BSA #2013Jambo is about to start. With millions of dollars of private support, the Scouts have built a 4th high adventure base in West Virginia and it’s about to open with a grand ribbon cutting ceremony – BSA National Jamboree 2013. Hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours have gone into preparing the Bechtel Family Summit Reserve. Thousands of volunteer staff members are putting on the finishing touches. Monday morning, approximately 40,000 Scouts, Scouters and a few visitors will turn this old coal mining mountain into a city.
Jamboree organizers have done a great job providing something for nearly everyone and they’ve planned a few concerts, one with a huge fireworks show, to spice up the fun. You may have heard that Carly Rae Jepson, and Train were contracted as the headliners. These two musical acts are on the pop charts and popular with many. Unfortunately, neither of them understand the first point of the Scout Law; A Scout is Trustworthy.
Ms. Jepson says she “prays that her decision to” breach her performance contract will “help shock the organization to rethink its ban on admitting openly gay Scouts and leaders.” Its too bad she wasn’t smart enough or business savvy enough to think about that before she signed the contract. Instead, she found herself in the interesting position of needing to decide whether she’ll garner better publicity by keeping her word and honoring her contract or by breaching her contract to granstand for a cause we’ve never heard her champion before. Either way, its all about her and that’s not what Scouting is all about. I’m glad she won’t be entertaining.
Train, in my opinion, is an even worse offender. Not only did they announce they were breaching their contract, they staged a blackmail campaign targeting the BSA stating “we’ll come after all if they make the right decision” about the gay membership issue. Sorry. I don’t want you regardless of the decision. You’re a terrorist blackmailer and you breached a contract. No room for you at a Scout jamboree.
We don’t know who the BSA has found to replace these acts – they’ve been pretty tight lipped about that, presumably to minimize the opportunity for a related media circus – but I’m sure they’ll be fun! And, we’ll know soon because Jamboree starts the day after tomorrow!
The BSA take on all this? “We appreciate everyone’s right to express an opinion and remain focused on delivering a great jamboree program for our scouts.” I’m glad they’re remaining focused. I hope they sue the pants off these two performance acts for their contract breaches…after they host a fantastic jamboree experience.