Scouting For All Cautions

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2001

Scouting for All Cautions, the Public and Founders of the BSA NOT to Be Fooled by Current Rhetoric

Over the last few months several Scout Councils in the United States seemed to have attempted to mislead the public and founders into
believing that they don't discriminate against gay scouts or leaders. Several councils have said they have adopted a "new" policy. The
Minsi Trail Council of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the Hiawatha Seaway Council of Syracuse, New York all reported in recent months to
the news media that they have adopted a policy that focuses on "inappropriate behavior" and not sexual orientation. Most recently The
Minuteman Council of Boston, Massachusetts has been quoted as saying they have adopted a new policy of "don't ask don't tell."

Scott Cozza, the President of Scouting for All made contacts with these Scout Councils and all reported they continue to follow the
National Boy Scouts of America's current policy of excluding gays from scouting. One such interaction took place between Scott Cozza
and Tom Herrington, Executive of the Minsi Trail Council. Cozza, asked Tom Herrington, "If a scout or scout leader were reported to the
Minsi Trail Council for being gay by a parent or another scout leader how would the Council respond?" Mr. Herrington answered the
question by stating, "The Council adheres to the National BSA policy of excluding homosexuals from scouting." Mr. Herrington further
stated, " We don't have a policy (referring to their "new" behavior policy) different from the National organization. It was approved by the
National office."

Mr. Herrington also agreed with Mr. Cozza, that his Council's "new" policy focusing on behavior was nothing new to scouting. National
BSA has always had a policy to terminate members from scouting for "inappropriate behavior."

It seems very clear that the National BSA is giving consent to the some local Councils to reword current policy so that it can be
interpreted in such a way as to meet funder anti-discrimination requirements. For example the Minsi Trail Council with its "new" policy was granted funding from the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Mr. Cozza, spoke to Mr. Scharff, Executive of the UW of the
Greater Lehigh Valley. Mr. Scharff was surprised to hear the statements of Mr. Herrington, that the Council continues to adhere to the National BSA policy of discrimination against gays and atheists. After finding this out Mr. Scharff, representing the UNGLV found it very difficult to take any action because in Mr. Scharff's words, "the religious right has threatened to pull funding from the Lehigh United Way if we discontinued funding the local council."

Scouting for All is cautioning the general public and founders of the Boy Scouts of America whose funding is dependent on anti-discrimination policies to not be "fooled" by the rhetoric of the National BSA and some Scout Councils, who claim to have a "new" policy. The truth is the only Scout Council in America who absolutely does not adhere to the BSA policy of discrimination is the Piedmont Council in Piedmont, California. The Piedmont Council told the National BSA in a letter that their current policy of excluding gays from scouting was in violation of both the Scout Oath and Law and they would not adhere to such a policy.