The Boy Scouts Now Offer a Robotics Badge

[CaptainCrunch]

Look guys, BSA as an organization isn't openly hateful toward any group. As a private organization, they reserve the right to be selective when it comes to advancement and employment.

Think of the organization like any other franchise operation - a troop is formed when enough kids and parents are interested in putting together a group. Just like setting up a new McDonalds or Starbucks, they find a place to meet, certify leadership in the standards and practices, and hand out rewards and such.

As with the Starbucks, anyone is welcome to come in and participate. If the manager sees you loitering, causing trouble, or what have you, they can certainly ask you to leave - or even call the cops. This is because someone being an asshole is bad for business. BSA is allowed to do the same thing. If they think allowing homosexuals and atheists to participate is bad for 'business', they can totally ask them to leave.

The difference is that this type of policy merely allows a troop to strip ranks and ask people to leave, not that it requires them to. I know a few gay, atheist, and otherwise controversial Scouts. They didn't have an opportunity to get Eagle rank, but no one is going to ask them to leave - because they're good Scouts that contribute positively to the troop.

If a troop is set up by a group of bigoted families, they can certainly deny 'service' to whomever they please. The BSA's policy doesn't hold a gun to their heads though. It's the troop's responsibility to provide a reputable establishment for kids to learn life skills and enjoy the Scouting experience. If the parents of your local troop are assholes about homosexuals and atheists, it's because they're assholes - not the BSA.

BTW, I'm an Eagle Scout that went through a lot of bullshit over the atheism issue - and won.

 

[Dioxide20]

Forget STEM, FIRST ALL THE WAY!!!!

 

[aldowyn]

Heh. I trump your boy scout badge with this: http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/default.aspx?id=966

Totally going to nationals in a couple weeks.

*edit*

Forget STEM, FIRST ALL THE WAY!!!!

Wait, is that what you're talking about?

 

[breadlord]

Anyways, why the fuck wasnt this done 7 years ago? I could have got that badge easy (I was also part of my schools robotics team... God now I feel like a uber nerd...)

My 18th birthday was last month. How do you think I feel? I could've bust a move on it and be one of the first few people to get it

 

[Flauros]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

The Atheist and Homophobic things are complete lies. I have friends in scouting who are openly Atheist and there's nothing again gays or bisexual people, at least in the Boy Scouts of America there isn't

OT: I'm totally going to get this merit badge.

wow, such outrage. They literally have rules against Atheists and Agnostics. So unless you think the poster is a Boy Scout lying about Boy Scouts....or something. Im confused already....

"The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, ?On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.? The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members."[

Yeah sorry. I was just going off my personal experiences in Scouts. I took some time to check official national policy. What the hell? Why do they have such complete backwards policy?

I was in the boy scouts too! lol. Lets not shanghai this thread, robotics is awesome.

But before, they werent allowed to judge a families personal life because, duh, that would be dumb.

But then the Boy Scouts were literally bought with money by a religious group, so now its their personal army of God Warriors.

And slot car makers.

But anyway, robotics badge is the shit.

 

[DuctTapeJedi]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

Really? They don't let atheists in? Dude, I knew about the homophobia thing, but this too?
Did someone forget to tell them it was 2011?

 

[chif-ii]

I see no problem with this.

 

[Zero_ctrl]

Today, a merit badge. Tomorrow, the world!

But seriously, I've already got my Eagle Scout.
Though I definitely would have gone for this if I had the chance.

 

[Sneaky Paladin]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

Wait...what?

Also there is a Videogame merit badge already. It's less about having 1337 skills then knowing about the ESRB and whatnot

EDIT: Also forgot to put in there are openly gay and atheistic members in my troop. Probably because were in California or something though...

 

[Glerken]

snip

Spoiler

The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, ?On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.? The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.?

Spoiler

In the Scout Oath, a Scout promises to do his "duty to God," and in the Scout Law he promises to be "reverent."
The Boy Scout Handbook (11th ed.) explains a Scouts' "duty to God" as "Your family and religious leaders teach you about God and the ways you can serve. You do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those teachings every day and by respecting and defending the rights of others to practice their own beliefs."

The Handbook explains "reverent" as "A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others."

Bobcat Cub Scout:
A boy is required to promise to do his best to do his ?duty to God,? which means ?Put God first. Do what you know God wants you to do.?

This came right from the bsa website.
So, it seems as if you're a rule breaker.
Source: http://www.bsalegal.org/duty-to-god-cases-224.asp

 

[vansau]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

*sigh*

Thanks for hijacking the thread with the first post.

For the record: I am neither straight nor religious. But I *AM* an Eagle Scout and merit badge instructor. Most Scout troops don't care.

 

[redisforever]

Is it just me, or does that rover look like a cow?

 

[Liudeius]

That's cool, too bad I'm already done with scouting.

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

That's only the big cheese, most individual troops are much more open, only moderated by how radical the adults are. (I've seen some pretty crazy people though.)

Although it still tends to be biased since most of America is Christian, my troop tried to force us to get in a circle and pray to the lord at the end of every meeting. Even ignoring that they technically disallow atheists(I am atheist), that is only disrespectful to practitioners of every single other religion in existence.

 

[redisforever]

That's cool, too bad I'm already done with scouting.

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

That's only the big cheese, most individual troops are much more open, only moderated by how radical the adults are. (I've seen some pretty crazy people though.)
Although it still tends to be biased since most of America is Christian, my troop tried to force us to get in a circle and pray to the lord at the end of every meeting. Even ignoring that they technically disallow atheists(I am atheist), that is only disrespectful to practitioners of every single other religion in existence.

Actually, from what I read a few seconds ago, they don't really care what faith you are, as long as you believe in a God.

They say you must also be understanding of others beliefs. So give them a bit of credit for that.

 

[Low Key]

The boy scouts are openly homophobic and will not allow atheists to join. I detest them.

That being said, robotics is cool and I guess I'm glad they're encouraging it.

It's true the higher ups are homophobic (my troop certainly wasn't), but I was openly non-religious when I was in the Scouts and no one seemed to care.

OT: Cool I guess. With all the camping my troop did, I'm not sure when someone would have the time to earn that badge though.

 

[aashell13]

Neat but DUMB!

In Canada the Scouts is a group that teaches IMPORTANT things like SURVIVAL. Robotics, while cool and all, is not needed for survival.

I'm a BSA Eagle Scout, and one of my favorite badges was Wilderness Survival.

I have no idea how Canadian scouts work, but in BSA merit badges are given out for all sorts of things considered to be useful skills or interesting subjects.

 

[thedoclc]

--Doc LC's post cut for length--

This is being radically changed over the past few years.

Secondly might I add, reverent, means to be respectful to ALL religions, do you know how many religious badges their are? Boy Scouts even accepts a religion that has long been since dead, I forget its name but its like Zindaoman or something like that. The christian church no longer funds a majority of the Scouting. There are plenty of gays in the BSA, and I am friends with quite a few just in my local area, but when I went to the National Jamboree last summer, I met MANY gay scouts, of MANY religions, some who have even attained Eagle. While the rules of scout say that you can't, you can still be accepted willingly into a troop, or scouts, because scouts are courteous, kind, and cheerful, to ALL people.

Let me point out the comments I have made a few brief posts before:

The BSA does exclude gays and maintains that atheism is incompatible with scouting, as per their own statements; see my above post. However, welcome to the internet age: if you choose to associate with a group which has these values, even if they also preach tolerance, then clearly you must be a homophobe, etc.

You've run into an ugly truth here; there are folks who cannot realize that a person might choose to regard an act as wrong, but still "love the sinner and hate the sin." I entirely disagree with the BSA's belief that homosexuality is a sin, but they remain far from a hate group.

Looks like have a new badge to start and never get done.

Also:

The BSA is openly homophobic. The actual troops are made up of mostly responsible, sensible adults and youths who are smart enough to not generalize entire groups of people.

For the most part. You can never speak for everyone.

Well, that too. Apparently, as a part of an organization, you're not allowed to disagree with its leadership or statements. That thud you hear is a million straw men facepalming.

I made it fairly obvious I understood the BSA is not a monolith. Now, you are citing no sources for claims about the BSA. I know -many- troops, including mine damn near fifteen years ago, would accept gays. The statement that the BSA's origin is Christian is - simply put - true. The idea that this means all BSA activities are run by Christian conservatives is an example of the Genetic Fallacy.

While individual Troops may violate BSA policy, to quote: "BSA membership policy also excludes known or avowed atheists or agnostics from all traditional programs." Period. No qualifications. This is the official doctrine of the group. However, this does not mean individuals within the group may not disagree with its tenets. BSA has never redacted its policies concerning atheists and gays even if individual troops might have chosen to do different things. Troops, as the "boots on the ground," are therefore breaking BSA policies which remain the official position of their parent organization. BSA councils technically require that these policies are followed, even though some individual Scoutmasters within their troops do not.

Likewise, religious organizations are indeed among the largest contributors to the BSA. The Mormons alone are the largest single sponsor, at 13%. Official BSA policy still says an atheist cannot be a "best kind of citizen."

I also have to redact an earlier statement; the Department of Defense had earlier stopped funding BSA activities, but resumed contributing in 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_Scouts_of_America_membership_controversies

In summary, your troop may be different. The national parent organization has certain views, and I was speaking about them. These views are as of today the current doctrine of the organization. At a ground level, you may be violating that doctrine. I disagree with that doctrine; I disagreed with it when I was a scout myself, and I disagree with it now. I am not maintaining scouting is bad; it's been a positive in many young men's and women's lives, including my own. The organization - at the national level - has some serious flaws, including an openly discriminatory policy. However, I still agree with the BSA's right under the first amendment; I want change from within the ranks, not imposed by a curtailment of free association.

 

[Liudeius]

That's only the big cheese, most individual troops are much more open, only moderated by how radical the adults are. (I've seen some pretty crazy people though.)
Although it still tends to be biased since most of America is Christian, my troop tried to force us to get in a circle and pray to the lord at the end of every meeting. Even ignoring that they technically disallow atheists(I am atheist), that is only disrespectful to practitioners of every single other religion in existence.

Actually, from what I read a few seconds ago, they don't really care what faith you are, as long as you believe in a God.

They say you must also be understanding of others beliefs. So give them a bit of credit for that.

I wasn't saying that they are only Christian, I was saying that since the majority of the US is Christian, over the top Christian parents were trying to force worship of the Christian god into scouting and were not being blocked by anyone but me.

"Understanding others beliefs" as in not killing them for it, that isn't something to be given credit for, it is expected in modern society. And anyway, they don't, case in point: People who don't believe in god. According to studies, that is 14.2% of the global population. Though I guess a lack of belief in god isn't a belief, it's a lack of belief, so I guess they do stand by their own words.
(but as I said, for the most part that is just the home office, individual troops are usually ok with atheists.)