Definitely sounds like local option is coming

The chartered organizations that oversee and deliver scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with their organizations mission, principles or religious beliefs, according to Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts national organization.

Individual sponsors and parents would be able to choose a local unit which best meets the needs of their families, Smith said.

The discussion of a potential change in policy is nearing its final stages, according to outside scouting supporters. If approved, the change could be announced as early as next week, after the BSA's national board holds a regularly scheduled meeting.
...
In a statement last July affirming the ban, its national executive board called it the best policy for the organization.

But since then, a scouting official said, local chapters have been urging a reconsideration. "We're a grassroots organization. This is a response to what's happening at the local level," the official said.

Two corporate CEOs on BSAs national board, Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of Ernst & Young, have also said they would work to end the ban. Stephenson is next in line to be the BSAs national chairman. During the 2012 presidential campaign, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney said the BSA should admit gay scouts and scout leaders.



...

Well,

assuming that is true, that is a little bomb-shell.

From my casual conversations at my Troop I do not think a lot of the Scouters and Scouts care that much. A few folks will not like it...but will they walk?

As long as they allow local option, I'm fine with it. It won't change my troop.

It's about time. American Scouting will be all the better if they make this change.

If this is true (I'll believe it when I see it) we'll likely pick up a few more boys once it filters through the community for a while. I know we've lost a few families in the past because of this idiotic membership policy. And the Unitarian Universalists might give BSA a try if this policy change happens.
Probably won't have much effect on leadership - "don't ask, don't tell" pretty much already gives us local option anyway.

[fingers crossed]
I hope this passes, I have 2 people in mind for postions in the Scouting Community that have told me if they lift that gay ban thing. . . one is a former DE that I think would be great for our District Commisioner poition that is open. . .
Please, please, please

Like packsaddle, I'll believe it when I see it. Not sure if this covers atheists, but "mission, principles or religious beliefs" might mean it does.

Merlyn,

An atheist would have to still abide by the oath in his daily life. I can't see that happening if he really is an atheist, can you?

With the exception of "Duty to God" which is heavily dependent upon what you mean by "God" an atheist can easily comply with all other parts of the oath and law.

just up at scouting.org

MEDIA STATEMENT
Boy Scouts of America
Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations
For more than 100 years, Scoutings focus has been on working together to deliver the nations foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve.

Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organizations mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.

The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organizations mission, principles, or religious beliefs.

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WAHOO! Now if we can just get rid of this whole God fixation we'll be, like, totally cool!

Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organizations mission, principles, or religious beliefs

Unless that organization also wants to admit atheists, apparently.

If approved, prepare for a flood of media stories everytime some local CO exercises it's local option to exclude gays. Or if national totally reverses the ban unconditionally, the stories will be on local units which treat gays poorly. Or, as Merlyn alludes, the focus will switch to the ban athiests.

It won't end.

We still have some standards, Merlyn. Very few, but some.