Rockville Centre troops welcome gay Scouts

The history of Scouting in Rockville Centre is a rich one — the village can claim as its own both the country’s first troop, which was founded in 1910, and its first Eagle Scout, Arthur R. Eldred.

And with a decision made by the Boy Scouts of America in Grapevine, Texas last Thursday that will allow gay boys to enroll in Scouting, that history may grow even richer.

More than 1,400 adult leaders from the Scouting community participated in the vote, including Scout Executive Jay Garee and Assistant Scout Executive John Zseller of the Massapequa-based Theodore Roosevelt Council, of which Rockville Centre’s troops are a part. The decision grants openly gay boys under 18 the privilege of joining the Scouting community, but forbids any gay adults to serve as leaders, and received support from more than 60 percent of the voting body.

“The Boy Scouts of America will not sacrifice its mission, or the youth served by the movement, by allowing the organization to be consumed by a single, divisive, and unresolved societal issue,” the organization said in a statement on Thursday. “While people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting.”

The vote proved controversial from start to finish, drawing criticism from some for its deliberate exclusion of openly gay adult leaders, and others for even considering allowing gay boys to enroll. But in Rockville Centre’s Scouting community — which boasts four fully independent troops: 40, 163, 214 and 517 — most of the response has been nothing but positive.

“We have about 25 Scouts in Troop 40, and we put aside what makes them different and focus on what they have in common,” said Scoutmaster John Santora. “We don’t see Boy Scouts as just a nice activity. We see it as a necessary developmental tool. Without restriction, we want to help as many boys become exemplary members of society as we possibly can.”