United Way to redistribute funds (Boy Scouts lose funding)

News Gleaner (suburban Philadelphia) ^ | 7/7/04 | George Tomezsko

[RonF]

Factual inaccuracies in the above:

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.

[Howlin]

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.

[colorado tanker]

I designate half my United Way to the Boy Scouts and half to the Girl Scouts. If the local council ever defunds the BSA, that is the last dollar United Way will ever see from me.

[Morgan in Denver]

You mean there's still a United Way?

Gee... I thought they went belly up from lack of support.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

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.

[AnAmericanMother]

Why bother with the middleman? All UW does is monkey with your money and spend a ton of it on overhead.

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.

[SZonian]

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.

[VOA]

"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

[UpInArms]

Find a local unit and give directly to them. Be a volunteer.

[colorado tanker]

Dunno. Probably just an old habit. I started giving to the Combined Federal Campaign and when I left active duty just kept giving to United Way. This P.C. crap could change that habit.

This issue just drives me nuts. The furthest thing from the mind of my Webelo is sex. He thinks the whole subject is yucky.

[colorado tanker]

We're there doing that.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

My previous company had a United Way campaign and I reluctantly participated, but not before earmarking my donation to go to the Boy Scouts.

Surely, if they took my money, they would have to distribute it where I said, right?

[HenryLeeII]

Philly ping!

[jpl]

Surely, if they took my money, they would have to distribute it where I said, right?

The United Way is more a criminal organization than a charitable organization. I highly doubt one penny of your money went to the Scouts.

[gilliam]

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.

[Peach]

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.

[airedale]

One of the things people can do with United Way is designate the charity they want their contribution to go to. If it's designated the charity has no legal recourse other than to send them the money or to return it to the donor. They cannot give it to a different charity. I think that might even be a criminal act, but I don't know for sure.

Someone should check to see how many of the donations were directed. The major charities are usually selected by checking the box for it. In other cases you fill in a blank with the charities ID number. If the United Way is holding or refusing to pay the Boy Scouts the money for the designated donations then legal action should be taken.

[Orange1998]

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.

[tuvals]

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.