Re: BSA/GSUSA -- NOT GSA Curiousity Between...
Lynne A Fitzsimmons (lynnef@MDHOST.CSE.TEK.COM)
Fri, 27 Sep 1996 13:30:05 -0700
We've got a joint BSA/GSUSA in-school scouting program here in Portland
that I know little about.
As to abuse, I've had parents show up late. Way late. I felt really sorry
for the kid, and I'd like to kick the parent. He didn't even apologize,
and it wasn't like I had all that time to hang around either. And it
wasn't the first time it had happened.
In another case, the one which lead to the founding of the "if your child
is not picked up by 5:30, she's going home with me, please fill out a blanket
permission slip to that effect now" policy, two girls weren't picked up,
and none of the parents could be located. It turned out that the mom
picking up was stuck way east of here and we were in the middle of all the
floods. I took the girls home, they watched tv and did their homework, and
life moved on. Fortunately they had considerate parents who were very
apologetic and profoundly grateful.
In neither case would I call this abuse. The first family seems to be way
overcommitted (we resemble that statement, but under no circumstances do we
strand our children!), and the second was just circumstances beyond anyone's
control.
And then there was the girl who kept getting injured. One of my co-leaders
who was very tuned into the parent community at the school was sure it was
abuse. I know the parents, and I just don't see it. One never knows.
Data point - we live in the middle to upper-middle class suburbs.
Lynne Fitzsimmons
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
