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Before we can discuss the issue of gay members and BSA's chartered partner's position, we need to take a look at how BSA's chartered partner system operates.
If you think of BSA as a franchising operation, then you'll have a good idea of how it's chartered partner concept works. BSA has a program, which it offers community-based organizations to utilize for the
organization's youth. An interested organization applies for a unit charter and is responsible for recruiting the unit leaders, the youth, and for paying any and all expenses associated with the operation of the unit. BSA's responsibility
is to provide access to training for the adults, offer camping opportunities, programs, the Scouting program, etc. In this scenario, the unit is owned and operated by the chartering organization, not BSA.
The community-based organization can be a church or synagogue (religious organization), an Elks or Rotary club (community organization), a local union (labor organization), or a public school (education
organization).
As a means of promoting Scouting and developing lines of communication, BSA encourages those national organizations which charter units to create a Scouting liaison committee. Such a committee
represents BSA to the chartered partner's national organization and vice a versa. In a further attempt at creating stronger bonds between the two organizations, BSA created the Relationships Committee, which has the following subcommittees:
Just about every organization which charters a large number of units across the country has at least one official representative to one
of the four subcommittees. Those organizations which charter a larger percentage of units usually have more than one representative on their respective subcommittee, as well as places on the Relationships Committee.
Of the four subcommittees, the Religious Relationships Committee -- representing over one-half of BSA units -- wields the most influence of all the other chartered partners combined.
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What is the position of BSA's chartered partners on the issue of
allowing gay youth and adults in Scouting? If you take a look at the amicus briefs filed in the BSA v. Dale case, you'll might be surprised to
find out that BSA's chartered partners submitted briefs both for and against BSA's exclusionary policy. And not just secular organization which sponsor BSA units, but religious organizations were on both sides as well.
Some people might be confused in seeing this disagreement within BSA's chartered partners. But, as Americans are increasingly accepting of homosexuality and are standing up against all forms of
unjust discrimination, this should not come as a surprise.
Society is changing and that change is reflected in the organizations who submitted their briefs. Take a look at those
organizations which petitioned the Supreme Court to uphold the New Jersey's Supreme Court decision against BSA's ban on gay youth and adults:
The following organizations currently or have previously chartered BSA units:
- The cities of Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Portland, and Tucson;
- General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church;
- United Church Board for Homeland Ministries;
- Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism;
- Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark;
- Unitarian Universalist Association;
- American Association of School Administrators;
- New York City Board of Education;
- Los Angeles Unified School District;
- San Diego School District;
- San Francisco Unified School District;
- Laguna Beach Unified School District
In addition to the above, the following diverse groups filed briefs in support of James Dale:
- American Bar Association Brief;
- American Federation of Teachers
- Anti-Defamation League;
- Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund;
- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.;
- National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium;
- National Council of Jewish Women;
- American Psychological Association;
- American Public Health Association;
- National Association of Social Workers;
- American Counseling Association;
- American Orthopsychiatric Association;
- Deans of Divinity Schools and Rabbinical Institutions;
- NAACP;
- National 4-H Council;
- National Education Association;
- Society of American Law Teachers;
- State of New Jersey; and,
- The State of New York, et al. (Attorneys General of: California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, Washington)
The above list is a partial list of organizations who filed briefs in support of James Dale. As you can see, it is a cross-section of
organizations and groups who opposes BSA's discrimination policies.
This section provides information on the positions some of BSA's current chartered partners have stated and some background on their
positions.
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