To our Crater Lake Council Boy Scouts of America Members and Alumni:
I am continually impressed by the dedication of our Scouting Movement and the way we band together as an organization in challenging circumstances. Amid these great difficulties, Scouting has continued to build character, confidence, leadership, and hope in families and communities across the country, and your efforts have helped make some incredible things possible:
- Troop 90 out of Bend completed a hundred mile backpacking trip.
- Pack 100 in Medford and Pack 17 in Jacksonville have been raising money and collecting supplies for families that have lost houses from the recent forest fires.
- Mercy Flights Explorer Post is manning support operations for the firefighters and first responders fighting the fires in Jackson County.
Now more than ever, families are looking for what Scouting offers. When asked what they want from youth-serving organizations this fall, parents overwhelmingly said they want to give their children a sense of normalcy, as well as something to do as a group, even if socially distant, or something productive to do with peers, even if it’s online. Scouting delivers what parents are asking for. Together, we need to stand ready to bring Scouting to even more youth and families this year.
As we promote Scouting in our community, some people may have questions about our youth protection policies and how we keep kids safe. Each question is an opportunity to shed light on the important policies and procedures we’ve put in place that make Scouting safer than ever before.
It is important to emphasize that the safety of children in our programs is our absolute top priority. That’s precisely why, over many years, the BSA has developed some of the strongest expert-informed youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization.
If you are a volunteer, you’ve taken youth protection training, undergone a criminal background check, and played an integral role in the BSA’s commitment to keep kids safe. At the Crater Lake Council, and at all councils across America, adhering to and upholding these policies is a duty we take very seriously. I encourage you to view and share video and infographic about the BSA’s youth protection measures and resources that make Scouting safer than ever before.
Conversations about safety will be especially relevant over the next several weeks when those in Scouting and other members of the public will likely see and hear print, TV, social media, digital, and radio advertising from national BSA’s Chapter 11 noticing campaign. Although only the national organization has filed for Chapter 11, you will likely come across these ads in the coming weeks, so I wanted to make sure you knew their purpose and had the necessary information to address questions or concerns they may raise for you or others.
These noticing ads are different than those many people have seen so far that have been sponsored by plaintiffs’ attorneys trying to solicit clients. The BSA’s ads are instead designed and sponsored by national BSA to ensure that victims have the opportunity to come forward and apply for compensation from a proposed Trust by filing a claim by the November 16, 2020 deadline set by the court. This advertising effort underscores the BSA’s commitment to the dual objectives of its bankruptcy proceeding: equitably compensate victims of past abuse and continue the mission of Scouting.
If you would like additional information about the BSA’s outreach to victims of past abuse, see this FAQ. For questions about local Scouting, please contact Jim Westfall at 541-664-1444.
Yours in Scouting,
Jim Westfall, Scout Executive
