r/BSA • u/AromaticCap4 • 10d ago

Scouting America Advice wanted

My son is part of the Jamboree contingent for our area. They had a Campout at the beginning of May with the new Jamboree troop. The kids were told there would be comfort stations available for them to utilize. Unbeknownst to them, the volunteer leadership decided against having the comfort stations because the troop would be responsible to clean them. The leaders did not update the boys about this change (it was decided at check in at the Scout reservation - not ahead of time). Several boys in my son's patrol went to the comfort station, found them locked and did the inappropriate thing and unlocked several with a flint and steel or rocks. My son was present and says he didn't participate but didn't stop the others either. The volunteer leader showed up, told the boys they should not have done that and the weekend progressed. On Sunday night we received a message in the Discord channel about the damage to the comfort station locks and there would be further discussion.

A week later, I received an email saying my son and a parent needed to attend a mandatory meeting to talk about the damage and reparations needed to be paid. I emailed back and said I needed pictures, needed to understand what was happening to the leadership (who weren't leading), and I wanted to understand the insurance. I was told this would all happen at the mandatory meeting.

The meeting was last night. Come to find out the Area Council leadership called most of the other parents in the Jamboree troop EXCEPT the accused kids' parents. Seriously. My son and the others was tried and convicted without being able to address his accuser(s) and discuss the situation. Is this normally how things are resolved in the Scouts? I get the boys violated the Oath and the Law and didn't act appropriately but I can imagine how this was all decided without talking to the accused. And leadership was exonerated from responsibility.

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u/Buho45 10d ago

I’ve dealt with this issue for my kids’ school and I’m seeing shades of the same issue here. Why would anyone think it was OK to have a weekend camping outing at Scout Camp and not make available proper bathroom facilities that were already there? This matters especially when there are mixed gender troops and leadership cadres that may be present in camp. There are some scouts and leaders who may for health/medical reasons need the immediate availability of bathroom facilities and this is not voluntary or optional. There is such a thing as exigent circumstances.

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u/AromaticCap4 10d ago

Yes there are boys and girls in the Jamboree troop. The girls thanked the boys who broke into the comfort stations. Oh btw, none of the girls were in the contingent of Scouts blamed - either by association or actual actions. Again I think there is a good chance my son did use a rock on the door. But I want there to be some accountability by the adult leaders about decisions made by them and lack of communication 

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u/iowanaquarist 10d ago

So did leaders just decide not to have restrooms for the campout? Or to just have the standard pit toilets?

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u/AromaticCap4 10d ago

Yes just standard pit toilets. But no one told the kids where the latrines were. In fact, one of the adult leaders said she didn't know where they were either until daylight. They arrived at the campsite at sunset and worked on tents right away before worrying about bathrooms

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u/iowanaquarist 10d ago

Ok, personally, the fact that they were not pointed out doesn't seem relevant. I have been on a LOT of scout trips in my time, and I don't think we have EVER pointed out where the latrines are. That's well inside the scout's ability to find, or ask about, especially at an established camp ground.

When encountering a locked door, before trying to break in, the scouts should have assessed the situation and looked around for the alternatives -- and if they failed to find one, ask someone about the alternatives before trying to break in.

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u/AromaticCap4 10d ago

Understood. Nowhere did I state their behavior was acceptable. The Council leadership said they could have called the Sheriffs for the damage. I responded at least the Sheriff would have taken their statements 

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u/iowanaquarist 10d ago

It does seem like you are trying to blame the leaders for the kids actions, though.... I'm just not seeing how this anything more than simple vandalism, or potentially breaking and entering, or why you would blame the leaders here.