For many RVers, love of the outdoors started early, often through the Boy or Girl Scout organizations. A recent poll on the RV Bunch Facebook page revealed that over 300 members were veterans of the Boy Scouts with another 80 or so former Girl Scouts.
Many have watched recent changes in the Boy Scout organization with concern. First the name change - from Boy Scouts to Scouts BSA - and the decision to let girls join along with boys in early 2019. While young women had been participating in BSA’s Venturing, Exploring, Sea Scouts and STEM Scouts programs for more than five decades, now the organization would sponsor all-girl troops offering the same programs and earning the same merit badges as young men have for more than 100 years, including the prestigious Eagle Scout rank.
More worrying included the many lawsuits filed by former scouts who were abused by their scout leaders. Hundreds of victims have come forward, and, in February of 2020, BSA filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
The bankruptcy filing raised many questions. Would Scouting continue to exist? What would happen to the camps and preserves operated by the Scouts across the country? Would the victims of abuse receive compensation?
Roger Mosby, president and CEO of the BSA, said that the Chapter 11 filing is part of the organization’s plan to compensate victims. “The national organization of the Boy Scouts of America has initiated a voluntary financial restructuring to ensure we can equitably compensate all victims of past abuse in our programs, through a proposed Victim’s Compensation Trust,” Mosby said. “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.”
Mosby said he encourages all victims to come forward to file a claim as the bankruptcy process moves forward. About 90 percent of claims filed so far are related to abuse that happened 30 or more years ago.
"Leadership starts with leading the person you know best—yourself." A quote from the Boy Scout Handbook [Photo/BSA]
In response to the abuse suffered by scouts, BSA has made a number of policy changes to keep scouts safe and has been funding counseling for any current or former Scout who was a victim of abuse as well as victims’ family members, by a provider of their choice, for a number of years. In addition, BSA Youth Protection volunteers and professionals work within the national, regional, area, council, district, and unit levels to maintain a culture of Youth Protection awareness and safety. Online Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers and must be repeated every two years.
All Scouting activities are now governed by the “two deep” leadership policy which means that two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a parent of a participating Scout or other adult, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required for all trips and outings. The same policy applies to social media, ensuring that there are no private messages and no one-on-one direct contact through email, Facebook messages, Twitter direct messaging, chats, instant messaging and other apps between adults and children.
“In addition to implementing strong policies to prevent abuse, we are dedicated to supporting victims when and how they need it,” Mosby said. BSA recently announced a multi-year partnership with 1in6, a leading organization for male survivors of sexual abuse to better support the needs of those who were harmed in Scouting. The 1in6 organization offers anonymous online counseling for victims of past abuse.
Meanwhile, Scouting programs will continue across the country. These are run by local councils, which are not involved in the bankruptcy filing, as explained by Renee Wright Widmark, Scout Executive of BSA’s Cape Fear Council.
“The Cape Fear Council has not filed for bankruptcy. Meetings and activities, district and council events, other Scouting adventures and countless service projects are taking place as usual. In short, there should be no change to the local Scouting experience,” Widmark said. “The national organization of the Boy Scouts of America is the only entity involved in the Chapter 11 filing. The Cape Fear Council – which provides programming, financial, facility and administrative support to local units and individual Scouts in our area – is separate and distinct from the national organization. Our camps, properties and all local contributions are controlled by our council.”
While the terms of the national BSA bankruptcy have not yet been determined, the restructuring may include some property sales. BSA’s 2017 annual report, the most recent one available, reveals that besides its national offices in Irving, TX, the national organization holds deeds on a limited number properties, including the 14,000 acre Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia, where national jamborees are held, valued at about $400,000, and three high-adventure bases: the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico (location of the National Scouting Museum); the Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases in Minnesota, Manitoba and Ontario; and the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base in the Keys, together valued at about $100,000.
The initial Chapter 11 hearing is scheduled for March 24, with a meeting of creditors to follow on April 15, in the District of Delaware court.
Jim Rogers, former CEO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA) and a Distinguished Eagle Scout himself, underlines the importance of Scouting to the future of outdoor related industries, including RVing.
“I am a life-long fan of the BSA and know that Scouting...both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts... have played and continue to play HUGE roles in introducing camping and outdoor recreation to millions of Americans. The percentage of RVers that were once Scouts or started camping because their fathers were Scouts is significant,” Rogers said in a statement from his current expedition to Patagonia.
“Scouting is the entry point for future RVers and the RV and campground sectors should do more to support these organizations. Every campground should charter a local Cub Pack or Scouts BSA Troop. 2019 was a record year at Boy Scouts for Eagle Scouts (over 60,000 nationwide) and participation in the High Adventure Bases (over 65,000). The program works, and outdoor related businesses should do all they can to support Scouting organizations... their futures depend on them!”
Jim Rogers has served on the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America, the organization's governing body. The Rogers family is passionate about Scouting: Jim’s three sons, two brothers and their sons are all Eagle Scouts, a total of 10 Eagle Scouts across two generations. In May, 2016, Rogers received BSA's highest national volunteer award, The Silver Buffalo.