Utah Boy Scouts; statement on new membership standards

OREM – In response to the adoption of the Boy Scouts of America Membership Standards Resolution by the Boy Scouts of America National Council, the BSA – Utah National Parks Council released the following statement this week:

The Utah National Parks Council believes the adoption of the new membership resolution by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America is a win for everyone involved in Scouting – especially for the youth who will be the greatest beneficiaries. The resolution states in part, “No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of American on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”

This, along with other items found within the resolution, fully meets the goals the Utah National Parks Council has always endorsed – the long-standing support of its youth, its local chartered partners and the BSA mission.

The new membership policy ensures “all youth who meet the specific membership requirements to join the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Sea Scout and Venturing programs” will have the opportunity to participate in the Scouting program.

The Utah National Parks Council also supports the National Council of the BSA moral and sexual behavior standard expressed in the resolution, which states, “Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting.”

The Utah National Parks Council reiterates its policy on ensuring strong, high-quality adult leadership, as well as emphasizing the virtues of Scouting. The BSA’s Youth Protection program and policies has always “place[d]…[great] importance on creating the most secure environment possible for our youth members.” The Youth Protection program is a series of policies, procedures and leadership selection criteria for parents and leaders.

The Council wholeheartedly supports the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Now that the voting has concluded and the membership policy change has been approved, the Utah National Parks Council will continue to work closely with the BSA and its chartering partners as plans are developed for implementation of the policy change.

The Utah National Parks Council remains dedicated to its leadership role in the BSA to provide the resources, funding, activities, training and programs needed to give all youth, volunteer leaders and BSA units the greatest experience possible.

The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, reiterated the following information regarding passage of the resolution of the BSA membership policy:

1. At the Boy Scouts of America’s National Annual Meeting on May 23, the voting members of the National Council approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone. A change to the current membership policy for adult leaders was not under consideration; thus, the policy for adults remains in place.

2. This policy change is effective on Jan. 1, 2014, allowing the BSA the transition time needed to communicate and implement this policy to its approximately 116,000 Scouting units.

3. America’s youth need Scouting, and by focusing on the goals that unite us, we can continue to accomplish incredible things for young people and the youth we serve.

Utah National Parks Council and BSA Mission


The Utah National Parks Council is the largest BSA Council in the United States with 6,079 units comprised of 83,827 youth, and 43,836 adult volunteers. The Council supports the mission of the BSA, which is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices during their lifetimes by instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

In so doing, the BSA provides programs designed to build character, train youth in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, develop personal fitness, develop leadership skills, and to combine educational activities and values with fun.

Resources

Contact: John Gailey, 
Utah National Parks Council – BSA – Telephone 801-437-6233 / email
[email protected]

Website for Utah Boy Scouts

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9 Comments

  • Smoke Screen May 26, 2013 at 10:55 am

    The Boy Scouts are not entitled to discriminate for any reason:

    The U.S. Congress chartered Boy Scouts of America in 1916, with the declared purpose of promoting “the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in scouts craft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues.”

    There is no mention of a religious purpose, obviously, since our secular U.S. Congress could not have chartered a religious organization. Imagine if Red Cross, which also has a Congressional charter, demanded to know whether victims of natural disaster believed in God before being willing to help them!

    BSA would not be the large, successful group it is today without public sponsorship. It demands the privileges and funding of a public-sponsored organization, but refuses to honor its public duty to be nondiscriminatory in its policies and functions. Among the privileges BSA receives:

    The nominal “Commander in Chief” of BSA is the President of the United States.
    It receives direct federal funding through the Combined Federal Campaign. (Federal employees can get paid leave to fund-raise for CFC groups.)
    Its primary recruiters traditionally have been public school teachers.
    It traditionally receives free rental from public schools. Half of all Scout units have been directly sponsored by public schools and school boards.
    BSA uses local, state and federal buildings, parks and property free of charge or with major fee breaks, such as the rental for the token fee of $1.00 of Ft. Camp Hill, Virginia, for the Boy Scout annual Jamboree.
    Boy Scouts has been recognized and advertised on U.S. postage stamps.
    Another major sponsor is the PTA, a group set up to enhance the experiences of all students in the public schools.
    Additionally, a significant percentage of BSA’s overall funding is from United Way, whose own “Eligibility Criteria for Organizational Membership” (adopted by National Congress, November 30, 1972) reads: “Faithfully adheres to a policy of nondiscrimination with respect to age, sex, race, religion, and national origin in connection with the makeup of its governing body, committees, and staff and the persons whom it directly and indirectly serves.” United Way of America advertises that “every group receiving funds … maintains a policy of nondiscrimination.”

  • Noteworthy May 26, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    Utah news sources are completely devoid of news that reports the fallout the mormon church has received with its support of Proposition 8 (the ‘hate’ proposition). It is as if Utah new sources sterilizes any news conceived as anti-mormon. Proposition 8 and the support it got from the mormon church may very well be that nail in the coffin for the BSA changing its position toward gays. That hate proposition may have backfired on the mormon church which should quit preaching hate. Didn’t it see what happened with its stance against blacks in the 1970’s when the Federal Govt told it to quit discriminating.

    • jericho May 26, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      You’re an idiot. This has nothing to do with prop 8 and prop 8 has nothing to do with “hate” or the” mormons” as they are so called – its about morals and how … do not belong in …. … are exit-only orifaces. God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. We are meant to create life – this is not possible when you put a round peg in a butt hole. Maybe your mommy was too politically correct to teach you about the birds and the bees.

      Ed. ellipsis

      • Noteworthy May 27, 2013 at 10:46 pm

        Your response speaks volumes for an attitude that is apparent and dominant in an area where people claim to be receptive and open to others. You dispelled that claim which is just regurgitating words they’ve been trained to say.

  • crazydoglady May 26, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    I agree with the posts of ‘Smokescreen’ and ‘Noteworthy’ and couldn’t have said it better!! I sent their request for donation letter back with a note stating that I would not donate or support any organization that discriminates!! One of my favorite saying is: “Money talks and BS walks.”

  • San May 28, 2013 at 5:43 am

    The same people who can rationalize their beliefs by claiming religious direction have used those arguments to justify housing and job segregation, laws against intermarrying, even the belief that all men are created equal. Some still believe in those ‘doctrines’, despite logic and social reforms.

    I still don’t know what to say to someone who equates sexual orientation or sexual preference with moral fitness, in a language that will change their core beliefs, but refusing to patronage their businesses might cause them to change their rhetoric. If you think I’m wrong, web-search ‘anita bryant and florida orange juice’.

    • Noteworthy May 29, 2013 at 7:56 am

      Utah was one of the last states to remove its laws making interracial marriage illegal. The mormon church also had discriminatory practices against blacks which finally was stopped after the Federal Govt threatened to removed its tax exempt status. Amazing how much money influences religion, isn’t it?

      • Alvin May 29, 2013 at 9:39 am

        And how does this pertains to the scouting article?……………………………………………………………………………………………still waiting………………..

  • SpeakingforBaden March 22, 2014 at 8:40 am

    Sexuality is a religious issue and religions or private organizations should be able have a membership standard based on a moral stance. Just because there is a charter doesn’t mean that a chartered organization shouldn’t be allowed to take a moral stance on an issue or that it can be recognized as chartered. Membership standards in my book is the whole idea of our country. Am I for physical bullying of others…no. You have an opinion… don’t use that public drinking fountain! Yes we have to draw the line somewhere, but this isn’t the place. If I tell you what you do in bed isn’t healthy for us socially that is the freedom of religion my country fought for. Charters should protect religious convictions just like our original constitution and declarations intended …. dear early us immigrants wanting freedom to worship according to the dictates of your own conscience …. if your group has an opinion about sexual practices and their morality or how they affect the health of our nation stay out. Every choice about right or wrong is a discrimination… a judgement call. Everything we do in private is an indirect statement about things that are good or bad … right or wrong. Duty to God is scouting’s highest and first principle and scouting’s ideology has always been based on the fact that you stick to that first. Morals without God boil down to a shallow vote based on social trends. Scouting has tried not to define all morals for its members to accommodate different creeds, but if it doesn’t have a moral opinion of its own at some level it just waters it self down. God sees the big picture … He painted it. People can ask BSA to change what it’s about if they have that conviction. Do not force it by taking away freedoms for private organizations with membership standards.

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