A message from Asbury’s Trustees on Scouting
As you probably know, Asbury has a long history supporting Boy Scouts and have Chartered Boy Scout Troop 12 and Cub Pack 12 for many years (dating back until 1958). We, at Asbury, have been privileged to see the best of Scouting. Our support for scouting and the development of youth has not changed.
Due to claims of sexual abuse and pending litigation that have occurred over the last many decades, the National Boy Scouts of America Organization had entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 while they put together a plan to settle with those abused. We want to make it clear that this is a national issue with no incidents occurring within our Troop or Pack.
But in July of this year our conference (the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church) instructed us to not sign any charter renewal beyond December 2021. We communicated this with the Troop and Pack at the time and it made sense that they started looking for other potential chartering organizations, since without a charter organization they would cease existing, leaving their current youth without a home unit.
In October we were informed by our conference that the UMC and BSA were in active mediation to resolve matters related to BSA’s financial restructuring and have agreed, in the best interest of the young people who participate in Scouting, to strongly recommend to United Methodist chartering organizations and Boy Scout Councils to extend existing charter agreements and facility use agreements in force at this time through March 31, 2022. This extension was communicated with our Troop and Pack, but due to the continued uncertainty, they continued their search for a new charter organization.
At the end of November, the leadership of the Troop and Pack informed us that they found a new charter organization (First Presbyterian Allentown) and requested that we release them from our charter as of the end of the year.
While we are regretful for the end of our long relationship with the Troop and Pack, we are happy that they have a clear path forward so that the youth can continue with their activities and development.
