Former Den #3 leader, Karin Weldon MD
Despite the rising national tide supporting equality for homosexuals, the Boy Scouts of America elected to restate their position against gay scout leaders, volunteers, and members. The reaction has had a local impact.
In a follow up to a press release issued June 7 that affirmed an ongoing policy banning homosexuals from involvement in Scouting, the BSA issued a statement on July 17th announcing that a confidential, in-house review board voted unanimously to uphold the policy. The organization also prohibits atheists and agnostics. The announcement was the 4th modification of the original official ban on gay participation in the Boy Scouts of America since 1991.
In the wake of this announcement, Brookline resident Karin Weldon, MD, announced her resignation as leader of Den #3 (associated with Boy Scout Troop 6). Over the past two and a half years, Weldon lead a group ranging in size from five to eleven boys. A close-knit group, with members progressing through Scouting levels together since they first joined, the den has been active in the community.
The decision to resign was not an easy one. When the BSA announcement was made, Weldon approached the local Boston Minuteman Council requesting it publicly refute the national policy and acknowledge its internal policies which do not ban participation based upon sexual orientation. It should be noted that while the BSA sets policy, local councils act independently and do not communicate with each other. Speaking out against BSA policies, however, carries the risk of repercussions, namely termination of individuals or loss of a Council’s accreditation. Weldon’s request was denied, and she felt the best choice would be to resign as leader.
Weldon explained, “The Boy Scouts is a wonderful program. It offers something unique to boys. The National policy is not in keeping with our community’s inclusiveness, which has great demographic diversity. I could not adopt the policy in clear conscience. It creates a hostile, non-inclusive environment that is against what Scouting should be trying to do.”
Weldon feels the BSA put her in a bad position. ”This has been a devastating decision for me”; she stated “ I’ve been very invested for a long time in guiding boys to be the best young men they can be”. Her plan was to see her Cub Scout Den 3 through Arrow of Light program and then off to Boy Scouts. The Arrow of Light is the highest award in the Cub Scouts. That she is now unable to guide the boys through that program is a saddening consequence.
The impact goes even deeper. There is a real potential that Den 3 will dissolve due to lack of adult leaders. Weldon reported that some families will leave Scouting all together and some are still debating their options.
When asked to respond to Ms. Weldon’s decision, Pack 6 assistant leader Matt Amory stated by email “I am going to decline respectfully to be interviewed on Karin’s decision to leave scouting, but I hope that you put in print that Pack 6 is not an exclusionary organization. While we cannot completely separate ourselves from our national leadership and its misguided sensibilities (financially or otherwise), nor from (our local Boy Scout) Troop 6, we the leadership of Pack 6 are opposed to the national policy of exclusion and discrimination against gays, atheists and agnostics.
The leadership of Troop 6 has more breadth and depth of experience in scouting than we of Pack 6 do, and they are in the process of formulating plans to act (and to go on record as having acted) against this policy. However, Troop 6 leaders are committed to remaining inside the structure of the BSA to provide boys with access to the resources that the BSA makes available. Pack 6 will also continue to exist, and continue to exist inside the structure of the BSA, and we will continue to provide age-appropriate activities for any boys who are interested in participating. We are trying to proactively respond to the recruiting challenges we anticipate this fall as a direct result of the restatement of national scouting policy.”
While the impact on Scouts in her group remains unsettled, Weldon will continue to speak out on the issue, however. She has elected to work outside of the Scouts to effect change through Change.org by creating a petition at change.org/petitions/massachusetts-councils-reject-the-boy-scouts-of-america-s-anti-gay-policy
From The June 7 BSA Press Release
The BSA policy is: “While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”
Scouting believes same-sex attraction should be introduced and discussed outside of its program with parents, caregivers, or spiritual advisers, at the appropriate time and in the right setting. The vast majority of parents we serve value this right and do not sign their children up for Scouting for it to introduce or discuss, in any way, these topics. The BSA is a voluntary, private organization that sets policies that are best for the organization. The BSA welcomes all who share its beliefs but does not criticize or condemn those who wish to follow a different path.
By R. Harvey Bravman, Publisher
