From the Editor: Keeping Scouting "Wins" In Proper Perspective; We Need Your Help Again On United Ways.

Dear Reader;

Our goal in publishing this newsletter is to provide a digest of significant attacks on Scouting around the country and each newsletter contains accounts of some victories and some defeats.

In reporting these events, however, we are sometimes concerned that we are conveying an inaccurate impression about the true situation facing Scouting. All of us can recognize the defeats as damaging to Scouting, of course. But, while we can all rejoice in the victories, it is essential that we put them into proper perspective. Many of these attacks on Scouting would have been immediately dismissed as extremist even a decade ago. The fact that these assaults are occurring at all, much less succeeding in many instances, shows the deterioration of support in this country for the cores values that Scouting and other great institutions support.

Unless we recognize what we are up against, there is a real danger that we will mistake what, in fact, now is only a partially successful rear guard action as winning the battle. Supporters of Scouting must recognize that in this case, the best defense truly is a good offense. Part of our goal is to provide defenders of Scouting with some of the resources and strategies they need to take the offense.

Along that line, we are also asking for your help once again in reviewing the Watch List of the United Way organizations that we have identified as cutting off Scouting. Because of a technical glitch, at least some of you were not able to e-mail us after the last newsletter came out which included this same information. If you had problems contacting us last time (or did not get around to reviewing the list) please look it over again.

If your local United Way is not on the list and should be, please let us know. On the other hand, if it is on the list and you do not think it should be, let us know that, too. We need as accurate a list as possible for a major project we are undertaking which should help preserve funding for many local Scout councils.

As always, thanks to all of you who are defending Scouting in thousands of ways. Please continue to let us know what it happening to Scouting in your area and help us spread the word by forwarding this newsletter on to everyone else you know who will help defend Scouting.

Robert Carleson
Editor

NEWS OF SCOUTING FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

--Federal Government To Investigate County Discrimination Against Scouts

In one of the first complaints acted upon under the Helms Amendment adopted as part of the major education reform legislation passed last year, the U.S. Department of Education will investigate whether Montgomery County, Maryland, is discriminating against the Boy Scouts in providing access to schools in the county. The Helms amendment cuts off federal education funding from any school district found to be discriminating against the Scouts because of their policy of prohibiting openly homosexual men from serving as scoutmasters. The county currently receives about $40 million in federal funding annually. An independent group, Public Advocate for the United States, filed the complaint. See article here.

--Oregon School Board Adopts Policy Discriminating Against Scouts

The Corvallis, Oregon, School Board has narrowly adopted a revised discrimination policy which will result in the Boy Scouts being charged higher fees for use of school facilities. The policy adds the term "sexual orientation" to the list of categories on which the school district will not discriminate or support or appear to endorse any group which does. See article here.

--Washington Governor Criticizes Scout Homosexual Policy

Washington Governor Gary Locke called the Scouts policy of prohibiting openly homosexual scoutmasters from serving as scoutmasters "absolutely wrong." In an interview with a Seattle homosexual activist publication, Locke charged also charged that "The Boy Scouts of America is doing a great disservice to young people" because of this policy. See article here.

--Activists Target Hawaiian United Way For Funding Scouts

Homosexual activists are urging contributors to withhold contributions to the United Way of Kauai, Hawaii, until the organization stops funding the local Boy Scout council. The group is urging contributors to donate directly to the other charities currently funded by the United Way. No article available.

--California Legislative Committee Rejects Resolution Honoring The Scouts

On a 4-4 tie vote, the California Assembly's Judiciary Committee defeated ACR 140, a resolution to honor the Scouts on the anniversary of the granting of the organizations federal charter. The resolution was sponsored by Assemblyman Robert Pacheco. See the vote here.

--San Diego Extends Scouts' Lease

After more than six hours of testimony and debate, the San Diego City Council voted 6-3 to extend for 25 years the Boy Scouts' lease to their camp in Balboa Park. The extension of the lease had become a major struggle between homosexual activists who are looking for opportunities to punish the Scouts for their stand on prohibiting openly homosexual men from serving as scoutmasters and those defending the Scouts. The Scouts' current lease does not expire until 2007, but they had sought an early renewal before investing several million dollars in improvements to the camp. See the clip here.

--County Pulls Funds After HSBC Bank Boots Scouts

Cayuga County, New York, has decided to withdraw nearly $4 million on account with HSBC Bank after the bank decided boot the local Scout council from offices it had rented in a local bank building since 1993. The bank's spokesman confirmed that the bank refused to renew the council's lease because it disagreed with the Scouts' policy prohibiting openly gay men from serving as scoutmasters. Other local government entities, individuals, business and churches were taking similar actions in protest. See article here.

PLEASE HELP US UPDATE THE UNITED WAY WATCH LIST!

Local United Way organizations are listed in one of two categories on the Watch List, below. In "Category 1" are those that we have determined have already cut off funding their local Boy Scout Councils. Those in Category 2 appear to be in the process of doing so but may still be providing funding in the current funding cycle. A local United Way is placed on the list if they have cut off funding for the uniformed scout programs even though they may still support the Learning For Life program.

Please check this list of 58 local United Ways. If you think your local United Way should be on it but is not listed, please e-mail us so we can follow up.

Thanks for whatever help you can give us!

UNITED WAY WATCH LIST CATEGORY 1:

These are local United Way organizations that have cut off funding their local Scout Councils.

WATCH LIST CATEGORY 2

These are local Unites Way organizations that are in the process of cutting off funding their local Scout Councils but may be continuing to fund them in the current year.