[9782] in APO-L
Re: BSA?!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Scott Allan Zakon)
Fri Oct 14 22:20:29 1994
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 15:31:24 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Allan Zakon <zakons@CSOS.ORST.EDU>
From: Scott Allan Zakon <zakons@CSOS.ORST.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L%PURCCVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <199410140338.UAA19879@CSOS.ORST.EDU>
Over the last few weeks, I have seen several threads concerning the
upcoming nationals, and suggested or proposed changes to be discussed there.
As we all make our opinions known, I would like each of us to take a
short moment and ask ourselves, "Is what I am about to say promoting the
best interests of A-Phi-O?" And, I would like each of us to be willing
to explain WHY we feel it is in the best interests of A-Phi-O that we do
X, or leave Y just the way it is, or add (remove, modify, whatever) Z.
These things said, I am prepared to follow up my own advice, and offer my
$0.02 about our ties to BSA, and how we reflect those ties in the
National Charter and ByLaws. Yes, we were founded as a collegiate
service organization to give outlet for college age men (and later, women
as well) to continue performing community and other services in the
tradition of the Boy Scouts. This is still a worthy goal, and purpose.
. . . . However, if we look at the proposed changes to the toast song,
there appears to be an active intent to make it clear that wee are an
INclusive group, and not an EXclusive one. This is not in keeping with
several recent decisions made by those in charge of the BSA. We cannot
have it both ways. We cannot be a diverse and inclusive group if we too
closely link ourselves to a group with exclusionary practices.
As we continue to grow, we continue to change. Change for the sake of
change is rarely beneficial in the long term. Statis for the sake of
stasis, however, is equally unlikely to be beneficial.
As I said in my remarks a couple weeks ago about the toast song, I didn't
like the words proposed, but I did not object to the idea of making it a
little clearer that we were more than grown-up Bo Scouts. Similarly, I
dislike any attempt to force any of our all-male chapters to become co-ed
just because their school happens to be co-ed. A promise was made, and
that should be the end of that discussion.
YiLFS,
Scott Allan Zakon | "The measure of a just society is not whether a
zakons@csos.orst.edu | demographically proportional share of any group
and sometimes other | succeeds, but whether an individual of talent
people and/or places | can succeed regardless of what group he [or she]
(but only upon request) | belongs to." -- William A Henry III
