"If the offices of the Boy Scouts had not heard from so many people today [Friday, Nov 19] . . . the slaughter would have occurred." Lydia Nichols, Executive Director, Animal Liberation of Texas

United Poultry Concerns wishes to thank the organizations and individuals who succeeded in getting the Boy Scouts chicken slaughter, planned by a troop leader in Texas for Saturday, November 20th, cancelled. It may be recalled that in April 1998, Boy Scouts Troop 890, also in Texas, hacked a flock of chickens to death in a field as an exercise in "how food gets to the table" (See POULTRYPRESS Spring/Summer 1998, ). (15 of the 80 Scouts refused to participate.) The Boy Scouts of America condemned that killing and said it wouldn't happen again: "Scouting's position is that killing an animal isn't part of any BSA program."

United Poultry Concerns is investigating whether the Boy Scouts policy against "animal bashing" has become a formal, standardized written policy with serious penalties for infractions, as we urged in 1998, when it was not.

United Poultry Concerns gratefully congratulates Animal Liberation of Texas and everyone whose outcry forced the Boy Scouts Longhorn Council of Ft. Worth to research the issue and cancel the chicken slaughter. THANK YOU!

United Poultry Concerns. November 21, 1999

(Boy Scouts of America Cancel Chicken Slaughter)