Robert E. Lee Boy Scout Council, Richmond, VA, to be Renamed. More PC for the Boy Scouts...

WRVA Radio ^ | 5/13/03 | VMI70

[VMI70]

This past weekend, my son and I went on his troop's annual father-son hike. His troop is one of many in the Robert E. Lee Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which is headquartered in Richmond, VA.

On Sunday, during the church service at the end of the hike, it was announced that the Council directors had voted to change its name from The Robert E. Lee Council, which has been in use for many decades, to something else.

This morning, the news broke on the local radio station: WRVA 1140 AM, Richmond's Morning News with Jimmy Barrett.

[VMI70]

Click on "Richmond's Morning News with Jimmy Barrett" which is on the upper left hand side of the page, and there you will find a small story and a poll(hint).

Scout Executive Director, Robert A. Tuggle 804-204-2611 atuggle@relcbsa.org (another hint)

Tuggle was interviewed this morning by Jimmy Barret, and judging by his responses to Barrett's questions, Tuggle gives a whole new meaning to the term "jellyfish".

They are soliciting suggestions for new names. I am sure many FReepers would have some great suggestions, so be sure to email them to Mr. Tuggle: atuggle@relcbsa.org

I guess mine will be "Ulysses S. Grant"

Below is the Scout Law. I wonder how the Robert E. Lee Council Directors who voted for the change measure up:

A Scout Director is:

trustworthy? - not very

loyal? - not

helpful? - not

friendly? - maybe

courteous? - maybe

kind? - not

obedient? - not

cheerful? - maybe

thrifty? - maybe

brave? - definitely not

clean? - maybe

reverent? - not

It's a sad commentary, isn't it?

[Huck]

How about George Washington?

[jgrubbs]

The Christian General Bump!

[TomServo]

Dixie Ping!

[Mister Baredog]

How about George Washington?

NO he's out too, slave owner you know. I guess if some are bothered by history they think they can just rewrite it, How about Soupy Sales! I don't know why this scout troop cares, don't they know they are all bigoted homophobes anyway?

[RonF]

Has the Robert E. Lee Council been involved in a Council merger? The BSA has been merging together it's smaller local Councils into larger ones to consolidate staffs and save money (or to enable them to increase the number of lower-level staff to provide more service). It's common to give the new Council a different name from the either of the older ones. Is that the case here?

[WhiskeyPapa]

Lee wrote in an 1865 letter that the best relation of white and black was that of master and slave. He really gets a much better press than he deserves.

Walt

[Tax-chick]

How about George Washington?

Another slaveholding Dead White Man? Forget it! I'll bet they either choose a black person, or something bland like "Richmond Council."

What a bunch of wimps. If they were ever Boy Scouts, they obviously didn't learn anything important!

[Huck]

NO he's out too, slave owner you know.

GW did free all of his slaves though. That counts for something.

[stainlessbanner]

Help out

[stainlessbanner]

The Governor of Virginia was asked by General Lee, “What will they think of the country?” (after the implied surrender).

The Governor replied, “My God, General Lee, you are the country to these men.”

[jgrubbs]

Walt, we have had many discussions on these issues. I can never change your way of thinking and you can never change mine. This is an issue that we will have to just agree to disagree about, there are many other issues that we probably agree with each other 100%. I am proud to have the portraits of Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson hanging in my office at home.

[VMI70]

No.
It's a comparatively large council and has been around for a very long time. My son's troop was originally Troop 5, before they changed the numbering system.

[putupon]

Naw, the PC leftist Yankees just came down here and shoved that stinkin' Linkin' statue up our arses at Trededgar, they'll find some court somewhere to make them change the name to Linkin Scouts too.

[WhiskeyPapa]

Walt, we have had many discussions on these issues. I can never change your way of thinking and you can never change mine.

I'm not trying to change your way of thinking.

As long as you don't post the complete claptrap nonsense/nazi-like propaganda that makes up the bulk of "southern heritage", you probably won't hear from me.

Walt

[Yardstick]

My mother went to Robert E. Lee Elementary School in Baton Rouge (1950's). I wonder how many southern schools were given General Lee's name, and I wonder how many have kept it.

[NYFriend]

Washington and Lee have a lot in common. The slavery issue is what is probably driving this issue. But, also (I'm not saying more, less or equal) both could very easily be considered traitors to their nation. With Lee we get into the state vs. nation issue, and in modern times this is harder for us to understand but was probably a fair argument in 1860. With Washington there are more complicated issues relating to international law that basically end up with him being ok because his side won, an answer that is generally rejected by non-classical thinkers in internaitonal relations. I'd be interested in any thoughts about this.

I'm willing to bet that the debate will come down to personal feelings about the role of the federal government. While I might say that Washington fought for the United States, and Lee against it, others may argue that Lee fought for the Unites States that Washington fought for, and against a nation that was simply called the United States. I happen to disagree on the underlying issue in this argument (related to the legitimate role of the federal government), but I understand it.

Thoughts?

[Corin Stormhands]

Shut up Wlat.

[Mister Baredog]

NO he's out too, slave owner you know.
GW did free all of his slaves though. That counts for something.

It should but it doesn't in liberal PC circles, it's just a matter of time till we no longer teach our youth about those "evil men", the founding fathers(a term which is currently being exorcized from textbooks).

[Corin Stormhands]

I heard this yesterday and am dismayed. They say it's for "marketing" purposes, but they have caved to political correctness.

My oldest son is no longer in scouting. My youngest will probably do the scouting program our church has. But I'll hang on to my den leader's uniform and my R.E. Lee Council patches...