Quote:
Originally posted by Shelacious
2. They spend a bunch of time talking about the HS hazed boy (really sad acutally), but in the end it's about "maybe we should ban GLOs on campuses." Didn't they just spend considerable time discussing how this hazing practices are often starting at the HS level? And how young folks are bringing their hazing rituals/attitudes to college? It seems like the bans and fixes should be starting there, but no one really suggested that.
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I agree wholeheartedly.
It starts even younger actually....relating personal experience here...
When my oldest son was a Tiger Cub Scout I was the "Den Mom."
When I attended my first pack meeting, there was a BobCat Rank awarding. The boys earn their BobCat rank before becoming a Cub Scout.
In my son's pack, the BobCat award ceremony was to have two GROWN men turned the child upside down (head to the ground feet way in the air) and the CubMaster wrote on his forehead the letter B with a permanent marker (ie, sharpie). (Motto of Scouting - Do a good turn NOTE: that is the BOY Scout motto, not the CUB Scout Motto)
I was shocked and horrified at the hazing of it, coming from a GLO background. Think about the implications of this....(and as a mom with a BIG - now 6'1/250lbs - son at the time even for 1st grade) I did. He would be scared to be turned upside down, but would be scared of being labeled a weiny, so he would do it anyway going against his better judgement. THEN knowing him, he would panic upside down, and be labeled a weiny anyway (or worse dropped because he was so big). Think about what it teaches these youngsters...if this was ok when I was in FIRST grade, *this plus that* is ok in High School, THEN *this plus that plus alcohol plus god knows what* is ok in college. Shudder, it just grows more dramatic and dangerous as tolerance to the hazing increases.
Shortly after the first pack meeting, I took the "leader" training offered by the local BSA Council and during the anti-hazing portion of the training, I specifically asked the trainer about this practice. I was told "well, some people think this might be hazing, but I don't know. We dont' really do anything about it".
I called the BSA National Executive Office and talked to the National Assistant Executive (Ernest Turner) at the time. He told me unequivocally, "this practice does not belong in scouting, should not be done, IS HAZING, and should be stopped immediately" He faxed me a letter to that, and sent a follow up letter as well (with a CC to the Council Executive). SURPRISE SURPRISE. I called the Council Executive and he said "well we dont' condone it, but we don't monitor all our packs". I said I had a letter for the Asst NED (that I knew he had been CC'd) and he basically brushed me off.
I took the letter to the CubMaster, and his response was "I don't care what it says I am doing it anyway" and in the end I was asked to not be a Den Mom because I raised trouble.
At that point, we withdrew our son from the pack and would not let our other 2 sons participate (I am First Class recipient 1977 for GSUSA, and my husband is an Eagle). Sidenote: boys are now -8 years later- back in a great BOY Scout troop, husband is asst scoutmaster and all are moving through the ranks.
I took the letter to the charter organization and FINALLY they said "stop this practice or we withdraw our support". The Pack choose to leave the school for a year. After that CubMaster retired, the Pack came back to the school and does NOT haze, as a direct result of my efforts.
A PRIME example of hazing learned young!! Stamping it out where we see it is critical. Teaching young people (grade school, high school and up) we work with that hazing at all is unacceptable, is the start to eliminating it.