RememberSchiff

It looks like you can transfer the background checks (which you likely paid) within an organization, which could be tricky. Say you were heavily involved with youth programs at your CO - scouts, youth ministries, CYO basketball. It seems you should get your clearances for your (employer) CO and not BSA. If you are involved heavily in Scouts with multiple units and venues - troops, district, camp then get your clearances for your (employer) BSA council. But what if your PA council is HQ'd in Maryland or New York? Might resurface the old wisdom, that council boundaries and their camp assets should be within one state (topic for another thread). From a PA Dept of Human Services, undated and unsigned Fact Sheet (which has no force of law) http://www.psp.pa.gov/Documents/Publ...ployees%20.pdf Can lear Can clearances be transferred? Any person who obtained their clearances may transfer or provide services to another subsidiary or branch established and supervised by the same organization during the length of time the person’s clearances are current. NOTE: when an employee begins employment with a new agency, institution, organization or other entity that is responsible for the care, supervision, guidance or control of children new clearances must be obtained This is similar to Obamacare in that in had to be passed to learn the implications. But Schiff predicts Act 153 = PA Attorney Monetary Gift Act of 2015

A almost identical memo from the Mason-Dixon Council which has two districts in PA and one in MD. Their additional questions are noted in blue italics. http://www.mason-dixon-bsa.org/openr...aspx?id=146718 As we mentioned earlier, we have a very long list of questions and clarifications. Just a few of these questions include: If a volunteer has to obtain clearances for another organization, can the clearances be transferred to Scouting? Does this extend to unregistered parents who attend meetings, go on outings, or want to go to summer camp with their child? 14 year old Den Leaders, Merit Badge Counselors required as well? Do we deny BSA membership if an adult does not provide the background check or remove them if certification expires How do we maintain the data base for hundreds of volunteers? How will this affect Venturers between age 18 and 20?

http://padutchbsa.org/memo-on-pa-act...council-key-3/ Memo on PA Act 153 from (Pennsylvania Dutch) Council Key 3 by Mike on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 To: Unit Leaders, Unit Committee Chairs, Chartered Organization Representatives, District Volunteers, and Council Board Members From: Rupert Taylor, Jim Troebliger Ed Rasmuson Council President Council Commissioner Scout Executive Re: PA Act 153 of 2014: Requiring Comprehensive Criminal and Child Abuse Background Checks Dear Scouters, As you may or may not be aware, PA Act 153 of 2014 went into effect January 1, 2015. This law will have a direct impact on paid employees working with children and unpaid volunteers in Pennsylvania, including those involved in Scouting. This law requires that every person responsible for the welfare of youth obtain and keep on file, comprehensive and regularly updated criminal and child abuse background checks. This new PA law is applicable to any person “responsible for the welfare of a child or having direct contact with children.†The Child Protective Services Law defines “direct contact with children†as “the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children or routine interaction with children.†This new law affects every Scout Council in Pennsylvania. The PA Dutch Council has been monitoring this legislation and has been awaiting further guidance from our National Council. Like many of you, we have a very long list of questions and clarifications related to this law that we are seeking answers to. We, and every Council in Pennsylvania, are working on getting these questions answered so that we can provide the best information and directions possible to you. In the meantime, we felt it important to communicate with you what we do know at this point. While many community-based programs like Scouting, schools, youth sports programs, and religious organizations have long required background checks for volunteers, Pennsylvania law now provides very specific directives on the timing and type of checks required. The background checks performed by the Boy Scouts of America, because they are done through a third party service, do not meet the requirements as outlined in this new law. Going forward, PA law now requires that volunteers working with children obtain the following background checks and clearances (these must be completed every three years): PA State Police Criminal History Record Check ($10 fee) PA Child Abuse Clearance ($10 fee) Fingerprint-Based FBI Criminal History Record Check ($27.50 fee) Certain volunteers (those living in PA consistently for the last ten years) can be exempted from the FBI Criminal History Check Background checks and clearances will have to be obtained according to the following schedule: Beginning July 1, 2015, any new volunteer must submit clearances prior to beginning service. By July 1, 2016, currently registered volunteers previously not required to obtain clearances must submit clearances. Clearance fees will have to be paid by the volunteer. As we mentioned earlier, we have a very long list of questions and clarifications. Just a few of these questions include: If a volunteer has to obtain clearances for another organization, can the clearances be transferred to Scouting? Does this extend to unregistered parents who attend meetings, go on outings, or want to go to summer camp with their child? How will this affect Venturers between age 18 and 20? Again, the purpose of this letter is to inform you of what we know so far. We will provide further communications once we have our questions answered and can provide a clear, concise set of directions as to exactly what a volunteer will need to do and how to do it. Please wait until we are in communication before having the volunteers in your unit obtain any of the checks and clearances discussed above. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact the PA Dutch Council Service Center (717-394-4063) and ask for either Ed, Chris, or Mike.

Employers (school districts, scout councils, camps,...) must keep records that their employees and volunteers have successfully cleared said background checks. Failure to do so for those employers is a third degree misdemeanor - a fine or year in jail. This record keeping requires personnel and some filing/database system. Will there be inspections by the state to verify compliance or will compliance be checked after a report? Penn State scandal? These background checks would not have stopped Sandusky at Penn State as he had no record. Another new PA law, the "mandatory reporter" law, with 0 costs may have (well assuming one does not fail to report). Coach Mike McQueary's report on a shower room assault would have gone directly to police not Penn State. I am not arguing against background checks rather their implementation and cost. Why are background checks so much quicker when I board a plane, buy a firearm, and hypothetically get pulled-over by the police? http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...ld_protec.html

Yes big question. I found no requirement that the state of PA complete the background checks within a certain time or a contingency procedure if they do not. I wouldn't be surprised if suddenly a temporary waiver could be purchased for $$ from PA. Ka-ching.

From another thread: http://www.acacamps.org/sites/default/files/images/keystone/PA_Background_Checks_Act_of_2014.pdf State of Pennsylvania Comprehensive Background Checks Updated 1/30/2015 As of December 31 2014, Pennsylvania Act 153 of 2014 requires that new employees, volunteers, and those with expired clearances who have direct contact and care for children must obtain three clearances which are then valid for 3 years. They would need to be re-attained after 3 years. This law also applies to persons over the age of 14 working paid positions, revealing information if the minor had been convicted as an adult. Beginning July 1, 2015, all persons who are, “responsible for the welfare of a child or having direct contact with children†are to complete the clearances below prior to the commencement of service. Clearances obtained before January 1, 2015 are not valid . The required background checks include: 1. Criminal History Record Information obtained from the Pennsylvania State Police ($10 fee) 2. Child Abuse Clearance obtained through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services certifying the applicant is not named in the statewide database “as the alleged perpetrator in a pending child abuse investigation or as the perpetrator of a founded report or indicated report of child abuse.†($10 fee) 3. Federal Criminal History Record Information obtained by submitting a full set of fingerprints to Cogent Systems for submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation ($27.50 fee) Volunteers are not required to complete the federal criminal history check (#3) if they have lived continuously in Pennsylvania over the previous 10 years and are working an unpaid position. However, they must swear or affirm in writing that they are not barred from volunteering due to a conviction or offense under § 6344 © . Unpaid volunteers committed to less than 30 days can provide clearances from their home state or county. Those volunteering longer than 30 days must obtain clearance through the state of Pennsylvania. The law does not require employers to pay for their employee’s background check fees, and camps may front the costs for the background checks, and then deduct the fees from the employee’s pay if an agreement exists in writing as part of the employment contract . All three background checks are initiated online by the employee. As the law stands now, an employee must complete new background checks for each new employer. Employees cannot use existing clearances to begin employment with a new employer, even though the certificates are valid for three years Will this kill or just cripple Scouting in PA?

PA's new background check laws have other twists. It is the prospective employee/volunteer responsibility to obtain and pay for his/her background check not the employer. Depending on whether it is direct youth contact and the volunteer's length of PA residency, this could be 2 or 3 background checks: child abuse, state police, and FBI. Sure the BSA could do it's LexisNexis on top of those checks and maybe a year or two later, the volunteer is cleared. About $50 for all three PA required clearances which must be repeated every 3 years! Unclear about the age of a volunteer? Would a 15yr old CIT need to obtain a background check? When you consider that few people will pay for the privilege to volunteer their time, this may be the end of volunteering.

"The Mid-Iowa Council, BSA STEM action committee is excited in your interest in this event. It is a unique opportunity for the Ankeny School District and the Boy Scouts of America to work in tande m within the community. At the event we will also have information about a potential new Ankeny STEM Club that would do STEM activities once a quarter. We hope that you and your child are planning to attend to learn more about the growth of S.T.E.M. programs and education in our community." Exporing STEM in Ankenny March 7, 2015 http://www.ankenyschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/694384/File/Announcements%20Docs/STEM%203.7.2015.pdf

"For any and all Scouting activities, all participants must complete Part A and Part B. "All participants" includes parents, guardians, siblings, youth, staff, and unit leaders. " Out in the real world, our unit's conventional wisdom is this: All members of a scout unit must supply their current Part A and Part B forms to their unit leader. Form C and High Adventure may also be needed depending on duration and venue. These forms are securely managed and carried along to all unit activities by the unit leader or alternate. So which "non-registered's" need to supply a med form. Dads running a Pinewood Derby? No, even though he will likely self-administer two aspirin. A mom who volunteered to help drive scouts to weekend campout? No An adult working in the kitchen of a scout fundraiser? No Parents and siblings visiting the Family Campfire at scout camp or troop meeting? No A scout famiily going along for a day trip - No A non-scout sibling accompanied by parent - No and they MUST be accompanied by parent! A policeman giving a DARE presentation at a troop meeting - NO but I dare you to demand the officer do so. SAR personnel presenting at a summer camp - NO A parent staying overnight at a campout - Yes Let's not hassle the few adults who help with unnecessary paperwork and an intrusion on their privacy. I do not know of any other youth group that requires informal adult volunteers to submit medical forms for a casual helpful presence. Other youth groups assume their adults to be responsible and liable for their own health management and risk assessment. My $0.02,

https://www.facebook.com/STEMScouts most recent post as of Feb 16, 2015 "The Vortex and the STEM Scouts team made it home with great news. The National Executive Board approved expanding the STEM Scouts test pilot into additional councils! In the coming days, we will have a great deal more information to share. Thank you all for the warm wishes"

Please take this statue discussion to its own thread.

I am sorry to hear that your Scouts' freedom of religion upset your Scoutmaster.

We still don't know the CM's "hike plan". But for a Cub Scout hike the total distance is limited to what 3 miles? So from their trailhead draw 1.5 and 3.0 mile radius circles as we also don't know if they planned to return to the starting point. What are the points of reference, points of interest, terrain, evac points, water, bathrooms, dangers.. A cursory look - Pacific ocean, cliffs with steep trails, world's largest nude beach, gliderport If the CM was using this map http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/657/fi...eserve_map.pdf the nude beach, Black's Beach, to my understanding is south of Flat Rock and off paper. Also south and off map is the gliderport. Hmmm? The nudity issue is one of permission with parents and CO as surprisingly the BSA was no explicit rules against this. So is that the take-away here, if ALL parents and CO are ok with hiking past a nude beach then ok, this hike is rated PG-13 for occasional nudity? Personally, I have no problem. Back in the day, my troop's winter swim was bare butt at the indoor Y pool. "Going Commando" was not yet in the lingo but was an apt description. What does concern me is the navigation mistakes with presumably a map in hand, such prominent and proximate points of reference in a familiar area. My $0.02

San Diego-Imperial Council and parents' (unsigned) response in support (2 pages) http://www.utsandiego.com/documents/2015/feb/04/response-blacks-beach-cub-scout-incident/ http://media.utsandiego.com/news/doc...sBeachHike.pdf

--Are there any grade requirements to remain in good standing in the Boy Scouts? No, though but I would expect Band would have such requirements. There merit badges that may help, in particlar, Scholarship merit badge, perhaps you can become a merit badge counselor for Scholarship merit badge. There is also a Reading merit badge http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Scholarship --Would it be a good idea to take a break from Scouts, even for a week or two, to refocus other areas of life? Absolutely.As you pointed out this is a critical time. He needs to consider his future, improve his grades, SAT/ACT, college visits, develop good relations with teachers for recommendations, etc. I would not set the break based on time but rather on goals, otherwise he will just run out the clock on you. 'We will take a break from scouting until we have completed these academic goals - grades, test scores, college visits'... and maybe earn Scholarship merit. My older son missed several weekend scout outings to SAT/ACT test prep classes. I wish we had done it sooner. --Is every single weekend camping trip mandatory? I'm sure they'll have more in the spring, which is when he will need every bit of time he can get for finals and standardized tests. No. His troop may have set attendance requirements, e.g., 'you need to go on these to attend the summer trek'. In my household, the expectation was firmly set - school came before scouts. Homework not done, no scouts. Homework got done. I also had some talks with the the scoutmaster to get him with our son's overall life program. He's a good kid but is going through some trying times, academically and elsewhere, and I'd like to approach the parents in the right way if I make the recommendation to scale back on activities. Any advice/answers to my questions? Determine his personal goals, responsibilities, and interests. Prioritize and balance! From what you described his scouting experience seems a fun escape from schoolwork which is a shame as his scouting experience should be much more. It should be teaching him the same life skills you are teaching him now - map out a destination for yourself, learn new skills, develop solid relationships with adults (teachers). This has not happened for whatever reason and time is ticking...childhood's end. Good luck and thanks for helping a scout. My $0.02

True. They were within their council so the BSA does not require one. Does that make sense is another topic. It would be interesting to know if the Charter Organization, which I think is a Presbyterian Church, was part of the "Pack leadership" which said proper protocol had been observed, etc. If not, there may be more to come.

Somehow I think the cover-up spin, "Nothing to see here, let's move along." will only lead to further exposure of leadership problems. Another $0.02

Where do we draw the line in the sand? Cub Scout outing at a nudist beach!! What next, boy scouts giving breast exams? And who will judge in California? If the soul is darkened By a fear it cannot name, If the mind is baffled When the rules don't fit the game, Who will answer? Who will answer? Who will answer? Alleluyah! Alleluyah! Alleluyah! Jimmy Fallon or Jon Stewart?

“During a planned hiking trip at Torrey Pines State Beach, a local Cub Scout Pack encountered some individuals who were inappropriately dressed. This outing, involving both parents and adult volunteer leaders, was quickly rerouted to protect the youth. Following the trip, both San Diego-Imperial Council and Pack leadership met with parents to discuss the events and determine if further action was needed. Together we concluded that proper protocol had been observed and appropriate steps were taken in this matter.†Karl Shelton, San Diego Imperial Council spokesman So did the Cubmaster have an approved Tour Permit? Isn't this "covered" in YP training? http://www.cbs8.com/story/28006852/p...o-blacks-beach And I wonder why National doesn't trust the judgment of unit leaders...

Same state, Massachusetts, and another council, Annawon, is currently being pressured to merge. There is less transparency in this case, e.g., is National denying a charter to Annawon Council due to ...? Anyone have more info? Annawon does have a symbiotic relationship with Narragansett Council regarding summer camps. Annawon runs a resident Cub Scout Camp Norse for both councils while Narragansett runs a boy scout camp for both. Seems practical but some pro's see it as a reason to merge. I don't necessarily agree. Boston Minuteman gets into similar resource and activity relationships with neighboring councils and then a year or two later there are merger talks, e.g., Yankee Clipper Council. In my experience, merger talks seem an irresistible force that rarely meets any object (transparency and informed, engaged CO's), sort of like an IRS audit. Suddenly everything is about merger, resistance is futile, you will be absorbed. Meanwhile the program is sidelined and we have MBA-bobblehead talk - "establish a dialog with stakeholders to establish best practices..." http://www.annawonbsa.org/annawon-co...ansition/57228 The Annawon Council finds itself facing an unforeseen situation, having been told by BSA National that we must merge with a nearby council. So far, the Annawon Council's Study Committee has met with both of our neighboring councils -- Narragansett Council to our south and Old Colony Council to our north. Each council presents a variety of opportunities for our scouts, staff, and volunteers. Both councils provide rich programs and training for youth and adults. Both councils have excellent facilities. Both councils have great leadership to continue the Scouting experience that we know and love. And we have much to offer them too.

I remember a swine flu outbreak at summer camp. http://www.scouter.com/forum/summer-camp/15517-swine-flue-at-summer-camp

This merger study lasted 18 months - time and money! After this stunning merger rejection, some "spinning" is going on- "Well hrrrump, this study did identify areas where... and was hence worthwhile", but 90% of these issues were already known before the study. May the pro's with just MERGER on the mind leave both councils. For those pro's remaining, this paradox, Recruiting does not increase membership, program does. If we build it, they will come - quality units (not Excellence nonsense) and local camps both with cool scout adventure programs. Another $0.02

A scout is CLEAN, in part meaning he does not spread disease. Communicate this year round and before food handling. Quarantine the infected. If a person is sick - coughing, running nose, nauseous, achy, running a temp - the early stages of just about everything. SICK? STAY HOME. Don't go to work, school, scouts, travel, or Disneyland. Common sense but not money sense, as there may be no one or way for a parent to stay home with a sick child. Got hotel and plane reservations to Disneyworld and sick kids, they're going. My $0.01

NASHUA VALLEY TURNED DOWN THE MERGER! Mohegan Council had been pushing for a merger, which many in Nashua Valley Council saw as having zero or negative benefit. It was not stated (very disingenuous) which Council office and store would close but it was likely NVC. http://www.mohegancouncilbsa.org/201...wn-the-merger/ "Well, got some surprising news last night from the Nashua Valley Council. At their Council meeting by a vote of 31 to 26 the merger resolution was defeated." Great getting the COR's out to vote as unit leaders or committee chairs had NO vote in this.Though their input on a new Council name was welcomed! The Nashua Valley Council executive board had voted previously 20-8 in favor of the recommendation. Q: What is the total number of active members, and what is the quorum requirement? What type of vote is required? A: The total number of active members as of January 9, 2015 is 118. The council bylaws specify that a quorum for all special meetings of the council shall be 10% so the quorum for the meeting on the 28th will be 12 people. A simple majority is required for all votes at meetings of the council. The above came from a FAQ from Nashual Valley, very revealing (meaning it may disappear) http://www.nashuavalleybsa.org/cm/in...swers#finances Hooray! Now both councils can focus on program which as they are suppose to do and not the following %$#& nonsense: [TABLE] [TR] [TD]February - March 2015[/TD] [TD]Nominating Committee recommends new board of directors and officers Implementation committee develops new bylaws Selection committee interviews and hires new Scout Executive Recommendations accepted for new council name[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Early April 2015[/TD] [TD]Council members approve new name, bylaws, board of directors and officers[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]April - August 2015[/TD] [TD]Committee chairs appointed and committee integration work begins[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]September 1, 2015[/TD] [TD]New council formally launched[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]