" most recently, (Boy Scouts) faced criticism for failing in the past to prevent the sexual abuse of children."

Yet, your liberal bretheren will slander and disparage the Boy Scouts for not allowing homosexual scoutmasters. What hypocrisy - but what we have all come to expect that from the left-of-center.

So the LDS folks support a youth organization that stands for character development, citizenship, and personal and physical fitness. What's wrong with that?

Fun One -- 55 years a Boy Scout

Does the NYT really think that more undecideds will sway away from Obama by running down the Boy Scouts? "Let's see; should I vote for the Choom Gang or the Boy Scouts? Decisions; decisions...."

I tried to become a Boy Scout in Palo Alto Ca. back in the late 50's but because I wasn't Mormon I was not accepted. The only Scout troop in PA (that I was aware of)was supported by the Mormons.

Amazing how this article made a great organization like the Boy Scouts and two churches Roman Catholic and Mormon sound so faintly disgusting.

It's hard to understand that with the huge evangelical outreach by Mormons they would not want a non-Mormon to be part of their scout troop. It seems that they would encourage it.

Isn't allowing gay leaders to take charge of boys like letting kids control the cookie jar - but with a far more emotionally devastating effect on the boys? The huge damage a few priests that a few priests have perpetrated on Catholics and the Catholic Church would be eclipsed by allowing gay scout leaders. Gay scout leaders would not only molest the boys but also teach them not to be morally clean.

My best friend, living next door, was Mormon and a Boy Scout. He encouraged me to join his Troop. The troop leader was Mormon and PA policeman and a friend of our family. But the problem was that all of the Troop meetings were in a Mormon church and I as a non-Mormon could not participate. I have a lot of respect for most Mormons in their love of family and country. But I hope that they have changed their attitudes about having non-Mormons joining the Boy Scouts sponsered by their church. Perhaps they already have but it has been a lot of years since I was involved.

Here it comes. The card they were holding back.
Playing it now.

“It’s tremendously cohesive, a system that works wonderfully — unless you don’t fit in exactly,” said Chase Barlet, 23, who grew up Mormon in the Denver area and quit scouting just before attaining Eagle in a silent protest against scouting’s ban on gay members. He is now an openly gay corporate lawyer in Canada and has left the Mormon Church.

Yeah, fitting in. I'm not a member of the KKK or the American Communist Party, for that exact same reason!

Regarding having "non-Mormons" participate in scouting... there are many non-Mormon Scouts and leaders in Church-sponsored troops. However, there is a policy that the Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, or Varsity or Venturer Adviser, must indeed be a church member. I think it's an accountability thing. As a long-time Mormon scout and scout leader, I've worked with many dads (and moms!) not of my faith, who have been exemplary and helpful in the program.

Please remenber the I am talking about the 50's. I'm sure that things have changed but I still have some regret that I was not allowed to be a Boy Scout.

To poster number nine: give it a rest. I'm not going after the Mormons. I just posted my experience with the Boy Scouts 60 years ago.