Contact: Joe Mueller, Director of Public Relations
W: 314-256-3030
C: 314-603-9983
The following is the text from an e-mail from
Ronald S. Green, Scout Executive and Chief Executive Officer of the
Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, to top unit and
district leadership.
Dear Scout Leader,
The safety of all children is paramount to
the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. During the
last three decades, we strengthened and enhanced the programs and
policies that protect children. We believe any occurrence of abuse is
unacceptable. We regret there have been times when the BSA's best
efforts to protect children were insufficient. For that we are deeply
sorry and extend our deepest sympathies to victims. We are committed to
helping those who suffered abuse and assisting them through a variety of
means.
Several media outlets are publishing stories on the BSA's
Ineligible Volunteer files after the Oregon Supreme Court ordered them
to be released. The files exist to protect youth by helping the BSA keep individuals deemed to be inappropriate leaders out of Scouting.
The
files help us protect those in Scouting and are just one component of
our broader Youth Protection program. Scouting has long maintained
multiple barriers to abuse, of which the Ineligible Volunteer Files are
part. The files alone have limitations and were meant to serve as only
one of the barriers to keep unfit individuals from joining the BSA as
part of a comprehensive effort to keep kids safe.
In the more
than 30 years since these released files were created, we have
continuously enhanced our multi-tiered policies and procedures, which
now include criminal background checks, comprehensive training programs,
safety policies, and mandatory reporting to law enforcement of abuse or
suspicion of abuse. We have always cooperated fully with any request
from law enforcement and today require our members to report even
suspicion of abuse directly to their local authorities.
We are
committed to the ongoing enhancement of our program in line with
evolving best practices for protecting youth. Even one instance of abuse
is too many.
A letter from the Chief Scout Executive of the BSA to parents of Scouts is available on the National Council's website: 
http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/BSAYouthProtection/BSA_Communications/parent_letter.aspx
A link to an
FAQ (frequently asked questions) on this topic is available on the front page of our website, www.stlbsa.org.
If you so choose, you may use or send this information to parents in
your unit so they understand the BSA's Youth Protection program.
Should you receive any inquiries from media outlets, please refer them to Joe Mueller, the director of public relations at the Greater St. Louis Area Council, at 314-603-9983.
Sincerely,
Ronald S. Green
Scout Executive/Chief Executive Officer
Greater St. Louis Area Council, BSA
