BSA fails to report abuser - LA Times, CBC

[RememberSchiff]

 

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-scouts-molest-story,0,3130016.htmlstory

 

This is about Rick Turley, scout leader and pervert in both the BSA and Canadian Scouting and the BSA failure to act other than just documenting in their "perversion files".

 

Just terrible, this predator could have been stopped...report any suspected criminal act at any scout activity directly to the police.

 

My $0.02

 

 

[Scoutfish]

While it is indeed a very horrible and attrocious thing that happened, blame has to be spread around: The local council, the local leaders on the unit level and the parents too.

 

Why? Because nonme of them did anything either. Every one of them allowed it to con tinue on.

 

And BSA policy be damned, if something of this magnitude ever happened to my son, You would read about how I got arrested after I broke both the guys arms, legs and jaw. Then you would read the associated story about how a guy ws beaten before being deliverd to the police and arested for what he had done.'

 

BUt you would never hear me say: " Well, National policy was to say nothing.."

[KC9DDI]

Absolutely right Scoutfish. If you have a legitimate suspicion that a youth has been harmed, you need to call the police. Not the CEO of a small business (aka, the Scout Executive.) The SE's goal in such matters is to mitigate the negative affects on his business interests. Unfortunately, that goal isn't always compatible with ensuring the health and safety of the youth in the Scouting program.

[shortridge]

I hope for their sakes that the gentlemen - and I use that term loosely - in the top ranks who oversaw this case can sleep well at night. Though I don't know how they'd do so.

 

The people who developed and executed those secrecy policies are a disgrace to the uniform.

[Eagle92]

Correct me if I'm wrong, I am almost due for YPT, but don't we call the cops first, then the SE?

 

As some know one of the camps I worked at in the UK had an incident onsite. Luckily for us, of of the service team members was an off duty LEO, and dealt with the situation.

 

Didn't know you could get hurt that bad falling down 4 steps.

[SeattlePioneer]

I had a situation in 2004, when I was just getting back into Scouting after being out since 1987.

 

I was a new AS in a troop to which I was new, and on my first outing with the troop to a camporee.

 

A mother was camping with the troop along with a couple of her children, including a teen aged girl.

 

She told me confidentially that a long time Scouter with the troop had had sex with the girl in a tent. I listened to her story, but made no comment and did nothing.

 

I did a second camping trip with the troop in June and then left to be a volunteer with a different troop. The one I left had issues with which I didn't want to be involved with.

 

Several months later I heard gossip, which might well have been true, that the Scouter in question had had his Scout membership permanently revoked.

 

I had no first hand knowledge of what allegedly had happened. Perhaps I could have suggested someone the mother might contact, but I didn't.

 

I think I acted prudently, but not heroically. Prudence isn't bad.

[shortridge]

E92 - I don't recall if there's an exact order, but the organization of the G2SS certainly suggests that it's authorities first, SE second:

 

First comes:

 

All persons involved in Scouting shall report to local authorities any good faith suspicion or belief that any child is or has been physically or sexually abused, physically or emotionally neglected, exposed to any form of violence or threat, exposed to any form of sexual exploitation including the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child pornography, online solicitation, enticement, or showing of obscene material. No person may abdicate this reporting responsibility to any other person.

 

Then we read:

 

Notify your Scout executive of this report, or of any violation of BSAs Youth Protection policies, so that he or she may take appropriate action for the safety of our Scouts, make appropriate notifications, and follow-up with investigating agencies.

[KC9DDI]

One would hope that the appropriate course of action in such cases would be obvious to responsible adults, regardless of any "guidelines" published by a corporation.

[KC9DDI]

One would hope that the appropriate course of action in such cases would be obvious to responsible adults, regardless of any "guidelines" published by a corporation.

[Scoutfish]

Yeah, I get that peole and society had a different way of looking at things back in the day. And I understand it was "the norm" back then to do things differently.

 

But at the same time, it still doesn't change that EVERYBODY involved hold equal blame, not just the head honch of BSA at the time.

 

As pointed out above, SOP, specific policy or guidelines be damned! I may be loyal to, like being a part of, or enjoy what BSA does oveerall, as well as many otrher groups, cluybs and organazation ...but my conscience and the rule of the law will always trump that.

 

As a parent, what happens to my son may not be undone after the fact, but as that same parent who is horrified and haunted by the fact something happened to my son, I WILL DO MY BEST TO MAKE SURE IT WILL NOT HAPPEN to another child.

 

Or in thsi case, another scout.

 

If this kinda thing was to happen again( and I am sure it won't ) BSA would have to drop me before they think I'd sweep it under the rug.

 

And again, I do realize that as a whole, society did hide this stuff , nut just BSA, but other groups, institutions and clubs.

 

I just ain't one to go along with it.

[acco40]

During my first year as Scoutmaster, at summer camp a Scout couldn't find something so his mother, who was residing in "family camp" but came to visit every day, proceeded to enter his tent and look through his mess to try and find the article.

 

Soon afterward, I took her aside and told her that adults can't go into tents of Scouts that are not immediate family members - and her son was sharing a tent with another Scout.

 

She violated YPT rule and I did not report anything.

 

I've been forced to share a bathroom with boys during Scouting events that occurred at facilities not under my control - for example a MLB game.

 

Yes there are rules and yes there is common sense.

 

For Scouters like us, our emphasis should be on prevention, not trying to figure out who to blame.

 

Scouting is no different than everyday life. I you feel a crime has been committed, report it to the proper authorities.

[JoeBob]

Hmmmm...

 

Our Pack had 105 males in the same 'tent' for two nights onboard an aircraft carrier. 55 Cubs and 50 dads and siblings all berthed in a space that held a maximum of 110.

 

Here is the applicable YPT Rule:

"Separate accommodations. When camping, no

youth is permitted to sleep in the tent of an adult

other than his own parent or guardian. Councils

are strongly encouraged to have separate shower

and latrine facilities for females and when separate

facilities are not available, times for male and

female use should be scheduled and posted for

showers."

 

Although we all shared the same head, we posted 'Adult Only' and 'Youth Only' time in the showers. (The adults quickly figured out that no boys would be awake at 5:30am...)

 

Should I report myself for a YPT violation?

[KC9DDI]

Could I ask for some clarification on two issues:

 

acco, I wasn't aware that there was any guideline pertaining to an adult entering an unoccupied tent of a youth. I know that adults and children cannot share (ie, occupy at the same time) a tent, but I would think that unit leaders and parents have some ability to enter and search unoccupied tents, when appropriate.

 

JoeBob, how does a guideline about tents apply to aircraft carriers?(This message has been edited by KC9DDI)

[Eagle92]

JoeBob,

 

Somewhere in the YPT or G2SS, sorry can't remember which at the moment, the topic of areas like your aircraft carrier, where an entire group is berthed in one area, does come up and if certaint things are done, is OK YP wise.

[JoeBob]

KC9DDI:

 

The YPT rule is titled "Separate Accomodations", not "Separate Tents".

Although the text of the rule states 'tent', I'm fairly certain that 'cabin', 'lean-to' or 'igloo' would qualify as an accomodation for the purpose of keeping adults away from youth.

 

I'm merely poking fun at the hair-splitters because 'bunkhouse', 'baracks', and 'berthing area' are not specifically addressed as areas of politically correct protection.

 

Thank goodness!