I believe scouting to be a good program and not putting down the church but there needs to be more awareness. I know of 7 boys in the scouting program affiliated with the church that were sexually abused by a scoutmaster. One was my cousin who later committed suicide. These young men were devastated as the mental and emotional damage unfolded in their lives. One shook his stepchild to death. If there had been more oversight by parents or leaders, this may not have happened. Molestors seek out places that put them in contact with children. Camp or outings are ideal places for them. There are safeguards in place for this but there need to be more. Many of the cases I know of went unreported. Perhaps if the full numbers were known leaders would do more. So I'm raising my voice here with the intent to bring awareness to parents. Parents are the first line of defense, perhaps more parents need to accompany scouts on trips. I know this isn't a pretty topic, part of the problem is that people shy away from ugly things. The scouting program is good, lets keep it good and protect.

Something else. Scouting brought me a love for backpacking. Not all scoutmasters are skilled. And supervising many young boys is difficult. One year after a scout became lost and died in the Uintahs I was backpacking and camping off trail and heard young boys calling out, "where are you" then "over here." I called out and two followed my voice to my camp, asking where the trail was. I asked them where their leader, they said "on the trail." I guided the two to the trail and called out to 5 others to follow my voice and eventually found the scoutmaster on the trail. He asked me to show him his location on the map. Any of those boys could have become disoriented and lost. Make sure your kids know what to do to be safe. Instruct them in navigation and basic safety and give them strict instructions BEFORE they go on trips. Our children were given to us to protect and teach. It's our responsibility above other's to provide for their safety when we're not present. Become a trained scout yourself, teach them PRIOR to trips where they go to learn. Or go with them.

In summary, not saying don't send your kids to scouts, I'm telling parents that people who "seem" trustworthy aren't always trustworthy. We don't leave our precious possessions unattended, why do we do it with our kids? Teach children to pair up with friends, never be alone with adults. Teach them to defend themselves from ploys used by molestors to isolate them. Tell them to tell adults that they were instructed to not be alone with them and that if they disagree, the person should complain to their parents. Teach them to yell out. Teach them to say NO and walk away. Participate in trips and outings, I'm sure the assistance would be welcomed by good members who want to fulfill their scoutmaster callings. Buy them a GPS, teach them how to use it. Pack a "mini survival" pack for them carry containing basic survival tools to stay warm, navigate, create fires/signals. The experience of scouting is meant to enable young men survive danger, not put them in danger. Parents should be part of every aspect of their childrens lives. Keeping them alive and safe will make them the best future leaders.