Another YPG rule from BSA ?... all drivers must register / take training?

[Twocubdad]

Does registering as a Scout Parent trigger a background check? Does a Scout Parent now complete a full membership form? I thought they were just picked up off their Scout's registration.

[eisely]

It is my understanding that merely registering as an adult volunteer triggers a background check.

 

I have always advocated that parents should sit through the YP training even if they are not registered, do not plan to register, and do not plan to lift a finger to help the unit in any way. Parents need to understand the policies simply because they are a parent of a youth in scouting.

[Jeffrey H]

"...believe it was folks from Texas who told me that state law prohibits any adults at summer camp except for registered and background checked adults. It's been well over a year since I attended the conference, so I could have that wrong. But the point is that in some places, if your kid is doing activities with an organization like scouts, sports camp, church camp, etc., mom and pop can't just tag along. Documented members of the organization are the only folks who can go..."

 

 

That is correct. In the State of Texas, Adults attending youth camps exceeding 72 hours in duration must be registered with their respective organizations and must have taken a "face-to-face" youth protection course. This includes all youth organizations including the Boys Scouts. The online version of YPT is not valid. This rule also extends to week-long Cub Day Camps. If you are a parent that plans to come out and spend the night, you must follow the same rules and be registered. If you want to avoid the rules, then you can just come out for a day visit. Weekend camping trips are generally exempt from this rule as it only applies to long-term camps exceeding 72 hours.

 

Overall, this is not a big deal. The biggest challenge is to ensure that the face-to-face YPT is taken ahead of time because you can't do it at the last minute.

 

Now, all that said, the scouts camps I've attended were already requiring that adults attending camp be registered with the BSA so this is not really anything new to us in our Council.

[dfolson]

I have had a discussion with the professionals in my Council. They tell me that an application for a Scout Parent does NOT trigger a background check. Only a volunteer position does (ie, SM, MC, SA, NL...)

 

YiS,

David

[thunderbolt]

I drive School Bus.

on sports trips any parent "volunteers" need to be fingerprinted and a background check before getting on a bus with the team.

this seems extream for a small school (100 kids 7th-12th grade).

but in this day and age you cannot be to careful. IMHO.

[DeanRx]

I'm all for every adult involved with scouting taking and reviewing the YPT.

 

However, there is a big difference in advocating taking something voluntarily and REQUIRING it in order to participate.

 

The issue to me is its just one more hoop to jump through to get enough drivers for unit outings. The proof of insurance, the copy of the driver's lisence, makes sense. A YPT requirement (in at least one state, now a required face to face training) does little in my mind to protect anyone. All it does is act as a barrier to someone driving in the carpool and makes more pre-outing work for the adult volunteer leaders.

 

If the state of Texas requires face to face training on youth protection, I wonder how long before this becomes the norm across the BSA?

 

I'm all for training and all for protecting youth, but where does it all stop? At what point do the volunteers start throwing up their hands and say, "well, this is too much, I'm not playing anymore... I'll just go camping as a family instead."

 

Dean

[Eaglemom2b]

I don't see the problem. The training is informative and beneficial. The time commitment is minimal. Most of the driving to the outings will take longer than the training.

 

Our previous troop used parents who had never been through YP and issues arose all of the time about the interpretation of the rules, esp. the two deep leadership portion, which to me is great importance.