Cub Scout Pack 230
An Open Letter To The Capitol Hill Community
The
position expressed by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America
regarding gay Scout Leaders has stirred controversy in our community,
especially among members of our Cub Scout organization. We would like to
explain our feelings for our friends and neighbors, and we welcome your
feedback (use the link at the end of this letter).
To briefly
summarize the background of this issue, it exploded when a previously obscure
suggestion that gay Scout Leaders are inappropriate role models was challenged
in a legal process that ended in the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court ruled
that the Boy Scouts of America has a Constitutional right as a private
organization to set standards for its membership.
The right to set
membership standards was the legal issue, but it erupted into a debate about
the standards themselves. The issue of gay Scout Leaders became paramount,
overshadowing the basic goals and ideals of the Scouting program. Frankly, this
has been a distraction for the better part of a year and we need to move on and
get back to the basics.
Some of our
members are engaged in personal efforts, making their opinions and intentions
known to the Boy Scout regional and national councils. We are facilitating
these efforts, but the Pack Committee has decided to let each family and its
members participate as they see fit because this is so personal.
For the record,
the official Boy Scouts of America response to the Supreme Court decision,
posted on its Web site, states that "Boy Scouting makes no effort to
discover the sexual orientation of any person."
We want our
Capitol Hill friends to rest assured that Cub Scout Pack 230 is still the same
family of boys and parents it always has been. For some of us, this debate may have clarified or affirmed our moral convictions, but neither
the Supreme Court ruling nor the exposure of a previously unknown
"policy" has changed the way we think or feel about ourselves and
others.
We might not all
agree on the particulars, just as we respectfully disagree about many
controversial issues. But we do all agree that we want our children to enjoy a
rich and full childhood that will prepare them for the challenges of life. We
want them to share character-building experiences, to learn new skills in a
safe environment, to enjoy a sense of achievement and to become good citizens.
We want them to value public service, tolerance, respect, friendship, trust,
honesty, fairness, justice and freedom. These are the same values and ideals
embraced by the Scouting program, and that's why we participate in it and
dedicate ourselves to making it work for all who want to share in it.
Our Pack doesn't
judge anyone on the basis of race, religion, ethnic heritage, socioeconomic
status, political persuasion, personal opinion, lifestyle or any other
characteristic. Instead, we promote the common interests and shared values that
transcend our differences. We insist only that our children be protected from
harmful influences of any kind, as we do in Soccer on the Hill, the Capitol
Hill Baseball and Softball League and all other youth organizations. And we
welcome anyone who's willing to contribute his or her valuable time and energy
to the enrichment, fun and learning for our boys.
David
Melendy
Committee
Chair
Cub
Scout Pack 230