Members of the Boy Scouts salute. Image from Flickr.com
WPRO Newsroom and the Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America says it is pleased by a vote to allow openly gay boys to join.
In a written statement, the council says Thursday's vote is part of an ongoing process to review scouting's national membership standards.
The Scouts' longstanding ban on gay adults remains in force, and many liberal Scout leaders have said they plan to continue pressing to end that ban.
The Narragansett Council describes the debate as a continuing conversation that is evolving within the organization. It says it looks forward to playing a leadership role as the Scouts develop "membership standards that are appropriate for the 21st century."
The Narragansett Council serves scouts in all of Rhode Island and parts of Southeastern Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut.
