See, I wouldn’t let my kids belong to an organization that I wouldn’t lead. I like the infrastructure and all, but I think the real thing that Baden Powell was trying to tell everyone was become a leader and do things the right way.
I too had a great time in scouting, but I didn’t have a sister who had to stay at home and sell cookies while I was out at the Jamboree. I want little girl people to have the same opportunities as little boy people. If the BSA refuses to allow that I’m fine leaving them behind so I can provide better opportunities with and to others.
OK, funny story, then I gotta go finish up some work.
I started taking my kids camping when they were babes in arms. I never made them do any work, because I wanted them to enjoy it, but I was very appreciative and complementary when they helped set up the tent, tend the fire, cook dinner, etc. etc. etc. I don’t usually do “modern” camping. There’s rarely anything visible in camp that would look out of place 200 years ago, other than my sunglasses during the daytime.
So my son goes to Cub Scouts and the leaders say “boys aren’t allowed to touch the fire” and I take my son aside and say “look, son, some of these kids have never really been outside before, so we’re going to pretend you haven’t been building and tending fires by yourself since you were four, it might make them feel bad. It’ll be our secret!”. Similar secrets concerning other stuff that Cub Scouts are “too young” to do… then he goes to Boy Scouts, where he can use his skills openly, and the leaders say “he sure must have had a great Cub pack!” and we snicker.
But here’s the funny part. My daughter goes on a Girl Scout trip and when she comes back I say “did you have fun camping?” She rolls her eyes at my cluelessness as only young girls can, sighs, and says “Dad, Girl Scout camping is not real camping. I don’t even know why they call it that.”
They are afraid to lose money period. But they are caught between a rock and a non-gay hard place because on one side are a bunch of Conservative members that will bolt if they go too far, and corporate sponsors who can not give to an organization that discriminates.
It seems like there are a lot of smaller branch groups trying to do what they can, but nothing as organized as the BSA. I’ll be looking into these in a few years myself, so I figure I’ll check in with them every few months and see which ones seem to have their act together. Regionally it seems like Navigators are the best for those like me in the NYC area.
Of course, if I were the BSA, I would be inclined to edit my Wikipedia entry to support the legal threats that I’m making.
Having said that, looking at the Legal Information Institute on Cornell Law’s website, the “powers” subsection for the Boy Scouts of America Chapter of Title 36 seems to be pretty vague:
The corporation has the exclusive right to use emblems, badges,
descriptive or designating marks, and words or phrases the corporation
adopts.
Of course, I think (hope?) any judge would think it FAR too overbroad for the BSA to claim that the use of “___ Scouts” is covered under this section.
Exactly right. There is an unfortunate problem that comes up because of all these “close but not quite” instances. As an organization, your lawyers will always encourage you to go after other entities that might be infringing. This is because every time you let someone “get away with” diluting your trademark, it becomes harder to argue more serious transgressions in the future.
It is an unfortunate effect of precedence.
I hope that, regardless of what the lawyers of each organization want, the two organizations in question here come to an agreement that satisfies both parties.
