Attracting Volunteers

The Background point #5 of the Action Plan re "Risk taking" gets at the crux of the matter.

I'd add two more issues that influence our ability to attract volunteers:

7. W e live in an overly "protective" / "litigious" society. Parents especially are quick to try to find "someone to blame" for whatever bad happens. This stifles innovation and risk taking.
We have to address the problem of "Leaders' Liability".
A Civil Law lawyer once announced to me that, [and I paraphrase]; "No one in their right mind would ever become a Scout Leader. All legal responsibility falls on the individual leader, with next to no support, and absolutely no protection provided by the organization." The way Scouts Canada has 'abandoned' some leaders falsely accused of sexual misconduct and/or child abuse is unacceptable, and not something that will encourage more people to volunteer.

Action: Revise BPP to:
- establish procedures for investigating accusations, without bias to anyone.

# non-threatening to anyone making the accusations
# non-confrontational in investigating and resolution
- make it clear that volunteers will be supported by the organization. (innocent until proved guilty)
8. Scouting has become overly 'bureaucratic' -- This is largely because of #7, but the resulting restrictions, approval processes, forms, and documentation required mean that Groups / Sections now have to have dedicated volunteers just to satisfy administrative requirements. People don't join Scouting to do paper-work, especially just to 'protect your backside'!

Scouter Bob brings in a good point. I must know his civil lawyer friend, because I was told the same thing. My question or the question that was put to me was the future. I would hope that if an incident occurred now, Scouts Canada would cover, but what about if the youth, 20 years from now, lays claims of misconducted (founded or imaginary). Will Scouts Canada come to your aid? I doubt it. A lot of these abuse cases going on now seem to stem from incidents 20 or 30 years ago. Heck, my own kids can turn me in for 'paddling their buts' back 20 years ago. What if those innocent knot tying exercises or first aid demo turns into something more after 20 years in a youths unstable mind? As noted in other posts, there are a great number of ADD, ADHD, OC, autisic, etc. youth now in Scouts.

And so goes the plight of the volunteer.