Citizenship without Politics
Citizenship without Politics
These days, political signs are sprouting like dandelions in front yards around the country. As the election season heats up, politicians will work hard to align themselves with apple pie, motherhood, and the American flag. One way they do that is by inviting Scouts to perform flag ceremonies at political rallies. Such participation is permitted by the Boy Scouts of America—but only to a point. According to the BSA’s rules and regulations, the organization’s executive board, officers, councils, and members are not allowed to “involve the Scouting movement in any question of a political character. However, this shall not be interpreted to prevent the teaching of patriotism and good citizenship as required to fulfill the Corporation’s purpose.” The “Information for Parents” insert in the Boy Scout application says the same thing in simpler language: “Citizenship activities are encouraged, but partisan political activities are prohibited.” In other words, you can present the colors at Senator Smith’s campaign rally, but you can’t sit behind Senator Smith on the podium and cheer when he calls his challenger a bozo. Many activities fall in a gray area between citizenship and politics, as a Salt Lake City troop recently learned; see http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_3715610 for details. If you anticipate that a citizenship activity might cross the line into politics, it probably makes sense to consult with your unit commissioner, district executive, or a council representative ahead of time.
Another winner from the same organization that discriminates against gays, sigh…
Comment by Omni — April 18, 2006 @ 5:57 am