GALESBURG, Illinois – The ten-page handwritten letter dated August 28, 1972 pleads for forgiveness and a chance at redemption.
"I am writing to restate my request to see if anything can be done to remove the ‘hold' you have against my name in your office," the Galesburg man writes to a Boy Scouts of America membership official.
"I want no repetition of the problems I once had in Galesburg. I never again want to suffer the embarrassment I suffered."
The man, who will be called "Rick" for this story, does not specify what his "problems" are or why the "hold" had been placed on his Boy Scouts eligibility.
However, a confidential BSA document dated four years earlier indicates Rick had engaged in "abnormal sexual activity with boys" when he held a leadership position with a Galesburg Scout troop.
The same September 30, 1968 document states that Rick, although no longer allowed in the Scouts, had as of the fall of 1968 "returned to this community (Galesburg) as an elementary school teacher." As for his potential future eligibility with the Scouts, the document indicates once Rick had "successful psychiatric treatment" then "his case should be reconsidered."
It was that reconsideration that Rick sought four years later in his impassioned 1972 letter. By then, he had moved to Rochelle, Illinois and wanted the chance to get involved with the Boy Scouts there.
"No one knows of this past problem in Rochelle and I don't want anyone here to know of it," Rick writes in 1972. "I want it completely buried if possible. I want to forget about what happened (in Galesburg) and continue with the wonderful start I have made in Rochelle."
Rick explains that after several years teaching in Galesburg he had gone on to complete his Master's Degree, was currently teaching in Rochelle and was hoping to become an elementary school principal.
According to Rick's letter, the superintendent who hired him in Rochelle also happened to be a scoutmaster and was likely to ask Rick to become involved in the Scouts. "He is a tremendous man, very high on me, and I don't want to disappoint him," Rick writes of the superintendent.
Rick explains that if the "hold" on his eligibility is not removed, thereby forcing him to refuse an invitation to rejoin the Scouts in Rochelle, his career as an educator could be damaged. He writes that "a permanent refusal by me to assist (with the Boy Scouts) could adversely jeopardize my chances of earning a full principal's job in 1973-1974."
Rick also makes a personal plea, writing that "when I get married if I should ever have a scout-age son, I would want to feel I could participate with him."
Rick closes his letter with another reassurance that "the problem I had in Galesburg will not be a problem again in Rochelle or elsewhere."
Confidential No More
Rick's file is among several cases involving Quad City area Boy Scout troops appearing in thousands of newly-released documents that detail Scout officials nationwide who were deemed ineligible for the organization.
Sometimes, the ineligibility was due to nothing else other than a man's alleged homosexuality. Other times, however, the so-called "perversion files" document allegations of sexual abuse inside the BSA.
The formerly confidential records forced public by court order detail a total of more than 1,200 cases of alleged sexual abuse across the country from 1965 to 1985. Many of the cases were referred to police, but some were not.
The Los Angeles Times has released a database of the cases which is searchable by city and state. A KWQC News review of some of the total 15,000 pages released Thursday has found, in addition to Rick's case in Galesburg, other cases of Scout officials being deemed ineligible in troops in Bettendorf, Moline, and Burlington.
The files do not indicate that sexual abuse was or is widespread inside the Boy Scout organization; furthermore, some of those named in the files may have been wrongly accused.
Some named in the 1,200-plus cases of alleged abuse nationwide were later convicted of criminal charges. The Boy Scouts of America has apologized for not doing more to protect victims.
Sometimes, as in Rick's case, the accounts provided by alleged victims are difficult to read.
The Scout's Letter About Rick
The 1968 BSA document describing Rick as having had "abnormal sexual activity with boys" included evidence: a letter written by a Boy Scout in the summer of 1968.
The Scout writes that he knew Rick "was a Homosexual the very first time that I met him. I guess that that's the reason that I hung around with him when he came back to Galesburg."
"Till that day when it happened, we started having sexual contact."
"I'm the one that kept seeing him, he didn't keep seeing me," the Scout explains. "I'm getting off of that subject before I become weak about him again."
The Scout finishes the letter by saying that he will soon "work on and finish" his "Nature merit badge."
A Possible Return
A Galesburg Boy Scout executive on August 13, 1968 wrote to a supervisor after having reviewed the Scout's letter describing sexual contact with Rick.
His conclusion at first seems clear: "With this letter it appears quite definite that [Rick] should not be associated with Scouting."
However, the letter goes on to note that Rick was a college graduate who had earned the rank of Eagle Scout and as a scoutmaster in Galesburg had "built the troop from a weak, small troop, to over 40 active members."
The Scout executive writes to his superior that there is "No doubt [Rick] will want to become associated with Scouting wherever he is located."
The letter concludes by asking for the superior's advice on how to handle the situation.
A September 30, 1968 BSA document states that Rick's involvement with the Scouts was to not resume but could be reconsidered after successful psychiatric treatment.
It is not clear whether Rick had any such treatment when he wrote his August 1972 letter asking to again be eligible for Scout membership.
The Scouts responded to Rick's request on October 17, 1972 explaining that "It is our unanimous opinion that you should refrain from Scouting connections at the present time and put your effort into advancement of your own (teaching) career."
However, the Scouts again offered Rick hope by saying that "We believe it would be much more practical for you to refrain from membership in the Boy Scouts of America until you marry and have children of your own that you wish to help with your participation."
In the event Rick should never marry and have children, the letter says the Boy Scouts nonetheless "will be willing to review your case again in another five years."
There is no documentation in the records released Thursday indicating whether Rick ever returned to the Boy Scouts. KWQC has found no records indicating criminal charges were ever filed.
If the Boy Scouts ever reported Rick's case to police, such a report was not indicated in the confidential files published this week.
