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Scouts admit gays: Baden-Powells outraged The family of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouts, last night condemned a decision by the movement to open its 500,000-strong membership to homosexual leaders. The move, which has already prompted at least one threatened resignation, was made without the knowledge of Baden-Powell's grandson, Lord Baden-Powell, a vice-president of the Scout Association. He will now contact the movement's headquarters to discover the reasons behind the decision, according to his wife Patience. Last night Scout leaders stepped up the outcry by threatening to resign. Lady Baden-Powell, who is vice-president of the Girl Guides, said the move was "extraordinary". "The Association does not keep in contact with the vice-presidents at all," she said. "My husband was unaware of the move, which I imagine he will find rather puzzling." The new open-doors policy, which follows years of debate, was contained in a set of new rules designed "to take the organisation into the millennium". Brian Mutlow, a county commissioner in Northamptonshire, said: "I don't think the public at large is ready to accept this sort of thing. I will be going to the Scout headquarters next week to talk about this, and I am afraid I will have to seriously reconsider my position. Many of my colleagues feel the same." Mr. Mutlow, who last year asked a gay Scout leader to resign after he was featured in an article about safe sex, said he had not been consulted. He said: "This is supposed to have been drawn up by a working party over the last three years - but this is the first I have heard of the working party or the policy." Bill Walker, chairman of the all-party parliamentary Scout group, said homosexuals should not be given positions of responsibility in such situations. "Anyone involved in activities with young people must conform to the conventional standard code," he said. "The Scouting movement is required to accept Christian values and teaching, not trendy, modern views that may not stand the test of time." Concerns over the leaders of such groups as Scouts and youth clubs were raised following the case of Thomas Hamilton, the Dunblane killer, who formed his own boys' brigade after being thrown out of the Scout movement . Stonewall, the homosexual pressure group, said it had received many complaints from people forced to leave the Scouts because it was assumed that they would sexually abuse boys. "We are delighted at the decision," said a spokeswoman. Stephen Lack, 39, who was asked to resign by Mr. Mutlow after 21 years of working in the movement at a senior level, said there had never been a single complaint made against him. He added that he had received more than 200 letters of support. He said: "There is tremendous homophobia and bigotry in certain quarters of the Scout movement. I don't know whether this will change things." John Fogg, of the Scout Association, said: "Our policy is firmly that no young person or adult should receive less favourable treatment because of their sexuality, gender, marital status or ethnic origin. We don't think this should be a cause for concern. The policy also states that anyone wishing to work for the Scouts must be a fit and appropriate person. The final decisions are made by local people."
Baden-Powell's family condemns gay Scout ruling A DECISION by The Scout Association not to bar homosexuals from becoming leaders has been condemned by the family of the founder, Robert Baden-Powell, and by many volunteer organisers. The adoption of an equal rights policy has sparked fresh controversy over whether enough is being done to set an example, in the original spirit of the movement, to the 500,000 girls and boys who now belong. Details of the policy were distributed at the end of last month and county commissioners are being briefed on how it should be implemented. It will be included in adult leader training. Betty Clay, whose father started the movement in 1908 to develop the character and responsibility of boys, and who is a vice-president of the movement, said Baden-Powell would not have approved. "He was very much against any exceptionally unnatural ways of living and would not have liked people with odd tendencies to be leaders and the example for boys and young men to follow." One of the main tenets of the movement had always been to provide alternatives to bad behaviour, she said. "He knew very well the temptations for young men and had many letters from them. Having been through life himself he had many ways of facing up to them and overcoming them and these are what he prescribed in his books." Lord Baden-Powell, the grandson of the founder and also a vice-president, said the move was "extraordinary" and is demanding an explanation for the decision. Bill Walker, the Tory MP and chairman of the parliamentary Scout group, said the decision could damage the movement because those involved in working with children were expected to conform to a conventional code. "The Scout movement is required to accept Christian values and teaching, not trendy modern views that may not stand the test of time." Only atheists and paedophiles are prevented from becoming Scout leaders under the new policy, which was formed after a three-year review. Warren Hawksley, Tory MP for Halesowen and Stourbridge, said the decision was potentially catastrophic since it could cause parents to be put off letting their children become Scouts, regardless of whether there was a real risk. Some of the movement's leaders have voiced their disquiet and threatened to resign if the policy is not changed. However, officials at the London headquarters have been quick to reassure them that the decision over who may become a leader rested with the local people. John Fogg, of the Scout Association, said: "One of the problems about discussing this is that in some quarters there is belief that a homosexual is automatically a paedophile and this is simply not the case. We have vigorous procedures to keep the undesirables out and nothing in this policy undermines that." The movement had canvassed a wide range of views from all those involved in scouting and none should be surprised that the equal opportunities policy was now in place.
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