The Boy Scout Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

I am particularly sad that the Boy Scouts of American have just filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. 

I have always said that the question “Who are you?” will reveal a great deal about you.  When people say, I’m a Dad, I’m  Christian, I’m a Scout, I’m a first responder, and so forth, I begin to know you.  I then have some notion of your values. 

I’m am many things.  In the top five answers, I’m a Scout.  I had pleasant recent conversations with Girl Scouts selling their iconic cookies in front of a grocery store.  Together with their mothers, we had a delightful conversation about  how long they have been in Scouting, and the lifetime commitment it can be.   I told them, I’ve been a Scout for nearly 60 years, and we talked about that, as parents, as an elder brother and as a beloved sister.  The whole Scout movement has – and continued to make – a difference in our lives.  And that is how it should be.  Of course it's not for everyone.  There are all kinds of healthy youth activities.  There needs to be a variety, because there are ALL KINDS of unhealthy youth activities which compete.

The “allegations” are that the BSA did not pay sufficient attention to the fact that some adults joined the program at least partially to prey on young people   I resent the fact that law firms are advertising in THEIR interest to get a piece of the restitution-pie, but I cannot stop them.  And the BSA cannot deny that some number of youth were abused.  It happened.  

I honestly cannot say how many these prevalent these maggots were, but I know that they existed.  When I was a council president, one came to my attention.  He was an honored volunteer who worked with children.  He had expressed his personal sexuality against Scouts.  He ended up serving a prison sentence.  Our response:  When we found that the allegations were made, he was separated from Scouting, then he was banned forever, stripped any recognition he received, and we encourage counseling for victims and legal representation.  We acted abruptly when we knew to at least close the barn door to prevent future harm.

The BSA has long required two policies:  A mandatory “2 volunteer” system and intense youth protection training.

The 2 volunteer system simply says that no one-on-one contacts will not occur between youth and adult.  That is a necessary pain-in-the-ass.  The one-on-one leader-scout relationship can be magical.  I’ve had numerous ones as a Scout.  I can point to people with whom I have them – men like Johnny Pitcher, B. I. Wixey, Dr. Charles Whitaker, my brother Willard Elliott, Junior Parks, Amangi-John Saylor, Chris Gore. Steve Gatrell, and a dozen others – as having a profound effect on my life.  None of these guys had anything other than the solid teachings of Scouting on their minds.  Other than “honor women,” I never learned anything gender-related at their knee.

But the 2 person contact system lessened drastically the possibility of “hanky-panky,” by requiring that 2 adults interact with children.  I still teach merit badges – and it’s done in the present of the Scout’s parents or my girlfriend.  We may regret it, but that’s the way it is.  I have prosecuted (happily!) people who have abused children. Yet, the BSA requires that I maintain my thorough child-safety training current.

I cannot say that child sexual abuse within the BSA never happened.  It did.  I can only say that (1) it was RARE, (2) the movement responded quickly and appropriately when we were advised and (3) as the victims were our brothers and sisters, they DO deserve love, acceptance,  and compensation.  That is a part of what it means to be a Scout and a Scouter.

And we Scouts - together will all of us - can get better.

Mizpah!