Comitteemom

To reply to request for details re-safety concerns, they seem to center on one incident in which the boy was discovered with a drawing he'd made depicting violence against an authority figure (not a leader, if that matters)at a campout, and various verbal incidents that I don't have specifics on, but leaders report they occured on a regular basis and were of a violent, threatening nature against other boys... To update on the situation (and thank all again for their input) Committee and adult leadership decided that they could not/would want to approve this boy's membership application (which wd need to be re-submitted due to timeframe). The overriding concern they cited: Because of past history with other Scouts and leaders, that "short leash" referenced above might prove too short for any boy to succeed on; they've since asked that I, as CC, advise the parent that if he does indeed want to come back to Scouting, a fresh start in another Troop would be the best way to go. After doing so this a.m., I've come away from the ordeal with the strong conviction that this is, indeed, best - but an equally strong feeling that this situation could have turned out better if those one-on-one convos with the parent had been a bit more formal in nature, which we will make every effort to change in the future. But the fact that it won't help this particular boy, who's already been through so much, and now must face this rejection, hits hard to say the least. Still not done w/this, since parent has asked for meeting to discuss, with the purpose of setting the record straight regarding behavioral infractions she was/was not informed of. Thanks again to all...

Thanks to all who've responded to my message; your information has been most helpful. Seems we need our COR to weigh in, especially since our CO is the church to which the boy's parent (formerly parents; one now not particularly in the picture) belongs. So obviously, we have some complicating factors that will play into this; particularly the decision of whether to give a boy whose been through a lot over the past 2 years another chance in the spirit of Scouting, or whether the serious nature of safety concerns must prevail for the welfare of the Troop. The question of why the boy wants to come back is one we've already considered, and though theories abound, only he can tell us that. Hopefully, our upcoming meeting - and the help you've all supplied - will determine whether or not he'll have a venue in which to tell us. Again, my sincere thanks!

Would appreciate input re- Troop situation that's proven to be a hot potato. A boy formerly with our Troop would like to re-join, but some leaders have serious concerns, given a past history of disruptive and potentially-dangerous behavior (including verbal threats against others). The boy left the troop of his own accord 18 months ago, then recently approached Committee Chair and Scoutmaster about re-joining. Several assistant Scoutmasters are vehemently opposed to this, citing above history , lack of parental involvement and attention to such incidents, and bottom-line safety concerns for the rest of the Troop. The wrinkle: Though past incidents were addressed in one-on-one converstaions with parents, no formal disciplinary action was ever taken. Unit Commissioner sez we can't bar boy from re-joining. However, at recent outing, one Asst. SM discussed the issue with other Commissioners in attendance, and reports that they say we can bar the boy. I've been searching for days, and can't find anything on the BSA books re-policy on this. Can/should the boy be barred? This has become a very heated issue in an otherwise organized and cooperative group, and we're meeting with our UC about shortly, but could use some educated advice to prepare.