BSA National office sent an e-mail to the AP earlier this week announcing that it had lost 6% membership in 2013 relative to 2012 - a little higher than the declining trend for the last several years. BSA spokesman Deron Smith wrote that with BSA accepting openly homosexual boys it "allows us to serve more kids." The BSA National Executive Committee's APR 2013 survey report had projected a worst case scenario of a 13% membership loss. Clearly they (~23 members heavily represented by Fortune 500 executives) were happy to accept that projection against a best case scenario of 1% membership gain.
Based upon 2012 membership data, churches charter ~70% of all BSA units, i.e., dens,packs,troops,crews. The 6 denominations with the highest number of chartered units in descending order are ...
1. LDS
2. UMC
3. RCC
4. PCUSA
5. ELCA
6. SBC
Of these 6 denominations, only the SBC stood up against the BSA and its new Membership Standard. Now they are off and running with the new alternative program, Trail Life, since its birth in SEP 2013. Trail Life officials claim they have chartered >500 troops in 46 states across the U.S.
A few smaller denominations registered their dissastisfaction with BSA with the result being some have totally quit BSA, e.g., PCA, and others have left it to the individual parishes to make their own decisions, e.g., LC-MS and CoC.
The UMC, PCUSA, and ELCA have elected to go along with BSA. The UMC appears to be headed to a schism with regard to the matter of homosexuality. The PCUSA and ELCA are both bleeding parish membership because of their leadership openly accepting the homosexual agenda.
The LDS are in lock-step with the BSA. They just celebrated 100 years of involvement with the BSA last year. The LDS use the BSA program as its offical male youth program.
I recall several FR Catholics vigorously proclaiming that Pope Francis would not accept the new Membership Standard in Catholic units. The National Catholic Committee on Scouting has abided by their episcopal leader, the Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston (SC). Their statement last June was that they would continue to study the new Membership Standard with regard to how it would impact the RCC's continued involvement with BSA (which just celebrated its centennial with BSA last year). I have yet to read any further statements.
The RCC has certainly been engaged in a fierce fight with the homosexualists over the last several years, i.e., (1) - Father Dariusz Oko's 2012 report entitled, “With the Pope Against the Homoheresy”, (2) the “Vatileaks” scandal, (3)the premature resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, and (4) the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child.
We've read about Pope Francis's interviews with the press this past year on the issue of homosexuality which have left many of us scratching our heads trying to understand what he meant. The homosexualists at The Advocate seized the initiative and declared Pope Francis its "Man of the Year" for 2013 primarily over his 1 press interview where he said, "... who am I to judge?"
All here on FR know that we are living through especially trying spiritual times. I pray there are enough orthodox Christians left to make a difference, but the culture war in the U.S. is definitely surging in the post-modernists/homosexualists favor.
I appreciate your informative posts regarding the BSA...I will offer some insight to the LDS scouting program that many may not be aware of.
It is a hollow program...meaning, they register and pay the fees for each and every youth of Scouting age that is on each and every ward roster, regardless of participation in the church or Scouts...unlike “conventional” units where the youth pays his own registration fees or the Troop does so, but out of dues collected [each Troop has their own policies regarding this, our Troop pays for Boys Life magazine but the boys pay the registration.]
The LDS are giving the BSA a lot of “free” money...this is why SLC was consulted personally by Wayne Perry [a mormon]...they knew that unless they had SLC’s approval, they stood to lose million$$$ in “free” registration fees if SLC rejected the policy change and quit the program.
BSA gets the money and don’t have to provide the increased support for Districts or Councils that have a majority of LDS units...they can use that money for other things.
So, although the LDS may be #1 in terms of membership, let’s be clear, those are registrations, not active Scouts.
I would be willing to bet that if you compared each organization and the numbers of ACTIVE Scouts, the LDS would fall down that list quite a bit. I don’t know of any unit that would be willing to pay for registration fees when the boy isn’t even attending services, let alone Scouts.
“which have left many of us scratching our heads trying to understand what he meant”
He meant exactly what he said. If a homosexual is living his life for the Lord, i.e., not engaging in homosexual activity, no one should judge him. Francis’ views are exactly what any other Pope’s views on homosexuality are. It is an intrinsic disorder and engaging in the behavior is a sin.
Catholic parishes are free to cut their associations with the BSA is they so chose or continue to sponsor them. It is left up to the Parish Priest. Some have cut ties with them, some have not.........not yet at least.
Only a matter of time before the BSA is relegated to the ash heap of history.