Scouting for All
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Scouting for All is an American advocacy organization
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[edit] Purpose
Scouting For All is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose stated purpose is to promoting tolerance and diversity within the Boy Scouts of America in the face of its policies requiring members to believe in God, be males, and not be homosexuals.
[edit] History
Initially founded in 1993 by Scouter Dave Rice and a committee including Mike Cahn, Bob Smith, Ken McPherson of Forgotten Scouts and Don Henry of the National Park Service's Western Region Equal Opportunity Office, Scouting for All was relatively inactive for its first few years.
In 1997, the effort was galvanized by a letter to the editor written by 12-year old Life Scout Steven Cozza, who later went on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. The heterosexual young man criticized the BSA's policies and pointed out potential contradictions between those policies and the organization's own governing Scout Oath and Scout Law. He called upon the organization to reexamine its policies and invited others in the organization who agreed with him to contact him so they could all work together to effect the desired policy changes. According to the organization's current literature, Dave Rice, Steven Cozza and Steven's father, Scott Cozza are considered the co-founders of the reinvigorated Scouting for All.
[edit] Founders
[edit] Dave Rice
Mr. Rice's Scouting career spanned 59 years, during which time, he earned the Woodbadge (#4585) in 1959, was elected Vigil Honor -- Order of the Arrow in 1960, and earned the Award of Merit in 1982 and the Silver Beaver in 1991. He has attended five quadrennial National Scout jamborees, and was awarded an engraved Sierra cup by his troop upon completion of 20 50-miler backpacking trips with them, hiking 1,000 miles between 1974 and 1996.
Mr. Rice is a 1951 graduate of UC Berkeley (AB Education) and 1971 graduate of Dominican College of San Rafael (teaching credential with a major in history). During the Korean War, he served as a lieutenant in the US Army (1951-1953). Returning from the war, he began a career with the Boy Scouts of America, serving as District Scout Executive in four California councils between 1953 and 1970. He taught grades 4-6 in San Anselmo, California from 1971 and 1972 and in Napa Valley from 1972 to 1985. He retired from the National Park Service in 1994, having worked in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, serving as secretary, in public affairs, as a park ranger, and an editor, as well as Chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee.
Mr. Rice is an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church and a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Petaluma, California, a member of the Sierra Club, the ACLU and Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns. He met his wife, Mary, during a Boy Scout Troop paper drive; they have been married for more than 43 years and they have four children and at least five grandchildren.
The Boy Scouts of America forbids its adult members from using their leader status to express political views to the public or to youth members. Mr. Rice, a heterosexual member of the BSA who is a man of faith -- that is to say, neither gay himself, nor an atheist -- was nonetheless dismissed from volunteer service by the national organization in 1998, because of his violation of this policy.
[edit] Steven Cozza
After writing his letter to the editor, Steven Cozza earned the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 14 and began bicycle racing at the age of 15. Though no sanctions were ever lodged against him for his advocacy efforts, he has chosen to leave the BSA, but remains a supporter of Scouting for All and an advocate for change within the organization.[citation needed]
Mr. Cozza is now a 21-year old professional cyclist, having raced all over the world. He has been on both the USA Junior National Team (2003 captain) and the USA National Team. Mr. Cozza is a three-time World Championship Team member and 2005 U-23 National Time Trial Champion. In 2006, he signed with the Belgium Division 3 Professional Team Yawadoo-Colba-ABM, with which he spent the first half of the year. In June, he made a transfer to the American based TIAA-CREF team. He currently resides in Petaluma, CA. He is an outspoken opponent of doping, and maintains a website with an online journal.
[edit] Scott Cozza
Steven Cozza's father, Scott Cozza, is a social worker who has worked as an HIV advocate and educator. Mr. Cozza has also performed advocacy work for prison HIV/health care reform. Currently, he is an outreach social worker for the homeless in San Francisco, California.
Raised during the turbulent era of the 1960's, Mr. Cozza and his brother were taught from an early age by their father to be tolerant, but not to tolerate social injustice. Mr. Cozza has said that he aspires to pass those principles along to his children. It was in light of this commitment that Mr. Cozza was confronted with a difficult decision, in 1995, when he learned of the BSA's intolerant policies. Should he demonstrate his values by pulling his young son out of the organization that the youngster so dearly loved? He decided it would be unfair to deprive his son of something he loved so much that had so much value, but for the unfortunate discriminatory policies.
Instead, Mr. Cozza used the opportunity to educate his son about his views on the BSA's policies. He found his son reacted the same way he did and watched with pride as the youngster wrestled with the issue, eventually taking a public stand, thereby demonstrating the very leadership skills and moral values he had learned through family, church and scouting.
For his public support of his son's position in violation of the BSA prohibition of using his leader status to express political views to the public or to youth members, in 1998, Mr. Cozza, too, was dismissed from his volunteer service to the Boy Scouts of America. He continues to advocate for change through his involvement with Scouting for All.
[edit] See also
- Boy Scouts of America membership controversies
- Boy Scouts of America
- Coalitions for Inclusive Scouting
[edit] References
- Scouting for All
- Dave Rice's page at Scouting for All
- Steven Cozza's page at Scouting for All
- Steven Cozza's professional website
- Scott Cozza's page at Scouting for All
[edit] External links
- Scouting For All Official Homepage
- Religous Tolerance's Page on the BSA
- Scouting For All Alliance for Human Rights The Alliance includes 209 individual and member organizations from around the world. A listing of those members is available at the site.
