Calling All Boy Scouts (and Scout Leaders)
Jenny
jennyg@compuserve.com
Tue Feb  1 19:28:36 2000
Hi Everyone,*p*Just received this on another mailing list.  If anybody out there is a Boy Scout or Scout Leader, this is something you might want to consider.*p*Don't know when the original was mailed (it could easily have been more than a week, so the meeting may be a thing of the past).  But I think Reverend Jim would enjoy hearing from other Pagan Scouts.*p*Jenny*p********************************p**br*FWD:   Boy Scouts & Pagan religion award battle*p*FROM:  Rev. Jim Conditt - pictwitch@yahoo.com*p**br*Howdy y'all,*p*I'm not sure if any of y'all have been following the ongoing battle between the McVeigh Wing of the BSA and the Unitarian Universalist church so I'll give you a not-so-brief,...um ... briefing.*p*Long, long ago when I was a fresh Eagle Scout, the BSA was a very cool organization. I've met many, many, Pagans who first put their foot on the path we all tread now, while trekking through the BSA. It required spirituality but not dogma. It was something that any boy could do and if you could get over the rampant sexism of the male-only-ness of it, it was a good deal for young men.*p*A complete uniform cost about $16.00. A week at summer camp, $35.00.  During those salad years, most BSA troops were sponsored by local men's organizations such as the Lions, Kiwanis and Optimist clubs. Then the men's groups lost interest and troops began to loose sponsors. About this time the evangelical churches realized that the BSA would be fertile soil for conversion fodder and they began to pick up the charters. Now almost all BSA charters are sponsored by some sort of Christian churches, be they Mormon or Evangelical. Once they had all of the charters, they began to demand national representation on BSA decision-making bodies.*p*Practically overnight, changes  began. The Sci-Fi section of Boys Life was replaced by Bible Stories. The $16.00 uniform suddenly became a Gloria Vanderbilt $32.00 for the shirt, $45.00 for the pants, +hat, +belt, etc. This efficiently got rid of the, how shall we say,...those little "brown scouts," and overnight a literal Christian whitewash occurred.*p*Now we get to modern times. Supposedly any scout who expresses belief in deity, regardless of the name of said deity, should be welcome to participate. The UUs have had a scout religious activities badge as long as there have been scouts. But the UUs as a congregation have no problem with gay people. This just annoys the hell out of the fundies and they shot down the UU religious award. Despite doing so having violated their own statements of non-sectarian participation. As an Eagle Scout I was ashamed of them and had decided not to participate in their little reindeer games anymore.*p*Then my real life smashed into my righteous indignation. My beloved son decided he wanted to be a Cub Scout and he wanted me to be involved. I told my lovely wife that I had reservations and what they were. She coddled me while I pissed and moaned about the injustice of it all. Then she reminded me that my battles weren't necessarily Clint's battles. So I et' a little crow, wiped my mouth and volunteered as a Den Leader.*p*Before accepting the position though, I made my displeasure known to the Pack Leaders and told them I would continue to fight it. I didn't tell them I was Pagan, but I told them IF my city had a UU church, I would be a member. All true. Since I wasn't Church of Christ they gave me all of the little "brown scouts," the autistic scouts, the kids who were so nuked on Ritalin during the weekday that their weekend drug holidays had them defying gravity. I welcomed them. I wuz like Uncle Sam Cub. Give me your sick. Give me your zoomies. Etc.*p*Well we kicked major Cubby butt. Those little troopers gelled into a fine little den. We led our whole district in awards, won the Pack Spirit Stick more than anyone, and had a super time doing it.*p*This year the BSA asked me to do it again, so I told them the big news before we got started so they would have the opportunity to change their mind. I told them I was a Witch. That knocked their beady little eyes to the back of their heads, but they were desperate for leaders, especially one who would take all of the kids no one else would. So they gave me a Wolf Den. (She moves in mysterious ways, eh Marilyn?) We got off gangbusters. Left the other dens in the dirt.*p*Then the rumors started. You know the ones. Devil worshipping. A house full of dead animal skulls. Demonic rituals at the den meetings. Cub Scouts making pacts with Lucifer to get their Bobcat award, etc. It's way too late to make this story short, so let's just say, the parents of my boys went to the church board and raised some heaven. A rep from the church called me, said he was sorry, the person rumor-spreading had been reprimanded, and they wanted me to stay. As long as I didn't try to make little Witches out of the Cubs.*p*Last week the BSA asked me to be the Program Chair for Naconiche Day Camp, a week-long camp for about 500 cub scouts. I took the job and I'm looking forward to wowing them. Remember, they know I'm a Wiccan.*p*Well this weekend a national rep from BSA is coming down to teach a course and he wants to meet me. See, I've been rattling some cages about getting a Pagan religious award for Pagan kids and Pagan leaders. At first they tried to brush me off saying they needed 50+ scouts to request it before they would consider it. I told them that I wasn't sure if I believed that or not and even if it was true, the validity and passion of someone's belief should never be qualified by the size of its  congregations. I reminded them that there was a Zoroastrianism award and there were many times more Pagans than Zoroastrians, not that that should matter a fart in a whirlwind.*p*So if any of y'all know any scouts, be they Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, or Scout Leaders who are in the tribe and would like to get a Pagan award started, get in touch with me ASAP. I have about 10 people so far just in the East Texas area who have signed on, but we need 40 more from anywhere in the US. If y'all have access to national e-lists, use 'em.*p*When Gov. (George) Dubya Bush pins my BSA Governors award on me, I want that sanctimonious bastard looking dead on my Pagan Religious award when he does it.*p*Bright Scouting Blessings,*p* Rev. Jim Conditt*br* P.O. Box 630261*br* Nacogdoches, TX 75963*br* pictwitch@yahoo.com*br*