Boy Scout Troop 150 could lose its charter with Annandale United Methodist Church

Troop 150 takes part in a Memorial Day ceremony in front of Annandale United Methodist Church. [AUMC]

The following piece is a lightly edited version of an article published in Braddock Buzz.

By Austin Wright

Boy Scout Troop 150, based at Annandale United Methodist Church, is at risk of losing its charter with AUMC over a rift between the Boy Scouts of America and the religious organizations that sponsor individual troops. 

The rift stems from the Boy Scouts of America’s proposed $850 million settlement with tens of thousands of alleged sexual abuse victims. The settlement would shield the Boy Scouts from further legal liability but doesn’t appear to extend that protection to sponsoring organizations.

As of last week, several local troops had either lost their charters or were set to lose them at year’s end. The agreements are now back in place through March because of a deal reached Oct. 6 between the Boy Scouts and the United Methodist Church. 

The deal is intended to buy more time for both sides to “resolve important issues affecting chartered organizations, including a favorable release for chartered organizations for any Scout abuse claims,” says a joint statement from the Boy Scouts and United Methodist leadership.

Prior to the deal, Troop 150 had been set to lose its charter, which would have been a sad milestone for a troop that notes on its website it has been continuously re-chartered for over 93 years. 

Troop 150 is “the oldest continually operating Troop in Fairfax County and among the oldest in Northern Virginia,” the website says. “Throughout the long history of Troop 150, our sponsors have been organizations associated with Annandale United Methodist Church.”

Scout troops are extremely dependent on their chartering organizations because the troops themselves are not legal entities; they’re owned and operated by their sponsors, similar to a church youth group.

Other local troops are also grappling with the possible loss of their charters if the Boy Scouts and its church partners cannot resolve their differences before the current deal expires in March.

At Burke United Methodist Church, the governing body is expected to meet soon to determine the next steps for its three scout troops: Cub Scout Pack 1347, Scout Troop 1347B for boys, and Scout Troop 1347G for girls. 

“We are still collecting information to better understand the chartering organization’s liability in issues involving BSA troops that we would charter,” said Rev. Jason Snow of Burke UMC. Added John Vanden Berghe, the church’s chartered organization representative: “If Burke UMC does not renew the charters, those units will need to find a new organization to charter them. We’re all hopeful that things will be resolved in a manner that will allow Burke UMC to continue its relationship with the scouts.”

Meanwhile, Troop 1525 of St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Annandale is “taking steps to find new chartering organizations in case nothing new is negotiated” by the March deadline, according to a parent who’s involved with the troop. “The church has been very supportive and positive with the troops that it charters,” said the parent, who asked not to be identified.

On its website, the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church in Annandale posted a document explaining its dispute with the Boy Scouts. The document says church leaders are “disappointed and quite concerned” that chartering organizations were not included in the proposed settlement with the roughly 84,000 men who say they were sexually abused by scout leaders when they were children.

The document encourages individual churches to end all existing charters and instead move to “facilities use agreements” that would have shifted legal liability to the scouts. “It is essential that the United Methodist Church in Virginia and nationwide reevaluate our relationship with the Boy Scouts,” the document says.

In a statement, Aaron Chusid, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America’s National Capital Area Council, said the organization is “committed to ensuring that all families who want to participate in the scouting program continue to have the opportunity to do so.” He added: “Already this year over 3,200 boys and girls have joined Cub Scouts – more than joined in all of last year – and we look forward to working with all of our chartered partners to provide an outstanding program for young people in our community.”

In its FAQ document, the United Methodist Church implores its members to “pray and pray fervently for the survivors of child sex abuse and their families.”

Austin Wright is the editor and founder of Braddock Buzz.