Los Padres Council leaders and supporters,

Thank you for your continued support of our youth, communities, and the Scouting program. Your support ensures our ability to deliver the nation’s foremost youth development program to our local communities. Our primary focus has always been, and will always be, to serve America’s youth in a safe environment by providing the best program possible.

 

On July 27, 2015, the Boy Scouts of America National Executive Board ratified a resolution that removes the national restriction on openly gay adult leaders and employees. The resolution is effective immediately. Of those present and voting, 79 percent voted in favor of the resolution.

 

Chartered organizations will continue to select their adult leaders and religious chartered organizations may continue to use religious beliefs as criteria for selecting adult leaders, including matters of sexuality. This change allows Scouting’s members and parents to select local units, chartered to organizations with similar beliefs, that best meet the needs of their families. This change also respects the right of religious chartered organizations to choose adult volunteer leaders whose beliefs are consistent with their own.

 

Why The Change Was Made:

During the 2015 Boy Scouts of America National Annual Meeting in May, Dr. Gates encouraged the Scouting family to reflect on the challenges, primarily regarding adult leadership standards, facing the BSA and potential alternatives for addressing them. Dr. Gates’ remarks can be found on Scouting Newsroom.

 

• The BSA faces the prospect of litigation in multiple states in the very near future. Legal counsel has advised national leadership that the likelihood of being able to defend the policy going forward is very low. Due to the social, political, and legal changes taking place in our country and in our movement, the past adult leadership policy could not be sustained.

• The best way to allow the BSA to continue to focus on its mission and preserve its core values was to address the issue and set its own course to ensure it continues to provide life-changing experiences to youth they cannot get anywhere else.

 

Why This Resolution Is Right For Scouting:

The BSA National Executive Board voted to ratify a resolution amending the adult leadership standards. The resolution was unanimously recommended by those present and voting for ratification by the National Executive Committee earlier this month.

 

Effective immediately, chartered organizations are able to select adult volunteer leaders without regard to sexual orientation, continuing Scouting’s longstanding policy of chartered organizations selecting their leaders. The 2013 youth membership policy is not affected and remains unchanged.

 

This change allows Scouting’s members and parents to select local units, chartered to organizations with similar beliefs, that best meet the needs of their families. This change also respects the right of religious chartered organizations to choose adult volunteer leaders whose beliefs are consistent with their own.

 

It remains the position of the BSA that the ideals and principles of “duty to God” and “a Scout is reverent” set forth in the Scout Oath and Scout Law are central to teaching young people to make better choices over their lifetimes.

 

Focusing on Scouting’s Mission:

Scouting is not an appropriate environment to discuss sexual conduct, and the BSA will continue to have a strict behavioral standard for its youth members and adult leaders.

 

Since 1910, the BSA has relied on chartered organizations to oversee and deliver the Scouting program in local communities. Nationally, Scouting represents approximately 2.4 million youth members and nearly 1 million adult leaders with diverse beliefs. Scouting teaches its youth members and adult leaders to be tolerant and respectful of different religious and moral beliefs, acknowledging that reasonable minds may honorably differ.

 

Moving forward, Scouting will continue to focus on reaching and serving youth, helping them grow into good, strong citizens. By focusing on the goals that unite us, we are able to accomplish incredible things for young people and the communities we serve.

 

What It Means

For the BSA: Scouting is not an appropriate environment to discuss sexual conduct. While there is no national or local council restriction on openly gay adults serving as leaders or employees, everyone agrees to follow national policies and comply with the BSA’s behavioral standards.

 

For Youth: Scouting is a youth program and no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference.

 

For Families: Parents can select units, chartered to organizations with similar beliefs, that best meet the needs of their families.

 

For Adult Leaders: Unit leaders may apply for positions in units chartered to organizations with similar beliefs. At the district level and above, there is no restriction on openly gay adults serving as leaders.

 

For Chartered Organizations: They will continue to select adult leaders, and religious chartered organizations may use religious beliefs as criteria for selecting adult leaders, including matters of sexuality.

 

By addressing this issue, the BSA is now able to continue to focus on its mission, preserve its core values, and provide life-changing experiences to youth they cannot get anywhere else.

 

Moving forward, we will continue to focus on reaching and serving youth, helping them grow into good, strong citizens. By focusing on the goals that unite us, we are able to accomplish incredible things for young people and the communities we serve.

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