Triangle United Way officials voted Tuesday to cut funds for the Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America because the group refused to comply with a Triangle United Way policy statement affirming nondiscrimination against gay scouts.
Thomas Dugger, CEO of the Occoneechee Council, said the council could not comply with Triangle United Way's new certification policy because it is required to adhere to rules dictated by its national charter.
"We're disappointed -- we regret that (Triangle United Way) has not changed their decision to certify agencies," Dugger said. "(But) it's out of our jurisdiction as far as changing the (national) bylaws."
Dugger said membership in the scouts -- either as a scout member or as a troop leader -- is based on a declaration of religious principle.
"A scout's first duty is to God -- nothing has changed about the Boy Scouts of America," he said. "We feel that (our program) certainly should be continued."
The Occoneechee Council receives $300,000 annually from Triangle United Way -- almost half of the $670,000 in total funds donated to the council by several United Way branches in North Carolina.
The total funds from the United Way are donated to the council through two methods -- general allocations and individual pledges. The Triangle branch's recent decision will not bar individuals from making private donations to the scouts on behalf of United Way.
But Dave Gephart, chairman of the Orange district of the Occoneechee Council, said the decrease in finances will not affect the program's main objective: to provide a learning experience for scouts.
Gephart said although the local scout units receive funding from the Occoneechee Council, the Orange district itself does not receive any financial revenue from the council.