Hopefully this is the last time I have to write something like this.
The National Capital Area Council insisted a Cub Scout Pack remove the language they had on their website, stating that they welcome everyone, including the LGBT community to join. NCAC threatened to withhold their charter.
The charter is all the official paperwork that registers a unit to a charter organization. It includes things like insurance coverage and all the behind-the-scenes stuff that makes the kids “official” members of the BSA.
In theory (and oftentimes in practice), units operate without charters. Usually it’s just a paperwork delay somewhere along the line, and once everything gets entered it’s retroactive back to when the new charter was needed (annually). That can sometimes cause unexpected problems, especially when submitting advancement paperwork, or an Eagle application.
But this was a Cub Scout Pack. Which means there are first graders, Tiger Cubs, who were in essence told by NCAC that they couldn’t be Scouts because they and their parents thought equality was important.
The proposed change is a huge step in the right direction, although I will be curious as to how it comes down to council and national employees. Will each council have to decide, much like the individual units? Or will national and the councils finally allow out employees and volunteers (there are district and council level volunteers, as well as region and national level as well).
And as a side note, Pittsburgh I think has always has an unofficial rivalry with NCAC, mostly because we get a lot of units that don’t want to drive all the way to Goshen, their summer camp. And from what I’ve heard, we’re a lot better anyway, although I have heard very, very good things about their high adventure base (which I always mess up the spelling, so I won’t try at the moment).
And sorry to bother you, but take a look over at Wherein I ask for your help and help me out. It will only take two minutes, I promise. After the hockey game and before the commercials start (unless you’re rooting for someone in the Super Bowl of course), just take two minutes to shoot a quick e-mail to support equality. Thanks!
