BSA's Chapter 11 Filing

[Belsnickel]

Tomorrow, it will be 16 years since my Eagle Scout Board of Review and yesterday evening I was tapped for a higher leadership role in our council, so this is interesting timing for me.

I'm sure you have all seen the news, but in case you haven't: https://www.npr.org/2020/02/18/806721827/boy-scouts-of-america-files-for-bankruptcy-as-it-faces-hundreds-of-sex-abuse-cla

What's going on is that several states removed statutes of limitation on sexual abuse cases, which has caused a dramatic rise in lawsuits against the BSA from folks who were Scouts in those states and experienced abuse. So this move is primarily to protect the assets of the organization while being able to pay the victims in these cases. Because local councils are separate entities from the national organization, they will not be at risk unless individually sued (which could happen). Most of these suits, something like 90% of them, are from 30+ years ago in the days before the BSA really focused on policies to protect the youth from these sorts of things.

Anyway, I have a lot of information about this that could clear up any misinformation and what not, so if you have questions let me know. I can run my mouth with you guys, but I don't have the authority to speak on behalf of the BSA, so take it for what it's worth. I'm just a volunteer leader at my local district level and get to hear allllllllllll the fun stuff from our scout executives because we go fishing together.

[GMDino]

(02-19-2020, 10:07 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: Tomorrow, it will be 16 years since my Eagle Scout Board of Review and yesterday evening I was tapped for a higher leadership role in our council, so this is interesting timing for me.

I'm sure you have all seen the news, but in case you haven't: https://www.npr.org/2020/02/18/806721827/boy-scouts-of-america-files-for-bankruptcy-as-it-faces-hundreds-of-sex-abuse-cla

What's going on is that several states removed statutes of limitation on sexual abuse cases, which has caused a dramatic rise in lawsuits against the BSA from folks who were Scouts in those states and experienced abuse. So this move is primarily to protect the assets of the organization while being able to pay the victims in these cases. Because local councils are separate entities from the national organization, they will not be at risk unless individually sued (which could happen). Most of these suits, something like 90% of them, are from 30+ years ago in the days before the BSA really focused on policies to protect the youth from these sorts of things.

Anyway, I have a lot of information about this that could clear up any misinformation and what not, so if you have questions let me know. I can run my mouth with you guys, but I don't have the authority to speak on behalf of the BSA, so take it for what it's worth. I'm just a volunteer leader at my local district level and get to hear allllllllllll the fun stuff from our scout executives because we go fishing together.

I have not gotten into the weeds of this so let me say my first snarky comment at home yesterday was that an organization who had leadership (and many parent members) who were so afraid of letting homosexuals even be a part of their group sure didn't seem to do much when the straight guys were sexually assaulting children.

Also that a large organization had something like this happen AND covered it up is of no surprise.  It could be any group, IMHO.

[Belsnickel]

(02-19-2020, 10:17 AM)GMDino Wrote: I have not gotten into the weeds of this so let me say my first snarky comment at home yesterday was that an organization who had leadership (and many parent members) who were so afraid of letting homosexuals even be a part of their group sure didn't seem to do much when the straight guys were sexually assaulting children.

Tell me about it. I have had friends ousted from the program due to all of that. I saw the impact it had on people. I worked at camp with several gay Scouts and adults during the days of the ban on them and the hoops they had to jump through to make sure things were kept quite around those not in the know was ridiculous.

(02-19-2020, 10:17 AM)GMDino Wrote: Also that a large organization had something like this happen AND covered it up is of no surprise.  It could be any group, IMHO.

Honestly, this is what I often tell people when they drag the BSA. I feel the same about the Catholic church. I don't like the cover-ups that occur or just turning a blind eye to the problem (we had a discussion about one such case last night, in fact, that occurred when I was an older youth/younger adult leader). We've come a long way on that stuff, but these sorts of things can, and likely do, happen in every organization serving youth.

[fredtoast]

I never trusted my scoutleader.

I'm guessing there never was such a thing as a merit badge in handjobs.

[HarleyDog]

(02-19-2020, 10:07 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: Tomorrow, it will be 16 years since my Eagle Scout Board of Review and yesterday evening I was tapped for a higher leadership role in our council, so this is interesting timing for me.

Just want to say thanks for being a volunteer in the scouts. I was in the scouts as a kid and it was pretty fun. Although in my case, it was more of a way for my parents to get rid of me a few times a year, I had a lot of fun. We had good leadership and I learned some things. I couldn't even remember if I tried to list any badges I may have earned or where a lot of the trips we took we located because it was 40yrs ago. But I do know the badges were a goal for me and it kept me interested in learning and achieving new things. So again, thanks for what you do with the kids. The military thanks you as well. 

[fredtoast]

(02-19-2020, 09:07 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Just want to say thanks for being a volunteer in the scouts. I was in the scouts as a kid and it was pretty fun. Although in my case, it was more of a way for my parents to get rid of me a few times a year, I had a lot of fun. We had good leadership and I learned some things. I couldn't even remember if I tried to list any badges I may have earned or where a lot of the trips we took we located because it was 40yrs ago. But I do know the badges were a goal for me and it kept me interested in learning and achieving new things. So again, thanks for what you do with the kids. The military thanks you as well. 

Although I took advantage of the situation to make a joke I also think the Boy Scouts is a great organization.

[Belsnickel]

(02-19-2020, 09:07 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Just want to say thanks for being a volunteer in the scouts. I was in the scouts as a kid and it was pretty fun. Although in my case, it was more of a way for my parents to get rid of me a few times a year, I had a lot of fun. We had good leadership and I learned some things. I couldn't even remember if I tried to list any badges I may have earned or where a lot of the trips we took we located because it was 40yrs ago. But I do know the badges were a goal for me and it kept me interested in learning and achieving new things. So again, thanks for what you do with the kids. The military thanks you as well. 

The role I play is that of a commissioner. I work directly with a pack, a girl's troop, and a boy's troop, but I also am the assistant district commissioner which means I help oversee other commissioners in my area (that was my recent "promotion"). Most people that have been involved don't necessarily know what the commissioners do, but we are there to make sure that youth have trained leaders and that those leaders have the resources they need to succeed. So I'm not a member of those units, but a district scouter that provides that connection between the local council/district and those units.

It's rewarding, especially when I go to a Court of Honor for my troops or I head to a district campout and see them competing against other units (and often whipping their asses). The unit leaders, though, those men and women do the real heavy lifting. Yeah, I do a lot, and I spend a lot of time talking with the unit leaders, with the other district volunteers, and our professional staff. But delivering that program for the Scouts directly is a tremendous thing and I'm glad I can support those unit leaders in their roles to do that and have such a positive impact on our youth.

Anyway, enough of my little soapbox, there.

(02-20-2020, 12:06 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Although I took advantage of the situation to make a joke I also think the Boy Scouts is a great organization.

Don't worry, even someone like myself who has spent so much time in Scouting likes to make jokes about it. You should've heard the parody campfire songs we came up with at camp, and that was 15 years ago.