You know, based on Dakota's and Blaze's response, I wonder where the border line would be drawn regarding one's Volunteer activities with children. I have to ask myself, as Blaze mentioned, the opportunity of doing a lot of helpful mentorships, work permitting. Then Dakota mentions the security checks.

I has been mentioned that security checks are a business that has boomed in light of a lot of scare of child abusive activities. I read in a previous post, an article, or comment to an article, where a typical concerned citizen held a child's hand to cross the street, then felt the guilt trip as he thought he could be vulnerable to a law suit if someone questioned his instinctive motives.

Another comment on that article, or the article itself--can't remember-- mentioned a teacher, who helped a child home who had fallen off their bike. The parent of the child called th police and the teacher turned himself in, obviously citing the misunderstanding of intent on the side of the parent.

If we involve ourselves in a lot of our free time with Volunteer activity with children, will we be subject to scrutiny for spending or "wanting" to spend time with children? It has already been demonstrated that such a scare of being turned in for a simple matter of natural parental instincts to help a hurt child has discouraged many adults from involving themselves in Volunteer activities with children. We've gone beyond an ability to protecting our children in a need to protect ourselves, and that's sad.

I agree, the adults who give moral support to these teams are much needed. I agree that many of them may be BL who have demonstrated an ability to work with these boys in a supportive role without going outside those boundaries. I would just watch the desire of wanting to help, taking steps to Volunteer, yet putting one's self in the line of scrutiny by being involved ONLY in these activities with children as a Volunteer. It's a sad day that one would question a selfless desire to help children, but the reality is that we live in that day now if we overdo it.

Case in point, these Little League "Uncles" are probably around the kids constantly in supervised activity, games, and probably serve a general role to the team as a whole. I doubt they would take their role to hang out with one of the team alone unsupervised. In any volunteer activity, the most important thing I've learned is never be alone with a child.

Blessings,
Oliver