DENNIS PRAGER:
Posted on 02/18/2020 8:16:57 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The Boy Scouts of America said Tuesday that the national organization has filed for bankruptcy protection in a bid to ensure equitable compensation for thousands of sexual abuse victims who were harmed while participating in their programs and ensure they can continue to carry out their mission for years to come.
The BSA also noted as a part of the Chapter 11 process, it has created a Victims Compensation Trust that would provide equitable compensation to victims.
“The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologizes to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting. We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to harm innocent children,” Roger Mosby, the organization’s president and chief executive officer, noted in a statement. “While we know nothing can undo the tragic abuse that victims suffered, we believe the Chapter 11 process — with the proposed Trust structure — will provide equitable compensation to all victims while maintaining the BSA’s important mission.”
More than 12,000 Boy Scout members have been victims of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of 7,819 allegedly sexually abusive troop leaders and volunteers, according to an analysis of long-held records in the organization known as the “perversion files.”
The perversion files, which have previously been highlighted, show thousands of offenders of childhood sexual abuse that have been removed from the Boy Scouts of America over the years. The files were kept private at the BSA headquarters.
Jim Turley, national chair of the BSA, urged victims in an open letter to come forward.
“The BSA cannot undo what happened to you, but we are committed to supporting you and to doing everything in our power to prevent it from happening to others. It is a social and moral responsibility that I and the entire organization take extremely seriously. We believe that all victims should receive our support and compensation — and we have taken decisive action to make that possible,” Turley wrote encouraging victims to take advantage of the Trust set up to help them.
“I encourage you, and all victims to come forward and file claims so you can receive compensation from this Trust. We will provide clear notices about how to do so. I want you to know that we believe you, we believe in compensating you, and we have programs in place to pay for counseling for you and your family by a provider of your choice,” he added.
Founded in 1910, the BSA is composed of nearly 2.2 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 800,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories.
In recent years, however, the BSA has courted controversy, lawsuits, and loss of membership for admitting openly gay scouts in 2013, then openly gay leaders in 2015, and then including the participation of girls in 2017.
The organization noted in their announcement Tuesday that their changes now also include some of the strongest, expert-informed youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization, including mandatory youth protection training and background checks for all volunteers and staff, as well as policies that prohibit one-on-one interaction between youth and adults and require all volunteers and staff to report any suspected abuse to law enforcement.
The BSA’s multilayered safeguards, their commitment to support victims, as well as their efforts to be part of the broader solution to child abuse is also published at www.scouting.org/youth-safety.
Reacting to the news Tuesday, Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA, a Christian boys’ mentoring and discipleship movement, said he was “deeply saddened” by the situation.
“We are deeply saddened that the Boy Scouts of America, a long-standing American institution, is in this unfortunate situation,” Hancock said in a statement to The Christian Post.
“Trail Life USA (www.TrailLifeUSA.org), a Christian boys’ mentoring and discipleship movement, wants to reinforce its commitment to providing a safe experience for all boys, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Our philosophy is derived from the Bible and set in the context of outdoor adventure. Boys are challenged to grow in character, understand their purpose, serve their community, and develop life-long leadership skills,” he continued.
“Although no program can guarantee total protection, we believe Trail Life USA’s child protection policy is very comprehensive,” he added. "Trail Life USA has taken strong steps to ensure the risk of abuse in our program is minimized. All our adult leaders undergo regular background checks, complete youth protection training, and adhere to strict guidelines designed to reduce the potential for abuse.”
Get woke, go broke.
They fought tooth and nail to have gay scout leaders. They fought to become “the scouts” so they could have girls in the troops. All to be oh so inclusive.
We see how that’s working for them. Good.
Destroyed by militant liberalism.
I loved Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Explorer Scouts.
Liberals ruined them. Liberals ruin EVERYTHING!
I was an Eagle Scout early on (in the 1940’s), later a Scoutmaster, later instrumental in getting my church to sponsor a Cub Pack and Boy Scout Troop. There was no finer program to teach boys about responsibility, satisfying requirements for promotion, leadership, etc. The program for decades trained young men to become a man and take on the role of citizen. Eagle Scout on my resume’s was a great enhancer.
Then in the sixties the lefties began their program to infiltrate and revolutionize society. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts became their targets, as well as schools,
universities, mainline churches, and government. The lefties have been successful because the rest of us refused to open our eyes to the threat on our society, our nation.
Call me conspiracy theorist if you wish, but the social revolution beginning in the 60’s was a goal of the Communist International movement, IMO.
You go to bat for them and this is the thanks you get. Anti queer organization that attracts queers who then take them down. I hope the church is taking notice.
Which of us didn’t see THIS coming?
Which of us doesn’t believe this was the intent of the Hive from the beginning?
The vast majority are men who were in the boy scouts before these policies were implemented.
“The vast majority are men who were in the boy scouts before these policies were implemented.”
I know that there are many fine people in what used to be BSA. But, something went wrong with their wokeness. The good people stood by and let it happen.
Now they can form a new organization, or go home. As far as I’m concerned, “the scouts” is damaged beyond repair.
“...but the social revolution beginning in the 60’s was a goal of the Communist International movement, IMO.”
Now taken over by the democrat party.
“ensure they can continue to carry out their mission for years to come”
What mission is that exactly? Teaching young boys homosexuality?
I went through all the scouting programs in the 40’s and 50’s. It was a wonderful experience which gifted participants with treasured life long experiences and lessons. However we had a homosexual/pedophile scoutmaster in the mid-50’s (he was found out and expelled) who eventually managed to get his queer ass murdered.
What does the BSA? You allowed and championed perversion...
In my many years of Scouting we never had any encounter with homosexuality, ever. It wasn’t until after the 60’s I began to read about homo scoutmasters and the like, but never in the areas where I lived. It was always somewhere else. Just lucky, O guess!!
I was a Boy Scout in the 60’s, and a proud Boy Scout Merit Badge Counselor as an adult. Also certified as Girl Scout chaperone, though us icky men had to pitch tent a good distance away (rightfully so).
Wouldn’t touch them today with a 10 foot pocket knife.
Though some of the pervs that infested them could use to be touched behind the woodshed by actual men.
the scourge of homos....
Let it be known that the Boy Scouts of America was destroyed by Homosexuals.
Rex Tillerson championed the move to include gays and gay leaders. Tillerson, an Eagle Scout, former CEO and former Secretary of State, presumably one of the good people, actually led the move!
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