ROCKINGHAM — It’s business as usual for Richmond County Boy Scouts, even in the aftermath of the parent organization filing for bankruptcy protection.

The historic, 110-year-old organization filed for bankruptcy protection in the first step toward creating a huge compensation fund for potentially thousands of men who were sexually molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders.

The scouts resorted to Chapter 11 in hopes of surviving a barrage of lawsuits, many of them made possible by recent changes in state laws that allow people to sue over long-ago sexual abuse.

Bankruptcy will enable the organization to put those cases on hold for now and continue operating. But ultimately the Boy Scouts of America could be forced to sell off some of its vast property holdings, including campgrounds and hiking trails, to raise money for a victims’ fund that could top $1 billion, according to the organization’s website.

The Boy Scouts estimate that 1,000 to 5,000 victims will seek compensation, the website stated.

“Scouting programs, including unit meetings and activities, council events, other scouting adventures and countless service projects, will continue throughout this process and for many years to come,” said Central North Carolina Council Scout Executive Stuart Williams, who oversees the three packs in Rockingham as part of the central district territory.

Local councils, which provide programming, financial, facility and administrative support to scouting units in their communities, have not filed for bankruptcy. They are legally separate, distinct and financially independent from the national organization, Williams explained.

He said that parents can take confidence knowing that the organization has done everything in its power to keep Boy Scouts safe.

“Scouting is safer now than ever before. The BSA’s programming will continue throughout the restructuring and for many years to come,” said Williams. “And remember, most of the cases we are dealing with today happened 30 years ago.”

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BSA’s bankruptcy not connected to local troops

Robert Leininger

Editor