Re: TWO-DEEP LEADERSHIP
Brian L. Davis (brian@COR.GOV)
Fri, 18 Mar 1994 15:47:42 -0600
01cvjones@LEO.BSUVC.BSU.EDU writes:
->The basic problem with 2-deep leadership policy is that there is no well-
->defined standard operating procedure for handling alledged violations.
->A hodge-podge of procedures are in place with an almost informal way of
->making them known. (Since George and I are in the same Council, he might
I disagree with this completely. There is a very simple and appropriate
oPerating procedure in place for handling of allegations by volunteer
leaders - report the incident to your scout executive. That's it. *Any* other
thing you do is utterly inappropriate - you are a Scout leader, not a criminal
investigator. We need to make that clear here - we are talking about reporting
a crime against children. It is the Scout Executives duty (and believe me, it
would be worth his career to fail to do so) to report the allegations or
evidence to the appropriate authorities, including criminal investigators.
Upon receipt of the complaint, it is the Scout Executive's duty to remove the ac
cused adult from contact with the program, until a conclusion is reached by
the authorities involved. The BSA does not do criminal investigations, and
obviously should not. If the accused leader is found guilty, or a doubt
remains with the Scout Exec, he must revoke the membership of the suspect, and
(unofficially) black list him. A little thought will show this to be the smart
course of action - gambling with the welfare of children is not appropriate
to our mission.
->gated.) I'll bet that there are former adult leaders out there who were
->innocent victims of this policy: falsely accused, but unable to defend
->themselves because of the amorphous policy and the huge cost in dollars,
->time and emotion required to sort out the issues.
Granted. There have been false accusations, and lives have been needlessly
ruined - everywhere. This isn't a problem exclusive to Scouting. I think
the approach that BSA has taken is reasonable and prudent, and if anything,
errs on the side of caution.
->
->2-deep leadership is a good concept. It is not a good policy as it is now
->implemented. All the platitudes in the world are inadequate for the un-
->fortunate adult falsely accused as the result of not being able to apply
->the 2-deep procedure to the letter.
Do you have some "appropriate" platitudes for the child who was abused as
a result of your inability to follow the policy to the letter?
->We (the volunteers) need a policy in place that carefully lays out the
->procedures that afford basic protection for the adult who has been
->accused of abuse, regardless of the accusation being true or false.
That would have to be accomplished through changing the law - not by changing
BSA policy. The Scout policy already provides the means to protect yourself -
Follow the Two Deep Policy.
Brian Davis
Youth Protection Chairman
Circle Ten Council
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
