My son is currently a young leader with a scout group in Thurrock District and was at a at a cub camp at 15 years old as a young leader in June this year when he was invited to drink alcohol with other young people aged 14 to 15 years old ,my son and one other 14 year old girl were invited to drink a cocktail of beer cider and wine until they were both sick and left to thier own devices in their tents the 14 year old young lady was sick in her tent and my son was found in the toilet block to ill to move away from the toilet.

These were young people that were left in the care of leaders in scouting and were as admitted by Essex county INVITED to drink alcohol By the group scout leader and three other adults !!!!!!!!

Excuse given by a senior member of Thurrock scouts the leader in charge after 50 years of scouting and working with young people did not know the Scout association policy on alcohol.

Is it not common knowledge that it is illegal to serve an under 18 Alcohol

will upodate this later but even the police are not interested in this so i will be forced to take on private prosecutions of the adults involved

WE MOVE ON AND SOME HISTORY

Sadly I have had to publicise this in this way due to the inaction of Thurrock district over concerns raised by myself over the last eight years which has finaly culminated in this very serious incident

Which could have had tragic consequences had my son had not been found.

This is a list of just some of the concerns raised since 2000 to date with no action taken.

2000 venture disco two 14 year old guides (family friends)drunk to the point they could not walk and sick reported to my adc

New explorers with new leadership team in Switzerland young people told no alcohol at town disco sadly two scouts back to site early hours of the morning very ill drunk camp fist aider got up from bed to deal with whilst explorer leaders went to bed

Reported to dc upon return told me to talk to desc

Explorer disco announced theme school disco my concern was 14 year old girls dressed in this manner was not appropriate and the alcohol culture.

I voiced my concerns with district chairman along with alcohol concerns he said he would keep an eye on it.

End result £1200 made profit over the bar (under 18’s party lots of coke and lemonade) my 16 year old diabetic son was sold alcopops there and he had ridden there on his scooter ok he should not have purchased the alcohol but then if was not on sale he could not have done and parents expect scout events to be safe.

I spoke to the new adc scouts and asked who to speak to with regard to this he said dc told him been there before so then district chairman again been there so he said county,so I said ok fine but as I went to walk away he said he would deal with it, he had just taken the job on so thought I would give him the chance to do something.

The explorers were told at their next meeting that if they were caught drinking at scout events they would be sent home, this would sound impressive if it were not for the fact that either our scout fellowship members running the bar had sold the alcohol to them knowing how old they were and if not that then the desc at the time supplied it via his son ! .

Explorers away in Wales desc supplied his son an explorer with a crate of beer to distribute, an explorer on Ritalin ended up ill due to the alcohol and up most of the night with hallucinations whilst the explorer leaders were in bed (a scout leader that was sleeping in the hall with the explorers dealt with it) although she did not at the time know it was alcohol related that came about when she relayed what had happened and I then asked my son why this young person was ill.

Again spoke to dc

District scout camp

Explorers camping with us, all scouts doing link were camped other end of site

When the scouts arrived at the explorers part of the site they were all told anyone drinking and /or smoking would be sent home but alas some were caught by the desc and sent back to their tents not home.(witnessed by two of my scouts)

At least one of the young people had parents as part of the district team so was this the reason for not sending home

When I brought this up at the next s/l meeting dc told me it would not have happened and that was that.

Now to the latest incident

My son as has been agreed by county along with other 14/15 year old members were invited to drink alcohol to a point were two of them were very ill with a cocktail of beer/cider and wine

I asked the dc if the complaint could go straight to county having no trust in district to deal with this

Not happy with outcome as witnesses were not interviewed and there is a situation now were either my son is lying or the gsl involved is but if two witnesses were interviewed our cub leader and a 16 year old young leader this would confirm what my son and I were saying and that the gsl is lying but county have now said they will go no further.

I know without a doubt that my son is selling the truth as to what time the young leaders were invited to that groups mess tent and where he was all evening from campfire until that point because he was with us doing supper for the cubs getting them to bed ect .

He is not lying and I will go to the end of the earth to prove that.

These other people need interviewing.

Now the other worrying thing is that Essex police say that alcohol supplied to minors in this way is not breaking any laws (I am challenging that) but so far that is their decision, so this is a big loophole in the law which if true I feel aught to be publicised as parents need to know this along with how the scout association have dealt with this situation.

Finaly

From the district teams perspective Yes I have been a real problem over the years with my concerns however if they were doing their jobs then I would not have anything to have concerns about so who is in the wrong here.

From a parent’s perspective who would you rather your child go away with someone like me or a district team that allows by not taking action, scouts to be put in this very dangerous situation.

MY SON AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER YOUNG PERSON WHO WERE LEFT TO GO TO BED DRUNK AND SICK COULD HAVE DIED

AND THEN TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY THEY PENALIZE THE WRONG PERSON AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THURROCK SCOUTING

To add insult to injury I have just been told that the dc will not let me be pink formed and as I have no warrant as I resigned as scout leader (I have been helping my wife at cubs since giving up scouts she is cub leader)until this is sorted out,

I am in the process of arranging a trip to Euro Disney in January for the cubs deposits paid ect it looks as though I now cannot go ahead with it.

Ironic really I am the parent of a 15 year old child who was invited to drink alcohol until legless at a cub camp by adult leaders and we have as a family been accused of lying about who was there at what time,

So because I have objected to the fact that the only action taken is to reinforce the scout alcohol policy and that not all of the witnesses were spoken to so giving only one side of the story and Despite being in the Thurrock district as a leader for several years I now find that the district commissioner is refusing to let me have anything to do with cubs/scouts until this issue is sorted out.

Well what sort of message does that send out! the leaders that give the young people alcohol still working with them and the leader that tries to protect the young people by doing the right thing is stopped from working with them.

It would be interesting to hear why but they wont talk to me.

BOB

Anyone with any thoughts either way i would be interested to hear your your comments and maybe even your support.

mail me on buffallobob@aol.com

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