Posted on 07/08/2004 1:57:25 PM PDT by RonF
The United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania has decided to distribute funds held in escrow for the local Boy Scouts organization to two other greater Philadelphia organizations that benefit youth. The United Way took this action because the Cradle of Liberty Council has remained steadfast in support of the national Boy Scout policy regarding the appointment of homosexuals to leadership positions. Nonetheless, this latest action by the United Way disappointed local Scout leaders and has left them scrambling to make up the funding shortfall.
Pat Coviello, executive vice president of the Cradle of Liberty Council, said he thought the United Way was advancing a political and social agenda. "They (the United Way) will only be satisfied with a policy statement from us that would be in violation of the leadership standards of the national BSA organization," Coviello said. "We remain committed to finding a way to serve children without being part of a political agenda."
But Mary Strasser, vice president for community impact with the United Way, said the decision was made because the current Boy Scout policy of appointing only heterosexual males to leadership positions conflicts with the United Way's longstanding policy concerning discrimination. She said that any organization that seeks funding from the United Way must not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, and sexual orientation. "We weren't able to demonstrate that they (the Scouts) were able to comply with our non-discrimination policy," Strasser said. "We're not advancing a social agenda. We're just trying to be responsive to the community."
The monies in question, about $200,000, will now go to the Summer Camp Enrichment Program and the Summer Career Exploration Program. The funds had been held in escrow for more than a year. Strasser also said the welfare of children served by the United Way was an additional factor as to why the funds are being released at this time. "We want to make sure kids benefit this summer," she said.
The issue first surfaced in May of last year when the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania voted to withhold one half of a $420,000 grant it had previously made to the Cradle of Liberty Council because it disagreed with the Scout policy on homosexuals. The United Way had requested that the grant be used to support the Council's Learning for Life program. A second grant was also frozen by the United Way for the same reason. That grant, for just under $18,000, supported a similar program operated by the Boy Scout's Chester County Council. The money withheld would have funded both programs through the end of last year. The money for both grants was taken from funds raised by the United Way's 2002 campaign. At the time the United Way said that the monies would be held in escrow until both Boy Scout groups revised their policies to conform to United Way policy on discrimination. Officials from the Cradle of Liberty Council and the United Way had met several times since to work out an agreement acceptable to both organizations, but without success.
Strasser also said that an allocation for the Boy Scouts for this year, taken from the United Way's 2003 campaign, has been placed in escrow pending resolution of the issue. She said she is hopeful the matter can be resolved by the end of this year.
Coviello said the Learning for Life program had been instituted by the Cradle of Liberty Council in Philadelphia about 15 years ago as an outreach program based on ethics to reach children who were hard to serve via traditional Scouting programs. More than 40,000 youths are currently enrolled in that program, the vast majority of whom live in the city, he said. Coviello also saw irony in the situation because the Boy Scout leadership standards do not apply to the Learning for Life program, meaning that homosexuals can take part in it. "It's a school-based program," he said. "The local school selects the people to work with the children. Sexual orientation is not an issue. "This program is being potentially put on the chopping block as a result. Our children are getting caught in the crossfire of that battle."
The grant money that the United Way has diverted from the Council represents only a small percentage of its current $5.5 million annual budget. Nonetheless, Coviello said the loss is being felt and the Council is responding to the challenge by seeking new donors and by asking current donors to be more generous. "We're also asking people to consider designating their United Way donations directly to us," he said. "They can do this, and we're going to publicize this fact more aggressively."
Coviello also said that the Cradle of Liberty Council and the city still have not reached agreement concerning the use of its Center City office building, located at 22nd and Winter Streets. The issue arose late last year when the City Solicitor's office ruled that the Council should lose the free use of that property because the national Boy Scout policy of choosing only heterosexual males and non-atheists as leaders allegedly conflicts with the city's "Fair Practices" policy.
The Cradle of Liberty Council, which has 87,000 members in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, maintains offices in the Center City property. The structure was built in 1929, after City Council had passed a resolution the year before allowing the Boy Scouts free use of the land in perpetuity. However, the city has the right to take back the land, provided it gives the Boy Scouts one year's notice.
After a long legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the Boy Scouts of America is a private organization and is entitled to establish and enforce its own criteria for membership.
Leadership in the BSA is not limited to males. Women can hold any leadership position in the BSA. This is in contrast with the supposedly non-discriminatory GSUSA, which does not allow men to hold their equivalent to Cubmaster or Scoutmaster.
Also, homosexuals are not forbidden from holding leadership positions in the BSA. "Avowed" homosexuals are forbidden; in practice this means that as long as a leader doesn't bring up his sexual practices in a Scouting context, and keeps them out of the media, no one will say anything about it. Anyone who thinks that there are no homosexuals in the BSA is quite mistaken.
I would raise holy hell about this; if those funds were earmarked by the donors for the Boy Scouts, then they should get them.
Another great reason not to donate to the United Way.
Gee... I thought they went belly up from lack of support.
Did they stop funding the Girl Scouts? They support abortion.
I don't like this ruling at all. The United Way is corrupt in many areas and some things should not be an issue for them to consider.
I have never given a dime to UW. My employers have growled and complained, but I just mention former UW president Aramony who was fired and sent to prison for living high on the hog on donors' money. That shuts 'em up.
I donate straight to the BSA in the local area, that way those commie pinko fags can't deny the money to them based on this homo agenda of theirs.
"I would raise holy hell about this; if those funds were earmarked by the donors for
the Boy Scouts, then they should get them. "
Below is a link to a story that I suspect won't get an airing on national TV news.
The only reason I'd heard about it was the lawyer for the Weinburgs appeared
on KKLA 99.5FM in Los Angeles a few months ago.
The class action aspect mentioned in the lower third of the article is invigorating.
http://www.toacorn.com/news/2004/0610/Community/004.html
Find a local unit and give directly to them. Be a volunteer.
This issue just drives me nuts. The furthest thing from the mind of my Webelo is sex. He thinks the whole subject is yucky.
We're there doing that.
Surely, if they took my money, they would have to distribute it where I said, right?
Philly ping!
The United Way is more a criminal organization than a charitable organization. I highly doubt one penny of your money went to the Scouts.
For more information and how you can help the BSA directly, see:
http://www.bsalegal.org
This is an official Boy Scouts of America site.
As a middle manager at CIGNA in the commercial real estate investments division, I was REQUIRED to donate to the United Way.
The second year I was there I went to personnel to get them to stop taking funds out of my paycheck for the United Way and gave my reasons. They told me it was policy at a certain management level and a requirement.
I went to my boss and told him I'd be willing to leave the company if I had to but that not one more of my dimes was going to that despicable organization. It took a lot of doing but he got them to stop taking $$ out of my paycheck.
I had this happen with a fortune 100 company. They will twist your arm to donate to the United Way. If you absolutely refuse they will nominate you for the hall of shame. It's hard to understand how the United Way could have that much power.
Thanks for the info and you are absolutely correct in donating directly to the Boy Scouts or any charitable organization. I have stopped many donations through collection organizations as a large portion of the donation goes to overhead costs(rip-off's in many cases). To those of you who have a local scout troop in your area and you wish to donate, contact the scoutmaster, perhaps attend a scout meeting and find out what their needs are and donate gear they may require (camping equipment, boy scout handbooks, etc.) or some of your time. Seeing a smile on someone's face is perhaps the greatest pleasure of all in donating to worthy causes. As for the United Way, I have made my choice and they don't receive any of my money. I now Deal Direct when it comes to donations.
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