[21038] in APO-L
[APO-L] APO/GSUSA/BSA
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Peri Nelson)
Mon Jul 24 14:12:38 2000
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Message-ID: <2375269276.964447943@psdfn206-c01.pubsites.buffalo.edu>
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 14:12:23 -0400
Reply-To: Peri Nelson <pmnelson@ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU>
From: Peri Nelson <pmnelson@ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
OK... I am really trying to stay out of this whole debate, as I really do
not want to get into a personal conflict; however, I do want to state the
following few things:
- I am a registered Boy Scout in Otetiana Council, Rochester, NY. I am an
assistant scoutmaster of Lincoln Troop 3. I am quite proud of being a
female in the Boy Scouts, and even more so to be the first female in the US
to earn both Jewish Boy Scouting Awards as a female. I was in Explorers
(now combined with Venturers) and a Webelos Camp Counselor. There is
nothing wrong with taking these routes to increase participation in Boy
Scouting when Girl Scouts do not offer enough. In addition my mother,
father & brother are all registered Boy Scouts.
- My father is a registered Girl Scout and has been since I was in 4th or
5th grade. It helped a bunch since he was a member of the Jewish Committee
on Scouting.
Now as for the stance of APO on the BSA issue:
I believe that the organizations should be kept as two separate entities.
It is not a matter of endorsing the Boy Scouts. Basically, they have their
issues and as a private organization (even in the eyes of the Supreme Court
of the United States) they are entitled to have whatever rules they place
on their members, whether the general public agrees with them or not. The
Boy Scouts was the organization to with Alpha Phi Omega was based, as Frank
Reed Horton and the other founders were Eagle Scouts. However, these are
two different organizations - one that includes everyone regardless of
characteristics and the other exclusive of who they let in as members. Just
because they started off with the same 'rules set' does not mean things
change and grow apart. We were founded by Boy Scouts, but things move on,
get tweaked, and change. We allow women, we allow atheists, we allow anyone
regardless of sexual orientation. That means we have grown and accepted
change and have extended membership to anyone who wants to join. The Boy
Scouts are entitled, in the same reasoning, to include or exclude anyone
they wish (regardless of public opinion). My personal opinion on that is
that the Boy Scouts have stagnated themselves by doing such, but they do
what they want.
Anyway, I think I am going to beat a dead horse soon enough, so that's all.
Peri Nelson
Assistant Scoutmaster, Lincoln Troop 3, Rochester, NY
Alumna Alpha Phi Omega, Epsilon Sigma
