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During the 2001 BSA Annual Meeting (June 1, 2001), a resolution was proposed to modify BSA's exclusionary membership policies. The resolution was forwarded to the BSA Relationships Committee for review and comment.
Thursday, November 15, 2001
Radm. Thomas Lynch, Chairman of the Board Re: Proposed BSA Statement on Matters of Sexuality Dear Radm. Lynch: Since the U. S. Supreme Court decision in June of 2000, Scouting leaders across the country have wrestled with the BSA leadership policy as applied to homosexuals. As you well know, this is a complex issue on which differing views are hard to reconcile. In many communities and among many Scouters, the present policy interpretation excluding avowed homosexuals from leadership is accepted as consistent with their understanding of Scouting's support of traditional moral values. In many other communities and among many other Scouters, the present policy interpretation is considered inconsistent with Scouting's values of tolerance, deference to a Scout's parents and religious leaders in such matters, and respect for differing beliefs among our religious institutions. For some, homosexuality is immoral. For others, discrimination based on sexual orientation is immoral. America needs Scouting-now more than ever. At this important time in our history, we cannot afford to allow the differing views on the BSA leadership policy to distract us or the communities we serve from the critical mission of delivering the Scouting program to America's youth. Scouting desperately needs a solution to this difficult issue. In that spirit, the presidents of nine major metropolitan councils submitted a resolution at the Annual Meeting of the Boy Scouts of America in Boston on June 1, 2001, proposing a new BSA Statement on Matters of Sexuality (the "Proposed Statement"). A copy of the resolution is attached for your reference. The Proposed Statement embodies a policy interpretation that is respectful of differing views, but allows Scouting to move ahead in a less divisive and more positive manner. At the Annual Meeting, the Proposed Statement was referred to the national Relationships Committee. We understand that the Proposed Statement has been discussed by the Relationships Committee and the Executive Committee of the national Executive Board and will be discussed again at meetings in February, if not sooner. Lyle Knight, President of the Western Region recently addressed a letter to all council presidents and regional board members in the Western Region inviting them to send him their opinions on how the BSA should proceed in order to provide input to the national leadership in its deliberations on the subject. Since the Annual Meeting, awareness of the Proposed Statement has continued to grow across the country. Today there are roughly three dozen council presidents and past council presidents, and a dozen regional and/or national board members who have endorsed the Proposed Statement along with a majority of council board members in several councils. These endorsements have been communicated to our national leadership, not in defiance of the present policy interpretation, but as a recommendation for the future. We are acting on the premise that it is best to have deliberations on this subject within the organization, rather than in a public forum, with continuing respect for the established procedures for determining policies of the National Council and with respect for the differing opinions among loyal Scouters on this subject. We ask that you treat this letter and its attachments as a communication in that spirit, for discussion within the Scouting family. We believe this is an issue of critical importance to the future of Scouting. We believe the Proposed Statement is consistent with the principles of the BSA, yet accommodates the differing views on this subject. Please consider the Proposed Statement carefully. All of us signing this letter are long time Scouters who have served, are serving or are designated to serve as President or Chairman of the Board of our respective councils. We are writing to you as individual Scouters, with whom we share this common experience, and not in our official capacities as representatives of our councils. Our titles are provided below as an indication of this experience. In addition to service as leaders in our councils, we count among us many who have served on camp staffs, achieved Eagle Scout rank, belong to the Order of the Arrow, served as Cubmasters and Scoutmasters, received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, the Silver Beaver Award and Silver Antelope Award, as well as those with service at the regional and national board levels. Please do not hesitate to contact any of us with any questions or comments you have regarding the Proposed Statement. You can reach any of us through Mike Harrison, Past Chairman of the Board, Orange County Council, BSA, xxxx Of course, we also hope that you will share your views through appropriate channels with our national leadership. We're proud to be associated with you in service to America's youth through Scouting. Best Regards, Dick DeWolfe Rick Gables Lew Greenblatt Tom Lynch John McGillicuddy Wayne Moon John Harbison Mike Harrison Parker Kennedy Bill Swanson Bill Hood Dale Raddiff Steve Conley Don Wright Tom Morgan John Pearson Andy Ball Jo-Marie Dancik Ivan Genzel Charlton Dietz John Whitehead Irving Schwartz Nick Franklin Brian Thiessen John Grace Peter Barker R. Paul St. Amand, MD Bill Van Fassen Ron Foell Allen Smith Howard Guthman Wes Smith cc: Lyle Knight, President, Western Region, BSA Enclosures:
*Some personal information was redacted from the letter. No
other editing was done in the transcription of this or other documents. Errors are of course possible. |
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