Mr. Downing,
I was in attendance at the leadership standards
meeting tonight. I think it was obvious from the crowd where our
Council constituency stands on the issue, and that any policy change
allowing open homosexuals in Scouting would result in a large number of
Packs and Troops to be dissolved by their sponsoring organizations. If
Councils are already feeling a financial pinch when BSA is only
*considering* a policy change, what will happen when half their
sponsoring organizations end their relationship with BSA? How many
people will have to lose their jobs then? How different will it be if
only 5% (one PTO) dissolve their Pack? As you said, either way there
will be painful realities to deal with, but which one will be the most
devastating? While BSA is non-sectarian, I believe one gentleman
pointed out that 70%
of sponsoring organizations are religious in nature, and of those, 70%
are conservative. I believe that number will be much higher here in the
Pikes Peak Council.
I am the Wolf Den Leader for Pack 55,
sponsored by the Evangelical Christian Academy (ECA), and represent 7 of
the 8 families in my den, who have all come to me individually and as a
group saying that if the BSA changes their policies regarding
homosexuals, we will have no choice but to leave Scouting. I am glad
that ECA's superintendent was there tonight to explain that they are
officially waiting to see what policy changes come, but I think he was
also clear that a move in the wrong direction would make it very hard
for ECA to continue to sponsor the Pack. I was very serious when I told
him, publicly, that there are viable alternatives to the BSA if the BSA
abandons its core principles. (I don't care if there are 3.2 million
Girl Scouts being indoctrinated by Planned Parenthood and the liberal
Media Matters news organization, my daughter is one of 16,000 American
Heritage Girls learning to be a God-honoring, patriotic young woman.)
As was stated tonight, Scouting begins and ends with God.
Scouting's core principles are why we joined, and why I want to see my
sons, a 7 year old Wolf and a 3 year old Tiger (don't try to tell him he
has to wait until first grade!), go on to earn their Eagles. I am in
Scouting to raise my boys to be God-fearing, patriotic, honest,
courageous, upstanding men, but if Scouting abandons the core of those
principles and the Source of all that is righteous, holy, and good, how
can we stay? If BSA gives in, it will eventually go the way of the rest
of the world. Instead of being a light in a dark place, raising up the
next generation of leaders, the BSA will be just another service
organization. All of the wonderful, proven benefits of Scouting will
slowly but surely erode and eventually fade away.
From a purely practical standpoint, I was glad the Doctor who spoke
near the end brought up the statistic that just 3% of the population
produces 30-40% of pedophiles. Homosexuals have significantly higher
rates of domestic violence (gay on gay), depression, suicide, drug
abuse, alcoholism, venereal diseases, premature death, and the list goes
on. Children raised by homosexual parents have significantly higher
rates of depression, suicide, violence and earlier sexual
experimentation than children raised by heterosexual parents. It is not
a healthy lifestyle. Read the studies produced by the homosexual
community. The numbers tell a dire story, but they falsely conclude
that their problems are due to discrimination and societal pressure. We
can't deliberately expose our children to a destructive, unhealthy
lifestyle, and greatly increased risk of coming into contact with
pedophiles. It is completely irresponsible to do so.
This is all part of an open war by militant homosexuals against
traditional morality. They make no secret that making organizations
like the BSA conform to their values, to force the rest of us to accept
their immoral, unhealthy and dangerous behaviors as the new normal, is
their ultimate goal. They do not want simple acceptance - to live and
let live; they are working hard to indoctrinate everyone they can and
to force us, through argument, legislation, litigation and intimidation,
to agree with them. Please do not give in. Do not give up. Stand up
for what is right, and for what the BSA has stood for since its
founding. Let them come. We will take our lumps and fight the good
fight, but at least we will be doing what is right. Don't let Scouting
cease to be Scouting. If it does, we'll have no choice but to look for
alternatives.
Respectfully,
Jeff Odegard
Wolf Den Leader
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