A Letter From Don Christensen…

Letter from National

Letter from Texas Trails Council Executive, Mark Conrad

This is a letter to the Troop 3 family by Scoutmaster Don Christensen about the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America Chapter 11 Federal Bankruptcy filing……….

Boy Scout Troop 3 of Abilene, Texas – Serving since 1922 – Proud to be sponsored by St. Paul United Methodist Church

Dear Troop 3 Scouting Family,

By now many of you have heard or read that the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of Federal Bankruptcy laws.   Here is some information about what that means, and does not mean.

As many of you are well aware, in the past some child molesters would use Scouting as a way to earn the trust of victims and gain access to them. The Boy Scouts of America had the responsibility of protecting the young men in scouting, but in many cases were unable to prevent molestation.  Sadly, many of the men who perpetrated these crimes escape prosecution.

As a result, over $700 million in judgments are pending against BSA.  Many of these are being paid, but all cannot be paid at once.  When a business or organization cannot pay their bills in a timely manner, they are allowed by law to seek protection from creditors under different provisions of the U. S. Bankruptcy Code.  One of its provisions is Chapter 11, which will allow Scouting to remain in control and operate as it normally has, but as a “debtor in possession”.  So for the next few years, BSA will the oversight and jurisdiction of the court system. Once these debts are paid, the courts will release us. 

Please note that Troop 3 and the Texas Trails Council will not be affected by this, as our council is legally separate from BSA National.  And yes, we are still going camping this weekend.   None of your Troop 3 leaders were ever involved in any of this perversity, and I can assure you that we feel great sorrow that these horrible abominations happened to even one Boy Scout.  We are very diligent when it comes to the protection of these young men. 

Back to the National Level BSA, programs have been set up to reach out to other young men who have been abused but not come forward.  These programs will pay for their counseling and offer them a financial settlement without going through the legal system and its associated expenses. 

As bad as all of this publicity seems, Scouting is probably safer than ever.   The days of a Scoutmaster going camping alone with a group of boys are long gone.   With the criminal background checks, screening, levels of training and stronger rules, Scouting is now safer than ever. 

If you have questions about this, please call my cell phone at your earliest convenience.

Best Regards,

Don Christensen
Scoutmaster
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