Protesting the BSA's recruitment at a public school.

MY DEALINGS WITH THE BOY SCOUTS of America started about three and a half years ago when my son, Jake, was in kindergarten. He came home from school one day with a Cub Scout recruitment flyer from the BSA promising fun, adventure, and something about lifelong values.

I was annoyed by the flyer for two reasons: first because of the BSNs discrimination against gays and nontheists, and second because the contact person listed on the flyer was officially identified as being on the board of the school's Parent Teacher Association.

Being a member of the PTA myself, I was dismayed that we were supporting the BSNs recruitment efforts. I decided to call the woman listed on the flyer. I asked her if she was aware of the discriminatory policies of the BSA and let her know I was objecting to our school being used as a recruitment site.

The PTA representative told me that she wasn't aware of the discriminatory policies that I had mentioned but that she would look into it.

Immediately after this I decided to e-mail the Nevada Chapter of the PTA and voice my concerns with them as well. I received a written reply. The message was short, full of exclamation points, and basically claimed that the Boy Scouts of America is a fine group with a long, proud history of mentoring boys and that hundreds if not thousands of former Boy Scouts have gone on to fight and even die for our country. This person also wondered why, if I didn't like the BSA's rules, I didn't just go and start up a group of my own and leave the BSA alone.

I was shocked and frustrated by these responses from the Nevada Chapter and the PTA representative. I decided not to contact them again. (Incidentally, I have recently read that the National PTA discourages entanglement with the BSA. But if this was the case, why wasn't it conveyed to me through the Nevada Chapter of the PTA or the PTA at our school?)

The same day that I e-mailed the Nevada Chapter of the PTA, I also contacted our school district's superintendent, Carlos Garcia. I voiced my objections about BSA recruiting in public schools, making sure to emphasize the school district's nondiscrimination policies. He took the time to reply and told me that everything I stated to him was true. But because of provisions in the "No Child Left Behind Act" his hands were tied.

A few days went by and then the most surprising thing happened: I received a message on my home phone from a man, the second or third in command of the Las Vegas Area Council of the BSA. It seemed at least someone was paying attention to me, and that I had indeed ruffled a few feathers.

His message was very cordial. He said that he had learned about my concerns with BSA recruitment and was eager to discuss them with me.

I called him back, got his voicemail, and told him that I didn't think there was really much for us to discuss because I was fully aware of the exclusionary policies of the BSA. I told him that it was my plan to make everybody I knew aware of these policies and why I felt the BSA shouldn't be allowed to recruit at public schools. I told him he was welcome to call me back if he wanted, but that my position on the subject wouldn't be changing. He never called me back.

My next move, which probably should have been my first, was to contact the principal of our school, Mr. O'Rourke. Unfortunately O'Rourke was on a leave of absence at the time, undergoing cancer treatment. Sadly, he died later that year. After this I didn't hear from anyone else at the school and put the issue on the back burner, hoping that my efforts had done some good. I soon found out they hadn't.

About a year later, early in Jake's first-grade year, he came home excited about a visit from a man who, at lunchtime, talked about this "cool" group. Jake wanted to join the group because it sounded like a lot of fun. It was the Boy Scouts of America again.

I was forced to tell my son that he couldn't join Cub Scouts because people like us who don't believe in God aren't welcome there. I went on to explain that the BSA doesn't think people like us can be good citizens and why this "belief" is obviously untrue. I had already explained intolerance and bigotry to my children many times, and the damage it can do. But at six years old I don't think Jake really quite understood--not until it affected him so personally. Jake was very upset, which of course upset me.

Now, just so you know, I was newly pregnant with my daughter at the time. So, armed with vast quantities of pregnancy hormones, the strong maternal instinct to protect my son, and a few good suggestions from American Humanist Association President Mel Lipman, I decided to speak to our new principal, Mr. Prince.

Prince seemed like a very nice gentleman according to his "get acquainted" flyer sent out at the beginning of the school year. In it he talked about his hometown in Utah, attending college at Brigham Young University, his six children, and his adventures with the Eagle Scouts over the summer. Needless to say I was a little nervous, but I called him anyway.

I introduced myself and told him I was sorry that the first time I was to speak to him was to register a complaint. He told me that it was okay because he was there for all the parents and children no matter what the subject was, and that it was part of his job to hear complaints. After breathing a small sigh of relief, I explained all of my concerns regarding the BSA and how the recruiter's presence on campus had harmed my son. He seemed genuinely concerned and actually apologized to me for any harm that was done to my son and to my family.

Prince told me he would never want any of the kids to feel unwelcome at his school. I asked him to consider all I had said before letting the BSA, or any discriminatory group for that matter, back on our campus. He said he would.

To keep the momentum going I put together several articles regarding the BSA, their intolerant policies, and the effects these policies have had on individual young men, as well as whole school districts across the country. I sent Prince the packet with a letter thanking him for his concern. I never did get a direct response to my letter and packet, but I think that maybe, just maybe, it was at least a small catalyst for change at our school.

I'm happy to report that there have been no other BSA flyers sent home and no recruiters have visited the school for over two years now. To be quite honest, I don't know if this change has taken place out of fear of a lawsuit, genuine concern over discrimination, or just plain lack of interest in the BSA. At this point I really don't care what did it. I'm just glad that it happened and that nobody else's child has been so unfairly disappointed.

Teresa Harris is a part-time dental hygienist and full-time mother who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband and three children. She is also a member of the American Humanist Association. This article was adapted from her speech at a meeting of the Las Vegas Freethought Society, a version of which appeared in the newsletter of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia.