Boy Scouting and the LDS church...

My little guy is being bombarded with recruitment to join the Boy Scout troop in our neighborhood. I was always lukewarm to Boy Scouting, considering their position on gays in their Supreme Court ruling.

The spouse and I did a little research to find out the Mormon (LDS) church sponsors all the troops in our area council. (I also found out the LDS church is the largest sponsor of Scouting troops)

We are a bit uncomfortable with that venue. As a black family, knowing the LDS history, we aren't sure we can expect a level of tolerance in this group, regardless of their intention to sponsor Scouting. The church elders are the leaders, and who's to say they changed with the LDS church when they had that revelation that black folks were OK after all?

So here I am with another tough parenting decision. My kid is going to beg to be in this group but I just don't want to get involved on any level. Any alternatives I should seek?

And he seems very adamant about it.

Seriously, that's a puzzler. The fact that both these organizations are historically discriminatory makes this sound like a "Teachable Moment" for your son. One where he learns to stand up to discrimination, and learns that standing up is rarely the path of least resistance.

Seriously...the BSA gives a lot of latitude as to how things are done with the Scoutmaster. During the recent Gays in the Boy Scouts issue, there were many troops that went don't ask don't tell or purposefully went against the policy. No action was taken.

So check out the troop, talk to the Scoutmaster and see if he's a stand-up guy. Raise your issues and chances are he'll tell you how he feels.

My troop growing up was sponsored by a school, so there was no religious tie-in.

I'm disappointed in Scouting pandering to the ultra-right-wing though. I have to say it was a good organization when I was younger, though. I learned a lot.

GopisEvil - Eagle Scout, 1983.

My two older daughters are both Girl Scouts (which, btw, is NOT officially affiliated with either Boy Scouts or with any organized religion) and my husband, a former Boy Scout, wants to put my son in Boy Scouts soon so he won't feel slighted.

I'm trying to convince him to go with the YMCA. They have those "Indian Guides" (I know, another insensitive title) but they don't have all the baggage of Boy Scouts, which seems to have turned into a Right-Wing Youth Brigade. Ollie North actually gives speeches at their national events, if memory serves me correctly.

YMCA also offers camping opportunities (day camp during summer, week-long camps during vacations) that are not necessarily affiliated with their INdian Guide program.

I think there are also Girls/Boys Clubs in some areas--more of an afterschool-type activity?

But LDS does have its tentacles pretty firmly around Boy Scouts. It's the church's official Youth Program--I think all LDS boys are supposed to join. And I believe they control a huge chunk of BSA funding.

There is a YMCA in our neighborhood, so I am going to suggest to the spouse to do that instead of BSA.

... would be my recommendation. I was in a Boy Scouts that was sponsored by the local Mormon church. Hated every moment of it. We were regularly forced to attend worship services where we had to sing hymns and other crap instead of doing what Scouts should be doing, enjoying the outdoors.

that was sponsored by the LDS church. They never imposed their beliefs on me, and honestly all we ever talked about was camping and doing civic duties

There was never any proselytizing. It was just a place to meet.
However, that was 50 years ago.
Wish I could be more help.
The best flight instructor I ever had was a Mormon.
On the other hand, people like Orrin Hatch have made me mistrustful of Mormons.