This past Thursday I made an excursion north near the second bridge across the Bosphorus (remember, I live near the first). All my previous efforts to find a scout group in Istanbul turned up fruitless because of websites not being up to date. Wanting to continue doing something in some capacity I contacted my top boss from the jamboree to see if he had any ideas on what I could do. I had thought about going to see a turkish troop but figured the language barrier would be too much of a burden for all of us at this time. Anywho, my boss got me in touch with a BSA troop in Istanbul, hence the excursion north. Things went well. I got to meet the boys and the parents and it all seems pretty solid even if membership and roles are a bit fluid.
Fast forward to the next night. I'm talking with a colleague and due to me mishearing what she said I told her about my finding the troop. See, she asked how my dating life had been since getting here and I heard daily life. Imagine her confusion when I started talking about meeting a group of young boys... Yeah, I cleared that one up quick. Well, later on she started talking about the BSA not letting gays be a part of the organisation. Some of her comments really made me feel like I was the one being judged. Are some of the higher-ups old curmudgeons, less open-minded and push policies that I personally may not agree with? Sure. Does the current policy reflect the views and opinions of every single member? Absolutely not. I always get riled up when people act this way towards me about scouting.
I cannot see myself turning my back on an organisation that has given so much to me and truly helped form me into the person I am. For example, without scouting I honestly believe that I would never have gone abroad. The way I see it is this, why would I leave something I feel so strongly for because I disagree with some policy? Doesn't that sort of attitude allow bad policies to prolong? It's more like giving up. Is it not better work from within to change things? I don't know if I'll ever get to the point where I'll be the one changing things but I did get to rub shoulders with a few gold tabs (read: national staff) and a lot of them don't agree with things the way they are and would like to see a change. To be honest I would not be surprised if the whole 'no gays' thing goes away in a few years. Now, letting girls in is a bit trickier. I can see Scouts going co-ed for all age groups but I can also see a big stink being thrown by parents. Future parents just remember, summer camp is about earning merit badges, not orgies in the woods.
Yeah, I had to go back and reread that too just to make sure I wrote that.
I guess what I'm saying is that let's not judge the Scouts solely by this but also look at what it does for so many youth and others. The kids involved directly get a lot out of it and so do the people they help. It's a worthwhile organisation that has helped and continues to help many people.
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