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Cub Scout presentation?

Should Don Glarr talk to the cub scouts about fire safety or how to recognize the early signs of totalitarianism?

Public Comments

1. Since the Cub and Boy scouts do not allow atheists, but are given federal aid, they are an example of totalitarianism in its worst form.
2. First - let me state that my son is an Eagle Scout with Silver Palm. Second - I'm not familiar with Don Glarr; I gather that you disagree with him in some way, so please don't think your question is totally lost on me. Growing up, I thought Scouts was a really good organization. Even when my son (now age 27) was in Scouts, it wasn't TOO bad. Now, however, with its institutionalized homophobia and denial of membership to atheists, I feel it has lost the direction that was intended by its founder. If I were making the choice TODAY, I'd put my son in any other program except Boy Scouts; they need to get their act together, BADLY. They are based in Irving, Texas, and have let the Mormons and Baptists in Texas pretty much take over. Indeed, Webelos is the program that ALL Mormon churches use for their 6th grade boys. My son, the Eagle Scout, has already said that when HE has children, if they are boys, he has no plans to put them in Scouts. I hope the BSA will turn itself around before its too late, and an institution that has the potential to do a LOT of good turns into one more fundamentalist enclave. Thanks for the opportunity to speak my piece on the organization. Edit: I would like to point out to the person who answered before me that the Scouts no longer receive any sort of Federal funding; even Camp A.P. Hill is no longer available to the Scouts for their National Jamboree; I couldn't agree more with that decision. Likewise, United Way, and the Union of Reform Judaism (among other groups) have withdrawn monetary and financial support. Many local and state governments have likewise withdrawn funding and have suspended special privileges Scouts once received due to the BSA's stance on the issues of atheism and homosexuality.
3. The Boy Scouts provide programming to the youth that includes learning to tie knots, pitch tents, light fires safely, use knives without cutting themselves, lash sticks together to make cooking tripods, learn sign language, first aid, cooking, helping people, raising money for the community, feeding the hungry, and even leadership skills. In all the meetings I've attended, I don't recall anyone talking about sexuality - hetero- or homo- in any manner to the kids. I don't recall them talking about atheism either. My son has learned nothing but positive skills from the organization. Adults? We learn what we want to learn. We can find fault in just about anything or we can look for the good in just about anything. Are we teaching the kids totalitarianism? Certainly not. Are people making policies that might be regarded as totalitarianistic? Maybe... Curious as to where the one answerer got your information? Camp AP Hill is the site of the 100th Anniversary of The Boy Scouts of America from July 26th through August 4th 2010. Love them or hate them, get the facts straight before hitting "submit". I think I'll leave my kid in Scouting for now. He is having fun, learning lots, and making good friends. Anything else going on with the organization? He doesn't know or care. He's 10. He's still learning how best to pick his nose - I don't think he cares much about politics yet.
4. Well, as I remember (and I'm an Eagle Scout as well), the three things I learned from Boy Scouts were cursing, playboy magazine, and cooking blueberry cobblers (I took the cooking merit badge twice at summer camp). Oh, and this bully, Jason, used to hang the younger scouts' underpants from a flagpole.