BOYS SCOUTS FACE BANKRUPTCY

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to a drop in participants and costly lawsuits over multiple alleged and/or proven cases of child abuse.

In just one such example, nearly 800 instances of physical and sexual abuse have been alleged by a single scout at the hands of a Pennsylvania scout leader during the 1970s, according to his lawsuit filed in 2019.

In court this man has only been identified with the letters S.D. After all these years, he came to court to tell his story of how his scoutmaster sexually abused him so that he can potentially save youths currently participating in the BSA (which stands accused of covering up known cases of abuse for decades) from such harm. This occurred both on camping trips and at the adult’s house, his lawsuit says. 

This continued for five years until S.D. finally got his Eagle Scout rank and aged out of scouting. He kept this to himself for all these years until he had the confidence to tell his story, it has been reported. His story, and other such lawsuits, have inspired other men to speak up about the abuses they suffered as children.

Over time, the lawsuits and resulting publicity have made many parents across American wary of allowing their children to participate in the program. Beyond that (and the resulting decline in the group’s income) and after deciding to also admit girls a little over a year ago, the BSA has seen a huge decrease in its overall numbers.

The BSA is a nonprofit organization, so when its number of participants began to shrink the organization as a whole began to lose its luster. 

Scouting in America has been around for a little over 100 years now, and to see the group hit these hard times is heartbreaking to many. Because of these problems, many current scouts might not be able to receive their Eagle Scout rank, which is the greatest reward in scouting – and a six-year investment of time. If the BSA gets shut down, all the years those scouts put in would be, at least, partially wasted. 

As an Eagle Scout myself, seeing a program I have been a part of starting to lose money and members is heartbreaking. Some of my greatest memories were my time with the Scouts, and it gave me a fantastic work ethic. I have become the person I am today thanks to that time, and I have grown into a good leader and a person that people can depend on. The Eagle Scout rank was a lot of hard work, but finally receiving it was amazing and it made me feel accomplished.

Scouting is a great program that teaches youths many interesting and fun skills. Knowing that the organization might be gone someday seems unfair to anyone in the future who will not get to experience this amazing program. The BSA allows youths to experience and learn survival, teamwork, and leadership skills.

Scouting is also a way for individuals to step out of their shells and make some amazing friends. It is an organization that opens the doors to many opportunities and can spark a light so that many youths can realize what they might want to do with their lives.

The BSA has always been known to have some small problems, but with this recent development it might be the time we say goodbye to this well-known organization.