BSA Youth Membership Standards Decision

For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, with a focus on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.

Based on growing input from within the Scouting family, the BSA leadership chose to conduct an additional review of the organization’s long-standing membership policy and its impact on Scouting’s mission. This review created an outpouring of feedback from the Scouting family and the American public, from both those who agree with the current policy and those who support a change. 

Today, following this review, the most comprehensive listening exercise in Scouting’s history the approximate 1,400 voting members of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Council approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone. The resolution also reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting. A change to the current membership policy for adult leaders was not under consideration; thus, the policy for adults remains in place. The BSA thanks all the national voting members who participated in this process and vote. 

This policy change is effective Jan. 1, 2014, allowing the Boy Scouts of America the transition time needed to communicate and implement this policy to its approximately 116,000 Scouting units. 

The Boy Scouts of America will not sacrifice its mission, or the youth served by the movement, by allowing the organization to be consumed by a single, divisive, and unresolved societal issue. As the National Executive Committee just completed a lengthy review process, there are no plans for further review on this matter. 

Black Warrior Council hires new Scout Executive/CEO

 “The Boy Scouts of America stands alone in its impact on the youth and families of our towns, our states, and our nation. This is why I am proud to serve the BSA and its volunteers- and why I am honored to serve as your new Scout Executive effective June 3, 2013.”

Ed Martin comes to Tuscaloosa with 13 years of professional Scouting experience at the local council and National staff level. His most recent position was Mission Impact Team Leader (overseeing the Journey to Excellence and Voice of the Scout programs) and Director of the National Strategic Plan.  Prior to joining the National staff he served in the Central Florida Council headquartered in Orlando; the North Florida Council in Jacksonville; and the Northwest Texas Council in Wichita Falls. During his tenure with these three local councils, Ed’s positions included District Executive, Scoutreach Director, Marketing Director, Field Director, Finance Director, Director of Field Service, and Scout Executive.

In addition to professional Scouting, Ed has worked in retail management and served as a Director for two international youth-serving agencies including a position in Mannheim, Germany.

Ed grew up in Orange City, Fla., a small town and former citrus community in the center of the state between Daytona Beach and Orlando. His community United Methodist church didn’t have an active Scout Troop, so after a champion Cub Scout career in Pinewood Derby racing, his youth Scouting days were over and his amateur basketball career began. High school was the end of the line for Ed’s basketball talents.  While he loved his days on the hardwood (and he still shoots a mean jump shot), it was his family trips that made a greater impression.  Thanks to a dad that valued the outdoor classroom, Ed’s summer camping journeys across America taught him more than he realized and developed a life-long passion for the great outdoors:

• Create a Vision. What are our goals? All camping trips were well-planned and discussed.
• Use your Resources. Empower your team to help and secure the necessary tools.
• Manage your Finances. Develop a budget and invest. All our trips were paid for with cash.
• Own your responsibilities. Do what you say you’re going to do. No less.

Ed followed his dad’s outdoor classroom training with a formal education at the University of Florida. He hopes his Gator allegiance will be forgiven. He’s excited to return to his roots in SEC country, the land of sweat tea, and the birthplace of great smoked barbeque.  

As for his wife, Sarah grew up in Texas. Following college at the University of Texas-San Antonio, Sarah has worked with Campus Crusade for Christ, including serving inner-city youth and fundraising.  Sarah presently mentors three young women through the couple’s church and is most excited about beginning her new career as a full-time mother.  Ed and Sarah know that Tuscaloosa will be a great place to raise their children, and they will be within a few hours of family and friends in Mobile, Atlanta, and throughout Florida.

Ed and Sarah presently attend Bent Tree Bible Fellowship Church in Carrollton, Texas and volunteer with a local outreach ministry supported by their church, Here’s Life Inner City.  They are excited to find a new church family in Tuscaloosa and plug into the local community.

The couple enjoys an active lifestyle of travel, hiking, biking, and simply experiencing the great outdoors. 

Ed and Sarah look forward to meeting Scouts and Scouters throughout the Black Warrior Council, and enjoying many years in our community.

National Membership Resolution Update

Dear Black Warrior Council Volunteers,

Thank you for your continued support of Scouting. Your service and commitment to our organization helps deliver important services for young people throughout our West Alabama community. As an integral part of the Scouting family, I want to take this opportunity to update you on the status of our membership standards policy review process.

In February, the Boy Scouts of America embarked on the most comprehensive listening exercise in its history to consider the impact of potential changes to its membership standards policy on the organization and gather perspectives from inside and outside of the Scouting family. This review created an outpouring of feedback from the Scouting family and the American public, from both those who agree with the current policy and those who support a change. We conducted surveys in our own Black Warrior Council in conjunction with this exercise and provided our results to the National Boy Scout office.

Based on the feedback received from the listening exercise, the National Executive Committee, on behalf of the National Executive Board, wrote a resolution for consideration that would remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone and would maintain the current membership policy for all adult leaders of the Boy Scouts of America. The voting members, including voting members of the Black Warrior Council, will take action on the following resolution during the Boy Scouts of America’s National Annual Meeting next month:

The resolution may be viewed in its entirety here:

http://www.scouting.org/membershipstandards.aspx.

America needs Scouting, and our policies must be based on what is in the best interest of our nation’s children. It is vital that we continue to work together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.

If you have any questions please call me at 205-554-1680 and I will be glad to discuss this important issue with you.

Yours in Scouting,

Jim Madison

Interim Scout Executive

2013 Camp Horne Leaders Guides Available Now

Teresa Giles, the 2013 Camp Director and her staff have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming camping season at Camp Horne. The Leaders Guides for both Cub Scout and Boy Scout Resident Camp have been updated with all of the new programs, regulations and fee schedule for this summer and are available now. To download a copy of either the Cub Scout or Boy Scout Leaders Guide please visit our Camp Horne Camping page which you will find under the camping tab on the left of your screen.

2013 Journey to Excellence (JTE)

"Scouting's Journey to Excellence" is the BSA's performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of our units, districts, and council Click Here! for more information or to download the 2013 unit scorecards.

Council Office Hours Changing as of December 1, 2012

Beginning December 1, 2012 the Black Warrior Council Scout office will be changing hours of operation. Our new hours will be as follows.

Monday-Thursday     8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Friday                        8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

JTE SERVICE HOURS:

You can now enter your service hours at www.scouting.org/awards/journeytoexcellence. Please remember to update your districts, troops, packs and crews about the new site.

The link to program information is www.scouting.org/jte

***OTHER NEWS***