Greater Hudson Valley Scouting Community:
After a long, difficult process the Boy Scouts of America has reached a preliminary agreement with the groups representing the Abuse Victims of the past. This agreement establishes a Victims Trust Fund and outlines the financial responsibility of local councils.
Greater Hudson Valley Council will contribute $6,367,834.84 to the Victims Trust Fund which will be used to compensate anyone that was victimized in the past. This non-negotiable number reflects the roughly 550+ cases from within our Council, in its various forms, going back to the 1950s. The majority of the cases took place prior to the 1990s. We take our obligation to the victims seriously as even a single case of abuse is one too many.
To fulfill this commitment, our Council Bankruptcy Taskforce has been working throughout the summer to consider all options available to us. Sadly, it does not appear that we will be able to come up with the necessary funds without selling one of our beloved camp properties.
While it is heartbreaking to consider losing a place so special to so many, we believe the only way for our Council to fulfill its financial and moral obligation to the victims of sex abuse in Scouting is by raising cash with the sale of a camp. Then by paying all cash we will be able to live up to our duty to fund our portion of the Victims Trust Fund. Just as importantly we will be able to immediately put behind us this horrible chapter in Scouting history and to keep the Scouting movement strong in the Greater Hudson Valley.
Our goal is, and has always been, to protect the future of Scouting in our region, and to assure a viable and fruitful program for our youth for many years to come. We now know what we are facing in terms of our financial contribution to the bankruptcy settlement and we can begin to finalize decisions to fulfill that obligation. We will keep you informed as those decisions are made.
Yours in Scouting,
Paxton Louis, Council Board Chair
Ben Mills, Executive Vice Board Chair
Gregg Dick, Council Commissioner
Richard Stockton, Scout Executive