Scouting the Web

This is where I disagree.   Really.  I do disagree here.   I hugely disagree that there was less opportunity.   Mentors.  Sleep overs.  Camping.  Lots of private locations (barns, shops, trips, etc).   Previously also lacking YPT rules such as no one-on-one contact (getting in mentor's car).  Parents trusting the great virtue of the volunteer leaders.  ... This is where there is much in common with BSA.    I'm not saying it's the same.  I am saying it's naive to think it's fundamentally different.  Abuse requires opporunity, time, privacy, etc.  It is all there in 4-H just like BSA and many other programs.   SLEEP OVERS ...  https://www.deseret.com/2007/7/4/20028174/4-h-leader-in-tooele-is-charged-with-child-sex-abuse Monroe Music Makers in the Monroe County 4-H program ... https://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/06/12/former-music-store-owner-convicted-in-child-porn-case-awaiting-trial-on-sex-assault/ 4-H Mentor and Coach ...   https://www.abc15.com/news/crime/pd-former-glendale-4-h-coach-accused-of-sex-with-minor Acquittal, but very familiar comments.  People testifying to volunteers good nature.  People not believing accuser.     Imagine this was 1980.  This is how many trials would have gone.   https://www.augustachronicle.com/article/20131006/NEWS/310069882 Search engines do yield far, far fewer results.   Search engines have trouble with 4-H as a search parameter.    Not key issue, but it is there.    Much easier to search on BSA, YMCA, youth pastor, etc.  I suspect it has to do with the 4-H as a tag and how it's search indexed.   Change term from 4-H to YMCA or school or teacher or youth pastor and you get a current incident rate that is at least as high as BSA.  I do believe 4-H as a search parameter is hard to queue up correctly.   Looser boundaries may not be reported as 4-H.  Family friend hosting a sleep over.  Unless there is a cow or an animal, youth programs that don't immediately trigger "4-H" connection, example Music Makers.  Scouting is "uniformed" and much more clear boundaries about inside scouting or outside.   Reflecting back decades and you think about an adult friend / community member who taught you about animals or music and not necessarily a uniformed troop member.   Do you immediately think 4-H?   Or just a guy who did something wrong? Certain gender mixes and age mixes trigger less outrage.  Seriously.    Example is male youth with high school female teacher.  In the 1970s / 1980s, this would not have been brought to police.  If anything, friends would give a pat on the back and non-family adults would be not necessarily consider it abuse.    ... NOW ... you see many female teachers regularily in the news arrested for sex abuse.  ... I'd argue that was true with female-to-female also.  ... And the nature of the incident is different, but yes, men tend to be the main predator. I think it opens many more possible cases once you recognize it was an abuse situation and not just a he's too old(20s) and she's too young.  Or F/F or adult woman / male youth.   I'm not debating a statistical difference.  I'm asserting it's naive to 4-H has less occurences even though it has mentors, a loose program structure and a similar history to BSA.  ... What I am betting is there is a definite difference in that 4-H doesn't have a 70+ years of records of volunteer incidents .  I'm betting because it's recorded and administrated very differently.       

It really depends on the scout. Sometimes we go over the board of review process. Sometimes we go over how to respond during an interview, Sometimes we review a little paperwork. But, by and large, a positive, relaxed, reflection on the scout’s career is what we’re here for.

Perhaps a minor look at the talks. Century Request to Hold June 17 meeting It appears the insurance companies are out of the loop and BSA/Coalition/TCC are working on a plan (Century states a non-consensual plan will be sought). BSA also hired a law firm to handle their insurance companies. Kosnoff is tweeting as if a plan is coming soon.  He is lowering the bar on expectations.

I have an Eagle scoutmaster conference and wondering if you do anything different?  I'm thinking of asking more about his future plans and what he's gained in scouting. I always keep Scoutmaster conferences positive, low stress. It's a good conversation.

And for now, that means the BSA is the responsible party for having/filing a confirmable plan.  If it wants out of bankruptcy on the schedule it already communicated then perhaps a plan will be filed in the next day or two.