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Review by the chief scout executive


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Given all that BSA has gone thru lately in the area of youth protection, they tend to now not mess around with these types of allegations.

 

Unless an allegation can be PROVED false, BSA will likely err on the side of caution, and youth safety, and remove the member from it's ranks permanently.

 

Good luck with the review by National, but I would not, realistically, expect to be reinstated.

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"District or Council cannot tell a CO or Troop who is allowed to attend meetings."

 

Are you saying they can't tell them whether I can or cannot attend meetings?

 

The letter revoking my membership stated that I must "sever all connections with scouting." The CO interpreted this to mean that I could not be at meetings or other scouting activities. After talking to someone from the council, he revised that to say that I can attend events where parents are generally invited, but not regular meetings, campouts, or other events. So, for example, I could attend the annual scout banquet on Friday night, but could not drive scouts to drop off scouting for food bags the next morning.

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The CO can set their own standards and restrictions as to who is permitted to attend their unit's events. These standards may be more restrictive than those set by the BSA.

 

However, if the CO is only trying to comply with the BSA's guidelines, but you feel that they misunderstand the BSA's guidelines, it would not be inappropriate to ask the council to clarify this with the CO. However, the BSA cannot force the CO to admit you to any event or activity.

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I know that the Silver Beaver recipient who had their membership revoked b/c the scout lied did attend her former troop's activities as a parent, did attend the council banquet that the son was recognized as an Eagle Scout at, and did stand when the MC asked that all Silver Beaver recipient in the audience stand when making that year's SB presentation.

 

BUT I also know that one former leader basically was told to have no contact whatsoever with is former unit.

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"My point was even if the Council said you were ok to return your CO can still exclude you."

 

Okay, I understand now. But the CO wouldn't do that. I'm only an "unacceptable risk" to the BSA. In the same buildings where I'm not allowed to enter a scout meeting, I teach Sunday School to 25 6th and 7th grade boys every week. If you met me, you would not seriously think that I could physically harm a boy of boy scout age. I'm a 56 year old grandmother of small stature with arthritic hands. My son's accusation had no substance. From the time he arrived in our home at age 7, I couldn't even run fast enough to catch him, much less inflict any bruises on him. The report to the council had no substance. They didn't investigate anything, just simply acted on hearsay. If I were selfish, I would insist that my husband and sons leave the troop, but I won't make them give up something they enjoy because it causes me pain.

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MBS,

 

Without knowing all the details, all I can tell you is that the BSA will err on the side of protecting kids, even when things show that the kids lied.

 

Again, a friend of mine had their membership revoked b/c a scout lied, stating that the leader made a pass at them. Doesn't matter that it's a "He said, she said" with no witnesses or evidence. Doesn't matter that the scout has a history of staying out late after hours, getting into mischief, and then lying about the situation to save himself. I should know as he lied about me saying I gave him permission to stay out late when I caught him and a few buddies out, and off the university we were staying at. OH did I mention that it was a case of 3 adults saying one thing, and 4 youth saying something? Eventually 3 of the youth agreed with what we adults were saying.

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Eagle92, I'm getting the picture. It's scary how much harm someone can do to an innocent person and they have no way to fight back. In my case, my son did not directly cause my membership to be revoked. He was locked up with no way to contact the outside world at the time, and I doubt that he would even have thought of it. An adult leader in our troop must have reported it to the council.

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You may or may not get your membership reinstated, I cannot say the best way to approach that aside from what you've already been told by the scouters here.

 

I'd say chances are probably slim.

 

As for the CO not allowing you into the building for meetings etc. I would ask council for clarification of their cease all scouting,

explain that your son is still involved and that per the Guide to Safe Scouting it says

"No secret organizations. The Boy Scouts of America does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its program. All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents and leaders."

Explain what you wish to observe (court of honors is what I'd push for, but there may be other meetings, like parent meeting for summer camp that you, as parent, should attend)

and how does can you support your child in scouting, with the CO not allowing you to observe those things. The answer may be that the CO does not want you to support your child in scouting on their turf, however the G2SS should apply to anything the CO does regarding having meetings and not allowing parents to be present.

 

of course, if your husband is a leader? the CO may feel that your family is certainly able to observe anything they want to observe and that you are not going to be allowed to participate in anything scouting with your son. Honestly, is it worth it to earn Eagle in a unit that would keep a mother from seeing her child awarded their Eagle, keep her from attending the Eagle Court of Honor?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I am already allowed to attend courts of honor, and the CO has no personal objection to me being there. He is just trying to follow the directions from the council as he sees them. And once he makes a decision he does not change his mind. The only way to change it is to for him to receive new directions from the council. Thank you for the reference to the guide to safe scouting. That may help.

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FWIW,

 

I know a unit/Chartered Partner which refused to honor a revocation letter.

 

I know the reason the member was revoked. Scouting had good reason.

 

Council sent a second letter, from the General Counsel and the SE, to the IH.

 

Let's just say the content was "Stop allowing him in your door, now." The sanction laid on the table was immediate revocation of the Charter.

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Guest OldGreyEagle

hey Mom, its in the Chief Scout's hands, whatever the outcome, very little may be accomplished here.

 

I wish the best for you, your son and your familial relationships

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