Mick Rabin, Eagle Scout and Scouting for All Member, San Diego, California Presents At the National Conference of Community and Justice Youth Congress: Youth Demand Full Inclusion In The Boy Scouts of America

March 20, 2004

On Saturday, March 20, in 3 separate panels, Mick Rabin presented at a San Diego Youth Congress organized by the National Council for Community and Justice. This youth congress was an opportunity for young people to apply their leadership skills as they examined challenging issues within their community and develop policy responses to those issues. This conference was designed and intended for high school students within the County of San Diego. Thanks to a grant by The San Diego Foundation this conference was free of charge.

Policy issues were identified by San Diego County youth to be discussed in a town hall forum format at NCCJ's 1st Annual Civic Issues Youth Congress in a town hall forum format. On day one each participant had the
opportunity to learn about 3 of the issues. On day two they were challenged to develop policy around the issues, which they have selected and which will be voted upon by the entire youth congress. The policy issues selected were Racial Profiling, the Boy Scouts of America Participant Policy, Access to Higher Education, Racial Mascots in Public Schools, and Harassment in High Schools.

The BSA was invited to present their views in a balanced forum, but they declined to attend. Mick Rabin spoke about the history of Scouting For All and the national movement for inclusive scouting that has come about
in the wake of the Dale Vs. Boy Scouts case. Mick also shared his personal history with the BSA, his reasons for resigning his Eagle Badge, and the issue at the local (San Diego) level as it pertained to national BSA
policy.

On Sunday, the youth that attended the panel on Boy Scouts came to a unanimous decision to demand full inclusion in the BSA, and to demand that the City of San Diego charge the BSA full price on the Balboa Park (prime San Diego public park) property instead of providing them with a sweetheart dollar-a-year land lease which is currently in place.