Until Monday, 6/21/2010, I worked for a local BSA Council. They are all hurting.
I was laid off because simply there is no money left to pay staff with. I worked with personal information on all volunteers. They cannot farm my job out I needed to be bonded.
The remaining staff all took a 6% pay cut as well. I have been crying for two days.
The BSA is taking a huge toll on their belief system that protects the youth members.
Look at the money the City of Philadelphia wasted trying to persecute a group as noble as the Boy Scouts! The BSA could have put that money to such better use.
Mind you, the Philadelphia Boy Scout group agreed not to discriminate against gays and the City tried to evict them just because they wouldn’t also repudiate the national organization.
I'm so sorry to hear about your job. We're with Cradle of Liberty Council (subject of the lawsuit), and it has been hurting for years as well. I learned a few weeks ago that they'd let go the registrar who had been very helpful to me. They just don't have the money.
We closed Treasure Island camp, which was the oldest continually operated Boy Scout camp in America, and the camp at which the Order of the Arrow was founded. It was forced to close to campers in 2009. The damage from two horrible floods combined with a need for expensive upgrading were too much for our council to support. My sons spent a week at Treasure Island in 2007, and they loved it. I wish they could return to the Unami Lodge and their special island in the Delaware. I fear that we'll be closing some other camps. They are in poor condition, and we can't afford to bring them up to snuff. The debacle over our Philadelphia offices was the last thing we needed. Losing support from the United Way was a big hit a few years ago, and then this. I'm delighted that the lawsuit has gone our way - finally something positive.
Despite the tough finances, our council and our troop do an excellent job of guiding our boys. We have very willing volunteers and really terrific boys. It's a joy to be with them. When our sons go off to college, I suspect we'll continue to volunteer with the troop. Many of our parents have done so - it's like family.
It's the same issue that I was discussing elsewhere with the schools. BSA teaches boys to reach for their highest potential to set goals and achieve them, to rise above the mediocre. BSA also fosters RESPECT, respect for oneself, each other, parents, teachers, and authority figures. That is completely county to the culture of victimhood and self-esteem.
I have never given to UW in 30 years in the corporate world and now I never will...