Unjust membership revocations

[packsaddle 753]

OK, I'll try to skim the cream off this. The program that we attempt to deliver emphasizes certain values. Fairness is one of these (although you have to read between the lines to get it from the law). But some of the other points of the law are worth a thought here as well.

I think jkhny's words are intended to call attention to actions by top BSA leadership that do not adhere to the principles we hold so dear. If this is his intent, I agree. I have observed this hypocrisy in the past as well. But as it has been expressed many times in the past, members in this private club can be kicked out any time for any reason or no reason at all. I have personally gotten the message in the past. This simply is the way it is. So I accept this condition, the fact that I have no influence, and I therefore devote my time to the boys. Period. Some others seem to feel otherwise. They are free to do so.

[Fuzzy Bear 12]

 

Don and I had been close Scouting friends over the years. We started with parking lot reviews and moved up to coffee at restaurants and then finally over to his or my house to rant. We were able to identify and solve many problems District and Council wide. The difficultly usually was the lack of implementation. It still felt good to know what was right.

 

As I look back on our accomplishments, we put together many District events and he helped me on a few Council activities. We got to the point of using little preparation to achieve an end that I am sure looked good from a distance but many times had little substance. The reason that Don and I had taken on so many events over the years was because we were always there and volunteered early. It felt good to be running things the right way.

 

The last two years before I moved, I didnt take any official position, I became a MAL. I decided that my job was to recruit new event persons and train them. I had matured from experience, training, and my own critical attitude. I had learned what a poor event looked like by being an expert at it so I was able to assist others by steering them into proper planning procedures. I saw some of the best events in my Scouting career to date during that time and it was done by rookies, newbies, first timers.

 

Looking back, there had to have been people sitting or standing around ranting about me and pointing out what a poor job I had done. I deserved it. It took me a long time to figure it out. FB

 

[Eamonn 61]

I didn't read very much of the 8/9/2006: 12:09:48 AM posting.

I started and found it very boring.

Then sad to say I started to think it was more of the same old same old.

While it might seem like avoiding the issue. I keep thinking of the The Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

I know I can change things in the Unit I serve, if I want I can get involved in the District and Council and maybe my attending the Area Meetings does help make some changes in this end of our state.

Like many of us I don't like seeing things going wrong.

I wasn't happy when the Roman Catholic Church came under fire and I wasn't happy with the way some Bishops managed or mis-managed the situation.

A few friends of mine asked if I was going to leave the church?

When I gave the matter some thought I asked myself who do I serve by belonging to the church?

It isn't the Priests or the Bishops.

I can't change what is or has happened in Atlanta, Florida or Chicago.

I can look at where they went wrong and do my best to ensure that it doesn't happen in the Unit, District and Council I'm in.

If each of us take care of what we can take care of, we will serve the youth we are in this organization better than by searching the USA for unhappy people.

Eamonn.

[evmori 11]

Who wants cake? You can have it & eat it, too!

 

 

[Hunt 11]

In one of the articles about Philadelphia, it said that BSA and Dennis St.Jean have settled his lawsuit out of court. St.Jean, you may recall, was the manager of Seabase who was fired after a disgruntled employee apparently "outed" him as gay.

[Smokediver 2]

This happened to me 4 years ago just as the COVID pandemic began. After being a member of the BSA for 39 years I was summarily dismissed based upon a false accusation of sexual misconduct  from a former romantic partner in retaliation for ending our relationship. She was found guilty of perjury in another matter and there was a criminal investigation by the police and nothing came of the investigation.

Now IF it was PROVEN in a court of law that I was responsible for criminal sexual misconduct that would be something I would accept,  but just an accusation is not a good enough reason to be removed from the organization, especially given the context surrounding the accusation. This whole situation sounds like what happens with red flag laws.

[InquisitiveScouter 1656]

9 hours ago, Smokediver said:

This happened to me 4 years ago just as the COVID pandemic began. After being a member of the BSA for 39 years I was summarily dismissed based upon a false accusation of sexual misconduct  from a former romantic partner in retaliation for ending our relationship. She was found guilty of perjury in another matter and there was a criminal investigation by the police and nothing came of the investigation.

Now IF it was PROVEN in a court of law that I was responsible for criminal sexual misconduct that would be something I would accept,  but just an accusation is not a good enough reason to be removed from the organization, especially given the context surrounding the accusation. This whole situation sounds like what happens with red flag laws.

17 years later...

Welcome to the forum @Smokediver!

Sorry to hear this happened to you.

BSA professionals are very much more worried about image than reality.

This is why the head-in-the-sand (or should I say hiding the dirty laundry?) tactics of dealing with child sexual abuse within the ranks have come back to bite them.

You are a victim of the pendulum swinging too far in the opposite direction...

Thank you for 39 years worth of service to Scouting.  If I had the power, I'd re-examine the details of your case, and re-instate if warranted.

BSA will most likely never do that, unless you are a big money donor, or well-connected in the C-suite.

In their eyes, you and I are expendable, and easily replaced...

Edited February 22 by InquisitiveScouter

[Smokediver 2]

I did some research and there is precedent of scouters being reinstated as recently as last month for being falsely accused of misconduct I just need to find an attorney that will pursue legal action I'm not looking for compensation just reinstatement

5 hours ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

17 years later...

Welcome to the forum @Smokediver!

Sorry to hear this happened to you.

BSA professionals are very much more worried about image than reality.

This is why the head-in-the-sand (or should I say hiding the dirty laundry?) tactics of dealing with child sexual abuse within the ranks have come back to bite them.

You are a victim of the pendulum swinging too far in the opposite direction...

Thank you for 39 years worth of service to Scouting.  If I had the power, I'd re-examine the details of your case, and re-instate if warranted.

BSA will most likely never do that, unless you are a big money donor, or well-connected in the C-suite.

In their eyes, you and I are expendable, and easily replaced...

 

[RememberSchiff 3671]

4 minutes ago, Smokediver said:

I did some research and there is precedent of scouters being reinstated as recently as last month for being falsely accused of misconduct I just need to find an attorney that will pursue legal action I'm not looking for compensation just reinstatement

 

[Smokediver 2]

This is the article that I was referring to The only difference between my situation and his is that I was accused by a former romantic partner and not somebody in scouting

 

[AwakeEnergyScouter 246]

I hope you get reinstated.

It's a tricky balance, but not trying to walk it and just falling to one side or the other won't do, no matter how hard that balance is to walk. We want to kick out 100% of the dangerous people and 0% of the non-dangerous people. Gotta keep trying.

[Smokediver 2]

Thank you, just need to get things in place to start the process 

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

Good luck.

I am not trying to be a pessimist, but a realist. I have read of only 2 cases of reinstatement, and you cited one of them. The other case was a guy who walked into a bar in uniform. Long story short, before the age of cell phones, scout bus broke down in the middle of nowhere. SM walked over a mile one way to the first place that had a phone, which happened to be a bar. He called a tow company and a parent to let folks know what is going on, and left the bar. HOWEVER someone saw him, and reported him. It took him over a 18 months to get reinstated.

Sadly the case I am personally aware of the Scouter was never reinstated, despite the fact the accuser had a history of lying to get out of trouble and the criminal investigation showed that he was indeed a peeping Tom spying on the female Scouter in the shower after hours. She was able to attend the Council awards banquet, as a parent, when her son was recognized as an Eagle. It got awkward when it came time for Silver Beaver recognition. They asked all previous SB recipients to stand and be recognized. Her friends that supported her urged her to stand as a Silver Beaver recipient the previous year, and she did. 

[InquisitiveScouter 1656]

I know a Vigil Honor member who was accused of murder, convicted, and exonerated on appeal.

It was appropriate that they put him in the IVF during the trail and after convicted.  But once exonerated... ???

They will never re-instate him, even though our justice system cleared him, and expunged that record.  I think because there is now an easily accessible electronic history of news articles, and that would make people nervous.

BSA considers him "damaged goods".

Edited February 23 by InquisitiveScouter

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

1 hour ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

I know a Vigil Honor member who was accused of murder, convicted, and exonerated on appeal.

It was appropriate that they put him in the IVF during the trail and after convicted.  But once exonerated... ???

They will never re-instate him, even though our justice system cleared him, and expunged that record.  I think because there is now an easily accessible electronic history of news articles, and that would make people nervous.

BSA considers him "damaged goods".

My friend above didn't even get a trial.  She was removed, even when the criminal investigation supported her side of the story. BSA considered her "damaged goods."