SUNBURY, Pa. — The Boy Scouts of America’s decision to allow local troops to set their own policies on whether to allow gay leaders may come with financial implications for those troops, as organizations weigh whether to resume donations to the Boy Scouts following the reversal.

The executive committee of the BSA unanimously approved a resolution on Monday that would end the organization’s blanket ban on gay adult leaders and allow individual Scout units to make their own call on the long-divisive issue. The resolution will become official policy if it is ratified by the executive board later this month.

Sponsors of troops would be able to exclude gay leaders, but that choice could cost troops money from groups like the United Way, which are opposed to exclusion. 

In Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for example, the United Way last sent funds, $25,000, to the BSA Central Regional Council in 2012. Joanne Troutman, CEO and president of the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way, said Tuesday that her organization has not resumed funding local BSA troops. 

“I would think that given the recent resolution (yet to be voted on), this would cause a lot of conversation by our own board of directors. As an entity, the United Way is all about inclusion. We are looking for assurances that local troops don’t discriminate,” Troutman said. 

Myron Yoder, of Kreamer, Pennsylvania leads Boy Scout Troop 400, sponsored by St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Kreamer.

Yoder said his personal view is that troops should not have gay leaders but that if the BSA formally decides to accept them, “we’ll all have to abide by that.”

“It will, however, be our church making the call, and I’ll go along,” he said. But the kids in his troop, ages 11 to 18, are at a time in their lives “when they are trying to find themselves. I never thought it would come to this.”

Sylvester and Dandes write for the Sunbury, (Pa.) Daily Item.