edoggsmooth

I work as a counselor at any afterschool program for elementary school kids and i notice that a handful of kids are boy scouts. I remember when i was younger that they would hand out fliers in class in september and meetings would start soon after, although i was never a scout myself.

My question is: is this run in cooperation with the public school? also, is this paid for with tax payer dollars? The reason this alerts me is because the first line of the Boy Scouts slogan is "On my honor I will do my best; To do my duty to God and my country."

thanks
-ed

atheistdave

At the time I was involved with our local scouting program, the cub scouts were sponsored by the PTA and the boy scouts were sponsored by a local church. All this amounted to was, the sponsor would provide a place for meetings. Any actual money needed by the scouts was raised by the scouts. Occasionaly a sponsor might kick in some cash for a big ticket item, but for the most part the boys were on their own to earn money. None of the schools funds were used for the scouts. When there was a large after hours pack meeting at the school, the scouts had to pay for the required custodian like any other group. The building was rent free to any group. That's how it was/is here, your area may be different.

Dave

beachbum

I hate to nitpick but :

edoggsmooth posted the following:

My question is: is this run in cooperation with the public school? also, is this paid for with tax payer dollars? The reason this alerts me is because the first line of the Boy Scouts slogan is "On my honor I will do my best; To do my duty to God and my country."

is actually the start of the scout oath. The scout slogan is "Do a Good Turn Daily"

I know these things as I was a scout (1st class - Order of the Arrow) and a scout master. I loved scouting. As a scout all we did was hike and camp. Every month there was a camping trip someplace. A lot of time was spent on our own local boy scout campground. Politics were so far removed that I couldn't even name a politician.

As a scout master I did the same thing with my troop. We hiked and camped. at least one camping trip a month and one major trip every six months. Again I didn't know from politics.

I could cry when I see what has become of the Boy Scouts. Sexual preference was not something you asked of any of the boys and it was never discussed, camping and hiking were discussed. We took those things seriously. Using a knife and an axe safely, building a fire without matches, tracking another scout through the woods, safety in the pool, cooking over an open fire, making a soft bed on the ground and staying dry, learning to build a bridge with poles and rope, learning how to tie a knot that would hold, learning period.

Yes we said "A scout is Reverent" and "to God and country" and there was a God and Country award. But we were kids and we were pretty much a-religious. Religion was not something we talked much about on our camping trips, if at all. God was not a real hot issue. Now, snipe hunting was a hot issue tho'

[ May 17, 2002: Message edited by: beachbum ]

[ May 17, 2002: Message edited by: beachbum ]</p>

Peregrine

Yep, the Boy Scouts are a unique group. They receive public money and are given the use of public facilities while openly discriminating against atheists and homosexuals.

They are the only group that one day can get a court to agree that they are a private but secular group where religion is only a secondary issue and then the next day get the same court to agree that it is a religious organization and can discrimate.

There is a rider to the Education bill that says that any government authority that refuses to provide support to the BSA will be refused federal educational funds.

atheistdave

Thanks for the memories beachbum. That pretty much describes scouting when I was a kid too. By the time I was involved as a parent and soon to be leader, the fundies were taking over and making all the god BS their first priority. As I seem to remember, didn't Baden-Powel start scouting with very little if any religion?

Dave

beachbum

atheistdave

I believe you are right. We were never pushed to religion. I remember having to answer what "Reverent" meant while I was truing to pass my Tenderfoot requirements but that was about the only time we did anything religious, and our troop was sponsered (gave us a meeting place only) was a church.

Like I said all we wanted to do was hike and camp not pray or go to church.