VivirLatino

Some boy scouts in Utah are being accused of violating policy by participating in a political event. The kids were out to earn their “Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge” but their leader got a slap on the hand instead.

A Boy Scout official here has warned a Latino troop earning merit badges for “Citizenship in the Community” that it violated policy against involvement in political events with its participation in immigration demonstrations last week in Salt Lake City.

Michael Clara, Scout master of Boy Scout Troop 987, said he received a phone call Wednesday from Vic Rowberry, a field director for the Great Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts of America, who said the troop shouldn’t have participated in the events.

Clara disagreed, saying the troop had provided the flag ceremony and observed the Republican State Convention in August 2005. What’s the difference between that and carrying and passing out flags at the nonpartisan immigration demonstrations last week, he said.

Oh, right, okay. So you can participate in an event for the Republican State Convention and NOT in an event in which no political party endorsements exist?

This reaks of, well, partisanship. Looks like we can guess the politics of boy scout leaders in Utah. Oh, and the scout leader who took the boys to the protest? He’s a Republican, too — a Utah Republican assembly member as it were — but apparently a more open-minded one.

Via / LA Daily News