Headline Of The Day: A Camp Classic

Arkansas Online.

A New York Boy Scouts' council has broken new ground by hiring an openly gay man as a leader - Advocate.com

PS Think this one needs a bit more work, USA Today.

Trail Life: Nice Salute You Got There, Lads

"We grant membership to adults and youth who do not engage in or promote sexual immorality of any kind, or engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the program."

Policy statement by Trail Life USA, the "premier national character development organization for young men which produces Godly and responsible husbands, fathers and citizens."

MSN News reports from a meeting.

Trail Life launched in January after the American Scout movement finally allowed openly gay men and boys to join - though still not as leaders, thank heavens!

Most guys want exciting outdoor adventure with their friends. We’ve got that! Trips and travel? That, too. Camping. Check. Physical and mental challenge? Yep. And awards? Of course! 

Thanks to Uri.  x

Update: 'Horrified' by this photo. 

Scouts: Help Save The Youth Of America!

Daily Mail - who else?

A Mail reader comments..

As a former Boy Scout, I can assure you that there have always been gay scouts and that mild, harmless sexual experimentation among young boys is not unusual. The truth is that most boys only remain active in scouting up until 14 or 15, that is, before they become sexually active. Most scouts who may come out later as gay don't identify as gay this early on, so an openly gay scout will continue to be a rarity.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Fagburn thinks this dude might have "some issues".

Scouts: Morally Straight

Brothers Lucien and Pascal Tessier are proud members of the Boy Scouts of America. They are also gay.
Following in the footsteps of their dad Oliver, a Life Scout, and mother Tracie, a former scout committee chair, the two brothers have spent the bulk of their young lives committed to the values of the scout tradition: loyalty, honesty and personal accountability.
Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has long held a unique position in American society. But the organisation's struggle over whether or not to accept openly gay members and troop leaders has left the Tessier brothers frustrated.
Lucien, 20, and Pascal, 16, from Kensington in the US state of Maryland, have both been supported by their local troop since coming out when they were in high school.
Today at the Boy Scouts of America's annual meeting in Texas the organisation delayed a vote on whether to lift an official ban until May. Many faith-based groups which charter scout troops have warned of a mass exodus if the rules are changed.
But only full acceptance of gay scouts, the brothers say, would faithfully continue the Scout tradition.
"I think that by proposing this sort of policy where local troops decide for themselves whether to admit gay scouts or not, they're not living up to their responsibility to accept everyone," Lucien told the BBC.

Story and video from BBC News, February 2013.  
Regular viewers may know I'm generally opposed to sentimental crap about gay kids, but I do think the above photo's adorable.

Boy Scouts Of America yesterday voted to allow gay members - as long as they don't do nook.
Gay scout leaders are still banned - cause we're all filthy perverts.
Unlike Baden-Powell. 

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

US Boy Scout Oath.
(In the UK one they also pledge allegiance to the queen - which, if you've got a lot of time on your hands, you might want to work up into a joke).

And here's some scouts with good moral values - and really lovely parents, I guess...

Scouts: Save Our Chickens!

From The Daily Mail.

Chances of this ugly, angry Christian man secretly jacking off over scouts: High.

Scouts: Scouting For All Boys?

The Boy Scouts of America is close to ending its ban on openly gay members and Scout leaders, the organisation announced on Monday.
The move would represent a major shift for the movement and comes amid condemnation over its existing policy. The Scouts have faced criticism from president Barack Obama over its decades-long gay ban, while sponsors, including pharmaceutical giant Merck, have pulled funding citing its discrimination.
According to NBC, which broke the news, an announcement could come as soon as next week. The new policy would leave local organizations free to decide for themselves whether to admit gay Scouts...

The Guardian. 

Obviously I'm only really running this story so I've got an excuse to run the adorable special gay scout badges above...

Scouts: Honour

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Boy Scouts Of America oath. 
Their website defines being "morally straight" (!) as; "To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people..."
Boy Scouts Of America has decided to maintain its ban on gay scouts and gay scout leaders. 
Hard to think of any other organisation getting away with this in 2012 - apart from churches, obvs.
I wonder what Baden Powell would have said?
Mind you, he'd probably be too busy wanking over strong young lads in shorts.
Irony!

The Daily Mail: Scouting For Boys

The Daily Mail's not sure which way to turn on this story; 'Be Prepared' for equality... The Scouts look to recruit more gay leaders and members'
Is this about how you think all gay men fuck kids?
"Britain's best-known youth movement is going gay-friendly.
"The Scout Association has revealed plans to boost its number of gay members and leaders in a bid to banish the perception that homosexuals cannot sign up."
Really - so what actually happened?
"The half-a-million strong movement has released a video as part of the campaign - which will also let Scouts attend gay pride parades in uniform."
What campaign???
"Wayne Bulpitt, the association's UK chief commissioner, filmed a video offering support to an anti-bullying campaign led by gay rights charity Stonewall."
Oh, the one posted two weeks ago.
"In it he stated: 'Bullying is wrong on every level, not just for the person being bullied, but for the bully too.
"'In Scouting we believe that all young people, irrespective of their sexuality, gender, race, creed or background, have an equal opportunity to develop and to be themselves.'"
The Scouts' Association has come out against homophobic bullying?!
Whatever next?

• It's OK To Be Gay And A Scout! Advice For Young People SA factsheet.

Scout Movement: Scouting For Business

"The Scout Association will launch an entrepreneur badge, adding business start-ups to a list of approved activities that more traditionally includes camping, singalongs and woggle-wearing," reports The Financial Times, in a piece rather wittily titled 'Scouting For Del Boys'.
"The badge, which shows a rising bar chart suggestive of soaring sales, is the brainchild of multimillionaire Richard Harpin, founder and chief executive of the Homeserve domestic insurance business, capitalised at £1.4bn.
"Mr Harpin, a former member of the First Stocksfield Cubs and Scouts Group, Northumberland, said: 'I felt there was a group of young people who would like to hear about entrepreneurship in an exciting environment outside the classroom.'”
Baden-Powell must be grinning in his grave.