We Got "Fired"

[hippychik42]

Did you know that if you make political waves for your council and expose their misappropriation of federal block grant monies, and if that costs them part of their grant for "urban scouting" or "scoutreach", they can easily convince your CO (who has no concept of their role and authority to choose leaders) that the troop needs to go in a different direction and replace its leaders? Happened to us, because of me. They named our troop in their grant request and then refused to spend the money in the way they stated. I brought the issue to a public forum, and forced them to follow through. They convinced the CO to replace the leaders, and with much sincere thank yous and gratitude, asked us to resign. Now, all I want is to find a way to let "good prevail over evil" and not go away quietly like they are hoping I will do. Thoughts, anyone?

[OldGreyEagle]

Welcome Hippychik42, having seen posts similar to this one, I have a request. Can you provide more details and if possible some documentation of the incidents of which you speak, such as the newspaper that covered the public forums website?

[hippychik42]

This is what happened: Where I work, we are in direct competition for the same grant money. A city council member who is retired from where I work, knowing my affiliation with BSA, left the book of every agencies request on my desk. It is public information. After reading our councils grant, it was apparent that it should have been titled "Creative Writing 101, Creative Budgeting 102". I began a series of inquiries through our scouting email network as to who at the council the grant author was, and how to contact him with my concerns that my economically depressed scouts were not benefitting from this grant as was claimed. I have copies of every email and every reply, including the ones that are self-incriminating to the council. Because I do the grant reports for where I work, I was aware that the answers they were giving me were bold faced lies. I finally had an opportunity to meet the grant author in person and introduced myself, shared concerns. He made a few notations on a pad and assured me he would get back to me real soon. I never heard from him again. So, I went to city council, whose job it is to decide how to distribute the funds. There is also a city council member on the scoutreach committee, and another whose son is the scoutreach executive (and therefore indirectly financially benefits from the funds received-making him ineligible to vote on the distribution, which he had in the past been able to do because no one checked him on it.) So, I publicly addressed the city council, gave them all packets of email communication, pointed out all the discrepancies, and at the end of the city council meeting they voted on the distribution of funds. The first thing they did was cut my BSA councils grant award by $5,000.00, then took another grand from each request and gave it to my employer. Then things started going downhill. It was not published in a newspaper. It aired on our local cable government TV channel. But, I still have the packet I made, and if you would like I could scan it and send it to you as an attachment.

 

[hippychik42]

oh, by the way. Another scouter contacted me via telephone, gave me our council's CPA name and address and asked me to send a packet to them, which I did.

[Zorn Packte]

It is a truism that whistle-blowers get the shaft in the end. Not that it is right, just a fact of our society.

 

The perception is that you aired your family's (BSA) dirty laundry in public. If you had worked within the system, you may have gotten someone else fired and been considered a heroine.

[hippychik42]

I did try to work within the system. The system had something to hide, so they would not work with me at all. Regardless, they were doing wrong, and I exposed them. I will never regret that.

[packsaddle]

hippychik42, My deepest sympathies. The kind of behavior you described fits neither the Oath nor the Law. Working for change or for reform within any system is tricky and requires great care...and sometimes you really have to hold your nose. You evidently touched a tripwire. However, to use an analogy to John Muir, soaked with rain and covered with dirt, you are now completely free to pursue this any way you see fit. BSA may have erred in that they now have no leverage over you whatsoever. However, from what you describe, there may have been actual crimes committed and this possibility should be investigated. In the long run, getting the crooks and liars out of Scouting will benefit the boys. If the organization cleaned themselves up, it would set a positive example. Good Luck

[acco40]

Your Charter Organization has the "right" to pick and choose the leaders of the units under their charter. I don't know what type of recourse you have with them, but I would not just challenge the BSA if you feel that they had done wrong, but communicate with the Charter Organization too (in a civil manner).