and religious extremism wasn't present when I was a kid. I was an atheist at the time, and openly so, and I was welcomed. The religious right has since acquired a stranglehold. Second update (there really should be a forum ... Read more

I lasted about 2 weeks with this group before utter boredom set in and I quit. I thought it was going to involve camping, which intrigued me somewhat, and yet all we ended up doing was tying knots and rote-learning "moralistic" guidelines and good-citizen dogma that sounded too much like Sunday-at-Church for my youthful taste and emerging adolescent rebellion. Even then, the Scouts seemed anachronistic and dull, and that was long before all the gay-Scout-gay-Scoutmaster controversy got started. Even then, it seemed a more appropriate venue for my Grandfather than it was for me.

I quit too, got as far as a couple of badges into the thing before it got dull. While they certainly do some admirable things, and teach you some useful skills, it's a very square, corny, Norman Rockwell painting/ Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler kind of thing,very dated and smacks of the year 1915. Didn't help that the leaders there were the kind of nutjobs that I often grew up with and find the most sad and embarassing , the Northeast Archie Bunker types who scream about communists being in the woods and other nonsense and pepper their far- right rantings with cruel, stupid , and totally irrelevent anyway epithets about Asians and Blacks. I'm sure that's not the case usually, but it was for me anyway. Which is not to say that it's bad for everyone, if you like it that's fine and I hope you get enjoyment out of it, it's just not my kind of thing.

What absolutely silly drivel. They do so much good, for so many young men, their parents, their communities, etc. But you, in your infinite wisdom, condemn them for refusing to abandon the moral code that has served them well, for how many years? Because they won't allow someone to serve as a scout leader because he CANNOT adhere to and uphold THEIR moral code in a capacity of leadership and trust. Oh, because you know so much more about morals than they do. And tolerance. And perspective, too, I suppose. Once again, the challenge: cite a credible survey that indicates that more than one percent (ONE PERCENT!) of the population is gay. A credible survey or census by an organization without a pro-gay agenda. This is the tail wagging the dog, folks. Anything to demonize an organization that does so much good. UPDATE: It isn't discrimination if an applicant is not able to agree to the terms (the moral code) of the position. It's not like they spring it on them at the last m... Read more

I'm going to get hate mail for this but here goes. . .this was the lamest, gayest, most anti-American thing I ever experienced as a kid. . .dressing alike and pretending to give a sh#t about other people? Puh-leeze. . .camping trips in the cold. . .structure that wasn't helpful. . .the fixed pinewood derby. . .that rulebook meant to get little-badges-for-my-shoulder. . .I told my mom I was quitting these commies or I'd run away from these closet kid-touchers. . .good thing she listened. . .

The Boy Scouts is a great organization. I am an ASPL, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader for those of you who don't know, I have to deal with making decisions and with getting my troop to listen to me. I have learned life long skills and I'm going kayaking this summer.

The Boy Scouts of America have had a bad rap lately but, just like the girl scouts (I myself was a former GS), it teaches boys responsibility, leadership, and lifelong skills. They're a great group of well-disciplined kids.

I have a handful of gay friends, believe they have every right to live their lifestyle (even if I disagree with it), and think that hating them is pretty sick and wrong. However, the simple fact that pursuing a gay lifestyle is against the Judeu-Christian belief system of the BSA makes it pretty clear that they don't belong in the orginization. How is their any possible disagreement with that? When you fill out the leadership application in the BSA you agree that you believe in the Judeu-Christian God, live a life according to his design and follow the Scout Oath and Law. Leading a homosexual life agrees with none of those. Having feelings is one thing, pursuing them is another. TriSec, they have NOT diverted from their original purpose, the world has just changed and the BSA has refused to change their standards while the world does (and yet the same people that advocate change whine about the world going downhill). And, point of order, the BSA is not a non-profit organization, it's a... Read more

breeding ground for homosexuality. they all get together and make crafts and talk about football players. some of the gayest stuff in America i've seen at boy scout meetings.

I am a lifelong Boy Scout, and I very sadly rate the organization a '1' until it ceases being a discriminatory, homophobic, and hypocritical organization that has been diverted from its original purpose by religious zealots.

Sorry. There is no legitimate reason why gay men would WANT to be placed in position of authority or leadership over the training of straight boys unless it was to recruit them into the gay lifestyle. The Boy Scouts of America are correct in their decision to exclude gays from leadership positions. As the United Way has removed support from BSA in so many cities, I have removed my support from the United Way. I'll donate to individual orgs., but not to that umbrella group. Boy Scouts of America has been a mainstay of American Society since its inception. It is founded on Christian values and homosexuality is not one of them. End of story.

Nice point Freethrow. Just like any straight man who puts themselves in a leadership / teaching position involving young girls clearly wants to seduce them. There's no other possible interpretation. I say down with co-ed everything - it's just too much of a risk.

The Boy Scouts of America is a fine organization, commited to teaching the youth of this country (girls included through Explorer Posts) the values and freedoms that make this nation great. This includes the right of a private organization to include (and, by definition, exclude) those whose beliefs and lifestyles do not fit with the morals and ethos of that organization. I am a (former) Eagle Scout and I recently found out that a leader I have known for nearly ten years is homosexual. This neither surprises nor bothers me. It didn't surprise me because, like I said, I've known the man for years. It doesn't bother me because, although the Boy Scouts has an exclusionary policy regarding homosexuality, it also teaches tolerance. A bit contradictory, perhaps, but true. I do not agree with the Boy Scouts' position on homosexuals. The reasons stated by the BSA just don;t hold up in today's society. I do, however, support the national council's assertion that as a private organization... Read more

A fine organization. Takes itself too seriously? That statement is too ironic to be believed.

Excellent group. They have a right to include or exclude whoever they want to since this is, unless it changed overnight, still America. Liberal fascists need to back off and stop infringing on the rights of groups they don't like. Liberals are causing all of these groups to become disenfranchised.

Outmoded, exclusionist, homophobic sham that takes itself too seriously, and is the darling of rightwingers because it is so. Yet another do-gooder American charade that contributes little positive good to the country: just mere feel-good windowdressing promoted by conservative and heartland phonies while the issues and problems faced by our youth are prossly ignored by the political right that aggrandizes this relic organization.

A great, great organization for boys and young men. A number of homosexuals have succeeded there, but the militants of today NEED to be excluded. Despite their unsubstantiated protests, homosexuality is NOT normal. That does not mean anyone should hate them, but it does not mean that we should have to condone their behavior anymore than we would any other unnatural act. Many, many homosexuals have come out of homosexuality and lead perfectly normal lives - so they aren't born with it. Keep the militant homos OUT of the Boy Scouts - They can procreate, they MUST recruit!

I am an Eagle Scout of the Boy Scouts of America. I have seen how boys in this organization, including myself, have grown and prospered through its teachings in the scout law and oath, being physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Recently this great organization was attacked for the very roots of its beleifs, that boys be brought up to hold good moral values that they are taught by leaders who share those values. Because of those beleifs, and the justice of the United States Supreme Court (not some stupid little court in New Jersey) the BSA has stood firm and kept its tradition of morality. As to those little split-offs Gay Scouts and Scouting for All, I guess they add a twist to the idea of backpacking, don't they?

Despite their questionable policy of excluding gays from being troop leaders, I still have faith in the Boy Scouts of America, and as an organization that allows America's youth to engage in activities that benefit all of society, I don't understand why it is so low on this list. While I personally believe that gays should be allowed to be troop leaders (as someone else pointed out, most molesting cases consist of a heterosexual molesting a young boy or girl), I think that as an independent organization, they have the right to exclude gays if they chose. Then again, sexuality is a private matter, is it not? So why should it even be considered when considering anyone for troop leaders? Do they have the question "Are You a Homosexual?" on the applications? I'm pretty sure that they do not. So what is the big deal? I'm sure there are some gay troop leaders out there, and they are there because they know that their sexuality is a private matter that is not to determine their employment. Se... Read more

An incredible organization of dedicated people, who work tirelessly for the young men they serve. If more boys had the opportunity to be part of this fine organization this would be a better world.

I'm glad they have stood tall against allowing deviants within their organization. You sick freaks think it's a GOOD IDEA to obsess about being gay in front of YOUNG IMPRESSIONABLE BOYS? Please piss off. The Boy Scouts is about BOYS being BOYS and learning lessons relating to real life. Homosexuals live in a fantasy world. sorry, but what you choose to do with your sex life has NOTHING to do with CHILDREN, unless, of course, you are some sort of deviant.

I was a Boy Scout in the early '50s, when it was difficult to achieve racial integration in Boy Scout Troops in many parts of the U.S. (I lived in Missouri). Eventually, the Boy Scouts banned racial discrimination, but they have now made the decision to reinforce another prejudice, against people whose sexuality is different than ours. Until the Boy Scouts are willing to accept humanity in all its variations, I will not return to supporting the organization.

The BSA is chartered by the United States of America. Sponsering organizations such as churches, Lions Clubs, and others own all the troop equipment. Scouts and their leaders own only there personal equipment. The Boy Scouts believe in God. They are taght to respect the religions of all others. If gays have a religion,their right to practice it is respected by the Boy Scouts of America. Scouts and scouters, the real ones, don't want gays in their brotherhood, but will fight to the death to defend gays right to live in complience with the laws of our country. Have you made an effort to charter the Gay Scouts of America? If you have a Gay Scout handbook for boys under 18 let me know. I will buy one. On a more personal note, I really think you are different from us straights in more ways than sex.

The Boy Scouts certainly has never made a good PR move, but lets face it, the media loves liberal ideas. The BSA has stuck up for what is right. Now anyone who thinks that gays have no effect on boys, think again. A boy being around a gay person, and even being just friends with a gay person, is suceptable to being gays. If our young spend enough time around homosexuals, the more they will think its ok, and the more chance that they become one. The Boy Scouts knows this, and they are teaching the kids what really is right.

One of the greatest organizations in the World. They have the right to thier standards and a right to protect their members from potential child molesters. If only the Catholic priesthood had taken the same protective measures, they would not be in the mess they are in! The BSA devlops character, integrity and gives both privledged and underprivledged children hope and a path to success. The BSA helps the poor and impoverished and the true helpless minorities of this country. God Bless the Boy Scouts!!

The Boy Scouts do a lot to help young men. The organization teaches them a lot of quality behaviors and valuable lessons. It would be a definite 5 if it didnt make such an issue of excluding some of the people who want to be part of its group.

God bless the Boy Scouts! Some of these comments amazes me. How can you say you can't believe that the boy scouts don't want gay leaders in with boys in leadership or authority position. It's common sense, People who deny there is a strong relation between gays and pedophiles are in denial. "In response to danmuse comment that they are born gay" People who say that being gay is something your born with.. thats a lie, there is no gene that makes you gay if there was then God would not have given you that gene and God would not punish you for something that was outside of your control. But lets say that you don't believe in God maybe you believe in darwin theory of evolution .. we came from amoeba's...then fish ... then amphibeans...then monkeys ...then man is walking about on two feet. Wouldn't the very thing that made you gay finally cause itself to be eliminated from our gene pool by process of elimination? No mating with opposite sex leads to no offspring carrying your gene col... Read more

One of the few honest, patriotic, and truly Christian groups left in America.

one of the best organizations that a young male could join. they learn how to be of high moral character,respectful/respectable,disciplined,resour ceful, strong and more intelligent young MEN. they learn things that they will be able to refer to and utilise for the rest of their lives. they also have LOTS of fun and make and maintain strong friendships through boy scouts. they promote higher education and offer some very nice scholarships. this is an excellent extracurricular activity for boys to participate in!!

I think they do get a bit of a bad rap; IMO there basically a good organization that has still made a big mess up. What's hateful are the comments by noah; his comment about liberals was very full of bigotry.

I am an ex-boyscout. I had an incredible problem with the organization. They are incredibly religious, which did not go along all that well with me. I believe religion is importnant, but they do it in excess. They are drunk on religion. They are also an undercover military organization attempting to corrupt/save the youth of America. It depends which side of the spectrum you view. They also are against homosexuals. For a militaristic organization I dont find this surprising. In addition I have seen very few black boyscouts. To begin the slander I will lead off with the words: BIGOT REDNECKS. This is an accurate description of the fanatic leaders of this hate-cult.

I was a Cub Scout, but never went on to being a Boy Scout, mainly because Boy Scouts didn't look like they were having much fun and I didn't think I'd fit in. Just a bunch of unenthusiastic kids carrying out long ceremonies. My brother was in it, and I he went to Boy Scout camp a few times and had fun only once. The survival thing always sounded interesting, but I've never had much respect for or desire to join the BSA. A bias mistake of an organization that could be an enriching experience.

I am losing faith (not that I ever had much in the first place) in the Boy Scouts. Their policy on homosexuals is possibly the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard of. As is their inane policy on atheists. Why are the Boy Scouts leaders teaching boys this discriminating s***? I mean, they should be a good organization, but they need to stop teaching hate.

Discrimination is not good.

It is very difficult for me to decide that this organization is "bad." I was a boy scout myself for many years and even achieved the rank of Eagle and participated as an adult leader for a little while before going to college. It made a big difference in my life and I am grateful for the experiences it afforded: close friendships, unforgettable outdoor adventures, mentoring by caring adults, a feeling of INCLUSION. This last item was perhaps the most important of all... because I was gay. I was not "out" as a 12-year-old or anything like that; I was just a "different" and sensitive kid, labelled a queer and sissy by schoolmates. The comraderie of the scouts was an antidote to the vitriol and cruelty heaped on me in school. Now that the BSA has made its stand against "people like me," what am I to think of the organization as a whole? When I was a scout, my inclusion helped me grow as a person and improved my self-esteem enormously. Would that be possible today? Perhaps so, bu... Read more

They are teaching discrimination!!! They should be concerned about the pedophile not the gay person!

The Boy Scouts of America is making a terrible mistake by excluding gay scouts and gay scout leaders. There is a vast misconception that gays are a bad influence on our boys. That is nonsense. American boys need to know that gays are part of our society and that they are gay because they were born that way, not because they have chosen a particular lifestyle. The vast majority (over 95%) of child molesters are heterosexual men molesting little girls. The Boy Scouts of America should not exclude gay scouts or gay scout leaders. Their sexual orientation is a private matter and has no bearing on their personal obligation as a boy scout or boy scout leader. Stop the misconceptions, fear, and hate mongering that is perpetuated by the Boy Scouts of America excluding boys and men because of a sexual orientation that they were born with. As a heterosexual man, I have taught my sons tolerance, compassion, ethics, patriotism, and leadership. Isn't this what the Boy Scouts of America is chartere... Read more

God bless the Boy Scouts of America for sticking to their proverbial guns. Every American who values the ideals upon which this country was founded, should help the BSA fight the assault being launched against them by the perverts of the political left.