Surprise! Surprise! … but not for
me. I and others cautioned the National
Council of the Boy Scouts of America not to cave-in on its long-standing pledge
to America – to remain ‘morally straight’ (read my blog of April 15); and then
predicted what the fall-out would be for succumbing to a change in membership
policy allowing openly gay into its boy membership (read my blog of June 5). Well, a group of conservative former Boy Scouts
have announced the formation of a Christian alternative to the American
institution gone gay – the BSA.
John Stemberger, founder of OnMyHonor.Net, a coalition of former Boy
Scout leaders and participants, has announced the formation of a new soon-to-be-named
scouting organization for young men. “We
have direct communication from over 30,000 leaders, parents, and people within
the Scouting movement who have specifically said ‘we want to be involved,’”
Stemberger told reporters on a conference call announcing the endeavor.
According to interim executive
director Rob Green, a former 20-year veteran executive of the Palmetto Council BSA,
the idea is to give families and scouts a place to turn given the Boy Scouts’ recent
decision to allow openly gay members into their ranks. “We are trying to make sure that families who
have felt a little bit left behind by the divergent values of the Boy Scouts —
that there is something for them that they can join and know what they stand
for,” Green said.
Green explained that on June 29 in
Louisville, Kentucky nearly 50 leaders came together to conceive of a new
scouting organization. “It’s our vision
to be the premier national character development organization for young men, which
produces godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens,” Green said to
reporters. “The new program will be an
exciting and motivating outdoor-based program focused on leadership and
character development for boys, and founded on principles and values that
reflect a Christian worldview.” He said
that, while people of any faith may participate, the program will stick to a
“standard statement of Christian faith and values.”
The organization will begin the
registration process for new units in November and will launch on January 1, 2014.
Its name and logo will be announced this
coming September at a convention in Nashville, Tennessee. According to Green, ranks achieved in the BSA
will be transferable to the new scouting program. “Our mission is simple and clear: to guide
generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve
others, and experience outdoor adventure,” Green said. “In addition, the organization’s membership
policy will focus on sexual purity rather than sexual orientation,” he added. “The policy will read, in part: ‘the proper
context for sexual relations is only between a man and a woman in the covenant
of marriage.’”
Green also said that the main goal is
to keep the politics of sexuality out of the program. “The politics that are out there about this
issue, that is not something 10-year-old boys are interested in; they are
interested in camping and fishing and climbing, canoeing, campfires.” He added that a new organization is needed to
restore the founding ideals of the BSA. “For
100 years terms like ‘morally straight’ and ‘clean and reverent’ that are in
the Boy Scout Oath and Law were understood from a Christian
worldview,” Green said. “The founder of Scouting
even said ‘Scouting is nothing more than applied Christianity.’ So we are trying to restore that ideal.”
Stemberger further noted that the
organization will not question people’s sexuality or reject gay members, explaining
that the organization hopes sexual orientation is not an issue. “We don’t think sex and politics should be in
a program for kids. Those are issues for
parents and so we are going to allow parents to navigate those waters and not a
program that they put their kids in,” he said.
As a former member of the BSA who achieved
the rank of Eagle Scout, my prayer is that this newly established scouting
program … which sounds like the one I experienced as a youth … will be blessed
with the support of Christian churches and adults committed to living the Christian
lifestyle.
Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
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