From: MAJ) Mike Walton (settummanque, the blackeagle (blackeagle@POP3.SCOUTER.NET)
Date: Sun Jan 30 2000 - 15:23:24 CST
The question was whether or not a karate demonstration can be included in a
Blue and Gold Banquet or dinner.
The BSA prohibits karate or judo as an activity, along with boxing.
Therefore, the Scouts themselves cannot participate as members of the
demonstration team and adults cannot participate as coaches or instructors
in a Scouting-type environment.
However, the prohibition does not prevent a local karate club from coming to
a Pack meeting and putting on a demonstration. Here's where the problem
lies and where Paul Wolf is absolutely correct in his opinion that the event
should NOT be staged.
A karate club comes to the Blue and Gold and puts on a very impressive
demonstration. Several Cub Scouts and their parents are impressed enough to
enroll their sons into the classes. A month later, two of the Cub Scouts
are caught sparring without adult supervision in a corner of the Pack's
normal meeting location, a gym. At least they had the prescense of thought
to place mats on the floor before they started their sparring.
Unfortunately, one of the Cub Scouts get hurt, the other family decides to
sue the school and the "Cub Scouts" for allowing this to occur, and because
the previous month's Blue and Gold featured such a performance, the
implication is that the "Boy Scouts approved it because they allowed the
demonstration to occur."
Don't things like this happen anyway when groups or individuals like "the
Texas Ranger guy" (Chuck Norris) rolls into town to put on similar type
exhibitions? Yup.
Who gets sued, though?? Normally nobody because "well, it was just kids
doing stuff they weren't supposed to with no supervision". But with Scouts,
it's "assumed" that we "supervise the kids all of the time" and when we
don't, that's an excuse for parents with less supervision and/or parenting
skills than others, to say
"well, I wasn't there....if I was there, I would have not let him do
it....but YOU GUYS were there, and this is something that the "Scouts" are
supposed to do...protect my kid."
So, I would NOT hold the demonstration during the Blue and Gold or any Pack
activity or meeting; and if such an activity like the Chuck Norris "American
Heroes" come into your town or school, PAY ATTENTION to the parental notices
and permission slips sent in advance....I'm sure that somewhere in there, is
a "disclaimer notice" absolving the school district, church or whatever AND
ITS VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES from any damage or injury caused by kids acting
out what they have seen and/or heard during the demonstration.
Why go through all of that aggrevation?? Paul's right on the nose!
Settummanque!
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(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (settummanque, the blackeagle)
http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle
[Purchase Your Binder! for Scouting's Y2K's publications!]
personal inquiries via kyblkeagle@aol.com,
blackeagle@pop3.SCOUTER.net or blkeagles@hotmail.com
professional inquiries via mike.walton@usarc-emh2.army.mil
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