Ostergaard is remaining in the program despite the controversy. At the start of the school year in September, Stefan Scherer-Emunds donned his Cub Scout uniform, peered at his reflection in the hall mirror and announced to his parents that he wanted one day to earn his Eagle Scout badge, one of Scouting's highest honors. That image for me now is tainted. It's almost like they are defining what a good American is, and if you disagree with it, they cut you loose. The battle is particularly emotional in the Village of Oak Park, a liberal, racially diverse community of 54,000.
Signs declare it a nuclear weapon-free zone.
The village and school district bar discrimination against homosexuals. We respect their decision. But we have a common set of values. If someone doesn't agree to those values, we can't extend the charters. Scout officials say the group is guided by the views of the majority of its members, the religious organizations that make up about 65 percent of the groups that charter Boy Scout troops and Cub packs.