A CALL TO ACTION TO DEFEND SCOUTING BY CONGRESSMAN DANA ROHRABACHER, Co-Chairman of the Scouting Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives and Scouting Legal Defense Fund Advisory Board Member

Dear Friend of Scouting;

As the Republican Co-Chairman of the Congressional Scouting Caucus, I am proud to be an Eagle Scout. I'm also proud to support the Boy Scouts of America and all scouting organizations. That is exactly why I so strongly opposed efforts during the 106th Congress to revoke the Boy Scouts' federal charter.

For 90 years the Boy Scouts of America have been training America's youth in moral, leadership, ethical decision making, and traditional values. They continue to play an important role in the cultural and social life of tens of millions of Americans. The Boy Scouts are interwoven in American tradition as much as hot dogs, baseball, and apple pie.

As America's number one values program for youth, Scouting helps strengthen character, develops good citizenship, and enhances both mental and physical fitness among its participants. Scouting has helped countless youths from broken families by providing them with the moral discipline and leadership they would have otherwise lacked.

The Boy Scouts are under attack by people with political agendas, like atheists and individuals whose lifestyles would be excluded by the Scout's standards.

Those of us who agree with the Boy Scouts should mobilize and support them. It's time for us to stand up for their rights and send a message to all those organizations that permit themselves to be used by those attacking the Boy Scouts. We side with the Boy Scouts. If you take them on, you'll have to take us on.

Representative Dana Rohrabacher
Co-Chairman of the Congressional Scouting Caucus.

FROM THE EDITOR: We are starting the "United Way Watch List" and highlight a state group that is strongly defending scouting.

Dear Reader,

I want to announce a new feature, United Way Watch List, that we are starting on our Web site, here. This is a list of local United Way organizations that have cut off funding to their local scout councils.

We have created this list partly because the United Way National Headquarters told us that while they kept such a list for internal purposes they would not release it to the public. We thought you deserved to know where your local United Way stood.

This list has been compiled from press reports and from information provided by you, our readers. We are confident that it is the most comprehensive list available to the public. However, if your local United Way has cut off funding to the Scouts and is not on this list, please let us know.

I also want to spotlight a group that is doing an outstanding job helping the Scouts in their state. Because we monitor a large volume of news reports and e-mails about what is happening to Scouting around the country it is clear to us that the Michigan state affiliate of the American Family Association is by far the most active independent group defending Scouting at the state level. If you are concerned about what is happening to Scouting in Michigan, you need sign up for their action alerts at their Web site, www.afamichigan.org.

As always, thank you for your expressions of support and encouragement. Please continue to pass on to us any information about problems the Scouts are having in your local area.

Peter Ferrara
Editor

P.S. To learn more about the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, please visit our Web site, www.defendscouting.com. Also, please help us spread the word by forwarding this newsletter on to others.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO SCOUTING AROUND THE COUNTRY

--First Signs Appear of a Political Backlash Against the Attacks on Scouting.

Successful Recall Petition is Filed Against Tempe Mayor.

In October, the mayor of Tempe, Arizona, Neil Giuliano, tried to prevent the donations of city employees to the United Way from going to the Boy Scouts, touching off a firestorm of protest. In late January, a citizen's group had gathered more than enough signatures to force a recall election of the mayor in September. (No article link available.)

Los Angeles County Sheriff Will Continue Supporting Scouts.

Following the decision last fall of the Los Angeles City Council to cut ties with scouting, including the police department's sponsorship of Explorer posts, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca indicated that his office might also stop sponsoring scout units. An outpouring of protest from scout supporters, led by several local radio stations and a local group, Scouting Alumni, convinced him to continue the department's sponsorship. In making his announcement, he criticized the city council's decision. (see article here.)

Petition is Filed to Repeal Ordinance Banning Discrimination Against Homosexuals.

A Florida group called "Take Back Miami-Dade County" has gathered far more than enough signatures on a petition to force a vote on repealing a recently-enacted county ordinance that prohibits discrimination against homosexuals. Sponsors of the petition cited specifically the harm the ordinance has done to Boy Scouts in the county. (No article link available.)

--More Individuals are Stepping Forward to Defend Scouting.

A Denver paper reported the spirited defense of Scouting by a member of the school board, Bennie Miller, when an atheist challenged the board's policy of allowing the Scouts free use of the school buildings and school sponsorship of Scout units. (see article here.)

--Local United Ways Continue to Cut Support for the Scouts.

United Way Fox Cities, serving the Appleton, Wisconsin area, joins the growing list of United Way chapters cutting off funding for the Scouts. The local council will have to make up a shortfall of $186,000, representing about 30% of the funds it uses to serve about 7500 boys. (see article here.)(Also see the United Way Watch List, a new feature on our Web site, here, that lists United Way organizations around the country, which have stopped supporting the Scouts.)

--But A New Poll Shows Public Support for Scouts Remains High.

A recent national poll found that 75% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Boy Scouts, compared to 11% unfavorable and 14% who were "not sure." Among other findings, 36% of the respondents said their opinion of the Scouts had become more positive since learning that the Scouts did not permit openly homosexual men from serving as scoutmasters. 34% said that had not changed their positive views on the Scouts. Only 28% said they had a more unfavorable opinion. (see article here.)

--And the Scouts Continue to Defend Their High Standards.

The National Scout Office has revoked the charters of seven Scout troops and Cub packs in Oak Park, Illinois after their sponsoring organizations refused to accept the Scouts' position on excluding homosexual scoutmasters. (see article here.)

--Some thoughtful commentary on scouting.

Joseph Farah, the editor and publisher of WorldNetDaily, one of the most widely subscribed e-newpapers on the Internet, has written two hard hitting editorials on the attacks on Scouting. In the first he underscores the fact that this attack is only the most visible aspect of a much broader and more insidious attack on basic principles and institutions in our society. In the second he discusses the fact that so few prominent media commentators have come to the defense of the Scouts. (see editorials here and here.)

Michael Reagan highlights a resolution passed by a Utah community supporting scouting and by the citizens of Tempe, Arizona to protest city policies. He calls on citizens to take similar actions in their localities. (see article here.)

Catherine Hulbert offers an excellent overview of the problems facing scouts around the country in "So Much for Tolerance." She writes for Family Voice, the publication of the Concerned Women of America, the nation's largest women's public policy organization. (see article here.)