1st Riverlake Scouting

We are only Leaders……

We are only leaders – we are not experts – we are your next-door neighbours – we are not perfect, we are parents just like you. We don’t have any more spare time or energy than you do, we all work full time and juggle our families and our schedules and try to keep it all together as best we can.

The only difference between us is that we believe passionately about what Scouting has to offer. So much so, that we contribute our time, our efforts and our talents to help our children – and your children – grow in Scouting.

We complete authorization forms, budgets and records and fill our homes with boxes of paperwork you will never see. We are required to take 13-20 hours training in our first year as well as assist in planning meetings every month so we can meet our greatest challenge – providing a variety of programs and activities which meet the needs and interests of very individual boys and girls. We try to involve parents who want us to understand that they don’t have the time to drive on outings or help at meetings. We rejoice in the generosity of others.

Sometimes we find ourselves going in too many directions – we run out of steam – we have memory lapses – communication lines break down – time slips by – but that doesn’t mean we don’t care. So many evenings we spend on the phone seeking help and advice from other leaders when disappointments or problems occur. “How do I hold my Scouts attention?”. “How do you cope with Scouts of different skills levels?”

Our dining tables are covered in bits of rope, menus, permission forms and record cards for each and every member of the Group. A couple of them won’t show up and don’t think to call to let us know – sometimes we feel unappreciated.

Yet these boys and girls can fill us with pride at their determination and accomplishments. Their smiles and laughter fill up a room, and when they say “thank you” it makes it all worthwhile. We help these boys and girls build relationships. Some struggle more than others. Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly…. All these traits are encouraged by the Scout Promise and Law – and sometimes we too must learn these lessons over and over again with the Scouts – but we are willing to keep learning.

Please be patient if we appear distracted or frustrated or overwhelmed at times. Forgive us if we are not always the kind of Scout Leader you would be – if only you had the time. Instead, provide us with your encouragement – a kind word, a thank you – or offer us your help. Keep us always in your thoughts and prayers.

We are, after all, only Mentors… Role Models… Leaders… Volunteers, who have made a Promise to give these young people, your children, the most precious gift we have to offer – the gift of time.

Scouts, Scouters, parents and friends,

It’s been a few weeks since my last message to you on our enhanced Child and Youth Safety initiatives, and I wanted to give you an update on our progress to date.

As you may know, on December 9, 2011, I spoke with the CBC’s Fifth Estateand announced a number of steps to underline Scouts Canada’s commitment to youth protection. These involved three key elements:

• A formal apology to all former Scouts who had suffered harm or abuse who suffered harm at the hands of those who abused the trust and responsibility they had gained as volunteer leaders in our organization;
• A formal review of all records held by Scouts Canada by KPMG with an eye to confirming the integrity of past practices, and
• The formation of an expert Child and Youth Safety Advisory Committee to offer recommendations on how we can enhance Scouts Canada’s Child and Youth Safety policies and procedures now and in the future.

KPMG’s review is well underway, and their people have been hard at work since the December 9th announcement. It did become immediately clear to them – and they then reported to us – that it would take them longer to complete a thorough review than they had originally thought. KPMG’s mandate is to work independently and to go wherever the information takes them.

The Child and Youth Protection Advisory Committee has made great progress as well, and is conducting a thorough and complete review of our Child and Youth Safety policies and procedures, as well as identifying best practices from leading national and international youth-serving organizations. The Committee’s mandate also includes providing guidance on training methods, curriculum and in-the-field implementation. Once their research is complete, the Committee will make recommendations on any additional measures required to ensure Scouts Canada meets today’s realities and, to the best of our ability, anticipate future child and youth safety needs. The bottom line is that we will deliver upon our commitment to child and youth safety by ensuring Scouts Canada’s policies and procedures are so effective that they prevent those seeking to cause harm from entering our organization.

I also want to advise you of the fact that I am sitting down with the CBC’s Fifth Estate again today for an interview at their request. You may recall that on December 9th, I made a commitment to do whatever we can to ensure that victims are free to tell their stories. The focus of the CBC interview is a direct reflection of this commitment, and will concentrate on new revelations about a very troubling case that occurred in the late 1970s. Scouts Canada has adopted a transparent approach that confronts the good and the bad of our history. It’s a step towards ensuring that we learn from the past, and take every possible action, now and in the future, to ensure that safety of our members.

All this to say that I want to reiterate to everyone in the Scouting family that our organization is committed completely to the protection and wellbeing of children and youth. The outstanding team of leaders we have across this country sets Scouts Canada apart and above from any other volunteer organization of its kind. The same qualities and values that guide us to adopt an unblinking determination towards providing a safe and secure environment for their children will also lead us to answer the legitimate – and sometimes difficult – questions that arise from practices in the past.

I urge you all, on behalf of all the families of current Scouts across the country, to make sure that our Child and Youth Safety Policies and Procedures are rigorously implemented and to carefully look at and report on any inappropriate behaviour situations that may occur in any of our communities.

Further to that, if anyone, directly or indirectly, anywhere in the Scouting movement, knows, or think they may know, of anything that is, or could be perceived to be, a child and youth protection issue, I urge you to contact us at this time, if you haven’t already done so. Our acting Executive Director of Child and Youth Safety, Ian Mitchell, may be reached at imitchell@scouts.ca or at 613.224.5131. I can also be reached at skent@scouts.ca or at 709.764.2301.

Scouts Canada, and I personally, have committed to this course of honesty and open transparency. We know it will ensure the strength and vitality of our organization for the future. Our focus is dedicated to nurturing the skills and abilities of young people, and there is nothing more important to Scouts Canada than the wellbeing of the children and youth with whom we work so closely and whose lives we aspire to influence for the better. It is a tremendous privilege, and an enormous responsibility, and each of our volunteer leaders takes it very seriously and cares about it very deeply on a personal level.

Thank you once again for your support. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have questions or concerns.

I would also like to ask Section Leaders and Group Commissioners to please forward this letter to your local members. It may lead to some duplication, but I want to make sure that our message is received by all.

Yours in Scouting,

Steve Kent 
Chief Commissioner and
Chair of the Board of Governors
Scouts Canada