Boy Scouts Seek Donations to Defray Litigation Costs : Fund raising: A letter to 20,000 households mentions lawsuits against the organization and asks for money in its fight to deny admission to atheist youths.

Saddled with costly litigation, less money and more members, the Boy Scouts Council of Orange County has issued a public appeal for support of its fight to deny admission to atheist youths.

The plea for financial contributions to help a “return to traditional values” is contained in a letter mailed this month to 20,000 households in Orange County.

Scouting spokesman Kent Gibbs said several lawsuits nationwide are now challenging Scouting traditions. They include a case in which twin 10-year-old Cub Scouts from Anaheim Hills were barred from participation because they declined to repeat the word “God” in the oath.

All attorney fees, including those for the suit pending in Orange County, come from the national organization, Gibbs said. He was unable to specify the cost of the Orange County case. The organization’s national headquarters in Dallas is sustained by the $7 fee each Scout pays when he first joins.

An Orange County judge has ruled in favor of William and Michael Randall, deciding in April that the council is a business entity under state law and therefore cannot indiscriminately choose its members.

“We are experiencing financial difficulty because of the negative publicity and because of the lawsuits,” Gibbs said.

The letter is not an extraordinary appeal, but it is different from past mailings, he said.

According to the letter, “Several lawsuits have been filed against the Scouts demanding that they change the very principles upon which they are founded.

“For over 80 years the Boy Scouts of America have been striving to uphold these values, trying to instill in our young people a strong moral code. But all of this is at risk today! The simple Scout Oath has put the Boy Scouts of America under attack.”

The solicitation also asks for donations to “fight back against the forces that seek to destroy what America stands for today and in the future,” and is signed by Ronald Foell, chairman of the board of the Orange County Boy Scouts Council.

“That letter seems to be different from the past, but we always send out a solicitation letter to our members,” Gibbs said, adding that previous letters of solicitation did not mention lawsuits.

Even though the number of members is expected to grow by 8,000 this year, the agency will operate with nearly 20% less money. There are an estimated 90,000 members.

The target budget for 1992 was $4.2 million, Gibbs said. According to annual budget analyses, he said, this year the council expects to have only $3.9 million available for services.

“When I go to meetings for United Way we are seeing a 20% reduction of funding to all nonprofit organizations,” he said. United Way gives more than $300,000 to the Scouts in Orange County annually, he said.

Most of the money is generated from donations and program activities such as the big annual Scout show held in June. There are also Citizen of the Year luncheons, Gibbs said.

Many programs, such as after-school activities where children are given assistance with reading and learning skills, could vanish, he said.

“I used to teach and I think I have had more impact working with kids in the Scouts than I did as a teacher,” Gibbs said.

He said he is concerned about the effect and possible misconceptions the lawsuits could have on boys and girls who wish to join the Scouts.

“I wish all of these things could be resolved--it is still a great program,” Gibbs said. “We want to have any boy or girl as long as they meet our membership criteria and fulfill the duties of the Boy Scout oath . . . to God, to country and to self.”

Budget Bind

The Orange County Boy Scouts Council has proven itself successful in attracting youths to Scouting during the last five years, but much less adept at raising funds. Since 1988, the number of Scouts has increased about 18% while the council budget has declined by about the same amount. Scouts participating, 1992: 90,000* Council budget (In millions of dollars), 1992: 3.9* * Estimate Source: Boy Scouts Council of Orange County