Boy Scouts in Utah Struggle With Fundraising Following Ruling on Gay Leaders

Utah branches of the Boy Scouts of America said they're feeling a financial impact following a ruling by the national office to allow openly gay scout leaders.

The biggest scout branch in the country, Utah National Parks Council, is based in Orem and serves 90,000 scouts in a region that covers the entire state south of Salt Lake County. The president, Stan Lockhart, said employee layoffs are imminent because of a fundraising shortfall that will make it impossible to meet budget needs.

Currently the Utah National Parks Council employs 70 full-time employees. Lockhart said its unclear which positions or how many employees will lose their jobs, but he wanted to give adequate warning.