Gates confirmed as Boy Scouts president

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

DALLAS — Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates was confirmed Thursday as the Boy Scouts of America’s new president, taking over one of the nation’s largest youth organizations as it fights a membership decline and debates its policy toward gays.

The group’s national council voted to approve Gates for the volunteer role at the organization’s annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gates, 70, was announced as incoming president in October. As head of the organization’s executive board, Gates will become one of Scouting’s most public figures at a pivotal time in its history.

“I’ve had tremendous opportunities in my life, but I can say without hesitation that my memories of Scouting are every bit as vivid and meaningful as what came later,” Gates said in a statement Thursday. “I believe every boy deserves an opportunity to experience what Scouting offers.”

Read more: http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/gates-confirmed-as-boy-scouts-president/article_6a2fadba-e23b-11e3-8020-0019bb2963f4.html

[certainot]

1. you have to be kidding

[TexasTowelie]

5. I wish that I was.

It's a legitimate news story.

[AngryDem001]

2. I thought it was going to say that BILL Gates got the job.

He would be SO MUCH BETTER!!!

[mwrguy]

3. WTF

Maybe he'll use them to invade a middle eastern county.

[TexasTowelie]

4. His actual plans are to use the Boy Scouts to defend the "pray the gay away" camps nationwide.

He wouldn't want any of them homosexuals introducing those sinful thoughts into the youthful minds of American boys. Whoops, he might let in some priests and clergymen.

[DonCoquixote]

6. The scout motto

A Scout is:
•Trustworthy,
•Loyal,
•Helpful,
•Friendly,
•Courteous,
•Kind,
•Obedient,
•Cheerful,
•Thrifty,
•Brave,
•Clean,
•and Reverent.
In short, the things Robert Gates has shown himself INCAPABLE of being at all.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. So,...when are they going to invade the Cub Scouts?

[Jerry442]

8. Perhaps his first act will be to give the BSA a new, snappier name.

Maybe something like, oh, I dunno, "The Reagan Youth"?

[phazed]

9. Ya, How about "Youth League" from George Orwell's 1984!

From The Newspeak Dictionary

Youth League - Mandatory children's group under control of the Thought Police. Similar to the "Hitler Youth". Their member's primary task is to monitor the activities of their parents.

[bpj62]

10. Real Nice

Where you ever a Cub Scout or a Boy Scout? Currently both my sons are in scouting. I learned how to react calmly in an emergency situation and when I was 15 years old I saved a neighborhood boys life when he accidentally knocked over a can full of lit kerosene and set himself on fire. The training I learned helped me to me calm and find something that I could extinguish the fire with. He suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns but the doctor said that he could have died had I not been there. I am proud of being a scout and I am proud that my boys are also involved in scouting. We don't have secret meetings and we don't pay homage to Ronald Reagan. I am a proud democrat and you have the right to your opinion but you clearly either were never a scout or had a bad experience with scouting.

[Jerry442]

19. It was a shot at Gates, not the Scouts.

Although I was never a Scout and don't have the obviously great memories of them you do, it still made me sad that a man like Gates was chosen to head the organization.

[Shoonra]

11. Why the decline in Scout membership?

Part of the reason for the shrinking scout membership is that, obviously, the boys need their parents' support to join and maintain membership. It seems that a lot of parents are not encouraging their sons to join the Scouts because of any number of reasons but very likely including one of these: (1) belief that Scouting activities will detract from schoolwork and therefore diminish the boy's chances of getting into a good college; (2) parental edginess about the presence of gay Scouts now that the Scouts will accept gay boys as members (but not as Scout Masters); (3) the kid finds schoolwork/internet/teamsports too demanding to allow time for Scouts; (4) heavy duty financial instability which discourages joining anything that requires buying a uniform and gear, or which is likely to be disrupted by the necessity to move the family. I think the rise of the internet and cable TV has and will have a profound (and probably damaging) effect on any activity that involves going to meetings.

But Scouting should be encouraged, for both boys and girls.

[TexasTowelie]

14. I wasn't a scout, but I had an Eagle Scout that was a good friend.

I enjoyed his company and he was very insightful in a lot of ways and showed good character. I wouldn't discourage anyone from becoming a scout, but the troop leader in my hometown had anger management issues and was an alcoholic so my parents weren't very comfortable with the idea of me being in that troop.

Welcome to DU!

[happyslug]

17. volunteering is down generally

This goes for church membership to bowling leagues to volunteer fire departments.

Membership in most such groups are down, even cases were participation in whatever the group does is up (for example bowling, more people are bowling then ever before, but participation bowling leagues are down).

The main reason is that more and more people are working weird hours, income is down, and working longer so they do not have the time to participate in such group activities AND getting people often do not have the free time at the same time as other people who want to the group activity.

This is a bigger problem then the boy scouts, but no one wants to address the problem for the solution would hurt "business" .

[Lionel Mandrake]

12. Be Prepared!

&list=PL9D980F6A494300AF

[KeepItReal]

13. shoot...i was hoping it was Enrico Gates

[kwassa]

15. I thought it was Bill Gates.

[TexasTowelie]

16. A few decades ago I would have been a happy scout if it was this Gates!

[CRK7376]

18. As an Eagle Scout

and the father of two Eagle Scouts who are democrats along with myself, Boy Scouting is a great program. It made me who I am today, taught me great leadership skills better than anything the military has taught me about leadership and I have been in the military for 37 years, 31 of them as an officer; prepared me for life and a true love of the outdoors. BSA was right to open Scouting to gays last year. Unfortunately the leadership did not go far enough and failed to allow gay adult leaders to join. It will be interesting to see where Robert Gates takes BSA. He may actually help BSA,and I suspect he will give the executives and National Leadership more than they bargained for. Bottom line up front; he is an Eagle Scout and I respect him for that, maybe not his political leanings, but support and position as a Distinguished Eagle Scout.