Married couple as adult leaders on a campout

[evmori]

Seems to me that a married couple should only count as one, for the reason mentioned by others that they have spousal immunity.

 

Only in a court of law & that's only if they want it. And if it gets that far, there is a bigger problem!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[jark]

At the committee meeting where the issue was brought up, only the 'normal' committee members were present. Most of the past summer camp adult leaders were at that meeting.

We did not survey the entire adult population of the troop for addtional adults since we had two registered adult leaders who were available and willing to attend.

The question was, simply, are there any BSA restrictions (not local customs) that forbid the two adults on a campout from being as husband and wife pair. The answer to the original quesiton is NO. It is OK for the two adults to be a husband and wife team. This has been confirmed with our council executive.

As it turns out, we will have a third adult (the ASM of the troop) along with the husband and wife team this year.

The parent bringing up the original question, did not volunteer to go on this trip and that was probably due to their involvement in other scouting activities the same week.

And there are some other adults who will pop out to camp for a day or night during the week, but we were trying to get the main adult leadership covered and just had to resolve this technicality.

I hope that this explanation satisfies Marge's request.

[tortdog]

>Only in a court of law & that's only if they want it. And if it gets that far, there is a bigger problem!

 

I think the policy is in place to prevent the "bigger problem", and the privilege arises during criminal investigations as well.

[OldGreyEagle]

If a married couple only couns as one person, which sex is the one person? You mean a husband and wife can't take the venture crew out on an oevrnight(co-ed) because they are only one person? And if the husband and wife team are joined by a male adult. Does that make the wedded pair female? and if joined by a female adult, the pair spontaneously changes to male?

 

Is the marital status of the adult leaders addressed in any BSA publication?

[ScoutNut]

Jark - Since you said that other parents will be popping in & out during the week, it seems that the camp does not have strict cut off dates for camping.

 

From your profile it looks like you are a parent/Committe Member & not involved in the week to week Troop meetings. Perhaps the SM, or the ASM who is also going to summer camp with the boys, could make a pitch for additional adult summer camp help at the next few weekly troop meetings. At the worst, you still have 3 adults going. At the best, you might pick up 1 or 2 more. It certainly couldn't hurt, & it could help to satisfy any lingering questions.

 

 

[tortdog]

>If a married couple only couns as one person, which sex is the one person?

 

Doesn't matter which gender you choose, because each gender equally has the same privilege (to prevent the spouse from "ratting").

 

>You mean a husband and wife can't take the venture crew out on an oevrnight(co-ed) because they are only one person?

 

In my opinion, I think the purpose behind the 2-deep leadership rule is partially frustrated because there will be no competent adult witness to any acts. However, you do still have 2 adults to supervise...meaning one bad adult would presumably have to still hide the bad act from the other adult. However, in a marriage one adult might have a greater tendency to "look the other way just this once" where a non-martial couple would not. Obviously, there's no hard/fast rule to human behavior...but...

 

>Is the marital status of the adult leaders addressed in any BSA publication?

 

[raises both hands and shrugs]

 

It would be interesting to see what BSA legal thinks of it (assuming the issue has been brought forward). I have a feeling we won't see anything official until (i) something bad happens or (ii) it becomes common enough that the issue is raised so many times that BSA has to lay down a firm policy.

 

Until then...there's speculation!