A Catch 22?

Once again allegations of child molestation have been leveled against a "gentleman" who apparently was an Assistant Scoutmaster in Spokane back the 70's......and of course, once again the usual lawyers are coming out of the woodwork to launch another lawsuit against the BSA, at least I think they are.  One of the lawyers mentioned in the article is the same one who won the Portland case and prompted the BSA to assure that all adult members are a) registered and b) gone through youth protection training (which is required before you get to apply for registration).  I wholeheartedly agree with this policy, indeed I think all adults who attend camp must have proof of membership before they are allowed to step foot one on camp property.  By this I mean that the troop must submit the names of adults staying in camp and these names are run through the membership database to assure that they are registered.  What better way to assure ourselves that on top of the youth protection program which is in place at camp, we are doing everything else within our power to keep our scouts safe.  Then again, we are talking summer camp.  As I recall, most of these incidents happened outside of the camp setting and within particular troops.

Scouting is an excellent program in itself, but promoting this program requires membership.  There is a lot of benefit in being one of the largest youth organizations in the country.  However this program depends heavily on the support of adult volunteers.  These volunteers take time from their work, their families and their free time to make this program operational.  Not only do they take their time, they give financially as well; Friends of Scouting, uniforms, outings for the troop, popcorn sales, etc.  So as a professional scout, you really depend on these volunteers to run the program.....after all, it is a volunteer led organization.  As such, you don't want to create too much hassle for these people who are giving up so much with the simple gain of their son (or in some programs, their daughter) having a great and valuable experience.  Those volunteers are rewarded with that instead of money.  So at what point can you push it to until you hear a volunteer say "to heck with it, it is too much hassle to go through this, I will leave it to others....."  If the BSA clamps down and become extremely strict on these requirements, will the number of troops begin to fall and membership decline because it is too much hassle for the adult volunteer?  When the BSA started requiring social security numbers to do background checks there was a great uproar.  That is the catch.....you want to be strict and promote a safe environment by making sure we keep out "those" adults that have a history while still making it "easy" for adult volunteers to join.

I for one am ready to accept a decline in membership for this hassle if that means our scouts are that much safer.  I also believe that by requiring youth protection training as a prerequisite for registration, it will go even further in educating some adults that there is more to abuse than just sexual advances.  There are physical, verbal and emotional abuses amongst others.  An adult making fun of a young scout in front of the scout's peers is a form of emotional abuse; calling a scout an idiot or fool; sending an innocent tenderfoot out to look for 50 yards of shoreline (all us old folks remember that) are all possible elements of abuse.  These are things that we used to tell others to "suck it up" in the past but are also things which are not necessary today.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when things don't go your way; you may not be popular; you may not be athletic and on and on......and that is just life.  The key point is that the individual scout is not singled out to be looked down on by others......it happens in too many circumstances today.

If you wish to mentor or teach youth in the Boy Scouts then abiding by the requirements set forth by the BSA is mandatory.  If you refuse to give your social security number because you are gravely concerned of identity theft, I understand, but you cannot be a member of the BSA.  If you have any interest on going on campouts with your son and your troop, you just can't tag along, you must be a registered member of BSA.  You can't get on the plane without a ticket, you can't practice law without passing the bar, you can't practice medicine without a license and you cannot be associated with the BSA if you are not registered.  It is as simple as that.

The Chief Seattle Council has set forth a policy that to be employed by the council for summer camp, you must first produce your registration card.  You will not receive a contract or be allowed to come to camp unless this requirement is satisfied first.  I am all for it........but the council needs to stick behind their policy for ALL activities.....winter camp, day camp, etc.  If we are going to do it, let's do it right.  Let's even take it a step further.....no adult will be allowed to spend the evening unless that adult leader is a registered adult.  This may even require sending an entire troop home if the adults that attend cannot prove that they are registered.  I don't know any other way to assure that an individual with any type of "history" has no chance of setting one foot on our camp.

So there really is not a "catch"......the organization will have to understand that it may ruffle a few feathers or lose some adult volunteers and that is the price the organization may have to pay because the price of a scout's youth is invaluable.