NBC News: Boy Scouts Close to Ending Ban on Gay Members, Leaders

[Gothmog]

53. It depends on the chartering organization

My troop, pack and explorer unit are chartered by my temple which is a Reformed Jewish congregation. While we are chartered by a Jewish Congregation, we have non-Jewish scouts in the troop and the pack as well as Jewish scouts who are from other temples or synagogues. Many troops are chartered by religious institutions and some troops restrict their membership to members of their organization. LDS units tend to restrict their members to members of the LDS faith in part because these churches use the Boy Scouts as their main male youth program.

I would also point out that there is a split among Jewish units. The Reformed congregations are the ones fighting the current BSA policy while the Orthodox and Conservative congregations have no trouble with the BSA's policy. There have been some heated discussions on this issue among the National Jewish Committee on Scouting with troops chartered by the Reformed Congregation being in the minority.

Anyone can charter a Unit subject to BSA approval. The trouble would be in recruiting sufficient members to be a viable unit.