Training questions - retrain frequency?

[Acid Test]

I am putting together a training matrix for our pack's adult leaders and had some questions. Could somebody advise? thanks

 

Are assistant den leaders required to take the leader specific training?

 

Does a den leader need to take the leader specific training each year as they move from Tigers to Wolves to Bears to Webelos?

 

How often do leaders need to be retrained? I have a couple of answers already:

 

Youth Protection Training (on-Line) Every 2 Years

New Leader Essentials Once

Cub Scout Leader Fast Start (on-line)

Den Leader Specific Training (Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos)

Charter Organization Representative Training

Cubmaster Training

Pack Committee Training

Safe Swim Defense (on-line)

Stay Afloat (on-line)

WeatherHazards (on-line)

Basic Adult Leaders Outdoor Orientation (BALOO)

Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelo Leaders

 

 

 

[infoscouter]

>Are assistant den leaders required to take the leader specific >training?

 

Well, no one is *required* to take training except for specific activities. But, if you want well run dens, then you should expect assistants to attend training

 

>Does a den leader need to take the leader specific training >each year as they move from Tigers to Wolves to Bears to >Webelos?

 

There is training for Tiger Den leaders; Wolf/Bear den leaders and Webelos den leaders. So they don't have to retrain at Bears, it's the same course as for Wolves.

 

>How often do leaders need to be retrained? I have a couple of >answers already:

 

Youth Protection Training (on-Line) Every 2 Years

New Leader Essentials Once

Cub Scout Leader Fast Start (on-line)

Den Leader Specific Training (Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos) See above.

Charter Organization Representative Training

Cubmaster Training

Pack Committee Training

Safe Swim Defense (on-line) Every two years

Stay Afloat (on-line) Every two years

WeatherHazards (on-line) Not sure

Basic Adult Leaders Outdoor Orientation (BALOO)

Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelo Leaders

 

All the others are just one time sessions. Now, refreshers are good for long term leaders, but not required.

[gcnphkr]

Ideally, a unit would have at least one BSA Lifeguard for aquatic activities. That needs to be renewed every three years. You should also have adults with American Red Cross (or equivalent) CPR and First Aid training. When you get to Boy Scouts or Venturing you can add ARC Wilderness First Aid to the list for treks. But these are all considered optional for individual scouters.

[Docrwm]

Aren't there activities for which a Pack MUST have a CPR trained person in attendance?

[infoscouter]

Off the top of my head, no, I don't think there are any Dub Scout activities which *require* a CPR trained adult.

[Apache Bob]

I may be way out in left field but I did not think a Pack could have a swimming event for their Cubs unless a BSA lifeguard was present. If that is the case why would they need Safe Swim Defense?

Should you add BSA lifeguard to your list?

[infoscouter]

Safe Swim rules do not require a BSA lifeguard. They require qualified supervision. A BSA lifeguard is one way to provide that. However, if a trained lifeguard is not available, a strong swimmer may be designated as a lifeguard.

 

" For unit swims in areas where lifeguards are not provided by others, the supervisor should designate two capable swimmers as lifeguards. "

 

Most Cub Packs are going to go swimming at a public facility where lifeguards are provided. In that case, the leaders need to know the Safe Swim principles in order to make sure the event is conducted according to the BSA's standards, which may be different from those of the pool.

 

"If the swimming activity is in a public facility where others are using the pool at the same time, and the pool operator provides guard personnel, there may be no need for additional designation of Scout lifeguards and lookout.

 

The buddy system is critically important, however, even in a public pool. Remember, even in a crowd, you are alone without protection if no one is attentive to your circumstances."

 

Quotes are from: http://www.scouting.org/healthandsafety/gss/gss02.aspx#g

 

Unless a Cub Scout pack is planning on regular swimming excursions, I wouldn't place a high priority on someone being trained as a BSA lifeguard.

 

 

[Frank17]

I was told by our District training chair that the new weather hazards training will require an update every 2 years, just like the water training and YPT. One I did not see listed was climb-on-safety for climbing activities, which also expires every 2 years (at least according to my training card).

[Tyrus]

Needed to know this for tracking our volunteers. Found the following list located at the following. Check to see if list is still up to date.

 

http://www.scouting.org/Training/TrainingUpdates/Archives/201105.aspx

• Youth Protectionâ€â€every two years
  
• National Camping Schoolâ€â€good for five camping seasons
  
• Safe Swim Defenseâ€â€every two years
  
• Paddle Craft Safetyâ€â€every three years
  
• Aquatics Supervision/Swimming and Water Rescueâ€â€every three years
  
• BSA Lifeguardâ€â€every three years
  
• Visitation trainingâ€â€every two years
  
• Climbing Lead Instructorâ€â€every two years
  
• Climbing Instructorâ€â€every two years
  
• COPE/Climbing Inspectorâ€â€every two years
  
• Safety Afloatâ€â€every two years
  
• Chain Saw Safetyâ€â€every two years
  
• Trainer’s EDGEâ€â€every three years
  
• Hazardous Weatherâ€â€every two years
  
• Physical Wellnessâ€â€every two years
  
• Climb On Safelyâ€â€every two years
  
• Trek Safelyâ€â€every two years
  

 

[BartHumphries]

National Camping School certification isn't necessarily good for five years, as the recert lengths vary depending on what you're getting. "But the National website says..." I know, but the National website is sort of wrong. For instance, COPE or Climbing Instructor Level 2 is still taught at some NCS sessions this year (and will also be taught this fall at Philmont) and it's only good for the normal time for that level, even though you get an NCS patch and can say that you attended NCS. Climbing Lead Instructor is no longer a certification, it's now COPE or Climbing Level 1, Level 2, then Program Manager.

 

Some NCS certs require that a "sub" cert also be maintained. For instance, a person could call themselves an Aquatics Director, but without a lifeguard cert they'd be pretty useless poolside, right? So NCS sessions now require potential Aquatics Directors to already have a lifeguard cert when they show up, and I've been told that they aren't doing the lifeguard training at NCS anymore because there's so much mandatory training that's already required to be able to teach all of the things an Aquatics Director has to teach. The last couple times I've been to NCS, the Aquatics Directors were usually up and going by 6am and didn't stop until about 10pm, every day except one, and apparently they want to have more "reasonable" hours like the rest of NCS participants. If the lifeguard cert lapses, your Aquatics Director cert also will temporarily lapse until you get it again and depending on where you got it from, your work, the BSA, wherever, your lifeguard cert may last anywhere from one to three years, which can make your Aquatics Director cert variable length.

 

To be a Health Lodge Director (online NCS training), you must at least be an EMT. EMT certification lasts for two years before you have to get recerted (I'm an EMT). EMT's also have to maintain basic first aid certification as well as CPR certification or their EMT license temporarily lapses. In either case, if your EMT cert lapses for whatever reason, you're ineligible to be a Health Lodge Director, no matter how long the NCS cert is good for. Similarly, nurses and doctors have to recert as well, although it can be anywhere for three years for some nurses to 10 years for some doctors.

 

USA Archery or National Field Archer Association Level 1 or 2 coach certs only last for three years, as do NRA Instructor certs, although a person can continue to be a Shooting Sports Director without those. If all of a person's NRA/archery certs lapse, though, then they aren't going to be able to do much on a range, so it would seem important to keep up those "sub" certs.

 

Basically, try to get retrained for most things every year. If you take an occasional year off, or even every other year off, fine, no problem, but if you take two or more years off then you should probably go get retrained no matter what your training was. That being said, basic leader training classes (like BALOO, IOLS, Wood Badge, etc.), tend not to have an expiration date, although if you haven't done any of those things for several years then it may be a good idea to go get retrained just to see if anyone has any new tricks to teach you.