1965 Boy Scout Handbook
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Feb 26, 2009 - 128 comments

Scoutmaster is a blog from a long-time troop leader in which he talks both about practical scouting tools, such as how to make a fire and how to lash a tower together, and about current issues with discrimination in the BSA.
posted by Upton O'Good on Dec 19, 2007 - 50 comments

The MPAA has come up with a new way to stop pirating early (PDF), let the scoutmasters drill it into the kids while their brains are still malleable. via
posted by IronLizard on Oct 20, 2006 - 32 comments

Newsfilter: While Philadelphia officials dispute with a local chapter of the Boys Scouts of America over its use of taxpayer-subsidized, rent-free property, despite a policy of open discrimination, the Republican-controlled federal government discusses legislation that would make it illegal for taxpayers to withdraw funding from any youth organization, including the Boy Scouts of America, regardless of its activities or stated policies.
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Jul 26, 2006 - 194 comments

The Solomon Amendment is constitutional. The 8-0 holding in Rumsfeld v. FAIR (PDF), contrary to much of the media coverage, does not force law schools to allow the military to recruit, it merely ensures that they will not receive federal funds if they do not (text of the U.S. Code affected by the Solomon Amendment). A distinction without a difference? The ACLU is not happy with the outcome; "Protest & Amelioration" have been demanded. More inside.
posted by rkent on Mar 7, 2006 - 78 comments

Naked Washington. The Boy Scout Memorial statues in Washington, DC always struck me as a bit odd. Why is this kid leading a naked man? Or maybe, better, why is a naked man pursuing this kid? Maybe if the guy from Naked Washington gets his book sold, we will all know. Meanwhile, it's available on CD.
posted by dances_with_sneetches on Jan 27, 2005 - 8 comments

Boy Scouts tell Atheist Eagle Scout he has one week to declare his belief or get out. On membership applications, Boy Scouts and adult leaders must say they recognize some higher power, not necessarily religious. "Mother Nature would be acceptable," said Brad Farmer, the Scout executive of the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts. Hmmmm...
posted by quirked on Oct 30, 2002 - 45 comments

Jerrold Schwartz, who pleaded guilty to sodomizing a Boy Scout, is free on bail and allowed to continue running his tour business for Scouts and students this summer. His company, Adventure Trails Inc., runs summer camps in Colorado, and winter and year-around camps in the Northeast.
posted by Vek on May 15, 2002 - 28 comments

Tale of the Radioactive Boy Scout. As the article says, nobody really needs an unsafe homemade nuclear reactor, especially one made of duct tape an aluminum foil. That didn't stop one teenager from trying....
posted by geneablogy on Feb 19, 2002 - 8 comments

Boston Boy Scouts allow gay leaders
I have many friends who were Eagle Scouts. They all say that there were many openly gay scouts during their time. This whole issue strikes me as purely technical.

What do other Scouts at Metafilter think?
posted by awcole72 on Aug 1, 2001 - 20 comments

Senate passes amendment withholding money from schools that deny use of their facilities to the Boy Scouts on the grounds of their exclusion of homosexuals. Says Jesse Helms, sponsor of the amendment to Bush's education bill, this is meant to combat "the organized lesbians and homosexuals in this country of ours." Is this justified in light of the Supreme Court's ruling that the Scouts have the right to exclude whomever they wish, or just flat out anti-homosexual?
posted by zempf on Jun 14, 2001 - 34 comments

NYC latest to threaten ban on Scouts NYC Council disagrees with national organization's policy that homosexuality is inconsistant with Scouting's prinicples, and wants time to try and change national organization's views. Free subscription required.
posted by darren on Mar 1, 2001 - 26 comments

A Damn Good Idea, but about as likely as Dr. Laura joining NOW.
posted by Doug on Jul 6, 2000 - 19 comments

Boy Scouts: 1 Gay Memebers: 0 Court Says Boy Scouts Can Bar Gays, which is slightly troubling, in that a psuedo-national organization can make rules that go against government policy. I don't see how a scoutmaster being gay has anything to do with teaching kids how to tie knots and go camping though.
posted by mathowie on Jun 28, 2000 - 52 comments

Supreme Court Debates Boy Scout Ban on Gay Leaders You have to love the comparison used here...

"Justice Antonin Scalia, the other former Boy Scout on the court, sought to help Davidson, interjecting the group did not ask if leaders were ``ax murderers'' or ``adulterers'' either."

It's always nice to be reminded what a horrible person some people think you are.
posted by bvanveen on Apr 26, 2000 - 0 comments