January 29, 2013

Dear Garden State Scouting Family:

By now many of you have seen the various news reports regarding the potential of the national council removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.

The Garden State Council is following the discussions very closely. We expect this issue will be discussed during the National Executive Board meeting next week. Should the National Executive Board take any action related to the membership policy, we will, of course, share this with you. Currently, the national council has released a statement regarding these discussions, which you can read here:  http://www.scouting.org/membershippolicy.aspx  

Once the BSA's National Executive Board has reached a decision, the Garden State Council will have more information for parents, leaders and chartered organization representatives on what this means for their units. As you may be aware, all local councils, including the Garden State Council, by way of their annual charter, agree to support the decisions made by the volunteer executive board.

    I recognize during this time there is significant media interest in this issue and it will be important to communicate clearly and accurately.  I ask that you please refer any media inquiries to me at (609)261-5850 or at Daniel.Templar@scouting.org . As a valued member of our Scouting Family, I hope you will feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding the proposed changes. I will do my best to respond to your inquiries as promptly as possible and with as much information as I have available to me. Please know that I truly appreciate your commitment to the uninterrupted delivery of our Scouting programs during this distraction.

Sincerely Yours in Scouting,

Dan Templar, Scout Executive