Alleged Youth Protection Violation and Youth Membership Revocation

[lookingforanswers]

I wanted to know if anyone here has any experience with a youth's membership being revoked due to an alleged youth protection violation.  Did you think the assessment was handled fairly.  Did you go through an appeal process and what documentation did you provide. Ultimately was the appeal successful?  

[RememberSchiff]

@@lookingforanswers welcome to scouter.com

[SSF]

I've personally never had any experience with that

 

If I'm reading between the lines of your post correctly though, it seems that you may have concerns over an incident in which a youth was removed and the manner in which it was handled. 

 

If you may be able to share a summary and any details of what the situation is and what transpired, that would be very helpful

[lookingforanswers]

My son was accused of a youth protection violation.  And, as a parent I am very dissatisfied with how the initial report was investigated and the lack of transparency to the process that resulted in my son's membership being revoked with little input from the local council which knows him best.  

[TAHAWK]

http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/19970-revocation-of-membership/

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/100-023_WB.pdf

[qwazse]

I have had to deal with something like this. Worse, I was not told about it at the time. It was not an actionable offense, but people acted like it was. So, once I got word, I acted in a way that the issue would be run up the chain ... two years later. I had two very unpleasant phone calls where basically, I stood by the accused while respecting the parents of the purported victim. It was a mess until I declared to council how I was going to handle it. Unfortunately by that time, the youth/adult was soured on scouting.

[Stosh]

They must have missed the Citizenship MB requirement on innocent until proven guilty.  Gotta say, some the the lessons being taught seem to be rather questionable.

 

If it was that bad, 911 would have solved the issue and BSA wouldn't have egg on their face.  This, behind the scenes, processing is really not a scoutlike activity.

 

And by the way, where is the YPT training for youth located.  I've looked and can't find it.  I'm thinking it's kinda like the made up on the spot kinds of things that create myths and hard feelilngs.  Bullying?  Yep, he's out.  Anything in the pamphlet in the front of the handbook?  Yep, he's out.  Aside from that what is there?

[SSF]

Obviously, I don't know what the circumstances were here, but it's clear that you, and I'm sure your son and your family also, are very upset by whatever transpired, and have great concern over the way it was investigated. 

 

Just to be clear was your son's membership actually revoked by the local council, or was this done by his troop?

 

You said that the local council knows your son best, so it seems that the council was not involved, but I just want to confirm if that's the case...

 

Also, while I'm not a Youth Protection authority by any means, my understanding of YP is that it's intended and designed to protect youth from adults, not necessarily to protect youth from other youth. Hypothetically speaking, I don't believe that if two scouts got into a fight, that that would constitute a "Youth Protection" issue. 

 

I'm not sure that a unit (troop) has the authority to actually revoke a scout's membership from the BSA as a national organization. The unit does, however, have the authority to remove any scout, or scouter, for any reason or no reason at all.

 

As Stosh noted, there is unfortunately no due process within the BSA. The BSA, and it's units, can kick people out - scouts, scouters, parents or anyone affiliated with them - for any reason they choose, or for no reason at all.  

 

If your son's membership was actually revoked by the BSA then I would contact the BSA's national headquarters for guidance on appealing that decision. If, however, your son was kicked out of his current troop, then it would just be a matter of either convincing the troop to let him back in, or finding a new troop. 

 

Although I do not have any experience with a scout being accused of a youth protection violation, I do have experience with and have heard of far too many incidents involving scoutmasters and scout leaders, who put their own egos, agenda and self-interests ahead of doing what's best for the scouts.

[TAHAWK]

I can find no reference in BSA documents describing the functions of a Council to Council authority to revoke membership of a Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

 

However, many have asserted over the years that a Council Scout Executive can revoke BSA membership.

 

Rules and Regulations (2017)

"A Scouter who has not been designated as ineligible by the National Council who is removed from a position or whose registration is not renewed by a local council are eligible for service in other positions subject to the required approval for the position."

Edited August 13, 2017 by TAHAWK

[lookingforanswers]

The event in question occurred at the National Jamboree and BSA National investigated the incident and made the decision to revoke his membership.  It was an he said he said situation.   There is an appeals process. However once the appeal is submitted the BSA can then decide if they feel it has merit.  If so they will review the appeal and return a decision in another 3-6 months.  My son is 16 1/2 which is a long time to make a decision that is even if they think the appeal has merit. 

 

Yes I am very concerned.  Others should be also.  As if it could happen to the awesome scout I have it could happen to anyone.  

[lookingforanswers]

My son had full trust in the BSA that the result would end favorably. He so believes in the organization. I am going to follow suit and hope he has a successful appeal.

[Eagle94-A1]

I do not know if the individual had his membership revoked or not, but I had to report a youth staffer who propositioned another youth staffer. Long story short, once it was reported, the camp director removed the individual from camp. 

[fred johnson]

I am sad for the pain your son and your family is going through.  It is tough to see things such as this.  I have seen parents and individuals submit reports that were overblown or one sided.  I've seen individuals go-after one another with a blood thirst.  It's hard and sad to see.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think you will get any useful answers here without providing a lot more detail.  And, I recommend you do NOT provide that detail.  Work with your council.  Work with other groups.  

 

Revocation doesn't happen easily or without painful consideration.  

 

I wish you and yours the best. 

[John-in-KC]

I do not know the facts.  I do not want to know the facts.  Airing linen on a public forum rarely solves much.

 

I think a business meeting with your Council's SE is in order.  If your business is a player at the Council level, your boss might want to provide some influence in your behalf.  The goal of the meeting should be to have the SE and a staffer at National review the matter informally.  They can then tell you if an appeal will work.

 

I do not know if that will fly, I'm looking for a trailhead here.

 

@@Beavah, if you are out there monitoring, do you have any thoughts?  You've played at this level...

[K1805]

Dealing with a similar issue. My spouses Angry ex reported lies about my kids that supposedly happened over 5 years ago. I proved innocence and BSA still kicked them out. How do I appeal it?