Re: False Accusations of SM
Charlie Thorpe (charlie2@RO.COM)
Thu, 4 Apr 1996 17:17:21 -0600
Hello Mike -
You posted:
>...Many Districts and Councils, rather than to assist the Scouter, simply
>present the Scouter with a letter of membership refusal, and tell him or her
>that their services are no longer needed. In that way, they don't have to
>deal >with legalities and when the accused parents or lawyer still want to
>pursue it, >the BSA is no longer a party to the matter...
Hooboy....I seem to stay confused about what benefits BSA adult
registration does/doesn't bring...
For some strange reason I have always believed the bedtime story that a
registered BSA Scouter (who did his best to follow BSA rules, regs, and
policies) was covered by the magic wand of the BSA good fairy in charge of
liability. I have this vision of teams of stalwart lawyers coming down
from national to smite my accusers with brief and briefcase.
Are you suggesting that I might NOT get to meet BSA's Perry or Matlock if
some irate whacko decides to sue me for putting my hand on a Scout's
shoulder?
I must admit that I have never understood exactly what kind of protection
we really could expect from BSA or what we had to do (or not do) to qualify
for that protection. I have tried on more than one occasion to get
something in writing that would allow me (and my lawyer and my insurance
agent) to get a warm fuzzy about amounts/conditions of coverage. No luck.
Ever.
Your statement certainly doesn't add to either the warmth OR the fuzziness!
Are you aware of any official BSA publication that explains what
protections we Scouters can expect from BSA and what we have to do to get
it? I would appreciate finding such a document written in American
English, but I suppose I could get a translation from my lawyer or
insurance agent if the only pub available was written in legalese <g>.
>...We have given up so much of what used to make Scouting special, that today,
>there's very little left of what we call "Scouting"."...
I agree that much has been given up. I still feel, though, that there is a
lot of meat left on the old Scout Movement's bones. I do wonder,
sometimes, if the pace of "saying values and doing something else" isn't
picking up.
I really value the messages from folks on the list (such as yourself!) who
help me remember the strengths of some of our past Scouting traditions. I
don't worry at all that program buzzwords and fad activity/organizational
panaceas come and go. I have had the distinct pleasure to work with
Scouters who are part of Troop traditions that stretch back over
generations. These leaders somehow seem able to stay on track and still
not run afoul of some of the silliness promoted by folks who have never
even come close to seeing an effective Scouting program in action...or had
a chance to meet the sharp young men that are products of those outstanding
Troop traditions.
Case in point: I have been thinking for days about the "First Class
camper" that was brought up a while ago. I had forgotten all about that
important tradition...and I realize that I now know how to spiff up one
part of our Troop's outdoor program for our younger boys. Thanks!
I would love to have you to join us around a few latenight campfires (fire
watch? <g>). A good poking stick, quiet Scouts, too much coffee, and
plenty of time for Scouting "war tales" often leads to a good blend of
yesterday and today. I bet that we share a lot of similar views on what is
missing from today's "official" BSA program...AND we probably have a lot of
differences of opinion, to boot. Ain't it grand!
y'all come,
Charlie II
charlie2@ro.com Huntsville,Al
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
