Dear Friend, In today's edition of InfoQuest*, we'll look at the present-day Boy Scouts of America; the fruit of great leadership and an evil worm that could poison that fruit and undo the goodness that has generated through the BSA for nearly a century. CONTENTS: (1) Foreword, by Yours Truly (2) A Boy Scout Hero! (3) Phila. BSA Promotes Sodomy (4) Afterward & Solution by Yours Truly (5) Stephen Bennett Exposes CBS (6) Joke! :-D ==================== ==================== (1) Foreword, by Yours Truly Dear Friend, I am a Silver Palm Eagle Scout of Troop 7, Elkins Park, PA, of the former Valley Forge Council, graduating class of 1985. Troop 7 of Elkins Park, Pa. was founded in 1910, and the original and founding traditions of scouting were taught to me. The Scout Oath and Law are burned into my heart and soul. The Scout Oath: On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. The Scout Law: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. My father is an Eagle Scout, I am an Eagle Scout, but I cannot say that my sons will be Eagle Scouts unless things change in the Boy Scouts of America. The following articles will show the incredible blessed character and moral strength that scouting can produce in a man, as well as the newly-introduced worm that could destroy all the beautiful and powerful pillars of scouting. After the articles is an afterward by me, followed by a Joke that should help us to re-evaluate our time spent over the next few months. ==================== ==================== (2) A Boy Scout Hero! Ballwin teen to get Scouts' highest heroism honor By MICHELE MUNZ Post-Dispatch updated: 05/26/2003 10:49 PM A Ballwin teenager will receive tonight the highest honor for heroism given by the Boy Scouts of America, the Medal with Crossed Palms. The organization says the medal is very rarely given out; it was last awarded in the St. Louis area about 15 years ago. Kurt Pfeifer, 17, a junior at Parkway South High School, earned the honor for risking his life a year ago in trying to warn motorists of icy conditions in a pileup ahead. In the process, he was struck by a tractor-trailer and his leg was seriously injured. The medal is awarded "in exceptional cases" to a Scout "who has demonstrated both unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save life at extreme risk to self," the scouting organization says. The St. Louis Area Boy Scout Council will present the award to Kurt at its annual recognition dinner at the Millennium Hotel downtown. It's not his first; he earned his Eagle Scout pin at age 14. "I'm overwhelmed," said Kurt, who learned of the honor last week. "I never really expected something like this to go this far." Kurt and his parents set out on March 2 last year to see his sister, Lindsay Pfeifer, get inducted into the National Honor Society at Southwest Missouri State University. They left St. Louis about 9 a.m., and the weather changed to rain, sleet and snow just past Rolla. Kurt's mother, Pam Pfeifer, 46, said, "You couldn't see at all." His father, Steven Pfeifer, 47, was driving. When he crested a hill about 16 miles past Fort Leonard Wood, he spotted a tractor-trailer that had jackknifed to avoid a wreck. Pfeifer was able to pull over his car, but a tractor-trailer behind him could not stop and slid into the wreckage. As the Pfeifers tell the story, Kurt decided to warn other drivers of the wreckage ahead as they crested the hill. "We have to let people know," he told his parents. Cars were sliding into each other as Kurt jumped from the vehicle. Kurt said he thought he saw a child thrown through the air from a collision. He learned later it was a dog. But at the time, the sight emboldened him to head up the hill. He grabbed his jacket and waved it frantically. Before his father had put on his own jacket, Kurt was 200 feet away and had slowed several drivers. Then a tractor-trailer that was out of control struck Kurt. A rail from the corner of the trailer tore a fist-sized hole in his leg. Kurt and Steve Pfeifer made it back to their car and decided to wait since traffic had stopped. Kurt elevated his leg on his mother's shoulder, and she wrapped a scarf around the hole and squeezed. A truck driver, David Brewer, helped keep Kurt alert. Brewer got him to talk about his activities in school. Brewer asked if he was a Scout, and Kurt's affirmative response didn't surprise him, the family said. It was two hours before Kurt got to Fort Leonard Wood Hospital. A month later, he had surgery to repair ligaments and place two screws in a lower leg bone. He was using a wheelchair or crutches for about three months. Dean Barnes, an adult leader with Kurt's troop, No. 750, nominated Kurt for an award. Witnesses were asked to write summaries of what happened. Truck driver Amrinder "Andy" Sing Sidhu wrote: "Because of the early warning of Kurt Pfeifer, I was able to avert a major tragedy of running over a pile of cars which would've resulted in very dangerous consequences." The pileup involved about 35 cars, but only about 10 people suffered injuries, the family said. Kurt's family said he's always been the "caretaker." He's the one his friends call when they have problems. He even cares for cats and dogs at the West County Animal Clinic where he works. "The skills he learned in Boy Scouts plus his instinct to help people caused that (warning drivers) to be a natural reaction . . . ," his sister said. "I'm proud of him." Reporter Michele Munz: E-mail: mmunz@post-dispatch.com Phone: 314-340-8263 St. Louis Post-Dispatch ==================== ==================== (3) Phila. BSA Promotes Sodomy Local council defies Scouts' 'gay' policy Sets up conflict at national convention that convenes today in Philadelphia Posted: May 29, 2003 By Art Moore http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=32826 As the Boy Scouts prepare for their national convention in Philadelphia, a local Scout council is defying the organization's policy after voting unanimously not to discriminate against homosexuals who wish to be members. The Philadelphia area's Cradle of Liberty Council, the nation's third largest, added "sexual orientation" to its policy of nondiscrimination, setting up a conflict at the convention, which begins today, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. >From the national organization's standpoint, however, the issue is clear. "No council is allowed to depart from Boy Scouts policy," spokesman Gregg Shields told WorldNetDaily in a telephone interview from Philadelphia. "We have a national policy that has been in existence since we were formed," he said. "The Boy Scouts have taught traditional, American family values. A known or openly avowed homosexual would not be accepted for membership nor would an atheist." Shields said a meeting is planned with representatives of the Philadelphia council. "We need to meet and talk with them about exactly what this means," he said. No time has been set, according to Shields, "but it may take more than one meeting." David H. Lipson Jr., board chairman of the Cradle of Liberty Council, said his colleagues are "not comfortable" with the stated national policy. "That's why we're working on a solution that works for everyone," he told the Inquirer. Lipson's council serves 87,000 boys in the Philadelphia area. The Scouts' national policy was upheld in June 2000 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the group had the right to bar homosexuals as troop leaders. Shields said shortly after the ruling, the organization's polling of parents of scouts and of scout-aged youth showed "overwhelming support for our existing policies." If a local council wants to change a policy, he said, it must adhere to the established process, which is to submit a resolution to the national meeting. A few years ago, he said, resolutions recommending a change in membership standards were read into the record at the national meeting. The board referred the resolutions to a committee but decided to maintain the policy, he said. Shields said the Philadelphia council has not proposed any resolutions regarding the policy, noting the deadline for submission has passed. Philadelphia's council is not the first to defy the national policy. In July 2001, the Boston Minuteman Council approved a bylaw that allows homosexuals to become a scout or leader if they do not reveal or discuss their sexuality. Shields said that move essentially is not an issue. "We don't inquire into anyone's sexual orientation," he said. Began with United Way The Scouts' policy has prompted some charities to cut off their funding. In December, the United Way chapter of Ventura County, Calif., stopped its allocations to the Scouts after funding the group for 57 years. The charity said it would only fund agencies that did not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The Philadelphia council's Lipson said the local United Way served as a catalyst for a meeting two years ago that led to its vote this month. The council met with the charity's representatives, local Boy Scout executives, community leaders and homosexual activists. David L. Cohen, who chaired the local United Way from May 1998 to 2001, said the Philadelphia leaders regarded the Scouts policy as harmful to young people. "We were not prepared to allow our kids to be casualties on the battlefield of adults who should know better," Cohen told the Inquirer. Christine James-Brown, president of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, said the agency tried to understand the national policy. "In the very beginning, people knew very little about why the national had that policy," she said, according to the Philadelphia daily. "There was anger about the policy. I think people set that aside and said, 'Let's try to make it work in this community.'" ==================== ==================== (4) Afterward & Solution by Yours Truly Hi again. So, is there a problem with BSA National? I think so. Do you? Let's look at this quote one more time: National BSA Spokesman Gregg Shields said, "We don't inquire into anyone's sexual orientation." So, let me get this straight. BSA national policy is to not allow "open" homosexuals to become leaders, but they won't ask those who are seeking leadership whether they live a homosexual lifestyle or have homosexual desires??!! One of the most reputable news organizations in the world, WorldNetDaily, reported on how pedophiles use this National BSA policy "loophole" to prey on and destroy our boys - the boys of our neighborhoods, our churches, our homes: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=13210 Please read this article so that we are prepared with knowledge to right this wrong. Would you please contact the National BSA and ask them to change their policy so that our boys are protected? Their contact information is: Boy Scouts of America, National Council P.O. Box 152079 Irving, Texas 75015-2079 (972) 580-2000 http://www.scouting.org/ Let the Cradle of Liberty Council know that their promotion of the homosexual lifestyle is destructive (nicely, of course): Cradle of Liberty Council 22nd & Winter St. Philadelphia, PA 19103-1085 Phone: 215-988-9811 Web site: http://www.colbsa.org If the BSA does not change, I recommend that those of us who want a Judeo-Christian God-centered Boy Scout program should create an organization like the American Heritage Girls: http://www.ahgonline.org/ The American Family Association explains why Patti Garibay led the way to form the American Heritage Girls when the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (GSUSA) revised the Girl Scout Promise, and the use of the word "God" was deemed no longer mandatory. The GSUSA also began promoting lesbianism! Read all about it here: http://www.afa.net/activism/aa082001.asp Check out the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, and let them know your feelings too: http://www.defendscouting.com/ Together, through Christ, I Know that we can make a difference! "And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary." Galatians 6:9 For even more information, like the medical consequences of homosexuality and homosexual counseling services, go to: The InfoQuest* Homosexuality Page: http://users.netreach.net/InfoQuest/homosexual_myths.htm ==================== ==================== (5) Stephen Bennett Exposes CBS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, May 29, 2003 Contact: Stephen Bennett Ministries - Media Relations (203) 926-6960 Stephen Bennett Ministries www.SBMinistries.org/media.html CBS Guilty of Deceiving Viewers, Promoting Dangerous Lifestyle to Youth ---------------------- Tonight at 8 p.m. EST CBS will air 'The Amazing Race 4." Tonight's primetime reality show proudly boasts two 'gay' male participants who claim to be "married." "This is a complete outrage - let alone an outright lie by CBS," says Stephen Bennett, founder and Executive Director of Stephen Bennett Ministries (SBM) in Huntington, CT. SBM is a pro-family organization advocating for traditional marriage, the protection of children and proclaiming the truth about homosexuality. Bennett is also a former homosexual, now married with children, who speaks out against the promotion of homosexuality in the media. "It never ceases to amaze me how far the media will go to deceive people and sell homosexuality to America. Homosexuality is a dangerous and potentially deadly lifestyle. I know - I've buried one too many boyfriends who have died from AIDS," comments Bennett. Stephen continues, "Homosexual marriage is not legal in any state in America, yet CBS is lying by telling its viewers these guys are "married." Sadly, even CNN and the trusted Fox News Channel have recently been guilty of the same deception. It's just downright wrong. The media needs to be held accountable for its programming." "Tonight, CBS is just another in a string of networks trying to sell America on 'gay marriage' and homosexuality during family hour. America needs to speak out and to let the media know this is NOT acceptable." Stephen Bennett writes commentary on the "gay" agenda for WorldNetDaily.com and is the Special Issues Editor on Homosexuality for the American Family Association in Tupelo, Mississippi. Bennett is a nationally sought after speaker on the homosexual issue with an "insider's" perspective and has appeared on numerous television and radio broadcasts. Stephen is currently authoring his first book on the media and its marketing, promotion and selling of homosexuality to America. +++ IQ* Note: Shocked about "conservative" Fox News? Then get "Behind The Big News" here: http://users.netreach.net/InfoQuest/Todays_News.htm ==================== ==================== (6) Joke! :-D I've heard that some people mow their lawns twice a week! There's nothing wrong with mowing lawns and yard work, of course. Here's a joke that I share every year. Every so often I try to think of where I spend my time. How much is spent with Jesus? Sharing His Truth and Love? With my family? With my hobbies? With work? Ever think about this? LAWNS Imagine the conversation The Creator might have had with Boaz on the subject of lawns: GOD: Boaz, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles. BOAZ: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass. GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there? BOAZ: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn. GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy. BOAZ: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it -- sometimes twice a week. GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay? BOAZ: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags. GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it? BOAZ: No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away. GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away? BOAZ: Yes, Sir. GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work. BOAZ: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it. GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life. BOAZ: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away. GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose? BOAZ: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves. GOD: And where do they get this mulch? BOAZ: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch. GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. Angel, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have they scheduled for us tonight?" Angel: "Dumb and Dumber", Lord. It's a really stupid movie about..... GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from Boaz.