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“Struggling W.Va. Town Hopes Boy Scout Camp Brings New Life.” All Thiings Considered/National Public Radio. April 8, 2013. Picture a tiny town set along a creek in West Virginia. A mountain rises from the town’s eastern edge, overlooking the 1,400 people living below. Then, July comes — and 50,000 people arrive on that mountain for the National Scout Jamboree. The town is called Mount Hope. I’ve heard some call it “Mount Hopeless.” The town went through the long, downward slump from the boom days of deep-mine coal, when it was a grand, small-town capital of coal mining. Now it’s crumbling, struggling, but recently hopeful, because there’s a veritable pot of gold on top of that nearby mountain. The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, an adventure camp, sits there, right on the Mount Hope town line. The Boy Scouts of America says it’s already spent $300 million there. This summer, the camp on the mountaintop opens with the big jamboree. A mannequin in the window of an odds-and-ends store in downtown Mount Hope sports an assortment of Boy Scout-related paraphernalia. So how do you get some of those gold coins to roll down the mountain?

“California lawmakers threaten to strip Scouts of tax exemption; The goal of their proposed legislation is to force the Boy Scouts to abandon its ban on openly gay members. The bill clears a state Senate committee.” Los Angeles Times. April 11, 2013. [For story, go to Law & Public Policy].

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“Boy Scouts: Utah gay pride center can’t sponsor troop.” By Miranda Leitsinger. NBC News. April 2, 2013. The Boy Scouts of America said Monday that the Utah Pride Center — a LGBT advocacy group — could not charter a troop, even though the group said it would comply with the youth organization’s controversial policy banning gay Scouts and leaders. The Utah Pride Center submitted its application in late February to sponsor a troop with heterosexual leaders and middle-school age boys several weeks ago, said Valerie Larabee, the center’s executive director. She said the bid, which comes ahead of the BSA vote in May on whether it should keep the ban, was not a stunt. “We feel great concern for youth that may be involved in Scouting right now that are hiding something and we don’t ask our kids when they come to our campus here whether they are gay, straight or anything else,” she told NBC News by phone. “We assume that they’re here because they think this is a safe place and as a safe place we think that we can offer an incredible opportunity to young people who want to be involved in BSA.” Larabee said they submitted their application to Rick Barnes, the chief executive officer of the Great Salt Lake Council. Barnes referred questions to the BSA headquarters, “since this was a national decision.” When contacted for comment on who had reviewed the application and why it was rejected, the BSA said in a two-sentence statement: “The BSA is engaged in an internal discussion about its membership standards policy and is working to stay focused on Scouting’s mission. Based on the mission of this organization [the Utah Pride Center] we do not believe a chartered partner relationship is beneficial to Scouting.”

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“Proposed Bill in California Targets Scouts Over Gay Ban.” By Vauhini Vara. Wall Street Journal. February 19, 2013. A California state senator introduced a bill Tuesday to remove a tax exemption for any youth group, including the Boy Scouts of America, that bars some members on the basis of sexual orientation. The bill, from Sen. Ricardo Lara, a Democrat from near Los Angeles, would keep such groups from getting state-sales-tax and corporate-tax exemptions. It comes after the Boy Scouts this month delayed until May a decision on whether to end the group’s ban on gay members. Californian Ryan Andresen, who is gay, unsuccessfully challenged the Boy Scouts for keeping him from becoming an Eagle Scout. Mr. Lara said he had considered proposing the bill earlier but wanted to wait until the Scouts’ February meeting to see whether its leadership would change its policy on its own. “It looks like they’re going to kick the can down the road, so I thought that here in California the very least that we can do is that those who decide to continue to discriminate will not continue to have the tax exemption,” he said. A Boy Scouts spokesman didn’t respond to requests for comment. Mr. Lara said he didn’t know how much the Scouts now save through the exemptions or how much they would be expected to lose, if the bill passes. A spokeswoman for Gov. Jerry Brown said she wouldn’t comment because the bill hadn’t reached the Democratic governor’s desk.
Related story:
“Boy Scouts could lose tax break for gay ban.” San Francisco Chronicle. February 19, 2013.

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“The Right and Wrong Way to Buy Girl Scout Cookies.” By Ron Lieber. New York Times. February 16, 2013. Chris Hinkle for The New York Times Pilar Ruiz chaperones her daughter Mary on most of her cookie-selling expeditions but does not sell cookies on her behalf. In this weekend’s Your Money column, I told the story of Mary Ruiz, who sold 5,007 boxes of Girl Scout cookies last year as a 9-year-old, more than nearly any girl in the United States. When you sell that many cookies, there are bound to be questions. Some parents in Tucson questioned whether her mother, Pilar, was pushing her too hard. Pilar and Mary Ruiz said this was not the case. Meanwhile, several readers posted comments and sent me e-mails wanting to know how many cookies Pilar Ruiz sold herself. After all, they said, parents bring order forms to their offices all of the time and sell lots of cookies there without any assistance from their daughters. But Ms. Ruiz said she did not sell cookies on behalf of her daughter, though she did bring her daughter to the American Airlines call center where she worked before she began working from home. And if she had sold cookies on her daughter’s behalf, it would have been against the Girl Scout rules, something that will probably come as a big surprise to all of the parents who have been selling cookies themselves for years and all of the buyers who have happily bought from them. “We know that this happens, and we don’t approve,” said Amanda Hamaker, manager of product sales for Girl Scouts of the USA. “We actively discourage the activity, but it’s not something we can police. I don’t get phone calls in the middle of the day saying, ‘I work for so-and-so corporation, and there’s an unsanctioned order card on the break room table and what are you going to do about it?’” So what’s a conscientious buyer to do if the parents don’t know the rules or openly defy them?

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“Directors of Boy Scouts Urged to End Gay Ban.” By Ana Campoy and Geoffrey A. Fowler. Wall Street Journal. February 4, 2013. Gay-rights activists gathered at the Boy Scouts of America headquarters here Monday, urging the group to drop its longtime ban on gay scouts and leaders. Members of the Scouts’ national executive board, who began their annual meeting this week, are considering whether to end the policy, leaving it up to local organizations that sponsor scout troops to set their own membership rules. But about a dozen activists, including several scouts and former scout leaders, said Monday that they want all troops across the country to be open to gay members. The activists, some dressed in their scout uniforms, delivered boxes they said contained more than a million signatures on a petition against the ban gathered through Change.org. Jennifer Tyrrell, a former den leader who said she was ousted from the Scouts because she is gay, said “1.4 million people agree that we should all enjoy scouting.” Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts, said the group has received “a great deal of feedback” from people with different positions on the issue, adding, “we appreciate everyone sharing their perspective.” The Scouts’ prohibition on gay scouts and leaders has entered the national spotlight, with supporters and opponents speaking out.
Related stories:
“Vote to Eliminate Ban on Gays in Boy Scouts Is on Agenda at Board Meeting.” New York Times. February 4, 2013
“Boy Scouts meeting to consider ban on gay members.” USA Today. February 5, 2013.
“Align Boy Scouts policies with their values: Our view.” Editorial Board. USA Today. February 5, 2013.
“Let Scouting principles stand: Opposing view; Policy change on gays would threaten future of Boy Scouts of America.” Op-ed. USA Today. February 5, 2013.
“Ban on gays hurts Scouting.” Opinion. CNN.com. February 5, 2013.
“Boy Scout leaders to vote on ending ban against gay membership.” CNN.com. February 6, 2013.
“Gays in Scouts called ‘a catastrophe’.” Video oped. CNN.com. February 6, 2013.
“Boy Scouts Delay Decision On Allowing Openly Gay Scouts, Leaders.” All Things Considered/National Public Radio. February 6, 2013.
“Boy Scout leaders put off vote on gay membership.” CNN.com. February 6, 2013.
“Boy Scouts delay vote on policy that bans gays.” Video. Washington Post. February 7, 2013.
“Vote on Gay Ban Threatened to Split Scouts.” Wall Street Journal. February 7, 2013.
“After Floating Idea of Lifting Ban on Gays, Scouts Delay Decision.” New York Times. February 7, 2013.
“Boy Scouts: We need more time for decision on gay membership.” NBC News. February 7, 2013.
“Boy Scouts of America and the dismantling of core values.” Washington Post. February 8, 2013.
“Boy Scouts Say Gay Debate Was Ignited by a Leak.” New York Times. February 8, 2013.
“Why did I challenge the Boy Scouts’ anti-gay policy? Because I am a loyal Scout.” Washington Post. February 8, 2013.

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“Boy Scout Pack Drops Gay-Inclusive Non-Discrimination Pledge After Threats.” Huffington Post. January 27, 2013. A Maryland-based Boy Scout pack has backed down on its non-discriminatory pledge toward gay participants after pressure from its regional council. As Mother Jones reported, Pack 422 of Cloverly, Md. had “anonymously voted and overwhelmingly approved” to adopt a non-discrimination statement, which declared that the group would not discriminate “against any individual or family based on race, religion, national origin or sexual orientation.” By Jan. 26, however, Pack 422 officials had posted the following message on the group’s website: “Due to pressure from the National Capital Area Council, Pack 442 is being forced to remove its Non-Discrimination statement posted below in order to keep our Charter (up at end of Jan). Please feel free to send feedback to the following NCAC Leaders at 301-530-9360: Sarah Pelter, Director of Field Services; Les Baron, Scout Executive.” Last week, NCAC CEO and Scout Executive Les Baron revealed to Mother Jones that Pack 433 had been told they “will not be recognized as an organization” unless they erased the reference to sexual orientation in their non-discrimination statement.
Related stories:
“Former scoutmaster: Shift on gay ban overdue; early as next week, the Boy Scouts of America may announce a policy shift that would allow gay Scouts and troop leaders.” USA Today. January 29, 2013.
“In a Quick Shift, Scouts Rethink a Ban on Gays.” New York Times. January 28, 2013.
“Boy Scouts Of America Consider Dropping Ban On Gay Members And Participants: Report.” Huffington Post. January 29, 2013.
“Boy Scouts reconsider ban on openly gay members.” Boston Globe. January 29, 2013.
“The Boy Scouts Fall Short.” Editorial. New York Times. January 29, 2013.
“Mark Dietrich Sues Boy Scouts On Sex Abuse Allegations.” Huffington Post. January 31, 2013.
“The Post’s View: The Boy Scouts’ small step on gay rights.” Editorial. Washington Post. January 31, 2013.
“A Lesson From the Scouts’ Own Book.” Wall Street Journal. February 1, 2013.
“Pushback from parents helps weaken Boy Scouts’ iron wall against gay members.” Washington Post. February 2, 2013.
“Rick Perry: Boy Scouts Of America Should Keep No-Gay Policy.” Huffington Post. February 3, 2013.

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“Boy Scouts of America: Merck pulls funding in protest at gay ban; Pharmaceutical giant says it will consider giving money again ‘when the organisation’s inclusion criteria has been expanded’.” By Dominic Rushe. Guardian. December 10, 2012. The drugs giant Merck has suspended its funding for the Boy Scouts of America, citing its discrimination against gay people. The maker of top-selling drugs including asthma treatment Singulair and the HPV vaccine Gardasil joins Intel and UPS, which both pulled their funding following a campaign by lobby group Scouts for Equality. In July, after a two-year consultation, the BSA reaffirmed its long-time policy barring openly gay members from joining the organisation and barring gay and lesbian people from serving as scout leaders. The ban sparked a national backlash and was condemned by both president Barack Obama and his Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney. Scouts for Equality, led by activist Zach Wahls, has petitioned all of the organisation’s major sponsors in an attempt to get the BSA to overturn the ruling. Wahls is currently lobbying telecoms firm Verizon to pull its support for the BSA via petition website Change.org. So far over 63,000 people have signed the petition. In a statement, Merck said: “Merck Foundation has suspended all funding to the Boys Scouts of America. The Merck Foundation will consider funding the BSA again when the organization’s inclusion criteria has been expanded. “The BSA’s policy of exclusion based on sexual orientation directly conflicts with the Merck Foundation’s giving guidelines. The foundation re-evaluated funding for the BSA when the organization restated its policy that excludes members on the basis of sexual orientation. Merck Foundation has notified the BSA of this decision.”

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“Boy Scout rejected for Eagle Scout after coming out gay.” By Doug Stanglin. USA Today. October 5, 2012. A California couple says their 17-year-old son, who has been a Boy Scout for more than a decade, has met all the qualifications to become an Eagle Scout, but has been blocked by his scoutmaster for the group’s highest honor because he is gay. Ryan Andresen, who recently came out to his friends and family as gay, has completed his final project in his bid to become an Eagle Scout. It was an “tolerance wall” he built to oppose bullying in school by using tiles illustrated by elementary school students, the Mercury News says. The scoutmaster for Troop 212 in Moraga, Calif., told 17-year-old Ryan’s father, Eric, the troop’s chief administrator, on Sunday that his son wouldn’t be able to get the award, NBC News reports. The Boy Scouts of America have a longstanding policy denying membership to gay leaders and scouts, which they reaffirmed earlier this year after a two-year confidential review of the controversial ban, NBC News notes.
Related stories:
“Ryan Andresen, Gay Teen, Allegedly Refused Eagle Scout Award Because Of His Sexuality.” Huffington Post. October 5, 2012.
“Gay Moraga Boy Scout denied Eagle rank.” San Francisco Chronicle. October 5, 2012.

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“Eagle Scouts use badges to decry gay ban.” By Liam O’Kennedy. Boston Globe. August 27, 2012. To earn his Eagle Scout badge, Ned Coltman built a 65-foot handicap access ramp out of renewable materials for a conservation center in Reading. In 10 years as a Boy Scout, he learned how to lead, endure hardship, and live honestly. But now he is quitting the Scouts. mHe is among dozens of Scouts from Massachusetts and across the country who are returning their Eagle Scout awards to protest the organization’s longtime policy that bars openly gay members. “This is absolute bigotry and ignorance,” said Coltman, 21, who became an Eagle Scout in 2009 with Troop 728 in Reading. “They have to know there are Eagles out there who are angry at this.” Coltman sent a letter to the Boy Scouts of America Aug. 24 that rescinded his affiliation with the organization, accompanied by his Eagle Scout medal and badges. ‘Although we are disappointed to learn of anyone who feels compelled to return his Eagle medal, we respect their right to express an opinion.’ “To be involved in an organization that displays this blind hatred is one of the most terrible feelings I have ever had,” he wrote. “The leaders that you have created will never let this stand.” There are more than 2 million Eagle Scouts, the highest honor in Boy Scouts, and the number of protesters is difficult to determine.