The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath. The oath is as follows:

“On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

Scout Law lists the numerous characteristics of a Boy Scout – first and foremost is being trustworthy.

Morally straight, trustworthy. Let those words mull around in your brain awhile. Now chew on the recent allegations posed against the Boy Scouts:

The Boy Scouts seem to have been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, accused of inflating membership numbers to qualify for increased federal funding and grant money. The FBI is investigating the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America to see if membership numbers have been bloated.

Dr. Tom Willis, a Boy Scouts board member, has since come forwarded admitting these discrepancies in membership numbers are not only accurate but widespread across the country, and are encouraged by the national Boy Scouts of America organization.

According to the Associated Press, the Greater Alabama Council claimed 10,000 new scouts last year, and tax forms show it had revenue of $6.5 million, including $100,709 in government grants. In a United Way funding application, the group said it served almost 120,000 youth and adults in 2003.

Willis believes these numbers have been exaggerated by 30 to 40 percent.

Findings in Alabama have prompted investigations elsewhere. Two years ago, a federal grand jury began an investigation in Texas after a scout group removed thousands of names from its roster. However, no charges were filed. In Atlanta similar claims have risen as independent auditors are investigating claims that the organization inflated black membership numbers by roughly 20,000 members.

If these allegations prove true, what sort of example is the Boy Scouts of America setting for our nation’s youth?

Now that you’re up to speed, let’s revisit some statements given by Gregg Shields, official spokesperson for the Boy Scouts: “The Boy Scouts of America have always taught traditional American values. An avowed homosexual is not a role model for those values.”

Shields also stated that homosexuality does not fit into the group’s oath, in which scouts pledge to keep themselves physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

This scandal is rank with hypocrisy. For the Boy Scouts to stand on its pulpit and pretend to be morally superior to the GLBT community – a community victim to bigotry and discrimination – all the while stealing, cheating and lying, is infuriating.

This is not just “fudging” a few numbers. This scouting organization is cheating charitable organizations and the federal government out of millions of dollars – dollars that could be servicing other organizations desperate for funding.

Willis also noted that donations garnered through inflated numbers go to funding the central administration and not individual troops or programs for children, so you can forget the Robin Hood analogy.

Ironically, the supposed cause of this fraud is due to the drop in enlistment numbers. Despite this drop in attendance, instead of adopting a more inclusive philosophy, such as relinquishing the ban on gays, lesbians and atheists, they decided to stand by their moral high ground and instead lie, cheat and steal. Admirable, isn’t it?

Since the organization has banned gays and lesbians, charitable organizations including many chapters of the United Way have cut funding. Cities have banned the scouts from using public facilities, which has only increased financial constraints. Perhaps it’s time for the scouts to rethink their policies. If the GLBT community was allowed to participate, enrollment might drop initially but ultimately the organization could benefit from the increased participation.

As a member of the GLBT community, you can’t help but feel vindicated. For an organization so determined to exclude us based on a self-guided moral authority, this recent discovery undercuts its legitimacy. Funny – if the Boy Scouts did welcome our community, we’d have to ask ourselves, “Do the Boy Scouts possess the kind of values we want OUR community associated with?”