From: MAJ) Mike Walton (settummanque, the blackeagle (blackeagle@SCOUTER.NET)
Date: Mon Nov 08 1999 - 18:41:00 CST
JJ Senior (Jim Miller Sr.) wrote:
>Since the subject was brought up here by someone else, I thought I would
>repost my comments regarding the 20/20 program which aired last Friday
>night. I had originally posted these to the Embers list in the Bowline
>family of lists.
I too, posted over at Embers (great list, by the way!) -- a followup to
JJSr's posting:
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JJSr had a lot to say about last night's "20/20" segment on the former Scout
leader. I too, was amazed at the ENTIRE TOWN's attitude toward this
man and how everyone was so gullible in continuing to allow this man
to set up his own organization and continue to molest boys in the town.
It seems to me, however, that in addition to the excellent points that Jim
Senior
brought up with regard to youth protection training, that there's a couple other
BSA-related elements that need to be brained into folks watching as well as
those living there.
The first, is that the BSA's program is A PARTNERSHIP, between the chartered
organization and the local BSA Council, representing the national organization.
BOTH organizations have the responsibilty of "checking up" on the volunteer
leadership of the unit -- the chartered organization through their "hiring
and firing" of the volunteer and the BSA through the coaching and
maintenance of standards of the volunteer. Without this partnership, we
can expect to continue to hear of things like this going on.
The second is that the work of the COMMISSIONER IS ESSENTIAL to the success
and growth without significant problems of every unit. Not once did I hear
during the segment anything about "BSA local volunteers" or "Commisioners"
working with this man and the unit as a whole when allegations first started
to surface. In fact, many times, a good Commissioner (because he or she has
been familiar enough with the unit and it's leadership and chartering
organization) can suspect something "out of the ordinary" really, really
fast...faster than most parents...and he or she can inform the Council
Executive and Commissioner a lot faster than parents would be able to in the
same situation.
The third is "Remember our discussion on fatigue/camo uniforms and why the
BSA doesn't allow them for wear??" Gives you a good reason why the BSA
doesn't allow them. The ISSUANCE OF "SOMETHING SPECIAL" to denote
"membership in an elite group IS OUTSIDE the BSA's stated intentions, and
besides a violation of the Youth Protection program's guidelines, alienates
boys from each other. Each boy advances at their own rate and speed. Each
boy is eligible for special honors like the Order of the Arrow, which is NOT
a TROOP program but rather a Council and National program. Each boy is also
eligible to earn special awards and insignia either produced by the unit,
district, council or National for participation in special events and for
personal achievement. But we should ALL be cautious when Scouts come home
with *anything * out of the normal, something "not covered in a book
somewhere". If there's any discrepancy between the "award" and what's in
the manuals or books, the parent or Scouter should contact the Council and
simply ASK. The Council, NOT THE UNIT, has the FINAL SAY on anything worn,
attached or presented to Scouts and Scouters. Period. The Council Scout
Executive has the FINAL SAY on anything with regard to that Council's
programming and management. Period.
And that's why the BSA is very protective about their trademarks, their
logos, their graphic representations, and their uniforms and insignia.
I watched as the families expressed their dismay and displeasure at this
man, but I kept yelling back at the screen "WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THIS WAS
GOING ON?? WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO SEE THE CHANGES IN YOUR SON??"
As parents, we HAVE to take an interest in our children and when they
change, we need to be right there to figure out if this is because of his
growth from child to adolescent to adulthood or is SOMETHING ELSE (related
or not to Scouting!) going on here?? When we use Scouting as a "cross
between a Discovery Zone (tm) and a high-end child care center, and don't
investigate for ourselves the people "running things" and "managing the
learning", we invite trouble. And when we don't care about what our
children are doing in Scouts, we also invite trouble...or at the least end,
will have embittered children wondering "why didn't my parents care about
what I did like Johnny's parents at least pretended to?"
Those are my reflections from the program....anyone else??
Settummanque!
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(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (settummanque, the blackeagle)
http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle
personal inquiries via kyblkeagle@aol.com,
blackeagle@SCOUTER.net or blkeagles@hotmail.com
professional inquiries via waltonmi@usarc-emh2.army.mil
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