Boy Scouts defend procedures to protect youth

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(CBS News) The head of the Boy Scouts of America has published an open letter to parents defending his organization's procedures aimed at protecting youth from child predators.

The letter comes in the wake of a Los Angeles Times report published Sunday that said the Scouts failed to report hundreds of suspected child sex abusers to authorities, and often helped cover up the accusations over two decades.

The paper said a review of 1,600 of the organization's confidential "perversion" files dating from 1970 to 1991 revealed that leaders often helped suspected molesters push the allegations under the rug.

The newspaper also found that in about 400 cases, there was no record of the Scouts reporting cases to police after parents, boys and staff members notified Scout leaders.

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In his letter posted online on Monday, Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock said the organization has expanded its "youth protection" measures in recent decades. He also outlined the Scouts' efforts to screen volunteers, including criminal background checks, and to train volunteers in Youth Protection practices.

Brock also defined Scouting's "two-deep leadership" policy, which requires at least two adults to be present at all Scouting activities. "No youth should ever be alone with a Scout leader for any reason," he said.

Brock also wrote, "Anyone suspected of inappropriate behavior will be immediately and permanently banned from Scouting. If you ever have any concerns about your child's safety, please contact the BSA immediately through your local council."

[MickProPer]

I'd actually wanted to speak to the subject of the story, but I was so disheartened by the story of the woman who decided - not only to make a decision based upon HER prejudices and lack of understanding - but to make a young boy the brunt of her ill-conceived "social activism", that I couldn't even properly marshal what I wanted to say.

What a witch! I'm sorry, that's all I can think of to call her. You don't want to buy the candy? Fine. That's called choice - you have that right. But to make such a snotty comment to a young man who is trying to - in all probability - earn the money to attend summer camp, so that he doesn't have to ask his parents, that's just being a bully, and nobody has that right!

What the heck was that young man supposed to say? Did this woman expect him to engage in a debate with her about the relative merits of the decisions and pronouncements made by paid adult professionals? If so, then she is an idiot, and needs a keeper and a leash. If not, then - as I said - she's just a bully; same solution.

As to her pronouncements and her high-horse moral attitude; well, she's simply wrong. In the first place, the REAL reason that gays can't be adult leaders is very simple: we don't discuss sex in the Boy Scouts. Not gay sex, not straight sex, not any sex, period. The official attitude is - as it has ALWAYS been - that young men should learn about sex at home, or in school or from their religious teachers, but NOT from the Boy Scouts. If you identify yourself as being "gay", you've already broken that rule, so how do we proceed from there. By the same token however, we're not sitting around the campfire extolling the benefits of heterosexuality either.

As far as the part about excluding "atheists" goes, while it's technically true, it's primarily aimed towards the leaders, rather than the boys. First of all, in over 30 years of being a volunteer leader, I've never actually met a 14-year old "atheist". I've certainly met some whose PARENTS were, but like virtually all teenagers - including those raised in religious homes - Boy Scouts have reached an age where they began to question the nature of the universe, themselves and what they've been taught. The BSA believes that providing a supportive, non-denominational religious framework to the program, helps young men find a moral and spiritual center for the difficult personal decisions and temptations that all young people - but particularly Scouts - have to face daily. We're not alone in that belief; there are many private organizations which include a duty to God among their precepts, but I don't see anybody protesting the Lions' Club, the local Masonic Temple, AA, the Red Cross (it's the Red CROSS for cryin' out loud!), or any of the other such organizations. It's amazing how selective some folks can be with their outrage.

And finally, let's look at what the Boy Scouts produce. The woman's comment - that she was worried that the Scout would come back and vandalize her property - just goes to show how little she actually understands about the program and its influence on the young men in it. No lady, he isn't going to come back and egg your house. What he WILL do - I guarantee you - is remember, for the rest of his life, the mean lady who made fun of him, for trying to live up to a promise that he - like 100 years' worth of Boy Scouts before him have made - "A Scout is Thrifty".

I'm thinking that with people like that around, maybe we should change it to "A Scout is Thick-Skinned".

[cbs_tom]

Great comment!

[realisticfromthemiddle]

Amen Mick. I have worked with some of the finest young citizens in the country and am very proud of the young men that they have become. They take a lot of crap at school from peers who have no clue what scouting is about. My son's nickname on the football team is Boy Scout. He is trying to finish his leadership project so he can tell them, "that's Eagle Scout to you." He has always taken the criticism and shrugged it off but a lot do not. His coach even took up for him and told some of the ones who tease him that it is a big deal to make Eagle. It was really cool when he came back from spring break his freshman year and told his friends that he spent it scuba diving in the Keys. That shut a lot of them up. I am proud that my son has always understood that those who do not understand will mock him and it has made him a much stronger individual who will stand up for what he believes in.

[buzz131950]

The Boy Scouts are one of the GREATEST organizations a boy can belong to. They teach the boys ethics, values, life skills, etc. Anyone who bad mouths the Scouts are ignorant of the program or have a personal ax to grind.

[dman6015]

Ethics? Values? Covering up sexual abuse, much like the Catholic Church did with priests, is now admirable??? If the Boy Scouts Organization wants to discriminate against gay people and non-religious people, fine, it's their organization. But it doesn't mean I am obligated to support it.

[HM8432]

Of course the BSA doesn't want ****/bi-sexuals in their ranks; like with the Catholic church, those ARE the people molesting the boys. The BSA is wise to want nothing to do with those people, especially with their track record!

We had a gay Asst-Scoutmaster in our troop 30 years ago; the other adults gave him a fair chance, and they naively let him participate in all activities with the boys, treating him as an equal...that is until he was caught red-handed trying to molest one of the younger boys (big surprise). He thankfully went to jail for a very long time. Guess who the young boy (who is now justifiably wary and distrustful of LGBT's, especially one's that condone and don't condemn that kind of thing) was that was almost successfully molested by that piece of human garbage?

[MarilynLaCourt]

"Zip the Lip, or Take a Stand?"
by Marilyn LaCourt

It's hard to know when to take a stand and when to let it slip.

A friend called me one day. She was seeking some understanding and support. This is what she said. "I like to help kids in their entrepreneurial endeavors. I always buy cookies from the girl scouts when they come to my door, even though I don't need or like them. I buy them and use them to treat the children when they visit me. When I saw this young lad at my door, I smiled at him. 'Okay, what are you selling.' He looked like my grandson. And I turned him away."

My friend began to sob as she went on with her story. "He was just a young lad. Full of hope. All he wanted was for me to buy a few candy bars—so he could go on some trip or another. I was the old lady—the 'witch', who said, 'no'. It broke my heart to see him walk off with his shoulders drooping. He was a Boy Scout. I really didn't like being nasty. What I actually said to him was, 'I'm sorry. I simply cannot support an organization that discriminates against homosexuals and atheists.' He was just a boy, it wasn't his fault...."

My friend was obviously distraught as she told me her story. I didn't know how to respond. Her question rolled around in my head. I didn't sleep well that night. When is it important to make a point, and when is it important to look the other way, and let it pass? We don't always have to make issues of things, wear our beliefs and our values up front, on our sleeves, so to speak. This was a vulnerable young boy! Was she right or wrong to do what she did?

My friend's words echoed in my mind, "I have my integrity. I wouldn't support the boy scouts under any circumstances. There's no question about that! But, I could have been kind. I could have lied. I could have said I don't care for candy, or I have too much candy in my cupboard already—I didn't. I didn't choose to be kind. I chose instead to say something that I hoped would make the boy think—to ask questions.... I guess I'm a bad person." I heard both the compassion and the self-recrimination in her voice.

Then, she asked me, "will he get together with his friends and throw eggs at my house?" And went on to quickly add. "No, I don't think so. He looked like such a nice boy. He looked like he was confused, but he would be kind. I guess that's why I felt so bad."

So, readers, what do you think? When should we just zip the lip, and when should we take a stand?

[jimmytorino]

"Anyone suspected of inappropriate behavior will be immediately and permanently banned from Scouting."

WOW...so just suspecting....no due course...no checking the facts?

[Colt4542]

So don't do anything to make yourself a suspect!

[gryphon501]

I have decided to not put my son into scouts. I just don't think that I can be certain he will be safe from predators. Obviously that kind of person would be totally attracted to the organization- it must be catnip for pedophiles. I can't be there every minute and I can't take a chance.

[cbs_tom]

The procedures for adults to be involved in the BSA today involve police background checks. Also, no adult can be alone with a scout. There will always be those preditors that try to abuse, but the BSA's implimintation of new security should end it. It would be nice if other clubs or activities followed the same procedure.

[Colt4542]

Your child will be safer in Scouts than at the Mall.

[blurkosphere]

The Boy Scouts is a great American organization that has enriched the lives of millions for generations. They teach self-reliance, citizenship, love of nature, discipline. Long live the BSA.

[icjunior97]

I agree, BSA is a great place for young men/boys to grow and learn. However if they hid abusers within them, shame on them