LDS and "Friends of Scouting"...

[Brenda]

Brenda, you make a good point. I am sure that lord appreciates that we do pay a full tithe and FO. For some reason I don't think the lord cares one way or another whether I donate more of my money as I am still able to attend the temple. While I am grateful for the sacrifice of those who helped build the St. George and Manti temples, we are not required to make the same sacrifices today.

No, we aren't openly required, like we are with tithing. But do we just sit and be contented with the basic requirements? Do we just do the minimum to get by? Or do we have true charity and follow God's example who continually gives to us much much more than we can ever repay?

[ERayR]

Brenda, you make a good point. I am sure that lord appreciates that we do pay a full tithe and FO. For some reason I don't think the lord cares one way or another whether I donate more of my money as I am still able to attend the temple. While I am grateful for the sacrifice of those who helped build the St. George and Manti temples, we are not required to make the same sacrifices today.

When I go to the temple today I make the same covenants concerning sacrafices that I did over 50 years ago. Those covenants of sacrafice have not changed. What has changed is that we are expected to remember them on our own instead of constant reminders.

[sweetpotatoh]

Brenda and ERayR your point that we should donate more than just tithing and FO has me thinking. My first inclination is that you are both right. As much as it pains me to admit. Thank you for your concern.

Mike.

[Brenda]

Brenda and ERayR your point that we should donate more than just tithing and FO has me thinking. My first inclination is that you are both right. As much as it pains me to admit. Thank you for your concern.

Mike.

[littlechild]

A recent study by "Charity Navigator" has produced some interesting info about how the national BSA organization spends its money. Obviously, an organization of this size (and longevity) is going to have some collection of assets (such as the Norman Rockwell paintings). But is there a point where enough is enough?

Critics Blast Boy Scouts

If you have given money for "Friends of Scouting" in the past, would this info change your feelings about the program?

Is it illegal or unethical to earn and spend money these days? If so, why?

[selek]

Is it illegal or unethical to earn and spend money these days? If so, why?

Some other figures to note (from the same study)....

http://www.charitynavigator.org/__asset__/_etc_/CN_CEO_Compensation_Study_2009_Final.pdf

Charity name Salary Title

Columbia University- Clinical Professor

$4,301,018

University of Southern California- Head Football Coach

$3,974,320

Emory University-Executive Vice President of Health Affairs

$3,733,030

Cornell University-Head of Reproductive Medicine

$3,150,893

Mount Sinai School of Medicine- Director of Interventional Cardiology

$2,842,816

University of Delaware-President

$2,377,100

Salk Institute for Biological Studies-President, CEO

$2,027,891

Rochester Institute of Technology- President

$1,656,261

BSA National Council-Chief Scout Executive

$1,577,600

New York University- President

$1,391,855

Also from the same study:

To the skeptics, we ask that you keep in mind that the charities included in this study are multi-million dollar operations. Leading one of them requires an individual that possesses both an understanding of the issues that are unique to the charity's mission as well as business and management expertise similar to that required of for-profit CEOs. Attracting and retaining that type of talent requires a certain level of compensation- roughly $160,000 according to our analysis. For comparative purposes, the average salary of

CEOs at S&P 250 companies is $1 million, excluding bonus packages and stock options that drive the average compensation up to $7.6 million.

Contary to the sensationalism in the newspaper article and the OP, the Boy Scouts of America appear to be very well served, and not at all excessive.

Someone (not the least of which is Ken Berger) is grand-standing for political purposes.