Twins Welcome Progress on Bids for Eagle Scout

A pair of Orange County twins who say they have spent the good part of their young lives fulfilling the Boy Scout credo, except duty to God, were described by their father as “120 miles high” Monday after nearing their dream of becoming Eagle Scouts.

The legal battle over Michael and William Randall’s future in the Scouts has raged for seven years because of their refusal to adhere to the organization’s commitment to God. But, in accordance with a recent ruling by a Superior Court judge, a Scout panel Sunday reviewed the boys’ applications for Eagle Scout. The panel advanced those applications to national headquarters.

“It’s a good sign,” William Randall, 16, said of Sunday’s decision.

Michael agreed: “Back when this started, they said we were a disruption to the troop. But my brother and I have always been leaders. We never destroyed the organization, we helped it.”

While the Randalls exulted, a spokesman for the Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America said the organization acted under duress.

“Under contempt of court, these members were forced to sit on a board of review and not ask questions asked over a million Scouts over the history of the years of Boy Scouts of America,” spokesman Devon Dougherty said.

“This is truly extraordinary in what the [Scout review] volunteers have been forced to do, which is have their freedom of speech and association curtailed.”

In February, an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled that the Scouts must consider the Randalls’ applications.

California’s Supreme Court is still considering whether the Randalls can remain in the Scouts without reciting “duty to God,” but has ordered the group to continue with the boys’ advancement proceedings without considering the oath.

So on Sunday, three volunteers from the Boy Scout Troop Committee and three Tustin community leaders interviewed the boys and considered their nine-year Scout histories.

The panel found that the twins met all other Eagle Scout requirements and that their applications should be forwarded to Irving, Texas.

James Grafton Randall, the twins’ father and attorney, called it a major victory.

“We were expecting them to come down yesterday and vote against the boys,” he said. “But these are people basically who had Michael and William’s Scouting careers in their hands. All of them made comments about these boys’ good character and demeanor.”

But the Orange County council on Monday issued a strongly worded release listing its objections to the review.

“Boys who are candidates for the Eagle Scout award,” said the release, “must demonstrate to the Board of Review that they are meeting these commitments--to God, country, others and self--as required by the Scout Oath and Law.

“Because of a court order which we firmly believe is unconstitutional under the First Amendment--and because of the extraordinary length of time that the appellate review of that order has been taking--Orange County Council adult volunteers have been required . . . to ignore Scouting’s first commitment: duty to God.”

But Michael said that “to just bow out” of Scouting and not reach the Eagle Badge would be a disappointment.

“Most high schoolers think, ‘Gee you’re a Scout. What do you? Just tie knots and learn to cook something over a fire all day?’ I’ve dedicated so much time to it, and it’s more than that.”