Wherein I talk about recent developments of the BSA

Written: 6/23/2012

I’ve been away at camp, and a lot has happened on the national stage for the BSA.

First up, Zach Wahls delivered over 275,000 signatures opposing the BSA’s ban on LGBT members, which put in motion a policy review:

BSA spokesman Deron Smith said Wednesday it would be referred to a subcommittee, which will then make a recommendation to the national executive board. The process would likely be completed by May 2013, according to Smith, who said there were no plans at this time to change the policy.

Said Wahls:

“As both an Eagle Scout with a personal investment in the success of the Boy Scouts of America and as the son of a lesbian couple, it means a lot to see this change finally set in motion,” added Wahls.

It’s easy to think that this will go nowhere, to think that the BSA will just hope that no one will remember in a year.  However, from what I know about the local level (and we’re one of the largest councils in the country, so I think there is a lot of correlation), the decisions made in subcommittees are almost always ratified by the Board.

It’s not a smokescreen. This proposal was made after Jen Tyrrell’s pettion on Change.org. So even though this has been brought up in the past, it’s never gotten nearly the level of attention that it has today. And as another departure from the past, there’s never been a group — which I actually launched in coordination with a number of other Eagle Scouts today called Scouts For Equality — and we’re going to be working with a number of different groups to really build a community of scouts — Eagle scouts, former scout leaders, that sort of thing — we’re really going to work toward making this policy change.

Wahls talks about Scouts of Equality here:

I’ve been tearing up reading some of the stories on the site, it’s amazing reading those, and heartening as well, knowing that there are so many other people like me, and so many allies, out there.

But the biggest movement, I think, came in a statement from one of the national board members:

“Ernst & Young is proud to have such a strong record in LGBT inclusiveness. As CEO, I know that having an inclusive culture produces the best results, is the right thing for our people and makes us a better organization. My experience has led me to believe that an inclusive environment is important throughout our society and I am proud to be a leader on this issue. I support the meaningful work of the Boy Scouts in preparing young people for adventure, leadership, learning and service, however the membership policy is not one I would personally endorse. As I have done in leading Ernst & Young to being a most inclusive organization, I intend to continue to work from within the BSA Board to actively encourage dialogue and sustainable progress.”

Just like our council, if the national board gets enough pressure from inside itself, the change will happen.  I think that the biggest linchpin is going to be Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T and also a National Board Member.  AT&T is incredibly important to the BSA, especially with the new Bechtel Summit in West Virginia.  And I think that his call for equality would cause the rest of the board to follow.

Will it happen?  I can only hope so.  Until then, I will keep on, searching for new employment, but also trying to ensure that at least in the camping program, we are as kind, equal and open to everyone as we can be.

All my best,

The King of Spades