MOUNT HOPE, W.Va., July 19 (UPI) — An advocacy group for the overweight has come out against the Boy Scouts of America’s policy of banning obese scouts from the Jamboree in West Virginia. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at UPI Odd News
Participants at the Boy Scouts of America’s National Jamboree are turning each other into virtual zombies as part of an educational game that Virginia Tech researchers designed to show how disease spreads.
The Virus Tracker program combines technology with the game of tag.
At the Jamboree, Scouts earn points by “infecting” other players through bar-coded labels.
Codes can be activated at scanning stations or by troop leaders whose smartphones have the Virus Tracker app. The goal is to stay human. Individuals and troops that amass the most points each day win.
Scout Colin Slavin from Germantown Hills, Ill., says the chance to turn other Scouts into zombies is “really cool.”
Kristy Collins of the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech says about 3,000 Scouts have participated.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
By Matt Barber
Recently, millions of Americans were shocked and saddened when the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) disgracefully bowed to left-wing political pressure and became something it had never before been: a hyper-politicized, aberrantly sexualized petri dish for social and sexual experimentation.
Created in 1910 to “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes,” the BSA, on May 23, 2013, inexplicably voted to welcome into its ranks “open and avowed” homosexuality (boy-on-boy sexual attraction and behavior), thereby disavowing the “morally straight” Scout Oath its members have been sworn to uphold for over a century.
Even worse, and in so doing, the BSA effectively waived the only legal defense it once had to preclude openly homosexual Scout leaders and gender-confused girls from its ranks: religious and moral conviction. It’s only a matter of time until the BSA is forced to capitulate to sexual extremists’ political demands and allow adult males who define their identity based upon carnal appetites for other males to take your boys on overnight camping trips.
This is particularly disquieting when you consider that homosexual assaults against boys occur at an alarmingly disproportionate rate when compared to heterosexual assaults. Of course, not every “gay” man – self-identified or otherwise – is a pedophile; but, and despite baseless claims to the contrary, many studies indicate that a disturbing percentage of same-sex-attracted men are.
Consider, for instance, a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, of over 200 convicted pedophiles and pederasts. It found that “86 percent of offenders against males described themselves as homosexual or bisexual.” This demonstrates, as notes Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, that “homosexual or bisexual men are approximately 10 times more likely to molest children than heterosexual men.”
That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news: As the BSA leadership of fools rapidly sinks, those who desire a safe, non-sexualized alternative to the Boy Scouts now have a life raft. On Saturday, June 29, I, along with nearly 50 top Christian, youth, and scouting leaders from across the nation, took part in a private, landmark meeting in Louisville, Ky. The meeting was convened to lay the groundwork for a principled, values-based scout-like youth character development program for young men. Although some finishing touches remain (such as the organization’s official name), a press conference was recently held in Washington, D.C. to announce the launch of this exciting new organization. (See video announcement here).
“Our vision is to be the premier national character development organization for young men which produces Godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens,” notes the news release.
“The new program will be an exciting and motivating outdoor-based program focused on leadership and character development for boys and founded on principles and values that reflect a Christian worldview.
“It will be open to all boys irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin,” continues the release. “Parents from all faiths are welcome to place their children in the program. While boys may come from every religious background, adult leaders in the program – from …read more
The Boy Scouts of America’s new fitness standards for participating in the organization’s annual Jamboree are so rigorous they would not just exclude chubby tenderfoots — they would even bar many NFL players.
All Scouts were required to have a physical exam in advance of the Jamboree and those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater were barred from participating at this year’s gathering, which features strenuous activities such as hiking, rock climbing, rappelling and biking. Scouts with BMIs between 32 and 39.9 had to provide additional health information to take on the 1,000-plus acre Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia. But critics told FoxNews.com excluding obese Boy Scouts goes against the spirit of the organization.
Patricia Bannon, a registered dietician and author of “Eat Right When Time Is Tight,” told FoxNews.com she found no issue with the guidelines, but said those who were excluded from the fitness competition should still be allowed to participate in some modified way.
“I’m sure they put a lot of thought into this and consulted with medical experts,” Bannon said. “But a BMI of 39.9 or higher is really high. The obesity rating for BMI is actually 30 or greater and in comparing them to NFL players, those NFL players are very likely to have very high muscle mass. And since BMI is a calculation of weight to height, it’s not a very good indicator for people who are athletes. These children with 39.9 or higher BMIs are probably not coming from a high muscle density.”
But severely overweight and obese Scouts should still be able to participate in some “altered” kind of competition if they are deemed unfit for the Jamboree, Bannon said.
“Unfortunately it still does exclude children due to their weight, but I’m sure they’re looking at their health and potential negative health consequences,” she said. “But maybe they could walk [the course] or do what they can and not be excluded. Anything that the Boy Scouts could do to compensate for the stigma of being excluded would be great.”
The Council on Size & Weight Discrimination said it “deplores” the Boys Scouts decision, calling it “an unfair and discriminatory policy.”
“There are boy scouts who are heavier than average but extremely fit and capable of strenuous physical activity. At the same time, it is patently absurd to assume that just because a boy is thin, that means he is capable of a three-mile hike up a mountain,” the group said in a statement.
The average NFL player would qualify for the 10-day competition, but by no means would the entire league. The average BMI for an NFL player for the 2012 season was 31.35, according to SportingCharts.com, well above the normal range of 18.5-24.9 as set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At 45.64, Michael Jasper of the New York Giants had the highest BMI last season, the website reported. The league’s average nose tackle – with a BMI of 40.50 – would also be ineligible for the Boy Scout’s …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
Extremely overweight Boy Scouts are banned this year from the scouts’ annual Jamboree, which is expected to be the most physically-demanding in the organization’s history. The Boy Scouts of America organization said they published their height/weight requirements for this year’s national gathering years in advance so scouts would have a reason to work toward healthy goals. “Teaching scouts and scouters how to live a sustainable life, which includes a healthy lifestyle, and the health of our participants are important goals of the jamboree. We published our height weight requirements years in advance and many individuals began a health regimen to lose weight and attend the jamboree. But, for those who couldn’t, most self-selected and chose not to apply,” Deron Smith, spokesman for the BSA, said in a statement to ABC News. …read more
Source: Worthy Christian Forums
Two months after a vote that accepted openly gay boys as Scouts, officials for the Boy Scouts of America say they’ve put the issue aside and are focused on their 10-day national Jamboree.
Thousands of Scouts and their leaders began arriving Monday in southern West Virginia.
Months of divisive debate led to May’s vote by the BSA’s National Council. The policy change is effective next January.
Boy Scouts chief executive Wayne Brock says that despite the vote, he sees no changes in the way the Jamboree will be conducted.
Rich Ferraro of GLAAD says the media watchdog group is continuing to work toward ending the Scouts’ ban on gay adults. Ferraro says the group formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has no planned events surrounding the Jamboree.
Scout leaders also say they’re unaware of any scheduled protests.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
This year’s Boy Scouts of America’s national Jamboree is being billed as the most physically demanding in its history: There’s rock climbing, rappelling, whitewater rafting and biking. And Scouts will go about the sprawling, hilly landscape the old-fashioned way — on foot.
Thousands of Scouts gather for 10 days starting Monday at a new location in West Virginia. Officials designed the 1,000-plus acre Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve to take advantage of the Mountain State’s natural assets, and they also put into place new physical fitness requirements that eliminated morbidly obese Scouts from participating.
“Part of the design in building this site was to address the need for physical fitness in our youth, which of course is a longstanding component of Scouting,” said Dan McCarthy, director of the BSA’s Summit Group. “We saw this as an opportunity to integrate some new challenges … so we deliberately spread the site to enable us to encourage Scouts and basically require Scouts to move about the site by foot.”
This year, 30,000 Scouts ages 12 to 20 and their leaders were required to meet a threshold for body mass index and other health factors before being allowed to participate. Jamboree applicants with a BMI — a measure of body fat determined through height and weight — of 40 or higher were deemed ineligible. Those who fell between 32 and 39.9 faced providing additional health information to Jamboree medical staff.
Nationally, about 17 percent of children ages 2 to 19 are considered obese — triple the rate from a generation earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We required a level of fitness in order to come to the Jamboree that we haven’t required before,” McCarthy said. “And that has motivated an enormous return in terms of both kids and adults getting serious about improving their health.”
Soon, the Scouts will know why. Besides offering a whole lot of fun, dozens of venues will test their physical skills and fitness. At some point during the Jamboree, every participating Scout will be asked to take a 3-mile trek up a mountain.
Their reward: A barbecue waiting at the top.
“We certainly want to get the Scouts outdoors, challenge them and have a healthy lifestyle,” said Gary Hartley, the Summit’s director of community and governmental relations. “We talk about the three C’s as kind of the pillars, and that is cardio, character and citizenship. We have all of those embodied here.”
From 1981 to 2010, the Jamboree was held every four years in Fort A.P. Hill, Va. That gathering on a flatter, borrowed Army base limited the size and scope of the Jamboree’s operations.
In 2009, southern West Virginia was chosen out of 80 proposals from 28 states as the Jamboree’s new home. Along with being the permanent home of the national Jamboree, whose theme is “Go Big, Get Wild,” the Summit will serve as one of four high-adventure camps for the Scouts and will host the 2019 World Jamboree.
While Scouts will be roughing it outdoors, Hartley said walking won’t be that …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
The new home of the Boy Scouts of America’s national Jamboree in West Virginia offers miles of bike trails, zip lines, rock climbing and Olympic-size pools. And to get there from base camp, Scouts must walk.
Exercise is part of the organization’s focus on combating obesity, and that includes the 10-day Jamboree that starts Monday.
This year, 30,000 participants ages 12 to 20 and their leaders were required to meet a threshold for body mass index and other health factors before being allowed to participate.
It’s the first time the Jamboree is being held in West Virginia after nearly three decades at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia.
Boy Scouts’ Summit Group director Dan McCarthy says the site was designed for Scouts to walk to various venues.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
In a backlash to the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) decision to embrace the presence of openly Gay scouts in its ranks, a new group, which has not yet named itself, has announced it will begin to operate as an alternative to the BSA starting next January 1st.
Using lofty phrases like “character development,” the new group declared it will be generally modeled on Christian principles of chastity outside of marriages between one man and one woman. New Group (NG) will meet in Nashville in September to address what it says are the concerns of “tens of thousands” of individual scouts, scout leaders, and sponsoring organizations troubled by the BSA’s sharp lurch to the left on this crucial issue.
New Group’s proclaimed mission will be to “guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity serve others and experience outdoor adventure.” What would be “courageous” about being an ordinary boy becoming a Boy Scout wasn’t made clear.
Thereafter, the mission statement begins to descend into shocking naivety as it talks about accepting youths with same-sex attractions they will ask to “live a life of sexual purity.” New Group will not allow rainbow flags or other “flaunting Gay behaviors,” and adult volunteers will be asked to sign a statement attesting to their adherence to Christian faith and values.
While these goals are indeed important and the type the BSA itself should aspire to, trying to split hairs and call for sexual purity rather than concerns over sexual orientation will most certainly doom New Group to failure. It will not fail because it is a bad group or somehow evil. It will fail precisely because it is a good and pure organization.
Those who would destroy the BSA have already begun planning how they can force adult openly homosexual Scout Leaders into the various troops around the country. They will win; and because New Group is trying to straddle the line and become a Christian BSA lite, it will be destroyed as well.
I sincerely wish to be wrong on this. Nevertheless, unless New Group exercises its right to be exclusive and keep Gay scouts out of its tents (as per the Dale case), it will not be able to withstand the pressure of the homosexual onslaught; and it will be gone in five years if not sooner.
Ramping up their fight to overturn a ban dating back to 1985 and the emergence of the AIDS crisis, gay-rights organizers are preparing an unprecedented “national gay blood drive” Friday to urge the federal government to change its donation policy and allow some openly gay and bisexual men to give blood.
None of the thousands of men expected to show up to blood donation centers is likely to be allowed to donate, but gay-rights activists are eager to show that the ban prevents countless units of healthy blood from being accepted into the blood banks.
This is “a demonstration of peace,” said Ryan James Yezak, organizer of Friday’s national gay blood drive.
Banning gay and bisexual men as blood donors promotes a blood shortage, creates a negative stereotype about the men and “is discrimination based on sexual orientation,” said Mr. Yezak, a gay filmmaker.
The blood drive — just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriage and a May decision by Boy Scouts of America leaders to admit openly gay youths to their program — is the latest front in an expanding national push for gay equality.
Read more at The Washington Times. By Cheryl Wetzstein.
Photo credit: BWJones
A group of Boy Scouts and their adult leaders were rescued Sunday after spending the night in a canyon in Utah.
Wayne County Deputy Craig Brown says the group of six boys and three leaders was hiking Saturday when one of the leaders became exhausted. The group decided to split up, and one other leader and three of the Boy Scouts stayed behind.
The group who went for help emerged from the canyon early Sunday morning, and alerted authorities that the other group was stranded.
Rescuers found the group Sunday, and were able to pull them out of the canyon using a rope and harness.
None of the group was seriously injured, and they told rescuers they were able to stay warm during the night by making a fire.
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/n-nqtzmO7rc/
By Michael Franco 
From: http://www.newser.com/story/166316/gay-friendly-boy-scouts-alternative-growing-quickly.html
By Daniel Noe
Yesterday, Western Journalism linked to an article about the controversy over allowing openly gay boys into the Boy Scouts of America controversy.
It looks like after relentless pressure, the Boy Scouts are caving into the homosexual agenda (which as I will explain later has nothing to do with homosexuality per se.)
This just might be the last straw for me…
First, some background. From 1998 until 2004, I was a proud member of BSA Troop 199 in Oldwick, New Jersey. I made a lot of friends and even acquired a few mentors during my time in the scouts. One of my proudest accomplishments in my 26 years was attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in October 2004. I remember the ceremony as if it was just yesterday. It was a lot of hard work, but it was more than worth it.
I am still in touch with several of my fellow Eagle Scouts (some of whom just might be reading this right now!) And man do we have a strong opinion on what is happening to the program we were privileged to be a part of during our teenage years.
I do know some “scout dads” who will cease any involvement, current or former, with the Boy Scouts should they yield to the gay lobby.
I should also mention (proudly) that I am a theologically and culturally conservative Christian who after attending a more moderate church for 15 years was saved earlier this year after attending an Independent Baptist church for two weeks. I am proud to call Sun Valley Baptist Church in Anthem, Arizona my new home church.
The reason why I am specific in terms of what kind of Christian I am is because sadly, a LOT of Christianity has been watered down in America. Whole denominations are indifferent to traditional marriage, “social justice,” the increasing usurpation of our God-given liberties under multiple recent administrations, and even abortion.
When it comes to marriage, I subscribe strictly to its biblical definition. (To some people, that makes me a “bigot,” an accusation I will proudly wear with a badge of honor.) Why, you may ask? Because God did not create Adam and Steve, nor Alice and Eve. He created Adam and Eve. End of story.
I believe that Christians are to hate sin while at the same time loving the sinner. It is not gays themselves I am opposed to. It is the gay lifestyle, which is shamelessly promoted on television, Hollywood, the rest of the media, and the Democratic Party (this should not suggest that I am any fan of the Republican Party, FYI.) It is specifically promoted as a “normal” lifestyle, which just simply is not true to the many of us Christians who read the Bible for ourselves.
It is not the job of Christians to call them names (i.e. “perverts”, “queers”, or worse.) Unfortunately, some Christians will distract fellow church-goers from the fact that they are sinners by just demonizing gays (or immigrants or Muslims) all the time. These Christians should know better as
From: http://www.westernjournalism.com/an-eagle-scouts-take-on-the-current-boy-scout-controversy/
Under pressure over its longstanding ban on gays, the Boys Scouts of America is proposing to lift the ban for youth members but continue to exclude gays as adult leaders.
The Scouts announced Friday that it would submit this proposal to the roughly 1,400 voting members of its National Council at a meeting in Texas the week of May 20.
Earlier, the BSA had indicated it might give local Scout units the option of admitting gays as both youth members and adult leaders, or continuing to exclude them
The BSA said Friday it changed course due in part to results of surveys sent out this year to members of the scouting community.
Gay-rights groups have demanded a complete lifting of the ban. Some churches and conservative groups want it maintained.
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/wzIUyrPtqOw/
SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 11, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ — Senate Bill 323 came one step closer to becoming California law as the bill easily passed out of the California Senate Governance and Finance Committee on a party-line vote. Should SB 323 become law, it would break new ground in using the tax system to punish those who are disliked by LGBT activists.
SB 323 would remove certain State tax exemptions for public charity youth organizations that discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or religious affiliation.
While the target of this bill is the Boy Scouts (the Committee’s official analysis says “it is clearly aimed at them”), its effects are much wider than that.
According to Karen England, Executive Director of the Capitol Resource Institute, “SB 323 requires that youth sports leagues allow children of any gender to participate on any team. But the State intends to reach beyond the playing field and into locker rooms, showers and bathrooms also. This bill’s prohibition on gender identity discrimination means that a boy claiming gender confusion is permitted to share those facilities with girls. Any attempt at segregation risks a fine in the form of taxes.”
At the Committee hearing, proponents of the new law seemed genuinely angry that California’s various pronouncements about sexuality are not being observed by certain youth organizations. “They seem to believe that the Legislature’s labeling of so many things as discrimination should settle the issue,” said England. “Of course they are wrong on the law and they have misjudged public opinion.”
In the landmark case of Boy Scouts of America, et al. v. Dale, the United States Supreme Court determined that the First Amendment right of “expressive association” trumped the laws of a state dealing with this same type of discrimination. The Boy Scouts were allowed to deny an openly homosexual man a leadership position in a local Scout troop, even though the laws of the State declared such a denial to be impermissible discrimination.
According to England, “The public seems to agree with the Supreme Court. If a mother says she wants to choose the role models for her 12 year-old when sending him to a voluntary club, most of us do not equate her with the racist bent on bringing back segregation. We get it that tolerance is a two way street. And we are a little unnerved by the idea that those who currently hold political power in our State might now use that power to bankrupt any organization that does not agree with them.”
“It is ironic that so many of those who are demanding that individuals be able to marry the one they choose would at the same time deny the right of the individual to simply choose his Scout leader,” said England.
Contact: Karen England,
Capitol Resource Institute,
916-212-5607,
Kengland@capitolresource.org
Photo Credit: Hoffman Estates, IL
By Kevin Spak 
California Democrats are out to make the Boy Scouts pay for their refusal to accept openly gay members. The state’s Senate Governance and Finance Committee passed a bill yesterday revoking tax-exempt status from any nonprofit that discriminates based on sexual orientation, gender, or religious affiliation, the LA Times reports. Sponsors…
From: http://www.newser.com/story/166062/california-democrats-want-scouts-to-pay-for-gay-stance.html
By The Huffington Post News Editors
SAN FRANCISCO — A bill aimed at pressuring the Boy Scouts of America to lift its ban on gay members by making the organization ineligible for nonprofit tax breaks cleared its first vote on Wednesday in the California Legislature.
The Senate Governance and Finance Committee voted 5 to 2 to move the first-of-its-kind bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee for review.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post
By The Huffington Post News Editors
SAN FRANCISCO — California lawmakers are considering making the Boy Scouts of America and other youth groups that do not accept gay, transgender or atheist members and leaders ineligible for some state tax exemptions.
Some cities have withdrawn free rent and other subsidies from the Boy Scouts over the years, but legislation introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara would make California the first state to punish the Scouts for its policy prohibiting gay members and troop leaders.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post
California lawmakers are considering taking some tax exemptions away from youth groups that do not accept gay, transgender or atheist members — a move intended to pressure the Boy Scouts of America to lift its ban on gay Scouts and troop leaders.
Some cities have withdrawn free rent and other subsidies from the Boy Scouts over the years, but legislation introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara would make California the first state to target the Scouts for its anti-gay policy.
The Long Beach Democrat’s bill, SB 323, is scheduled for its first committee hearing on Wednesday.
“Our state values the important role that youth groups play in the empowerment of our next generation; this is demonstrated by rewarding organizations with tax exemptions supported financially by all Californians,” Lara said. “SB 323 seeks to end the unfortunate discriminatory and outdated practices by certain youth groups.”
Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America, told The Associated Press the organization was preparing a response to the proposal.
The legislation would deny tax-exempt status to nonprofit youth groups that discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion or religious affiliation.
As a result, it would require those organizations to pay corporate taxes on donations, membership dues, camp fees and other sources of income, and to obtain sellers permits and pay sales taxes on food, beverages and homemade items sold at fundraisers.
Churches that sponsor Boy Scouts troops would not lose their underlying tax-exempt status, but an array of nonprofits, ranging from the Young Men’s Christian Association and Pop Warner football to the American Youth Soccer Association and 4-H clubs would have their tax returns and membership policies scrutinized by the state Franchise Tax Board if the bill becomes law, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office.
Also known as the Youth Equality Act, the bill requires a two-thirds vote from both houses of the Legislature and the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown to become law.
Legal aid groups that represent religious conservatives have cautioned the Senate Governance and Finance Committee that the measure conflicts with a 2000 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the right of private groups such as the Boy Scouts to exclude gays and lesbians from serving as adult leaders.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) is upset with Madonna for her recent protest against the Boy Scouts‘ ban on gay members and leaders, calling her comments a “gratuitous shot” at the organization, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday.
In an appearance on the Glenn Beck Program on Tuesday, Perry chastised Madonna for her behavior at a March 16 Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) event, in which the pop star wore a Cub Scout uniform and blasted the Boy Scouts’ “stupid” ban on gay members.
“It’s fascinating that someone would make that kind of gratuitous shot at an organization that has probably done as much to promote young men to the type of values that the vast majority of the people in this country aspire to,” Perry told Beck.
