Now that the Memorial Day Weekend is past, summer 2013 is officially off and running. All of us here at CAMP Rehoboth are expecting another great summer season, and after the cool spring, we’re looking forward to some real summer weather. To those of you who are returning to town for the summer season, be sure to stop by CAMP Rehoboth and say hello; if new to town, stop in and introduce yourself and pick up some information about what’s happening at CAMP Rehoboth and in the area.
On Thursday, May 23, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America voted to stop banning gay boys from joining the organization. The resolution (which passed by 61 percent) dealt only with youth; adult membership requirements were not a part of the resolution. Gay adult leaders are still banned from the BSA. The policy change will not go into effect until January 1, 2014, but the debate is sure to continue. Some conservative groups are threatening to no longer sponsor the BSA, and many LGBT activists are unhappy because gay adults are still not allowed. As a gay Eagle Scout, I celebrate the news that our young gay brothers will be able to join an organization that was a big part of my own youth, but at the same time I’m concerned with the mixed message the policy will send to young people. It still implies that there is something wrong with being gay and that gay people are second class citizens. My concern is that just because gay boys are allowed, doesn’t mean that there will be local scout leaders willing to give them the support and encouragement they will need. The vote is a step forward, however, and as seems to be the case everywhere, the young will eventually lead the old into new ways of thinking. In the meantime, Boy Scouts often grow up to be Boy Scout leaders, and I have to wonder, what happens when a gay boy scout turns 18?
The month of May was a good one for supporters of marriage equality. First Rhode Island, then here in Delaware, then Minnesota—and Illinois is on track to be state number 13. In the back of all our minds, of course, is the hope that the United States Supreme Court will declare the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional in June—thereby making it possible for LGBT people to receive full marriage benefits from the federal government. Last week, I asked my partner Murray why he was still using the red equality sign that first appeared during the Supreme Court hearings back in March as his Facebook photo. “It’s a vigil,” he said. “I’m holding out for the verdict.” While I don’t have high hopes that the Court will strike down Proposition 8 and make a sweeping ruling for the whole country, I am quietly expectant that DOMA will fall.
On May 24, tickets for Abbamania went on sale. I remember the date, because when I arrived at the office, the phones that morning were going crazy with orders. Billed as a “great evening of Abba and the Bee Gees,” the event is produced and entirely underwritten by CAMP Rehoboth angel Bruce Pfeufer and Jeff Kiley of Mini Bear Productions, and will benefit CAMP Rehoboth. Tickets for the one night only show are: $100 front table seating; $75 first section; $50 second section; and $35 third section, and are available on the CAMP Rehoboth website or by calling the CAMP Rehoboth office at 302-227-5620. Abbamania is set for July 27 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center; doors open at 8 p.m., show time is 9 p.m.; and there will be a cash bar.
The CAMP Rehoboth 2011 audit review finally arrived last week, and a financial statement based on the audited results appears, along with the 2012 CAMP Rehoboth Report, beginning on page 44 of this issue. Looking at the report is a reminder of the incredible support we receive from our members, donors, sponsors and the many volunteers who make it all possible.