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Scouting for All
Seattle Washington--Darrell Lambert, Eagle Scout has been expelled from the Boy Scouts of America by the Chief Seattle Council here. On October 12, at a Scout Master training session, Glen Schmidt, District Chair was quoted as saying, "I ask Scouts during the training if they believe in God and if they don't I boot them out. In order for Scouts to become good citizens they must believe in God."
Darrell responded to the comment by saying, " I am an atheist and no one in this room can rightfully say that I'm not a good citizen. Mr. Schmidt, you are discriminating against the 6% of Americans who don't believe. I got my Eagle award with my board knowing that I didn't believe in god. They don't discriminate." The District Chair replied: "Anybody that doesn't believe in God isn't a good citizen," and he stated that if an atheist were to find a wallet on the ground he would pick it up, steal the money and throw the wallet back on the ground. Darrell's mother, a Scout leader, was told by another scout leader, Dave Jones, "if you have any other boys in Scouts that don't believe in God they need to be kicked out of the Scouts." In a phone conversation, Brad Farmer, Council Executive told Darrell that the Boy Scouts of America couldn't take his Eagle Award away because he'd already received it. He also told Darrell that because he didn't believe in God he was not welcomed in Scouts. The following day in a conversation with Toby Estes, District Executive, Mr. Estes was quoted as saying, "Darrell, scouting will be less without you, but it was the right thing to kick you out." He also said that "It is not discrimination it's policy. Scouts have been kicking atheists out for years and we are a private organization. Darrell it was also a mistake you received your Eagle Award." About Darrell Lambert, Eagle Scout Darrell Lambert joined the Boy Scouts of America as a first year Webelos. He received his arrow of light and colors and went straight into troop 1531. There he participated as an assistant patrol leader from the day he started with the troop. Since then he had been a patrol leader, quartermaster, librarian, assistant senior patrol leader, den chief, JASM, Senior Patrol Leader (twice) and patrol leader (twice). Darrell received his Eagle award in April of 2001. He joined explorer search and rescue in March, 1999 and he earned a team leader certification a year and a half later. At the time that Darrell was expelled for atheism, he'd been a field leader in training. He had been actively involved in leadership competitions through the FFA for his sophomore and junior years in high school. Darrell also raised pigs to show at fairs. He was an agriculture student during his sophomore year. In his senior year he had 777 hours of community service, spent in athletic medicine class. He tied for state champion that year, and was the top senior. Darrell also was a staff person at various weekend camps for Trail of the Eagle, and Fall Camporee, teaching scout skills, and merit badges. From June through September 2002 he went to fight Wildfires. This is Darrell Lambert, 19 year old Eagle Scout who is considered by the Boy Scouts of America, not to be a good citizen because he is an atheist. Steven Cozza, Eagle Scout, said:
Steven Cozza says he hopes that businesses, individuals, and United Way organizations will cease funding an organization "discriminating against nontheists, gays, and girls." |
Eagle Scout Steven Cozza