skeptic

If the trailer is any indication of the entire video, the "producers" have gone out of their way to focus on the worst, and ignore anything else from over a century of Scouting. And, the people in the trailer are seemingly chosen to look sleazy as adults, and helpless as children. Anyone that rad the book by the same name, should see similarities. This too is a dark reflection on our society, well beyond Scouting. We see little of the positive in the media, obviously simply preying on the worst and seldom if ever putting positive things in the forefront. Meanwhile, so called Reality TV an

To me, fortunate to NOT be a survivor, but understanding (as best as one can from outside) there are ambiguous feelings and views with this larger morass, I still feel Scouting is better than this and has a place in society and our country. Our duty and goals should be to correct the compass point and to NOT abandon the mostly positive place Scouting can play in our communities. While doing that though, we need to not wear blinders in relation to past mistakes and poor judgment, and to do all we can to keep the safeguards working and continually strengthen them as we are able. I found

Please try to be factual. The records, known as IV files, were not sealed, simply not open to public scrutiny. They were and are kept as one barrier to those that would try to prey on the members. Before computers, it was difficult to check unless a council had suspicions for some reason, as it was done by phone or mail. The easier access for that check grew with the advent of dependible computer files. During much of the mid twentieth century, there was a fefinite concern about legal issues related defamation, and if an entry was not well verified, it would not be something to make publi

So, I short search turned up this particular broad list of "camp" abuse cases. Note that there are BSA camps, but they are not the majority. And there is one 4H camp with multiple victims it appears. Also a number of Y camps, but most seem to be church related or community groups of some type. https://crime-stoppers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Spreadsheet-of-Camp-Molestations-8-5-2019.pdf And, while I could not get to see the article, as the Glade has a reader wall, there is a search record specific to 4H in at least one instance, plus the one on the list in the shared link.

Ignoring the facts that the abuse is rampant in many areas of youth programs and especially in the very groups that are supposed to protect them does not serve anyone well. I have never said that some abuse did not occur, and that some was truly bad and should have been dealt with properly. But, putting the onus on BSA and the Catholic Church, while simply ignoring all the rest of the issues thoughout society related to youth does not serve children either. What I have said is that the actual percentages of abuse in BSA, based on proven data, is lower than in most other youth serving groups

The potentiaol is always there, but that is reality for any group involved with youth, and is less likely in Scouting in reality,l as has been discussed numerous times. The real issue is the media putting the spotlight on certain grouops, even when statistically they are safer than others. It is a refelction of our societal fascination with sensationalism of negative images of negative things in normally postively positioned groups and people. And it also is relective our our broken legal system. With that in mind of course, BSA needs to do everything possible to adhere to its safeguards,

I would think that this particular report would be a major point of discussion and concern. Some things immediately stand out as already know, specifically that the largest percentage are family members, by far. Interesting to me, and a surprise, is that apparently this study anyway indicates that females are slightly more responsible for abuse. Age groups are not a huge surprise. I would think the takeaway from this particular study and report would be that more focus needs to be where the most perpetrators are; the family. We continue to demonize a small percentage of people at higher l

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabelmans#Production

Add this that attempts to explain points of Law; " A Scout is Friendly. A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own. A Scout is Courteous. A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along. A Scout is Kind. A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, h

Today especially I believe that not allowing professed atheists to join would be problematic in some cases. Part of the issue for youth, those that are still in the younger ages especially, really are too young to have established that belief themselves. Their parent(s) may make that claim, but they really are at best searching agnostics. I have seen a couple of youth that were struggling with the Spiritual issue due to their maturing and wider exposure to other religious beliefs. But, as they experienced a deeper immersion with the realities of nature, especially dark skies and infinite s

This one continues to be a serious point of confusion for many of us I fear. Our leaders have touched on it once or twice, but nobody feels confident in how to approach it. The general consensus verges on making it a general group discussion for all the youth, or perhaps more than one, focused on THEIR perspectives and input. The vagueness and simply point that the subjects are controversial and bound to be viewed in widely distanced ways does not help. The one thing though, upon what most adults and even more senior scouts is that the intent has always already been part of the basic tenet

If the council is threatened by the cooperative efforts of the individual units, then they do not understand the program. For the first fity to sixty years, at least, that was what made the program. And, if we refacilitate that type of thing, it again will likely take off to some extent. But, the dedidcated Commissioners that were key back then no longer exist to any extent.

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2022/03/11/lets-get-some-bsa-representation-ages-15-29-on-the-uns-young-leaders-initiative/ This is a long shot, but there are some of our youth, especially those just recently moved to the first decade after high school, who might find this of great interest. But, as Bryan notes, this is very much up the alley of the best of Scouting.

Well, "spot on" may be a stretch. But it does show the realities of this and how it became the mess it is. Most of the problem, in my view, can be laid in the laps of the messed up legal system that has little rhyme or reason much of the times, and is too often the "the land of predator grifters" with often thin credentials. JMHO of course.

Not sure if this post suggests this article, which is spot on by the way from my perspective, is reason for censue. If so, I too would say not right, but in stronger verbiage. Almost from the beginning some, shall we say questionable legal persons, those for whom I was smacked for my descriptions, have played fast and loose with this. The real victims, or now survivors, have been summarily used as pawns to instigate a "big payday" for grifters and those certain oily legal gurus, while the real victims/survivors have been left in the mud. Again, just my view.

It just may be the curmudgeon in me, but at times I feel as if certain people in some of the National level decision groups think that the leaders in the trenches are all idiots or will be lemmings. They seem to not give us credit for being able to actually be "leaders" in that we actually can be aware and respond accordingly. But that may come from the fact that on occasion that has been exactily what transpired to cause an issue. But we all need to not forget we are all prone to human error. As long as we can accept our failings and work to avoid repetition and also "do our best" we shou

This was in 1955 when I was 11 and brand new. Just for clarification. We are not a Lutheran sponsored unit, but another larger denomination. It is interesting that every year or so, there are training couses at PTC that relate to the coopertive nature of sponsors, especially the major churches. In those, they discuss how to integrate the program within the larger council and even area in relation to that specific sponsor. So, it is actually contradictory to meet at PTC in such discussions, then say we should not do it.

We simply need to do what works best for the individual units and their youth. The idea that two units working together is not allowed without permission is ludicrous. It flys in the face of the whole program, most importantly the brother/sister hood of the program. Efficiency, sharing resources, and so on. As noted here already, it allows smaller units to do things they might not do otherwise. As far as YP is concerned and liability, it should not be an issue. If all adults are following the rules, then if anything, it should make it easier to keep aware. Most of our issues with the la

Any others joining me in watching the flock of hooked beaked circlers?

Remember, the uniform is not required, only a tool. NEVER should lack of a uniform be a reason for a youth to not have the program should they want it. B.P. must have polished his bones well by now with all the foolishness that has gone on that does not help the youth, but is rather just a parady of the actual reason and direction of Scouting.

Sadly, the reputation of the main "experts" in this report and organization does not appear to be stellar. If you review the main author, there are numerous concerns about her methods and obvious bias, in her case towards the Catholic Church first, and now the BSA. Look it up and make your own decision.

When I sign on now, I cannot click the unread link, nor am I getting my personal link at the top?

No matter my different interpretations of some of this, I too find this letter well done and worth every word. As, no matter where you may be in the larger mess, I have to think we are all simply disgusted with ALL the lawyers, or most anyway. Thanks.

It occurred to me this morning that the problem I, and others, may be having is equating the BSA, the organization with the people behind it. It is the people that have made the poor choices and not responded as we may think, or even know, today, they likely should. (We are likely not seeing the total pictures due to time and lack of actual information). The organization is made up of people, and often those people let it down for whatever reasons. Having the skill and actually even bravery to stand against wrong actions and especially evil is hard, and far too many of us fail. It then s

At least some of it likely fits your assertions. And again, that was wrong, but pretty much the norm. Just like the sheriif, or the D.A. did cya for things, or the schools and their boards, and the orphanages, and the psychiatric hospitals and so on. I do not perceive of it being as rife throughout though as some would have us believe. It still happened, and the goal of Scouting should have been to NOT go along with the societal "look the other way" attitudes, or other similar common CYA things. Again, I believe that was why Mr. West conceived of the IV files, seeing them as a way to stop