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Failure to Pick up scouts after events.


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Looking for suggestions on best remedies for parents failing to pick up their little darlings after outings or events.

 

This weekend I had two parents fail to pick up their scouts. So I took them home with me after an hour and a half after pick up time. Again, phone calls unanswered and when I went by their homes no one answered the door. The last scout was returned home 12 hours after the designated pick up time.

 

Suggestions are welcome

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First, this is where you bend the CC's ear. He/she and the COR need to get the parents and any other responsible relatives in the room and make clear this is unacceptable. They need to come up with a better plan or be prepared to have the police knocking on their door for neglect.

 

We get that this economy demands folks work double shifts, Sundays, etc... And for some kids, we know grandparents, etc ... for this purpose. And, some kids are latch-key. Got it. Tell us ahead of time and we'll support your arrangement. But behavior like this is beyond the pale.

 

Calling your SE is probably a wise move at this point as well.

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Wow....12 hours? That is a first for me. Time for the CC, COR to get involved. Hopefully it was a one time thing. I would start calling the Scouts relatives and get them to them ASAP. Then you need to inform and work with the Parents as to what is happening. Yes, it could have been work related. Or worse, a medical issue that sent them to the hospital. I would check the Scout's Medical form and call the next person on that list. If that does not work...other relatives that the Scout knows. Then it turns over the Police and Council.

 

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12 hours is insane. For campouts, I set the following rule:

 

"When the second to the last Scout is picked up, I set a timer on my watch. After 10 minutes, your Scout goes home with me and my sons. He will sit at my home until you retrieve him at my house."

 

I hate to punish a Scout for bad parents - often they are the Scouts that need us the most.

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Horizon, that might end up gaining 'adopted' sons. 12 hours is excessive. I've been on the receiving end of something like this but maxed out at 6 hours. It was not common though. I don't have a good solution because this is a bad problem. As mentioned, your 'last resort' is child protective services. I don't know how long you wait until 'abandonment' kicks in. That may vary from state to state.

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My Troop, too, has Scouts whose parents work double shifts or don't have cars. So the way we have avoided experiences like the one described above is to provide home drop-offs. I can't speak for Basement's situation, obviously, but I know that making it known that we want the Scouts to come camping and that we will return the kids to their homes has made a huge difference in attendance.

 

Our drivers agree to taking a few extra minutes to drop the Scouts off at home, many of them being "latch-key kids".

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Unless they had a real good excuse (sudden death, hospitalization, etc) That kid would not go camping with me again. The risk of being accused of something, or ending up in a bad situation is too great. You have to protect yourself. Plus, you are being used as a babysitter.

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Unless they had a real good excuse (sudden death' date=' hospitalization, etc) That kid would not go camping with me again. The risk of being accused of something, or ending up in a bad situation is too great. You have to protect yourself. Plus, you are being used as a babysitter.[/quote']

 

I pretty much agree.

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