UK Scouting Association issues advisory about Mankind Project

A reader recently pointed me to an entry on Rick Ross’s forum indicating that the Mankind Project had been banned from Scout camps in the UK. Here is the entry from the forum:

SeekingTruth

Quote:Half_pint

The campsite in question is Kibblestone, in Stafforshire, just down the road from Stone. Scout sites such as that are often booked by non Scout groups who pay much higher rates than other Scout groups/Guide groups do and sometimes even higher rates than other youth groups. …

I hear a rumour that MKP have now got kicked out of Kibblestone by the Scouts due to the article in the Houston Press. It appears that they have now decamped to Ringwood in Hampshire (UK) – where there is another Scout Camp and a Youth Centre. Does anyone know exactly which camp or centre they are using? In other countries they use Kiwanis Camps, YMCA Camps, Christian Camps, and other youth orientated centres. The mind boggles – grown up men running riot naked with impressionable young people nearby …

I am a member of the Scout Association.

I am in the position to confirm that the MKP have had any future bookings cancelled, and they will not be able to camp at Kibblestone again.

In addition, a communication will shortly be sent from UK Scout Headquaters that should prevent MKP from booking ANY Scout owned campsite in the UK.

We take Child Protection very seriously, and even by their admission on their websites they breach the spirit of our policy, and as such should not be allowed on our sites.

I think its fair to say, that any UK based organistation, who are responsible for children / young people will take a similar view. I’d suggest you make like to persue the line of:

They hold an initiation ceremony (by their own admission)

Then of course there is the Houston Press article.

If anyone is aware of them managing to book a Scout site in the future, contact info.centre@scout.org.uk with your concerns. That should get that sorted.

Best wishes

I wrote the UK Scouting Association regarding this allegation and received the following confirmation from Nick Parker of the Association.

From: Nick Parker [mailto:nick.parker@SCOUT.ORG.UK]

Sent: Fri 1/4/2008 6:41 AM

To: Throckmorton, Warren

Subject: Re: FW: UK scouts ban MKP

Dear Warren,Thank you for your e-mail which has been passed to me to reply by the Scout Information Centre.  At a national level we have advised our local organisations as follows:

“Subject: Project Mankind:

The above named group have previously been banned from a large Scout site in the UK and we would strongly advise all Scout Centres and Campsites to be cautious about accepting further bookings”.

If I can provide any further detail then please do not hesitate to contact me further.

Best wishes,

Nick Parker

National Centres Manager

The Scout Association

Gilwell Park

London

E4 7QW

http://www.scouts.org.uk/nationalcentres

Tel:    0208 433 7122

I then wrote and asked about the specific reasons for the ban to which he replied: