Boy Scouts to release thousands of pages highlighting abuse

[GannonFan]

This.

With that said, I have my boys in Cub Scouts despite the fact that they play every sport imaginable. But it is amazing how there are so many kids in Scouts that are just completely unathletic. I suppose there needs to be something for everyone, but it is funny.

As for why I have my kids in Scouts, for one, it is one way to further socialize with kids they wouldn't necessarily be socializing with on the athletic fields. For two, there are other things than sports and scouting is one way to do that (have them taking piano lessons too for the musical education). And it gives an easy way to get into camping and other outdoor activities.

As for the abuse, just like the Catholic Church, I focus more on the local. Sure, the overriding establishment has their issues and often they have not handled them anywhere close to fine, however, I judge and evaluate my own local situation and make sure that my kids are fine. The den leaders for my two kids are guys I know - one lives down the street a few houses and the other guy lives a few blocks away. If I thought they were dangerous for my kids, I wouldn't have them involved. Same with church. And besides, I try to be there, or my wife does, so there's little chance for unsupervised time. I'm always amazed at parents that assume an 8 year old can routinely be left in the care of volunteer coaches or den leaders or what have you. If parents would watch out for their kids more a lot of this would never be able to happen.

Good post.

I would still keep kids away until they fully disclose the extent of their coverup. They still have yet to release the last 30 years of their "perversion" files.

Like I said, it's local for me. Obviously the larger organization has their issues, but that larger organization doesn't hold sway over me or my kids or what's done locally so it's just a news story at that point. What happens locally to my kids is what's important to me and what I involve them in. Heck, I think a lot of the baseball coaches are pretty scary - one of the main reasons I coach so many of my kids sports is I'd never want them to be under the authority of people like that. Want your kids to be safe and stay safe then you have to get involved. Otherwise you're rolling the dice. The scouts and the Church get a lot of press, and rightfully so, but there are bad people everywhere - you have to watch out for your own kids.

[andy7171]

Are Boy Scout separate from Cub Scouts? Are there professional Scout Masters? Cub Scouts was run by parents really.

Oh yeah. I got the Arrow of Light patch and got the fuck out. The guys that moved up to Boy Scout weren't the ones you wanted to hang around with. And what's the deal with the red socks pulled all the way up!?!

[D1B]

Good post.

I would still keep kids away until they fully disclose the extent of their coverup. They still have yet to release the last 30 years of their "perversion" files.

Like I said, it's local for me. Obviously the larger organization has their issues, but that larger organization doesn't hold sway over me or my kids or what's done locally so it's just a news story at that point. What happens locally to my kids is what's important to me and what I involve them in. Heck, I think a lot of the baseball coaches are pretty scary - one of the main reasons I coach so many of my kids sports is I'd never want them to be under the authority of people like that. Want your kids to be safe and stay safe then you have to get involved. Otherwise you're rolling the dice. The scouts and the Church get a lot of press, and rightfully so, but there are bad people everywhere - you have to watch out for your own kids.

Agree.

[JoltinJoe]

My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

Pretty much everyone in my town did Cub Scouts and many moved up to Boy Scouts. I had a great experience in Boy Scouts; learned to row, canoe, sail & fish; and earned a load of merit badges (including Life Saving merit badge, which was a real effort). I went to summer camp for three straight years, and earned three "Mile Swim BSA" awards, which cards I still carry in my wallet. To this day, I tie the best knots, which comes in handy when boating and sailing. Being at summer camp was the first time ever I was away from home and was on my own.

I never really quit Boy Scouts, but just got too busy in high school, with school work, soccer, and baseball. I missed just about every meeting my freshman year and then just didn't register the next year. I realized I was leaving something behind but eventually you move on. Some kids stayed in the Boy Scouts if they didn't have a lot of extra-curricular stuff and some even went on to become Eagle Scouts.

Still it was a great experience. My scout master was one of the most generous guys I've ever known too. He taught me many, many things.

[GannonFan]

Are Boy Scout separate from Cub Scouts? Are there professional Scout Masters? Cub Scouts was run by parents really.

Oh yeah. I got the Arrow of Light patch and got the **** out. The guys that moved up to Boy Scout weren't the ones you wanted to hang around with. And what's the deal with the red socks pulled all the way up!?!

The Cub Scouts are part of the larger umbrella of the Boy Scouts. But yeah, from my knowledge, you see the parents being the leaders of the Cub Scouts and then you have a mix of parents or just career (not for money, just guys who are leaders even without their kids involved anymore) leaders at the Boy Scouts level. Of course, even some parents molest their own and other kids, so even Cub Scouts isn't perfectly safe, but I'd imagine with parents being more in the mix at the Cub Scout level (hopefully) that it's less liklely to happen there.

Not sure my kids, when they're old enough, will move on to Boy Scouts. I know in our troop it's maybe 60/40 right now in terms of kids moving on with Scouts. With how competitive and time consuming youth sports have become, we might be out of available time by then. Heck, we barely seem to have time for Cub Scouts for two of them (one is still too young) now.

[GannonFan]

My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

Pretty much everyone in my town did Cub Scouts and many moved up to Boy Scouts. I had a great experience in Boy Scouts; learned to row, canoe, sail; and earned a load of merit badges (including Life Saving merit badge, which was a real effort). I went to summer camp for three straight years, and earned three "Mile Swim BSA" awards, which cards I still carry in my wallet. To this day, I tie the best knots, which comes in handy when boating and sailing. Being at summer camp was the first time ever I was away from home and was on my own.

I never really quit Boy Scouts, but just got too busy in high school, with school work, soccer, and baseball. I missed just about every meeting my freshman year and then just didn't register the next year. I realized I was leaving something behind but eventually you move on. Some kids stayed in the Boy Scouts if they didn't have a lot of extra-curricular stuff and some even went on to become Eagle Scouts.

Still it was a great experience. My scout master was one of the most generous guys I've ever known too. He taught me many, many things.

I was never in Scouts and I can honestly say to this day I still can't tie knots well enough and it pisses me off.

[Ibanez]

My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

I'm an Eagle Scout. I ran track. Many of the kids with me were on the soccer, baseball, track and football teams (1 FB player).

[CID1990]

My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

Exactly...
Who had time for Boy Scouts?
Between Baseball / Football / Soccer / Tennis and girls who had time..?
The very few guys I knew who were into Boy Scouts were weirder than sh!t

I had a different experience. In my troop, every one of us played baseball, and about half of us were in football.

I also played piano from the time I was 6 and was in the band (I was one of two guys who played football from the band; we were in marching band during the spring competition season- the other guy was also in Boy Scouts).

Where I am from, the Scouts were heavy on camping (very rural area, large tracts of undeveloped forest). A lot if guys were in the BS for the outdoor aspect, but did not advance very far towards Eagle. I never made it either; I only made it to Life, but I was into anything that kept me outdoors. We had more Vigil level guys in the OA than we had Eagle Scouts.

I guess the BS experience is different depending on where you are from. The BS camp for my council was literally a bicycle ride from my house, and we spent a lot of time in the woods. Some of the troops from more urban areas seemed to be a little more on the <ahem> nerdy/urban side ...

BTW for you NC types I am talking about the old Cherokee Council which was absorbed by the Greensboro area and became the larger Nathaniel Greene council- word is that the camp outside of Yanceyville was the jewel the more well heeled council wanted. I literally grew up a walk through the woods from the old Camp Cherokee.

[89Hen]

Four sport stars...

[CAA Flagship]

They were/are also likely to take Karate.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUvKIubY6OY[/youtube]

[CAA Flagship]

I did not do Scouts. I did a year of Indian Guides when I was 8 which is something like Scouts I think.
My wife pushed my kids into Cub Scouts. They tolerated it for about 3 or 4 years each and then realized it was too boring. Which was mainly the parents fault (I'll share the blame here) in that we just were not very organized because we spent so much time on baseball and lacrosse fields.

[93henfan]

Are Boy Scout separate from Cub Scouts? Are there professional Scout Masters? Cub Scouts was run by parents really.

Oh yeah. I got the Arrow of Light patch and got the fuck out. The guys that moved up to Boy Scout weren't the ones you wanted to hang around with. And what's the deal with the red socks pulled all the way up!?!

Oh I agree with that. I got out at the same point and intend for my sons to do the same.

Really, the only reason I want my boys in Cub Scouts is because I have some unfinished business.

Two words:

Pinewood Derby.



We will win Pinewood Derby. No cheat, er I mean stone, will be left unturned when we build our cars.

[Grizalltheway]

Are Boy Scout separate from Cub Scouts? Are there professional Scout Masters? Cub Scouts was run by parents really.

Oh yeah. I got the Arrow of Light patch and got the fuck out. The guys that moved up to Boy Scout weren't the ones you wanted to hang around with. And what's the deal with the red socks pulled all the way up!?!

Oh I agree with that. I got out at the same point and intend for my sons to do the same.

Really, the only reason I want my boys in Cub Scouts is because I have some unfinished business.

Two words:

Pinewood Derby.



We will win Pinewood Derby. No cheat, er I mean stone, will be left unturned when we build our cars.

Careful, you'll probably end up like that kid's dad on Southpark.

[93henfan]

Oh I agree with that. I got out at the same point and intend for my sons to do the same.

Really, the only reason I want my boys in Cub Scouts is because I have some unfinished business.

Two words:

Pinewood Derby.



We will win Pinewood Derby. No cheat, er I mean stone, will be left unturned when we build our cars.

Careful, you'll probably end up like that kid's dad on Southpark.

I'll have to check Netflix.

[CID1990]

Are Boy Scout separate from Cub Scouts? Are there professional Scout Masters? Cub Scouts was run by parents really.

Oh yeah. I got the Arrow of Light patch and got the **** out. The guys that moved up to Boy Scout weren't the ones you wanted to hang around with. And what's the deal with the red socks pulled all the way up!?!

Oh I agree with that. I got out at the same point and intend for my sons to do the same.

Really, the only reason I want my boys in Cub Scouts is because I have some unfinished business.

Two words:

Pinewood Derby.



We will win Pinewood Derby. No cheat, er I mean stone, will be left unturned when we build our cars.

No SH!t I still got some scores to settle there.

[Grizalltheway]

Careful, you'll probably end up like that kid's dad on Southpark.

I'll have to check Netflix.

I'll track down the clip for ya when I get home from work. Funny shit.

[CAA Flagship]

Are Boy Scout separate from Cub Scouts? Are there professional Scout Masters? Cub Scouts was run by parents really.

Oh yeah. I got the Arrow of Light patch and got the fuck out. The guys that moved up to Boy Scout weren't the ones you wanted to hang around with. And what's the deal with the red socks pulled all the way up!?!

Oh I agree with that. I got out at the same point and intend for my sons to do the same.

Really, the only reason I want my boys in Cub Scouts is because I have some unfinished business.

Two words:

Pinewood Derby.



We will win Pinewood Derby. No cheat, er I mean stone, will be left unturned when we build our cars.

You got that shit all wrong. If you place in the top 3, you then advance to the next stage, held on a Saturday usually. Screw that. I made sure my kids' cars were ssssssllllllllooooooowwwww. But here is the trick. I looked at the other award categories that would get a trophy/medal/whatever (most colorful, most unique design, most Scout spirit, etc.....). I chose "most Scout spirit" figuring that nobody would go for that, and it was true. I painted it blue and yellow, put a number 1 on it, and called it "Scout One". My son was excited to see it race. Then was devastated to see it come in last in every race. The wife then gave me some really bad looks. But when he won the Scout Spirit award, all was good, and I saved a Saturday. The next year the car was shaped like a skateboard. Again, Blue and Gold paint and I named it "Scoutboard". It was slower than shit but again won the Scout Spirit award and all was good. Another Saturday saved.

[JoltinJoe]

I was never in Scouts and I can honestly say to this day I still can't tie knots well enough and it pisses me off.

Alright, take a piece of rope, and make a loop on an end. Now, the rabbit comes out of the hole; around the tree; and back into the hole.

Bowline -- finished.



We vacationed on a lake this year with four other families and 12 kids. We rented a boat for water tubing and I was drafted to make the knots connecting the boat to the tube. Taught everyone how to make the knots to tie the boat to the dock. Scouting experience lasting a lifetime.

[CAA Flagship]

Alright, take a piece of rope, and make a loop on an end. Now, the rabbit comes out of the hole; around the tree; and back into the hole.

Is that one of your masturbation games?

[JoltinJoe]

Alright, take a piece of rope, and make a loop on an end. Now, the rabbit comes out of the hole; around the tree; and back into the hole.

Is that one of your masturbation games?

Knot.

[CAA Flagship]

Is that one of your masturbation games?

Knot.

Well played.

[JoltinJoe]

Knot.

Well played.

Thanks. I like the way I tied that up too.

[D1B]

Heartwarming stories, now back to topic. CBS news just realeased the following:

PORTLAND, Ore. Again and again, decade after decade, an array of authorities — police chiefs, prosecutors, pastors and local Boy Scout leaders among them — quietly shielded scoutmasters and others accused of molesting children, a newly opened trove of confidential papers shows.

At the time, those authorities justified their actions as necessary to protect the good name and good works of Scouting, a pillar of 20th century America. But as detailed in 14,500 pages of secret "perversion files" released Thursday by order of the Oregon Supreme Court, their maneuvers allowed sexual predators to go free while victims suffered in silence.

For many of those victims, the released file provides some hope. Jon Anderson told CBS Evening News correspondent Anna Werner he was molested by a scout master beginning in 1976 when he was 14.

"I think [the released files] show that this country needs to do a better job protecting its children ... if we don't set up the protection for these kids, they're doomed," he said."

The files are a window on a much larger collection of documents the Boy Scouts of America began collecting soon after their founding in 1910. The files, kept at Boy Scout headquarters in Texas, consist of memos from local and national Scout executives, handwritten letters from victims and their parents and newspaper clippings about legal cases. The files contain details about proven molesters, but also unsubstantiated allegations.

"To the extent that we fell short of protecting the youth -- and we did fall short in some instances -- we're profoundly sorry," Boy Scouts of America President Wayne Perry told Werner. "Our job is to protect every youth. It's not enough to say we did a great job most of the time. We have to do a great job all of the time."

The allegations stretch across the country and to military bases overseas, from a small town in the Adirondacks (Joe?? Where was that lake?) to downtown Los Angeles.

At the news conference Thursday, Portland attorney Kelly Clark blasted the Boy Scouts for their continuing legal battles to try to keep the full trove of files secret.

Eerie similarity to the catholic church's handling of their pedophiles - which means the truth will never come out.

The boy scouts are hiding the last 30 years of their perversion files. I bet at least one person here had contact with a scoutmaster pedophile.

Joe, does the boy scouts receive money or endorsement from the government?

[Cap'n Cat]

Col Hogan, Hen, Gil Dopey.

[D1B]

I was never in Scouts and I can honestly say to this day I still can't tie knots well enough and it pisses me off.

Alright, take a piece of rope, and make a loop on an end. Now, the rabbit comes out of the hole; around the tree; and back into the hole.

Bowline -- finished.



We vacationed on a lake this year with four other families and 12 kids. We rented a boat for water tubing and I was drafted to make the knots connecting the boat to the tube. Taught everyone how to make the knots to tie the boat to the dock. Scouting experience lasting a lifetime.