Issue 574 – September 12, 2018

________________________________________
I’ve just read a cautionary tale of—yes!—a misguided Commissioner! Seems the Scoutmasters and other volunteers of troops he’s assigned to can’t stand the guy. He’s taken it upon himself to dictate to these troops, giving orders instead of suggestions, telling Scoutmasters they have to “toe-the-line” or they’re out, stepping “inside” troops to reorganize their patrols, providing no compliments and only criticisms of how their troop programs are “failing,” pointing out that “in this district, we operate at a ‘higher standard’,” and—overall—being a genuine pain-in-the-butt.

And here’s the kicker…this all occurred in 1938!

So, if we think “jerks” in Scouting are something new, think again…they’ve been around from Scouting’s earliest years! The ultimate solution? Boot these rascals out and get your unit on-track with the right-thinking folks.

==========
Dear Andy,

Our three sons are in a troop with a completely off-the-reservation Scoutmaster.

He makes Scoutmaster conferences two hours long (instead of the recommended 10-15 minutes) and done with each Scout on one side of the table and himself and his five Assistant Scoutmasters on the other.

He’s demanded a 75% “participation rule,” and if the Scouts don’t meet it, they get no credit, which has delayed some rank advancements by as much as a year to a year-and-a-half.

Scouts have to have camped overnight for every rank, or they’re not allowed to advance to their next rank—even Star and Life and Eagle, which have no camping requirements.

Scouts must have their Scout “binder” (not Scout Handbook) in perfect condition and order or they don’t advance.

Scouts must recite the Scout Oath and Law and the Outdoor Code perfectly or they don’t advance.

The troop’s advancement coordinator and committee chair are no better. At their boards of review, they start by inspecting each Scout’s uniform and, if even one patch is sewn wrong or is missing, they’re “failed” and ordered to “come back in a month and we’ll review you again.”

The troop has an adult “leadership review chair” who exclusively determines if a Scout’s four- or six-month tenure in position will be “counted” or not.

At a very personal level, one of my three sons is autistic, and wears headphones in meetings to mitigate sensory overload and processing problems. He was just told that he won’t meet the “Scout spirit” requirement because of the headphones and that it’s “up to him” to “be a model Scout”—as if he can just turn his disability “on” and “off” at will.

The troop now has several Scouts who are high school juniors and Life rank; they’ve already begun to look for a new troop rather than face these people in their final push to Eagle.

Several parents, myself included, attempted to enlist the aid of our council’s professional staff. We approached our District Executive, but there was no result. We next approached our sponsor’s Chartered Organization Representative (“CR”), but it took months before he decided to terminate the Scoutmaster, which did happen, except the guy continues to show up at troop meetings, and still demands being “in charge”! (The new Scoutmaster doesn’t know how, or won’t stop this guy.)

We also reached out to our council’s Field Executive and even the BSA’s National Advancement Chair, but as it turns out, they were willing to advise but not enforce actual BSA advancement standards, so nothing’s been done to effectively protect the Scouts themselves.

Last night, another parent sadly told me that her son’s leadership tenure for his next rank was voided because he didn’t go to summer camp with the troop. When she told the troop’s “leadership review chair” that their son and whole family had been in Asia at the same time the troop was at camp, making her son’s participation at camp with the troop this year impossible, she was told “That’s his problem; not mine. My decision stands.”

Two Scouts have already quit Scouting altogether, another has transferred to another troop, and four other families are looking for a new troop, as we are, too. But here’s my question: Is there anything else we can do besides what feels like “running away” from this problem? (Sally Forth)

“Off the reservation” doesn’t even come close to describing how far astray these folks have gone. Fundamentally, they’ve entirely reversed what they’re supposed to be doing—Instead of focusing on how to help young men succeed, they’re aiming to trip them up in as many ways as their tiny brains can conjure.

GET YOUR SONS OUT OF THAT TROOP and don’t look back.

Yes, this can be wrenching for your sons, because they’ve likely made friends among the other persecuted Scouts in what has become a POW camp run by the worst kind of “guards.” But, if you want to expose your sons to the best kind of Scouting experience—a positive one that can stay with them for the rest of their lives—this simply has to be done.

Not knowing where you live, I can only hope that there’s a reasonably nearby troop where they get it right. If so, transfer your sons immediately and encourage other parents to do the same.

Just a few notes on why having your sons remain in this troop is going to produce only further frustration, rancor, and—for your sons—a likely permanent dislike of Scouting as they’ve experienced it so far…

The only people who can throw out these rascals are those directly associated with the troop’s sponsoring organization (i.e., the chartered organization, its head, or its representative: the Chartered Organization Representative, or CR for short). Unfortunately, your council’s professional staff doesn’t have this authority and neither does any volunteer in the position of commissioner. (This is why even the BSA national council can’t step in for you—you have to do this yourselves because it’s the chartered organization that’s got a corrupted core.)

It’s obvious from your letter that neither the CO nor the CR has the solid spine it takes to make the changes needed here and, without this, nothing positive can happen.

So, back to the one thing you, as a parent, can do to save your sons from further mistreatment: GET ‘EM OUT OF THAT TROOP and into one that gets it right!

Don’t waste another minute. Transfer them, and encourage them to let their friends in this awful troop know that they can follow without regret and nothing and no one can stop them.

Assure your sons that this isn’t “quitting”–it’s saying ENOUGH!

(You may want to know that, whenever I’ve proposed this course of action to other families in similar situations, I receive letters back from parents thanking me and telling me that their sons are now happy and enjoying what Scouting is supposed to be all about.)

I agree 100% with you, Andy, and I knew you’d get this on a level that most people don’t. It’s not always been this way in our troop. The Scoutmaster was actually pretty good until he let the power get to his head.

The troop’s chartered organization is a VFW Post and the CR is a retired Marine who has actually been pretty decent through all of this. He looked at all the issues I brought to him a few months ago and worked with the local council people to reach a decision to remove the Scoutmaster.

The Scoutmaster didn’t like that so, as I said, he just keeps coming to troop meetings. Some members of committee aren’t going along with the CR’s decision and are right now trying to get a new sponsor, so that the now-ousted (but not gone) Scoutmaster can “run things” again.

The CR wants what’s best for the Scouts and has been working with some district-level people to get this resolved, because, as he put it, “I don’t want to ‘make a scene’ at a meeting, in front of the Scouts.”

But it looks like there’s going to be a “scene” anyway, because the troop’s “power mongers” (my word for them) called for a troop parent meeting where the Scoutmaster, a couple of his loyal assistants, and some committee members will tell their side of the story and why they believe the parents should go along with them and create a new, more “disciplined” troop.

There are several families who know how toxic this whole thing is and have been visiting other troops. Certainly, they’ll be moving on, while others have, as I mentioned, just quit Scouts altogether.

The Scoutmasters of the troops my sons and I have visited look at us with dinner-plate eyes when we tell them about failed reviews over a patch, rescinded leadership positions, 90- and 180-day “leadership reviews,” mandatory troop camping requirements, the “troop binder” stuff, and on and on.

All the troops we’ve visited in the past few weeks have been Scout-led, with the adults observing (but not interfering or stepping in) on the fringes to make sure the Scouts are safe—exactly as it should be.

I really want our sons to see how good it can be with the right leadership. There’s a video I saw recently called “Guardian of the Gate” and I wish all Scouting volunteers—especially those associated with troops—could see this and follow the points it makes! (SF)

The Grand Canyon Council’s YouTube video, “Guardian of the Gate,” by Darnall Daley, Advancement Chairman for BSA Region 6, is nothing less than brilliant, and speaks directly to the abuses these erstwhile “leaders” are inflicting on the Scouts of your sons’ troop.

I have nothing but admiration for Mr. Daley’s statements and would add this: We adult volunteers aren’t supposed to be advancement “guardians” or “gatekeepers”—Our job is to be gate OPENERS so that the young people we’re supposed to be serving can flourish and grown into the kinds of responsible, ethical citizens our country needs so very much.

For your sons’ troop, the CR needs to take his actions further, and he has the resources to do it, and I’m hoping you’ll share this with him…

First, he and the VFW post need to actually fire the miscreants—literally have their names removed from the troop’s charter documents (i.e., “de-register” them) and the council will support this action (it’s a few computer-button clicks by the registrar and it’s over and done with).

Once this is done, these jerks can be barred from all troop meetings, and if that requires having two or more fellow VFW members at the door to enforce this, then that’s what to do. (Scouts and their parents can’t be barred from entry, but others who aren’t registered with the troop and have no sons in it definitely can be! In the cases of a miscreant former Assistant Scoutmaster or committee member who does have a son in the troop, he or she can be admitted, so long as it’s clear to all that they no longer hold any position of “authority” and it is unacceptable for them to continue to act or speak as if they still do. They can be asked to leave if they prove unruly or disruptive.)

The VFW Post and this CR have 100% control over this, and no one can “override” it. This means that once the Scoutmaster is dismissed, for instance, he can’t “appeal” to be reinstated by the district or council—the game’s over, for good!

As for a “parents meeting,” this can be a good thing but must be managed—ideally by the CR (with support from his fellow veterans who “get” what Scouting’s supposed to be).

If “making a scene in front of the Scouts” means that the CR will tell the now-former Scoutmaster and any others that they’re not members of the troop anymore and that they need to leave the building, is considered a “bad” thing, that’s a big mistake! These Scouts absolutely deserve to see these abusive, bullying jerks tossed out on their ears! After all, until now, nobody’s advocated for the Scouts themselves, which communicates to these Scouts that they have no value as human beings. When they see their abusers thrown out, they learn that they do have value and that some people actually respect their personal feelings and ambitions.

If anyone’s worried about “embarrassing” or “hurting the feelings” of these control-freak jerks, think again: Why do you care about the “feelings” of men who have no regard for the feelings of the Scouts and young men they’re supposed to be serving?!?! Dump ’em and move on.

Back to you and your sons now… Since you’ve already checked out some other troops, go visit again with your sons and then step back so THEY can decide what troop they’d like to join!

Happy Scouting!

Andy

Have a question? Facing a dilemma? Wondering where to find a BSA policy or guideline? Write to askandybsa@yahoo.com. Please include your name and council. (If you’d prefer to be anonymous, if published, let me know and that’s what we’ll do.)

[No. 574 – 9/12/2018 – Copyright © Andy McCommish 2018]