
The national organization of the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy earlier this year to equitably compensate victims of past abuse and ensure that Scouting’s mission continues.
The bankruptcy case recently reached a milestone when a bar date was set for November 16, 2020 – the deadline for submitting claims in the case. You may have received or may soon receive a notification and/or notice to file a claim. These notices were sent out to individuals and groups (Scouts, parents of Scouts, alumni, and volunteers) who have been part of the BSA within the last eight years.
This notification process is part of an effort to ensure that the BSA reaches as many potential claimants, survivors of abuse, as possible. In addition to these email and mail notifications, which will reach more than 10 million individuals, the BSA will run targeted advertising this fall as a required part of the bankruptcy noticing process.
To be clear, receiving a notice does not mean that you have a claim or that your child was harmed while in Scouting. The BSA is just being as thorough as possible. The BSA encourages all survivors of abuse to file a claim by November 16, 2020. More information about how to file a claim is available at www.BSArestructuring.org.
Although the national organization is navigating through bankruptcy, the Alamo Area Council’s local programming, like Scouting at Home, is continuing – subject to current COVID-19 policies.
Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in our programs; It is our top priority. The BSA has developed and implemented some of the strongest expert-informed youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization. Our volunteers and employees take youth protection seriously and do their part to help keep kids safe. To learn more about how the BSA keeps kids in Scouting safe today, I encourage you to visit www.scouting.org/youth-safety.
At the Alamo Area Council, we remain as committed as ever to delivering Scouting’s unparalleled experiences to young people throughout our communities. Please feel free to reach out to our safety committee by email at safety@alamoareabsa.org or reach us by phone at 210-341-8611 or online chat at www.AlamoAreaBSA.org.
Thank You.