POLAND – Parents of a local Cub Scout petitioned the Poland School Committee to revoke the charter for the Boy Scouts of America at the committee’s Wednesday night meeting.

Wendy and George Sanborn told committee members they felt their child had been intentionally set up for a display of public humiliation by the leaders of the local Cub Scouts, Pack 125.

The Sanborns said their son had received a letter stating he was to be promoted to the next merit badge level, only to show up at the ceremony and be passed over. Toting a box of files, they said they had the documents to back up their claims.

“These people are off their rockers to do this to a 6-year-old,” said George Sanborn. “The school is responsible for this, and we will pursue it.”

Committee members said they would review the documents, talk to the scouts, and have legal experts review the decades-old charter, which allows the scouts to use school facilities, before taking any action. The matter is expected to be addressed again at the Poland Regional High School committee meeting in two weeks.

Contacted after the meeting, Pack and Troop 125 Unit Commissioner Leo Ferland said scout officials had reviewed the child’s status and decided he did not meet the requirements for advancement. Ferland said that, to his knowledge, no one from the scouts had reviewed the Sanborns’ claim of public humiliation, but said he saw no reason why anyone from the pack would want to publicly humiliate a child.

In a separate matter, committee members told Union 29 Superintendent Nina Schlikin to devise a backup plan for moving the administrative offices. The offices are slated to be moved this summer, but the other two towns in the union, Minot and Mechanic Falls, do not have their town meetings until the spring. Voter approval is needed from the other towns before the offices can be moved, but the lease on the current building runs out June 30.

The committee also heard from Whittier Middle School Assistant Principal Janet Jones that bleachers will soon be coming to the middle school gym. And Poland Community School Principle Carolyn Johnson said the elementary school would soon have a consistent disciplinary policy, much to the relief of committee Chairman Ike Levine, who said the lack of a policy has the been the source of many complaints over the past couple of years.

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