Local scouting is going strong despite news of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a letter to the “Scouting Family” nationwide, the leaders of the national organization confirmed that they did indeed file for bankruptcy as a result of legal action filed against the organization by victims of abuse while involved with Boy Scouts. Local councils, however, have not filed for bankruptcy and no disruption to local programs is expected. Local scoutmaster, Tom Ruedisueli, of Boy Scout Troop 168 in Port Huron, said that, as a scoutmaster, the bankruptcy will not affect his troop. He said, “The national organization filing for bankruptcy will have very little impact” on his troop. The publicity regarding the filing and reasons for the filing will bring things into focus. Ruedisueli said that his troop, like all troops, follows safety protocol and that the safety of the scouts is always a top priority. Boy Scouts of America has set up a dedicated website, BSArestructuring.org, to post relevant information about the Chapter 11 restructuring.
