Whitchurch, Melvin James

Ineligible Volunteer File on Melvin James Whitchurch

Added October 22, 1970

In around 1920, soon after the Boy Scouts of America (“BSA”) was formed, the organization began keeping files on adult leaders and volunteers who were alleged to have committed various crimes and offenses. The files are known today as the “Ineligible Volunteer” or the “I.V. Files.”

The I.V. Files are made up of six categories of offenses including Perversion, Morals, Financial, Leadership, Theft and Criminal. By far the largest category is the Perversion Files, or “P Files” as the BSA internally refers to them. The Perversion Files contain the names of adult leaders who have been accused of, or convicted in a criminal court of, molesting or otherwise sexually abusing Boy Scouts.

Disclaimer: The information contained in each of the I.V. files was created solely by the Boy Scouts of America. The I.V. files for the period 1965 through 1985 were made public pursuant to a court order. By the terms of the court’s order, the names and contact information of persons identified as victims of sexual abuse and those that reported the abuse were redacted. If the person identified as the reporter of alleged abuse was a professional Scouter, i.e., an individual employed by the Boy Scouts of America or an affiliate, then the person’s name was not redacted. In 2012, the I.V. Files for the period 1986 through 1991 were made available to the public through the Los Angeles Times.

The information in the Perversion Files concerns allegations of child sexual abuse. In a number of the cases, the allegations were later substantiated by court proceedings. However, in a great many cases no such substantiation ever occurred.

The first page of each I.V. File is a “Confidential Record Sheet,” which provides basic background information on each individual. The information includes the individual’s date of birth, daytime job, and most importantly, his troop number and the basics of the allegations of abuse.

The following information was taken directly from the Ineligible Volunteer file of Melvin James Whitchurch. If you continue to scroll down on this page, you will be able to view the entire file and/or download the entire file. If you have any problems downloading or viewing the file, please contact us.

Name

Melvin James Whitchurch

Organization

Boy Scouts of America

Troop Number(s)

Troop 3121 (Seattle, Washington)

Date Ineligible Volunteer File Opened

October 22, 1970
Residence City: Seattle
Residence State: WA
Residence Zip: 98102
Approximate Age When File Created: 31
Occupation: Previously Worked For Boeing Co.
Weight: 145
Height: 5' 8"
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Summary: In 1970, Scoutmaster Melvin Whitchurch of Troop 3121 in Seattle, Washington, reportedly was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor after he was accused of forcing his 7 and 9 year old children to perform oral sex on him. He was subsequently placed in BSA’s Ineligible Volunteer file. In 1975, however, Whitchurch was found registered as Committee member of Troop 513 in Belfair, Washington, and was again removed.

Approximate Location(s) where Melvin James Whitchurch Served

View the Actual File on Melvin James Whitchurch