At 10:12 AM 9/29/00 -0500, Cookie wrote:
>Consider these facts:
>
>1. A campout is planned by a Ranger leader.
>2. Ranger equipment is used on the campout.
>3. The boys attending are Rangers.
>4. The campout is NOT listed on the church calendar.
>5. There is NO communication to the parents that this is a Ranger campout.
>
>Questions:
>
>1. Is this a ranger campout?
It shouldn't be. Either make it an official Royal Ranger campout, complete with
coordination with your local church and permission slips (always required in our
outpost), or make it a personal campout, and make it clear that it is.
>2. Should the requirements of a ranger campout(permission slips, medical release
>forms, two leaders present, etc.) be applied to this campout?
Yes, UNLESS it was clearly a personal campout and not a Royal Ranger campout, and all
involved, including the parents, were informed that it was and consented to it. If
not, parents would assume that it was a Royal Ranger campout because it was led by a
Royal Ranger leader, and both the leader and the church could be at risk if anything
bad happened.
>3. If there was an accident, injury, or incident on this campout - could Rangers or
>the church be held liable?
Yes, unless the church has a clear policy against such things (like ours does).
>***** What do you think? I am waiting for your opinions...
I'm hoping this is a purely hypothetical question.
The safety of the boys, respect for the authority of the parents, and working with the
local church to ensure both actual safety and due diligence from a legal perspective
are important principles. The paperwork (permission slips/medical release forms) allow
you to get emergency treatment for a boy if obviously needed. I have never needed to
do that, but it is reassuring to both commanders and parents to know that you can.
When I send my children camping with a church group (be it Royal Rangers, youth group,
or Missionettes), I want to know where they are going, who they are with (and to be
assured that they have adequate coverage to deal with emergencies), what they plan to
do (at least the main points), what is expected of them, and if emergency
communication is available, how to access it. I want no less for the parents of anyone
in my outpost.
Two leaders on a campout or hike is really not enough. We insist on four. That way, if
there is an emergency, two can deal with the emergency, and two can stay with the
rest. "Two-deep" leadership has many advantages: easier work load for the leaders,
safety for the children, and safety for the leaders. With only one leader, it is easy
for a false accusation to be made -- and it may stick. An accusation of child abuse,
even if false, can ruin many things for you for life. Don't risk it. A fellow
commander who can vouch for you in this rare but serious event could be all it takes
to save you from undeserved shame, reproach, and eviction from children's ministry.
Preventing child abuse is also key. If no one adult is left alone with children for
extended periods of time, opportunities for child abuse of sorts I don't care to write
about are rare. If a predator knows that we have a policy against this, then they are
likely to move on to "easier" prey and leave our children alone.!
Just having a two-leader rule makes a hostile environment for predators, and this is
enough to keep many of them from even applying. Even in regular meetings, if you don't
have two commanders per class, then a commander or council member should make random
spot-checks on classes to make sure all is OK and offer special help with projects,
etc. If you can't do that, cancel or combine classes.
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