ScoutMasterT3 10 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 We have several Scouts working as staff at out Council Summer Camp. I received a call from the youngest of these, a Counselor in Training, concerned that he has been tagged with the nickname "Canteen Boy". For anyone old enough to remember, "Canteen Boy and the Scoutmaster" was a Saturday Night Live skit where Alec Baldwin (scoutmaster) attempts to have sexual congress with Adam Sandler (canteen boy). The CIT has not seen this skit, hovever it was explained to him that Canteen Boy was raped. The CIT is quite uncomfortable with the nickname. My question is do I handle this as a threat or sexual harassment? Link to post Share on other sites
SeattlePioneer 144 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Report this to the Camp Director, who should put a stop to it right away. The Camp Director hires, manages and fires the camp staff. Link to post Share on other sites
desertrat77 1144 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Concur with SP. The situation is unsat, and the camp director needs to know. Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMasterT3 10 Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Thanks for your quick response. That's exactly where I was heading with this. Just needed to make sure I wasn't making too much of the situation. Link to post Share on other sites
moosetracker 132 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 If someone feels sexually harrassed, it should be treated as sexual harrassment, even if those who are causing the duress do not mean it that way. They should be talked to and made to understand the uncomfortable position they are putting their fellow co-worker in.. No one should be made to feel uncomfortable or harrassed.. If all are equally young they may be more seeing in this fellow something that reminds them of Adam Sandlers portral of the guy (nerdy? gullable? or just the voice or something), and not realizing the full implications.. Then again they may.. Makes no difference, it is how their actions have cause another to feel.. Making him not feel a part of the group, but alienated from it and not an equal but a source of ridicule. Link to post Share on other sites
Scoutfish 16 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I am willing to bet they do not mean to imply any type of threat or sexual harassment at all...just showing bad taste in the manner that they are picking on the new guy. They just chose a name they thought was funny. And realize, what they think is funny and what we think are two entirely different thuings! Yes, it needs to be stopped imediately. It needs to be explained to them the full ramifications of how it can be taken as a vieled threat of reape, harrassment, or even hazing. At the very least, they are guilty of plain bad chgoice of nicknames. Link to post Share on other sites
Basementdweller 608 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Never heard of it so I went and just viewed the skit........ Yep, If I was the young man, I would not want tagged with that nick name for a summer for sure. T3 you are doing the correct thing. Link to post Share on other sites
jrush 11 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 For whatever reason, the boy is being hazed, which the Camp Director should have zero tolerance for. The days of the junior CITs being given brown ball caps with "Staff Helper In Training" written on the front are (or at least should be) over. Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I'm not a great fan of SNL. It's kinda strange how some TV programs develop a cult following. People think that just because I'm English that I somehow should be the worlds leading authority on Monty Python and Bennie Hill. I'm not, even though I did work for the B.B.C. My guess is that there are a couple of Lads on staff who are SNL fans. For whatever reason they thought the name was/is funny. The first thing someone who feels uncomfortable with something should do is make it known to the people doing whatever that he or she is not happy and ask them to stop. I kinda think going to the camp director might be a bit over the top and could make this Lads summer a little tense. He does have to work with and live with the other staff members for the summer. I'd be inclined to ask the Lad where the name came from and then go to these guys and in a very friendly way let them know that they are not being very kind and are not setting a great example of living up to the Law and Oath. Ea. Link to post Share on other sites
jtswestark 11 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I would still go to the camp or program director, but ask the director to not make a big deal out of it to cause any backlash and make things worse for the CIT. Hopefully a side talk between the director and staff members will handle it. You don't want to get in the middle of it nor give the impression you're going to be a helicopter leader over one of your boys. That said, CIT needs to start developing a skin. Things will happen between boys on staff (or anywhere) that we adults can't control. Link to post Share on other sites
jtswestark 11 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Didn't write that he should tolerate it, I wrote that he should go to the director as you did. And a pep talk to the CIT would help too. He's in an intimidating situation, no doubt, and has to learn to stand up for himself. Life isn't going to get any easier. Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutNut 147 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 BSA policy on hazing, bullying, and sexual harassment, is extremely clear - it is not tolerated in any form and can result in a loss of BSA membership. Your council camp should have explicit policies for it's staff concerning hazing, bullying, and harassment. This incident IS sexual harassment. The youth staff are role models for the youth campers. What kind of behavior are they modeling by calling this CIT by a name that has overt sexual connotations that many of the youth campers would know about? Per BSA's Youth Protection Guide for Camp Staff - http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/623-127.pdf "The first step in addressing sexual harassment would be to confront the wrongdoer and inform him or her that the behavior is not wanted and ask for the behavior to stop. The next step would be to report specific objectionable behaviors to the supervisor and request that the supervisor intervene." "Bullying is not a right of passage or simply part of growing up." ScoutmasterT3, talk to your Scout to find out what the camp's policies are for it's staff. Encourage him to follow those policies (most likely they are similar to what is quoted above). Let him know that you will back him 100% (even be there with him if necessary) if/when he has to report this to his supervisor, Senior Staff member, or Camp Director. However, it should be HIM doing the reporting, not you. Link to post Share on other sites
Twocubdad 665 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 He HAS reported it. To his Scoutmaster. That should be enough. Yeah, contact the camp director. Hopefully the CD has a little bit of finesse and can handle the situation without making it harder on your Scout. Link to post Share on other sites
Lisabob 13 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 The kid is a CIT! He shouldn't have to deal with "jokes" like this at all, but I also see nothing here to suggest he has especially thin skin. For goodness sakes, if the camp expects him to want to come back in the future as staff, they had better deal with this effectively, now, and the CD will probably thank the SM for contacting him. Alternately, if the Camp Director doesn't respond effectively then this is not a camp I'd want to send my kids/scouts to in the future - because the staff will know that this is acceptable behavior in the eyes of the CD. If they treat their CITs this way, imagine how they will treat the campers. And actually, I think the camp director will be thanking his lucky stars if he ONLY gets a call from the scoutmaster. Because if the boy's parents start calling, this guy can expect quite an ear full. Link to post Share on other sites
FScouter 24 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Sheesh! The kid needs only to say "Knock if off dude, Quit already! Get a life!" Link to post Share on other sites
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