Scout leader made a very dodgy remark... should I report him?

[MiniPharm]

My DD went on a 2-night scout camp at the weekend. Part of the weekend was swimming at our local leisure centre.

She told me that, on the way to swimming, the Scout leader was telling them all how to behave (fine). Then he said to the only Black kid scout, to 'make sure he had a long shower after swimming because otherwise he might end up looking like a ghost'.

I asked my DD if he meant it as a joke but she's sure he didn't. The kid just looked confused, apparently

Was he out of order? Racist? I think he was but I need to know if IABU and should I say anything...?

You didn't hear the comment, it doesn't even make sense?

Are you generally happy with the scout leader (a volunteer who gave his time to take your child away?) or have you experienced problems with his attitude and inappropriate comments before?

I think if you complain about this one comment you might just appear silly and petty. Is there more to the story than this?

Sounds like the kind of thing he would have said.

maybe he's the same one, or maybe the remark is being widely interpreted out of context on here and he didn't mean anything racist at all.

One of my kids football coach is white and not very bright making not so funny jokes that some have interpreted as racists. As it happens, his wife is black and they have beautiful children. The funny thing is that, because the kids are mixed race, people judging him don't realise they are his, and no, he's not being racist in front of his own kids.

Assuming that all scout leaders are racists and accusing them all is ridiculous HorridHenry, there are racists everywhere. If you keep your kids away on the off chance they will see one, you need to keep them home until they are adults.

Someone needs to raise it with him so he can explain what he DID mean, then say sorry.

No. It needs verifying before its raised with him.

I know this is a novel idea to some parents, but children lie. My DD is currently in BIG trouble for something she did at school. Reason she's in BIG trouble. She LIED about it. I don't blindly believe everything my children say.

I know of a poor PE teacher who was dragged through the mud because of something a child lied about misinterpreted. Even the parents who didn't like said teacher (they were known for their strictness) said it was ridiculous.

I was thinking about putting my boy in scouts when he got older but FTS I wouldn't want my kid exposed to ignorance

After one alleged comment on an anonymous forum...

Woah. Quite a lot of people who are unaware of racist attitudes and behind apologetic towards those that display such attitudes.

Definitely raise it.

No one should be singled out due to the colour of their skin. Additionally this was in relation to hygiene (showering) and many children who may not have understood could have interpreted this comment as being related to "black people being dirtier than white".

Many people on this thread didn't understand the joke, so I doubt many children would have either.

I'm shocked that people think it is ok to single a black child out and make a comment on his skin like that. Even if it is based on the 'fact' that black skin turns chalky in chlorinated water, it is not ok.
There may not have been racist intent behind the comment, but it is still inappropriate and the scout leader needs to think more carefully about what he says.

Can't believe the number of people on here who are finding a hundred and one reasons why this is a perfectly ok comment! I've never read such apologist rubbish. If the leader was really worried about the effect of chlorine on the skin , then he should have addressed the remark to the whole group, not just one child.

Hard to know without being there, possibly an ill thought out joke as opposed to deliberate racism. I wouldn't report it unless there have been other things happening, but I might try to find an opportunity to casually mention it to the scout leader saying your child had asked you about it and you found it difficult to explain why anyone would have said that, and see what response you get.

Slight digression on Scouting organisation, forgive me!

Many scout troops are not part of a (larger) group

That's true and even in some big groups the Scout troop leader is also the GSL often because they're the longest serving and most familiar with the organisation and practices. Nonetheless in order to operate officially even a lone troop unit will still have to have an Executive Committee with a Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. If a complaint really did mean enough to the parent the way forward would then be to approach the Chair first. Alternatively one could approach the District management structure, probably starting with the ADC - Assistant District Commissioner. Progressive modern scout units will do their level best to resolve these sorts of issues without alienating either members, leaders, or parents.

I should probably also mention that none of the positions I've mentioned here are paid ones. Everyone in scouting at a local level right up to And beyond County management, is a volunteer. No salaries, stipends, gifts etc. They use up their own annual leave to run camps, go on training days, give up family time etc, and put hours and hours a month into puting together a varied programme of activities - designing, choosing, contacting eternal providers, running them, and then there's the buying and distributing of badges, maintaining the databases and contact lists and the endless other admin stuff that goes on begins the scenes that parents just don't see or realise (DBS, insurance, finances, accounts, promotion, safeguarding etc etc etc).

I love being involved in Scouting and truly believe that at it's best it offers unrivalled opportunities to children and adults alike. There are good and bad of course, but don't write a whole organisation off on one incident. Give them a chance to put it right.

Maybe he said it like he would say to someone with bright blonde hair, "if you don't shower long enough your hair may go green" (that used to happen with chlorine in our school pool) .... he was just stating a fact it seems to me.

Ask for a word with the Leader in question and explain your DD was puzzled/upset by the comment she heard. His reaction will tell you whether she misunderstood or if he was making an inappropriate comment. Then you can decide whether to take further.

I think I'm pretty hot on racism, but this is just odd to me. I think I would speak to the child's parent and see if this child has felt targeted at all. If not, if he's been perfectly happy, then don't report anything. If there have been quite a few other comments which were a bit less opaque, you could encourage the parent to report it with your support.

It's no wonder fewer and fewer people want to do these volunteer jobs wiry organisations like the scouts when there are so many members of the general public just itching to find fault with what they do and misconstrue every tiny remark. People want to find offence and it's killing these organisations

But it's surely good policy in any organisation dealing with children, not to single them out? If there's something you need to say to a particular child, you shouldn't do it in front of the group, especially if you're trying to be 'funny'. The object of your joke might not share your sense of humour.

Is the Black child older than yours? Has the leader taken that child swimming before? Maybe it happened before that his skin went funny?

Maybe it's nothing to do with race, just that that particular child is a bit of a known soap dodger?

Or maybe the leader was being racist and needs telling.

The only way to find out is to ask. It's no good ignoring it.

Is it wrong that I find the misuse of the word Kosher here hilarious?!

I will report myself to the thought police immediately.

minipharm sorry but as soon as I read your post I thought 'whoa, racist'. In my opinion that's a totally inappropriate comment. I used to be a swimmer and there us nothing kosher about that remark. And why make a comment about colour of skin to the only kid with skin of a significantly different colour. Nope, either so ignorant they should not be a scout leader, or racist.

Could you have a chat with the scout leader himself rather than "report" him (to whom? for what?). Something like, "DD was confused by what you said to [name of child] about looking like a ghost after the swimming pool and asked me to explain. I didn't really understand either so thought I would ask you."

@EsmereldaMargaretNoteSpelling
Completely agree with everything you've said, especially as a chair of a local scout group.

Re the person who said they wouldn't send their child to scouts because of this thread, well more fool you for depriving your child of great experiences based on something you didn't even directly or indirectly experience. How closed minded and ironic is that?

The comment doesnt make a whole heap of sense so i would avoid jumping in with both feet shouting racism

I don't think it makes a lot of sense to try to recuperate the remark as factual about black skin and/or helpful -- assuming the scout leader is white and doesn't have mixed-race or black children of his own, he's highly unlikely to be knowledgeable about black skin going ashy if insufficiently moisturised, and if he did know, wouldn't he be pushing moisturiser, rather then an extra-long shower?

Isn't it more likely to be a dopey, and, yes, unthinkingly racist, play on chlorine making people's hair go strange colours, and therefore potentially 'bleaching' a black child?

I'm not sure I can read it any other way...

He was talking about a powdery deposit being left on the skin, but singling him out was not right. All the kids should shower well for that reason.

Woah. Quite a lot of people who are unaware of racist attitudes and behind apologetic towards those that display such attitudes.

As someone who's DD suffered a world of racial bullying at her last school.

Dont be so ridiculous.

Asking for verification or what a child apparently heard another leader say is not apologism. It's getting you're facts straight before flinging accusations around.

*your not you're.

Where is anyone on this thread saying this is an okay comment to make?

Asking for it to be verified BEFORE going in all guns blazing is NOT condoning it.