WHAT’S UP: By a 418-7 vote, the House acted to preserve Pentagon support for the Boy Scouts of America by passing a resolution, sponsored by Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., emphasizing that the Scouts should be allowed to continue using military installations for activities and receiving donations and surplus equipment from the military. The resolution came in the wake of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against federal government support for Scouts.

WHAT’S NEXT: Under an agreement between the Defense Department and the ACLU, the Pentagon promised it will not directly sponsor any private, nonfederal organizations — such as the Boy Scouts — but will continue to provide support for such organizations, including equipment, transportation and use of military facilities. The House resolution only expresses congressional intent and does not have the weight of law, but the overwhelming vote shows clear support for that arrangement in the future.

Judge Gives Young Offenders Time In Boy Scouts

Houston -- A justice of the peace in Texas is trying something different in sentencing juvenile offenders between the ages of nine and 14.

NEWS FROM:

CONGRESSMAN DARRELL ISSA

Serving California’s 49^th District

211 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-3906, (202) 225-3303 (fax)
http://www.house.gov/issa/

HOUSE PASSES RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE BOY SCOUTS TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA

Washington, DC – The House of Representatives, last night by a vote of 391 to 3, adopted H. Res. 853, a resolution sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa honoring the Boy Scouts of America, “for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.”

“For 95 years, the Boy Scouts of America have made outstanding contributions to citizenship, service, and leadership,” said Rep. Issa. “This resolution is an expression of Congress’ appreciation for Scouts, volunteer leaders, and employees of the Boy Scouts of America.”

“Scouting has always represented the best in community, leadership, and service,” added Issa.

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the leading volunteer youth movements in the United States, serving more than 4,700,000 young people with the support of 1,200,000 volunteer adult leaders.

The stated purpose of the Boy Scouts of America—incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916—is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.

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H. Res. 853

Recognizing the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.

Whereas the Boy Scouts of America is one of the leading volunteer youth movements in the United States, serving more than 4,700,000 young people with the support of 1,200,000 volunteer adult leaders;

Whereas the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated on February 8, 1910, and recognized by Federal charter on June 15, 1916, to provide an educational program for youth to build character, train in the responsibilities of participatory citizenship, and develop personal fitness;

Whereas the Boy Scouts of America teaches the core values of duty to God and country, personal honor, respect for the beliefs of others, volunteerism, and the value of service and doing a ‘‘good turn’’ daily, principles which are conducive to good character, citizenship, and health; and Whereas during the 95-year history of the Boy Scouts of America, the organization has partnered with the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity International, the American Red Cross, and thousands of other community and civic organizations to address critical issues facing communities in the United States, including the problems of hunger, inadequate housing, and poor health and youth obesity:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) recognizes the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States; and (2) commends the Boy Scouts of America for the Good Turn for America program and the work the organization has accomplished while partnering with the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity International, the American Red Cross, and thousands of other community and civic organizations across the United States to address critical issues facing communities in the United States.

DOD SUPPORT OF BOY SCOUTS

The Department of defense pledges continued support for Boy Scouts of America, in a statement coming from Secretary Rumsfeld. Click here for further information.

San Diego, CA, March 4, 2004: Boy Scouts of America and Desert Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America are grateful that the United States has entered the legal battle started by the ACLU on the side of the Scouts.

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice filed a request with U.S. District Court Judge Napoleon Jones to appear as amicus curiae, or “friend of the court”, in Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America. To read the Justice Department’s media release, go to http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/pressindex.html. As amicus, the United States will be filing a brief in support of Boy Scouts' motion for summary judgment on the 1987 Fiesta Island lease.

“This is great news,” said Merrilee Boyack, spokeswoman for Desert Pacific Council. “The government’s action should make it clear to all that our constitutional rights are being violated. Perhaps it will also help bring to an end the escalating harassment of the Scouts.”

The DOJ’s appearance in the case comes a week after Boy Scouts of America and Desert Pacific Council added civil rights claims to their lawsuit against the City of San Diego and members of the City Council. The Scouts allege that the City is violating Boy Scouts’ constitutional rights by harassing Scouts and Scout leaders using Fiesta Island. Recently, Boy Scouts have been singled out for mistreatment by City employees, both on the property Desert Pacific Council leases from the City and the adjacent City parkland.

In its filing, the Civil Rights Division argues that the City of San Diego’s lease to Boy Scouts does not violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. It also takes the position that singling out Boy Scouts from all other nonprofit lessees based on Scouting's "duty to God" or "morally straight" requirements is viewpoint discrimination and a violation of Boy Scouts' equal protection rights.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO SUBMIT AMICUS BRIEF DEFENDING THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA’S RIGHT TO USE CITY LANDS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Justice Department will submit a brief today in federal court in San Diego in support of the Boy Scouts of America. The brief argues that the Boy Scouts are not a religious organization, and that its operation of a facility on city-owned property does not violate the Constitution's prohibition on the establishment of religion.

The Justice Department’s friend-of-the-court brief, will be submitted to the U.S. District Court in San Diego. The brief was filed in an ongoing federal lawsuit against the city of San Diego, challenging a lease under which the Boy Scouts built an aquatic center on Fiesta Island for swimming, canoeing, kayaking and other water sports. In exchange for being able to reserve the facility for its own activities, the Boy Scouts agreed to invest more than $1.5 million to develop the center, pay all its operating costs and keep it open for use by the general public.

“Quite simply, the Boy Scouts of America is not a church, and canoeing, kayaking and swimming are not religious activities,” said R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Boy Scouts should not be prohibited from using public lands on an equal basis with other youth groups.”

The original lawsuit, Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America, filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego by six San Diego residents, sought to bar the Boy Scouts from using the facility along with a similar one in San Diego’s Balboa Park, alleging that the Constitution forbade the practice on the ground that the Boy Scouts is a religious institution.

The Department’s brief makes clear that the Boy Scouts is not a religious institution, but rather achieves its objectives of developing good character, citizenship, and personal fitness in young boys by focusing on a vigorous program of outdoor activities. Additionally, the brief argues that because more than 100 other non-profit organizations have similar leases with the city of San Diego to operate city-property for the public benefit, the Boy Scout’s Fiesta Island lease cannot be constitutionally prohibited. Other groups with similar leases, which have not been challenged, include the Girl Scouts of America, the Boys and Girls Club of San Diego, and several Little League organizations.