Should Gay Scouts Be Allowed in Tinley Troops?

Two local sponsors say yes, but the decision will not likely come easily. What's your take on allowing gay scouts in local troops?

UPDATE: Boy Scout Leaders Delay Anti-Gay Policy Vote Until May

The decision whether to allow gays in the scouts has been held for about three months, as the organization faces strong pressure from people for and against gay membership.

Update: The Boy Scouts of America announced Wednesday that they will not make an official vote on its position on gay members until May. One year after reaffirming its stance against gay membership, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will vote this week on whether to lift the ban, the Chicago Tribune reports. The BSA board is convening at the organization’s headquarters in Texas to discuss the controversial decision, reports say. The board has said it will consider lifting the national restriction against gay membership, instead leaving the call up to local troop leaders. A Wednesday vote will determine how the group proceeds, but there’s already plenty of influence on both sides of the fence. On Sunday, President Barack Obama strongly voiced…

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Court Supervision: Surprise Witness!

A surprise witness in the Mokena coma punch case turning the trial upside down was just one of the things going on in court this week.

The week finished up with a bang when a surprise witness dropped explosive testimony on the Mokena coma punch case. With Joseph Messina of New Lenox facing felony aggravated battery charges for allegedly beating Eric Bartels of Joliet into a coma in July 2009, witness Steve Raymond of Frankfort came out of nowhere and testified that he saw another man throw the fateful punch. Raymond explained that he kept quiet for years because he expected close friend Mike Glielmi to come clean about punching Bartels. That didn't happen, and Raymond, who is also close friends with Messina, told how he empathized with Bartels' family after his own sister suffered severe brain injuries in a July 2011 motorcycle accident. It was only a year or so after the…

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Look Up Boy Scout Leaders Expelled in Illinois

Almost 300 Illinois records are included in the Boy Scouts of America's once-secret "perversion files." Search for your town or troop number.

Patch's searchable database allows you to search by cities in Illinois. Information gathered by the Los Angeles Times shows the leaders of the Boy Scouts of America who were expelled between 1947 and 2005 on suspicions or confirmation of sexual abuse. If a troop is listed, a case file exists. At this time, not all case files are available online. As new documents become available, Patch will update this database.

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Whiz Kids: Two Teens From Tinley Troop Make Eagle Scout

Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or did your local soccer team take the championship? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kids honoree.

This week we have two whiz kids, both members of Boy Scout Troop 380, which meets out of Zion Lutheran Church in Tinley Park and is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club. The pair both made Eagle Scout and were honored by the village board this week. Whiz Kid's Age: 17 Whiz Kids' School: Junior at Providence Catholic High School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Tinley Park resident Connelly was honored at Tuesday's village board meeting for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Connelly's Eagle project was organizing 30 to 40 volunteers to spend six hours clearing trees from an area the size of a football field by 167th Street and La Grange Road in Orland Park. He worked with Orland Grassland in …

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PatchCast: A Daily Video Report

Daily PatchCast: Mass Graves, Scouts Swindled and Sliders

A daily video recap of the Southland's top stories

Thief Drains Boy Scout Troop's Bank Account Toddler Found Dead in New Lenox Township Cemetery President 'Surprised' by Sheriff’s Mass Graves Accusation Girls Basketball: Mother McAuley Ousts Oak Lawn It's What You Crave: The White Castle Debate (Video)

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