Boy Scouts Appeal to be Heard Today
We filed briefs on behalf of members of the House and Senate, including Representatives Jo Ann Davis and Thelma Drake, in whose districts portions of Fort A. P. Hill reside. This is the Fort that hosts the Jamboree. The District Courts holding that the Jamboree statute violated the Establishment Clause was flawed in three respects. First, the District Court failed to give the appropriate weight to the context and purpose of the Jamboree statute. The statute is one small part of a much larger statutory and regulatory scheme which allows the military to pursue its own recruiting and public relations interests through involvement with private organizations like the Boy Scouts. Second, the District Courts reliance on two Supreme Court cases was misplaced as those cases primarily dealt with financial aid to school programs. Finally, the Court misconstrued the nature of church-state separation.
This is a major case, and we were glad to file a brief on behalf of members of the House and Senate supporting the Department of Defense and the Boy Scouts position. We will keep you posted on its progress.