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Capitol Hill Scouts
Troop 500 and Venturing Crew 500
419 Fourth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
February 14,
2001
An Open Letter To The
Capitol Hill Community
and
Friends and Families of
Capitol Hill Scouts, Troop 500 and Venturing Crew 500
Dear Friends
and Neighbors,
As
many of you may be aware over recent months there has been considerable controversy
and discussion concerning the position that the National Council of the Boy
Scouts of America has taken with respect to the participation of gays,
particularly gay leaders, in scouting. This very public discussion and
resulting events have caused many individuals in our community to ask the
leadership of Capitol Hill Scouts to not only explain the situation but also to
express our position on the matter. We cannot fully address the motives of the
National Council and frankly have no idea what the future will bring. After
much dialogue, education and careful consideration we have chosen to write this
letter in an effort to make public our thoughts and position.
Background:
Capitol
Hill Scouts is an independently chartered, parent led scouting organization
that currently sponsors Boy Scout Troop 500 and the co-ed Venturing Crew 500.
Capitol Hill Scouts has no specific religious or faith-based affiliation.
Although meetings are held at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, the church is not
our sponsoring organization. Participants in our program are diverse with
respect to race, religious background and preference and even gender in the
case of our Venturing program. As an organization we have always valued
diversity and have welcomed anyone who was interested in becoming a part of the
program we have to offer.
Why We Exist:
Capitol
Hill Scouts has always valued and worked to realize what we believe to be the
traditional positive goals of scouting. Among the principal goals and attributes
as we see them are:
1.
An opportunity to learn about and practice responsible
citizenship.
2.
An opportunity to acquire skills which can develop into
deeply rewarding lifetime pursuits.
3.
An opportunity to develop leadership skills.
4.
Healthy fun.
5.
A personal sense of accomplishment that comes from either
the development of new skills or through formal recognition that comes from
advancement and awards.
Each
scout troop tends to take on a personality of its own and Capitol Hill Scouts
has been noted for its commitment to an active camping and outdoor program. In
our short history we are proud of the fact that six young men have managed to
attain scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout. Finally, we are proud of having
made use of scouting’s provision for co-ed programs at the venturing level. Our
Venturing program has made outdoor and camping experiences available to teenage
men and women alike.
Our Position:
We
find ourselves troubled by the position that the BSA National Council has taken
with regard to these matters. As a troop that values diversity and
non-discrimination we are sincerely disappointed by the National Council’s
selective interpretation of some of the scout laws in an effort to justify
their position. Their interpretation of specific aspects of the scout law to
foster a particular moral or political agenda we believe is not in the best
interest of scouting. Further we are committed to operating a program which we
believe is reflective of the values of our families and the community in which
we live.
It
has always been the position of Capitol Hill Scouts that we insist that our
leaders, members and families behave in a responsible fashion. We subscribe to
the National BSA policy that adults always interact with youth in pairs (“two-deep
leadership”) for the safety of the boys and the adults. The sexual preferences of leaders, be they
straight or gay, has never been a topic of discussion in our program and we
frankly question the appropriateness of such discussions. Capitol Hill Scouts
is insistent that all connected with the program behave in ways that respect
all concerned. Should anyone in our program behave in a way that is
inappropriate, intrusive or violates the rights of others, they will no longer
be involved and the appropriate actions will be taken.
Our Future Intentions:
We
remain committed to the positive attributes that scouting has to offer. Our
families and supporters have a considerable self-investment in scouting and for
the most part believe that investment has served them well. We continue to
believe that scouting has significant value and therefore will remain an
officially chartered unit within the scouting movement. It is therefore our
intention to take the following actions:
1.
We will make our position on these issues public and
known to our community and seek a meeting with the National Capital Area
Council to discuss this matter.
2.
We will not
adopt a policy that discriminates against participants based on sexual
orientation, race, gender or religious affiliation.
3.
We will work actively with other troops and councils
across the country to attempt to influence the National Council to re-think and
change its policy of excluding gays.
4.
We will continue to sponsor and engage our youth and
community at large in dialogue and educational events that promote a greater
understanding, tolerance and acceptance of diversity.
Finally we look forward to the
continued support of our community our local council and our families. We
welcome your feedback, involvement and support as we strive to conduct the best
program possible.
Sincerely Yours,
Capitol Hill Scouts
Rick Rutherford,
Capitol Hill Scouts Institutional Representative (202 544-0916; rruther@aol.com)
Jeff Serfass, Troop
500 and Venturing Crew 500 Committee Chair (202 546-7819; jeff72345@aol.com)
Michael McCabe,
Scoutmaster Troop 500
Gary C. Barbour,
Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 500