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United Way stops direct funding for Boy Scouts |
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By ERIC OLSON : The Herald-Sun DURHAM -- United Way officials voted Tuesday to cut funding for a Boy Scouts council because it refused to guarantee it would not discriminate against gay Scouts. The Triangle United Way, which serves Durham, Orange and Wake counties, decided to remove the Occoneechee Council of Boy Scouts of America from its member agencies. The council serves 21,000 boys in 12 counties. The council, which has an annual budget of $2.4 million, received about $448,000 from the United Way last year, 62 percent of it from the fund-raising agency’s general fund. Last year, the United Way provided $62,210 to the Boy Scouts in Durham County, $14,164 to those in Orange County and $173,145 to those in Wake County through the general fund, the primary source of money for most United Way member agencies, spokeswoman Jill Cox said. Tuesday’s decision bars the Boy Scouts from receiving money after July 2003 from the Triangle United Way’s general fund, but the Scouts could still get United Way money from designated pledges. Last year, just over $200,000 was earmarked specifically to the Scouts, Cox said. "We have enjoyed a long, productive relationship with the Boy Scouts of America," said Craig Chancellor, president of Triangle United Way. "Yet under the current Boy Scout policy, some children may be denied an opportunity to participate in their valuable programs." The Boy Scouts council had been negotiating to avoid a cut-off, but United Way officials said the council didn’t complete a policy statement affirming non-discrimination. "We’re disappointed," said Tom Dugger, CEO of the Occoneechee Council. As one of 314 local councils of the Scouts, Dugger said the Occoneechee Council had no authority to change its charters or by-laws, which are established by a national council, to adhere to the United Way policy. "We comply with all state and federal laws with respect to discrimination," Dugger said. "We meet all requirements of the Equal Opportunity Act." United Way officials said the Scouts are unlikely to take a financial hit because more contributors will earmark their money. And Dugger said the council experienced a 30 percent increase to about $175,000 of designations from contributors in the three-county area last year. That could mean less money for 85 other agencies up for the local United Way certification, which rely on the undesignated general fund. The decision comes after nearly two years of debate after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Boy Scouts may exclude gay men as troop leaders. Some area groups started pressuring the United Way to cut off funding to Scouts. Last May, after more than eight months of negotiations, the Triangle United Way announced that it would require member agencies to offer services and programs to people regardless of their sexual orientation, but still allow them to exclude gays as employees and volunteers and get money. But Scouts are a diverse group that come "from all walks of life, all neighborhoods, all socio-economic backgrounds and all faiths," Dugger said. "We respect the rights of other people and groups to hold values different from each council," he said. "We’ve always taught youth the traditional values of Scout laws, and those values are embraced by American families." The Boy Scouts council, which includes 1,400 members in Durham and Granville counties, was the only member agency that did not submit the new policy last month. Denied certification as a member agency March 14, it appealed the decision. The council made another appeal to the United Way Monday, but did not agree to submit to the required policy. "We presented to them that we’ve been a member agency since anyone can remember, and we’d like to think of ourselves as a member agency," Dugger said. "Nothing has changed about the Boy Scouts, and we have been certified in the past. We hope to be certified this time." He has said the policy could conflict with the national charter of the Boy Scouts of America, which reserves the right to exclude boys who are atheist or agnostic as well as gay. About 50 United Ways across the country have stopped or restricted funding to Scout councils in response to discrimination concerns, according to United Way of America. Dugger agreed the Council will not take a big hit from the United Way funding cut-off. "The trend has been in other communities where this has happened is that there has been a great deal of community support for the Boy Scouts. We’ll hope that support continues here," he said. "We’re going to be here and we’re going to
continue to offer the type of quality program that the community expects
of the Triangle Council." |