MADISON Wis. -- The Four Lakes Council has battled the National Boy Scouts for a year to end a policy that discriminates against gay members.

The Four Lakes Council told News 3 that refusing $75,000 from the United Way is the only way to get its message back on track. Local Boy Scouts hope the move ends a year-long debate over gay discrimination.

Council board member Laurie Elwell said, "Playing it out in the Madison community is not the place to play it out."

In a home where the Boy Scouts are a big part of life, today's announcement is a relief.

"There was a lot of negative energy going into this issue and it was not going to unite the community and it was not going to do anything constructive," said Elwell.

At a town hall meeting last month, some said the United Way should pull its funding until the policy changed. Now, it doesn't have to.

John Quinlan, who's in favor of the policy change, said, "We really applaud the Boy Scouts for trying to do what's best for the community. By trying to lower the volume on a debate that was really, very divisive and destructive."

The Boy Scouts said they'll make up the $75,000 gap with more fundraising and they pledge to continue working on changing the national policy.

United Way president Leslie Howard said, "The commitment seems to be there from the leadership in the Scouts to continue to work on diversity. So, I don't think we'll abandon. We certainly won't abandon them and I don't think the scouts will either."

"We wish that the United Way had come to this decision on its own. I think that there's a very real rift now that exists between the LGBT community and the United Way," said Quinlan.

The scouts said too much time was spent on this particular issue and it's time to move on.

Four Lakes Council president Terry Shockley said, "We've got to get out of this swirl of controversy locally and get on with building the future leaders of tomorrow and teaching them the scout lessons."

Elwell hopes future lessons are discrimination-free.

"I think this is the way to go is to continue to try to work from within and if the community's not happy with the pace and not happy with the progress then council can work on it within it's own ranks and continue that way," said Elwell.

This decision doesn't cut all ties with the United Way. The Four Lakes Council will continue to receive United Way money that's donated specifically for the Boy Scouts.