Boy Scouts of America National Leadership in Irving Texas May Again Be Misleading Funding Organizations


January 10, 2006

In 2005 the FBI began an investigation of some of the BSA Scout Councils forallegedly padding membership numbers to gain increased funding from donor organizations such as the United Way. Well, Scouting for All seems to have stumbled upon another alleged impropriety of the BSA. The National Leadership may be using its Learning for Life programto defer funding to its traditional scouting program. Many United Ways have denied funding the BSA traditional scouting program only to fund the BSA's Learning for Life program. you see the BSA's Learning for Life programdoes not discriminate against gay and atheist youth and adults. Scouting for All has evidence the BSA seems to be funneling L4L money to its traditional scouting program in violation of the intention of some United Ways for the use of its donations. 

I've been researching the Learning for Life program offered by the BSA to improve the prospects of inner city youth. The program is a classroom program and is not directly integrated with the Traditional Scouting Program. The BSA offers this program through Learning for Life, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that the BSA claims is independent of the BSA. This ploy is used as an advertising 'gimmick' when the BSAapproaches potential clients since Learning for Life (L4L) does not practice discrimination. The only problem is that the two are actually one. L4L has the same headquarters, the same field offices and the sameBoard of Directorsas the BSA. All L4L materials come out of BSA National Supply. In addition to all this, there is no attempt to separate funds for the two organizations. Lambda Legal studied this situation in 2001 and alsocame to the conclusion that L4L is a 'shell corporation.' This might appear to be a simple case of "false advertising" if it were not for the fact that L4L is a very profitable business for the BSA. 35% of the youth served by the BSA are involved in L4L...that's 1,680,000 youth. One can show that L4L also accounts for more than half of the income received by BSA at the National level. This could easily amount to about $100M/yr.

I have been gathering information from United Way chapters to document the approaches used by the BSA to market L4L. I am also trying to gather more information on the formal relationship between the BSA and Learning for Life, Inc. From the Texas Comptroller of Public Records I learned that Learning for Life was incorporated on January 8, 1992 (file No. 0009002807). It's address is 1325 W. Walnut Hill Lane, Irving, Texas 75038-3008 (same as BSA headquarters). David Park was the Registered Agent. He also lists the same address. Thecorporation is noted to be a tax-exempt, non-profit organization. Learning for Life is listed as being incorporated in Washington, D.C. Their Taxpayer Number is 17523960577.

Regards,
Scouting for All Researcher