02-19-2020, 10:07 AM
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'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.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
