Keep on Scouting
There probably are lots of reasons you joined Scouting. It’s a lot of fun. You like hanging out with your friends. You learn cool new stuff. You get to go camping and have fun in the outdoors. The list goes on.
One thing for sure: You didn’t join Scouting to hear or read about things like lawsuits and bankruptcy.
Well, we’ve got some good news. Even though lawsuits and bankruptcy do affect the national organization of the BSA, they don’t affect you or your Scout unit. Your fun continues non-stop. The merit badges, the adventures, the service projects … none of that is going away.
”Bankruptcy” is a legal word that many people think always means a company or organization is shutting its doors. That’s not the case here. You can expect to continue Scouting, complete with unit meetings, service projects, campouts and the many more activities that fill your schedules.
So, what’s really going on?
The national organization of the BSA has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (which is also known as a financial restructuring) to achieve two goals:
- Compensate victims who were harmed during their time in Scouting, and
- Continue carrying out the mission of Scouting for at least another 110 years. (I hope you remembered to wish the BSA a happy birthday on Feb. 8!)
OK…what do I need to know about this process?
First, Scouting continues.
Second, Scouting is safer today than ever before.
The BSA is taking responsibility for what happened in the past and doing all it can to protect youth in our Scouting programs.
The BSA has made major strides in youth protection and there’s a lot that we can be proud of, including the commitment of our wonderful volunteers and staff who work every single day to make Scouting the safe and amazing program it is today. Because so much of our youth protection training is relevant for your parents, the training is now available publicly on http://www.scouting.org/youth-safety, a website that you can share with your family.
What To Do Now
The short answer is — keep Scouting. And do so with pride.
Remind others why you are in Scouting, how the program has helped you and your family, and all the fun you have in it.