Yes, it was me that got a grilling last time the subject was broached, although I was more trying to make a point about control and positions of power over children rather than just sexual interference, which is only one expression of exploiting a position of power.
I did apologise if I offended anyone (and I know I did offend) and afterwards I realised that my comments caused anger unneccasseraly, as the first people to be angered by any such activity would obviously be the vast majority of scout leaders who work hard to provide youngsters with something to do other than nick cars or rake the streets in intimidating numbers. The thread got locked-down and has since dissappeared into thread soup.
Although things have changed since the old days, and there are safeguards in place to make sure that the unspeakable incidents do not re-occur, total protection cannot be guaranteed, but they can't be guaranteed in any social group, so I don't see any reason to single-out the scouting movement for criticism in this area.
The problem is, as I see it, that the stigma has stuck to a degree, the raisng of the point at post #13 of this thread just goes to show that this is a genuine residual image within the populace regarding scouting, and although g4ghb hasn't disclosed his reason for the thread as yet, there is a possibility that it has something to do with percieved image. So the question is: how can the stigma be removed?
Not only this, but why does scouting need military connotations either in this day and age?
My humble opinion would be to completely re-brand the Scouting movement, re-name it, and bring it completely out of the nineteenth and twentieth century and into the 21st. Take a complete look at the infrastructure and see what can be retained and ditch the rest. Lose the term 'scouting' all togeather, it doesn't have anything to do with the activites of the movement anymore anyway.
I see the survivalist/bushcraft/ecological angle as being the way to possibly move it forward. I know that there are many scout leaders which belong to this very forum, into bushcraft and survial skills etc. and who are probably more interested in the bushcraft movement than scouting. What more do children need to know other than the skills themselves. Why do they have to line-up to attention? Why do they need to wear uniforms? Why do they need to be associated with the establishment?
It is a difficult thing to change probably. The international movement must be expensive to administer and the fundraising activity is probably linked to a long standing framework within the establishement which has sentimental attachment to the movement's history. Or am I wrong and is it completely subs-funded?
Whatever the obstacles, children of the twentyfirst centuary need an alternative to scouting.
