Boy Scouts Win Eviction Suit Against Philadelphia

Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Thanks for the ping! This is indeed GREAT NEWS!

[bmwcyle]

ping

[Think free or die]

"They ought to get out there and do more fundraising, or raise the price of their popcorn. People don't buy it because it tastes good. (even though it does) With the right marketing, they could tap into the frustration conservatives are feeling. Supporting the scouts is an investment in the coutry's future, leaders for tomorrow, traditional values, etc... "

I've also thought that there needs to be a more effective fundraising process. The kids are already doing fundraising for their councils (popcorn), doing food drives for their local communities (Scouting for Food), and in many cases, additional fundraising for their troop's equipment needs (ours sell hoagies or hoagie coupons to a local convenience chain). If they are asked to do much more, it will turn off many kids who just want to go camping and who develop into leaders along the way. We don't want to hurt retention.

I'd like to see a concerted effort by national and councils to tap into local business or private donors who would be willing to support the scouts as "angels". I have to believe there are people of means in this country who respect what the Scouts are doing but don't know how dire the situation is for them. This also means, however, that they need to make clear to donors what is going on with the "gay dispute" and with their child protection program. Unfortunately, the BSA has had bad press because of a few bad eggs who molested boys and because of "anti-gay discrimination". A lot of people just have a negative impression without knowing much about it. They have no idea of the depth of commitment to child protection that exists within the organization. Youth organizations all deal with these issues, unfortunately. Because BSA is a conservative organization, they have borne the brunt of criticism by our media.

Another issue is the condition of some of the camps. It's a vicious cycle. The camps are run down because of lack of money. Troops and campers don't want to attend run-down camps, so they fail to generate revenue. Lack of revenue makes it impossible to upgrade and maintain the camps . . . BSA does not permit Eagle Scout service projects to benefit its own organization. I've often thought they should consider a moratorium on that in order to permit Scouts to make improvements to the camps as part of their service work. It's not ideal from a PR standpoint, but some of the councils and camps are at a crisis situation where they will not otherwise survive. Another option would be to publicize the plight and call for volunteers to come help out - for example Eagle alumni. I don't think BSA has done enough to enlist the help of its Eagle Scout network. They are a human resource with connections, funds, and leadership capability. They benefited from the Scouting program, and many would give back if asked.

[Think free or die]

"Does the city actually want the building for itself, or does it just want to take it away from the Scouts? That might affect whether or not there’s an appeal."

I suspect it's more the latter. I've been told that there's a key councilman who has it in for the Scouts for, shall we say, personal reasons. The rest of the council supports him. I've never heard that there's an alternate use that is driving this. Given Philadelphia's financial situation, I doubt they'd be good custodians of it, but perhaps they'd rent it out for a dollar to some "rainbow" group, which might or might not maintain it. Pure speculation on my part, but since this has been dragging on for years, I don't think there's a renter waiting in the wings. They've have given up long ago.

[nina0113]

I've been told that there's a key councilman who has it in for the Scouts for, shall we say, personal reasons.

Getting rid of him would probably solve the problem, then. When's the next election?

[RonF]

HAH!

[Altura Ct.]

Thanks for the ping. This is certainly good and unexpected news.

[Think free or die]

"Getting rid of him would probably solve the problem, then. When's the next election? "

I don't know the election cycle for Phila City Council. I vote in the 'burbs. Getting rid of him would be a plus for the Scouts, but I have no idea about the demographics of his council district. He may be truly representative of their views. It's an interesting question though. Tormenting the Scouts costs the city money it can ill afford. This could be useful to the city GOP, which is itself in disarray right now. There's an entrenched group which lives fat and happy without posing meaningful challenges to the Dems (for a share of the goodies), and there's a challenger group which is trying to shake things up and bring new people into the organization . . . hmmmm.

[em2vn]

When is it reasonable to impose and unconstitutional condition?

[NYer]

Excellent news! Thank you for posting.

[proudofthesouth]

Great news for a change! Praise God!

[DesScorp]

Outstanding! But now they’ll probably use the loophole in the lease and just kick the Scouts out. These PC scumbags in Philly can’t stand that someone isn’t bowing to their will.

[Bigg Red]

Oh, that is great news! Praise the Lord. Thanks for the ping.

[Girlene]

Finally. Thank goodness. Thank you for the update, Albion Wilde.

[skinkinthegrass]

Boy Scouts will be able to petition for their legal fees, estimated at $860,000.
Great News.... 8^)
they really should sue (the Liberals...personally :)
who filed the suit in the first place.
....for 100 X that amount & make 'em pay (cash).

[aSeattleConservative]