re: Boy Scouts file for bankruptcy due to sex-abuse lawsuits

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forcing the scouts to accept gay leaders is putting the wrong fox in the hen house

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90% of the current abuse claims occurred 30 or more years ago, when gays were prohibited, so that argument doesn't hold water. Moreover, the notion that gay leaders are permitted in scouting is not exactly true. Each scout unit is "chartered" by a civic organization, meaning that they operate as an arm of that organization. BSA policy allows the individual units to adopt the leadership standards of their chartered organization. If they are chartered by a church that has a sincerely held religious objection to homosexuality, then they may rightfully exclude homosexual leaders. They can also exclude divorcees, adults without children involved in the program, drunkards, long hairs, etc., if they want. If they are sponsored by the Presbyterians or Episcopalians, who apparently are all in on the homo love fest, then they can have gay leaders. Here's the best part - just like in America, if you don't want your kid in a scout unit with gays, don't sign them up to be a part of a unit that permits it. It's as simple as changing the channel on the TV.

If you read the reports in the vast majority of the cases the BSA did everything they could have to prevent the bad stuff from happening. That's not to say, however, that there aren't some really horrendous cases where more should have been done. The BSA's current Youth Protection Training program is one of the best in the nation. In fact, it's used a model by other organizations and the BSA shares it freely with anyone who would like to use it.

This is a problem that has been an issue for nearly every organization that works with youth: churches, YMCA, boys and girls clubs, etc. Hell, y'all've seen teachers, sheriff's deputies, and LSP officers arrested for it in Louisiana in the past few months. That's no excuse or justification for what has happened in the past with the BSA, but is offered to say that the BSA isn't alone in all of this. It's a larger societal problem. 20% of American males and 33% of American females report being the victim of some form of abuse prior to the age of 18.

The chapter 11 filing has several purposes:

1. It allows the BSA to create a trust fund to compensate victims and pay for counselling (something, btw, the BSA has been doing for some time now).
2. It forces the lawyers to ante up on their cases, creating a deadline to file a claim so that the BSA isn't dragged into court indefinitely by lawyers who bribe enough state legislatures to get the statutes of limitations changed repetitively.
3. It protects the very few assets owned by the BSA, namely the Philmont Scout Ranch, the Summit Bechtel Reserve, Northern Tier, and Sea Base. Over the past year, BSA took out mortgages on all of those properties to fund the trust described in point 1. Those mortgages also served to protect the properties from confiscation as a result of the lawsuits.

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forcing the Boy Scouts to accept girls

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They weren't forced. The girls asked for it. Most of them are siblings of boys who were involved. The Girl Scouts are more of a homemakers club. There was a move for a long time to get them to change into a more outdoors oriented organization, but they refused.

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making it a mixed sex horny teenager club environment encourages more sex abuse complaints.

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The 14+yo programs in BSA, e.g. Venturing, Exploring, & Sea Scouting, have been co-ed since the early 1970s. They haven't turned into "horny teenager clubs," yet, so I think we're good on that front. Never fails to amaze that outsiders are so focused on the sexual habits of children, though.

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what is the greater good. a boys club that teaches values or settlements where lawyers are the chief benefactor

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100% agree, but those who truly were hurt deserve help and compensation.

Finally, why is that so many people are completely concerned about scouting when something like this comes out but they never show up to help, join with their kids, or lift a finger of concern about it at any other time?

I personally don’t like having gays as scout leaders, but they are not the problem in this situation. A little research will show that most of the scout leaders involved in the abuse were usually married with families which is very common for pedophiles.

I was an altar boy for 6 years and not once was anything inappropriately said, inferred, or even physically attempted by our priests in our part of the parish. They were straight up, no pun intended.

The reality is, that 40-60 years ago, the molestation of boys was more common than we want to admit. It wasn't just the scouts or the church. It was in athletic locker rooms. It was in schools. It was at swimming pools.

I think a lot of the responsible adults, be it parents or organizational leaders, just didn't want to admit it was true. To this day, I know older Catholics who refuse to believe a priest would molest anyone, and who never would confront a church official over it.

Mental health research and polices at those times thought this was something that could be cured, was a passing thing, etc. So, if they just moved a scout leader from one troop to another, then it would go away, and no one would have to confront it.

For those of you who think letting in gays or girls is causing the problems... you do realize that the vast majority of these cases are over 30 years old? In 20-30 years, we can discuss what impact gays and girls have on the organization. Further, the American organization was one of the last in the world to take these steps.

I'm an Eagle Scout. I have many friends and professional associates who are also. I have many friends who have their sons (and now, daughters) in the program. I have many friends who serve as pack and troop leaders, as trainers, etc. They are the ones who are getting hurt today, by not only having their reputation trashed, but having to pay higher fees for registration and insurance, to cover all these payouts.

BSA has been attacked from both sides of the political divide. The left attacks it because they don't feel BSA is inclusive enough. The right attacks it because they feel BSA is pandering too much.

And as far as the Mormons, their leaving was a purely financial decision. They realized they can start their own organization for a lot cheaper, and not have to pay for all these settlements.

My daughters both tried girl scouts, that is a disaster of an organization if I ever saw one. I would like for them to join Scouting BSA, but the both have enough activities in their lives.

The timeless values of BSA, personal responsibility, good citizenship, preparedness, teamwork, loyalty, are still taught today.

Very true

Our troop is special and full of outstanding people. We've been a charter group with one of the first stand-alone girl troops and its going very well. Those young ladies are quality human beings.

I'm hopeful for Scouts BSA, but this leaves a massive scar.

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That’s what happens when you let heathens in

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You dumbass. You don't think this shite has been going on form several decades?

Oh, and the Catholic Church wants you to hold its beer.

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HarryBalzack

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Excellent writeup

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You dumbass. You don't think this shite has been going on form several decades?

Oh, and the Catholic Church wants you to hold its beer.

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What going on for years? You mean homosexual men being drawn to organizations like the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts where they have authority over and access to young boys so they can sexually abuse them?