The Boy Scouts need to move beyond the gay issue, for their own sake

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/06/boy-scouts-of-america-gay-equality

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As a scoutmaster in New York City, I eagerly await news about the Boy Scouts of America's decision regarding the ban on gay scouts and scouters (adults involved with scouting). It's disappointing to see another delay.

The ban is completely out of sync with every other element of scouting and only serves to make the great things scouting offers unavailable to many boys. This includes not only boys whose sexual identity may nominally preclude their involvement, but also the the countless boys denied an opportunity to be a Boy Scout after the New York City Department of Education banned BSA from public schools. One must also remember the boys who may be hesitant about associating with an organization that seems to practice prejudice.

I say "seems to practice" because in all my years in scouting I have yet to see an example of actual prejudice here in the Big Apple.

In fact, upon joining the adult leadership of my son's troop, I wrote to our local council and asked them about their stance. They unequivocally answered that scouting in NYC is open to all boys. Their attitude helped drive my decision to participate in our local troop.

Now that I got that out of the way, I need to acknowledge that there are parents and scouters, even here in Gotham, who were not happy to hear the news about the impending announcement. While I don't agree with them, I do understand their anxiety.

Anybody with direct experience of the wonderful programs scouting offers who contrasts that with the bad press scouting has received for the last few years can be forgiven for being a bit paranoid.

It seems like thousands of great stories about scouts are ignored in favor of decades-old scandals. And let's talk about those scandals. When compared to other organizations that serve young Americans, BSA has set the standard for protecting youth. There are horror stories, and one case of an abused boy is one too many, but overall scouting has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to keeping kids safe.

In the meantime, in 2011 the BSA reported that scouts performed nearly 12 million hours of community service. If our troop is typical, the real number is much higher. We don't routinely file our hundreds of community service hours. Most recently, after Hurricane Sandy, NY troops were everywhere – cleaning up, renovating homes, and doing their duty.

In an average year 50,000 boys achieve the coveted rank of Eagle Scout. Each one of them must create a project that serves their community and demonstrates leadership. A typical Eagle Scout project involves about 130 hours of service to the community (and never to the scout troop). When was the last time you read a story about an Eagle project?

Leaving aside the service to the community, every scouter has witnessed the way scouting develops boys into fully prepared leaders and citizens. Where are the news stories about this good news?

One can imagine where the absence of good press could make some folks think that what is really afoot is a conspiracy to destroy scouting, rather than an effort to set aside the silliness of the current policy regarding gay people. At best, feeling like they are under attack could cause a person slightly uncomfortable with change to end up digging in their heels. At worse, a person who is hateful is given fuel for a potentially evil fire of prejudice. (Again, in my experience, I have yet to meet such a person in scouts.)

My hope is that we hear some good news soon, and that the response from the Fourth Estate is to take a fresh look at scouting. We need journalists to tell our real story. All this noise about sexuality is so alien to what scouting is really all about. The ironic thing is that the only explicitly sexual element I can even think of in scouting is the ban itself.

To my fellow scouters and scout parents worried about the effect of the lifting of the ban, take a deep breath. Here in NYC, and I suspect around the nation, nothing is really going to change. Nobody wants to destroy what is great about Boy Scouts.

Our ideals are safe and the Scout Oath and Law aren't going anywhere. It is simply that what was an implicit policy of openness and acceptance will become an explicit policy we can all be proud of. Stick around and see what happens, you may meet some wonderful neighbors and fellow citizens for the first time. I'm thinking that you're going to make some great friends.

As for those chartering organizations that opt to retain the ban (as the proposed policy would allow), that's fine. I don't support your decision (and hope that given time and a cooling down period you'll rethink your stance), but if your belief system precludes an open troop, go for it. There will be plenty of troops that will welcome those you've shut out. You'll still get to meet everyone at a Camporee, a Klondike Derby, or even the Jamboree. Keep an open mind, you might be surprised what you learn.

I hope to celebrate a great announcement soon – a new policy that will improve the signal to noise ratio in the public's perception of Boy Scouts – and help usher in a second century of scouting greatness.

• Editor's note: The writer asked to remain anonymous to avoid causing any strife within his troop.