New YPT: How to get people trained

[shortridge]

One of the challenges my district is facing is getting our currently registered leaders to take the new YPT before the October 1 deadline. We don’t want anyone dropped or to have issues attending fall programs like Cub weekends, OA weekends, etc., let alone the eventual barriers to rechartering that will come up. It’s been a particular hurdle explaining to people who just took the old one last fall that they now have to do an all-new session.

What tactics and strategies have worked for y’all in convincing currently registered leaders to take an hour and knock it out and not wait until the last minute?

[qwazse]

The best strategy was to set up some workstations at a regular meeting so they could log on and go through the course. We have not done this with the new course, so I'm not sure how workable that strategy is.

[thrifty]

I received an email from our CC requesting adults come to our next committee meeting because a district rep would be going through the training first hand so that adults wouldn't need to go online.  I thought the whole point to having it online was for convenience but seems like a good idea if anyone showed up.  I had already done the online training and was not in attendance.

[MattR]

1 hour ago, shortridge said:

What tactics and strategies have worked for y’all in convincing currently registered leaders to take an hour and knock it out and not wait until the last minute?

Remember, these are the parents of the scouts in your troop. Reason has no place at the table. 3 weeks before it's due I'd start setting up lap tops at meetings and reiterating the consequences. If you talk about it every week from now till then you will just condition them to ignore you.

So, be prepared for the ensuing chaos 😀

[RememberSchiff]

1 hour ago, thrifty said:

I received an email from our CC requesting adults come to our next committee meeting because a district rep would be going through the training first hand so that adults wouldn't need to go online.  I thought the whole point to having it online was for convenience but seems like a good idea if anyone showed up.  I had already done the online training and was not in attendance.

Perhaps those adults did not wish to register online to take the YPT course?

[thrifty]

23 minutes ago, RememberSchiff said:

Perhaps those adults did not wish to register online to take the YPT course?

Perhaps but considering this was for adults that are already registered as leaders or committee, wouldn't they already have an online presence?  I don't know.  I have been registered online for a few years so I don't know what anyone else does but every committee member we have was requested to do online training last year so unless they didn't do it then, they should have a login i.d.  I think having training at the committee meeting is a fine solution and I hope it accomplished what it was supposed to.  I think it's ironic that adults that are scarce at troop or committee meetings would all of a sudden show up at a meeting to do training that they could have done at home but stay home when there are meetings when they should attend.

[awanatech]

On 6/29/2018 at 12:09 PM, thrifty said:

I received an email from our CC requesting adults come to our next committee meeting because a district rep would be going through the training first hand so that adults wouldn't need to go online.  I thought the whole point to having it online was for convenience but seems like a good idea if anyone showed up.  I had already done the online training and was not in attendance.

I've heard of other Units/ Districts having this type of group training.  How does that training then get credited to the individual leader's I.D. so that BSA knows that they did it. 

[qwazse]

7 hours ago, awanatech said:

I've heard of other Units/ Districts having this type of group training.  How does that training then get credited to the individual leader's I.D. so that BSA knows that they did it. 

The course instructor turns in a training report with the names and unit # of the participant to the council registrar. This is basically what the online training does, but it consumes your time (setting up an account, logging in, printing certificates) instead of the council's.

[walk in the woods]

7 hours ago, awanatech said:

I've heard of other Units/ Districts having this type of group training.  How does that training then get credited to the individual leader's I.D. so that BSA knows that they did it. 

The trainers or your unit commissioner can enter the training online as well.

[awanatech]

On 7/1/2018 at 7:39 AM, qwazse said:

The course instructor turns in a training report with the names and unit # of the participant to the council registrar. This is basically what the online training does, but it consumes your time (setting up an account, logging in, printing certificates) instead of the council's.

 

On 7/1/2018 at 7:58 AM, walk in the woods said:

The trainers or your unit commissioner can enter the training online as well.

Thanks, I did not know they could turn this in like that.  That would help in getting all of my leaders/ parents trained in YPT.

[The Latin Scot]

I actually got myself certified to conduct in-person trainings myself at the Cub Scout level, so now I am qualified to teach leader specific training for Den Leaders, Cubmasters, and all committee positions (Chair, Pack Trainer, et cetera). During each training pass around a roll of everybody who is there, and then I submit that list to my local District Executive and District Commissioner over Training. They enter it in and bam - the training is listed as complete. 

Getting certified to do these wasn't hard either. I simply approached the DE and DC and explained that I am an educator who wanted to have a larger role in the Scouting community through training, and they got me cleared to conduct them whenever I wish. It makes things SO MUCH EASIER when I can invite new leaders to my home to get them trained instead of waiting/hoping they will eventually get it done on their own time online. In my experience, that rarely happens.

[dilrod]

I am tasked with getting our leaders & parents to take the course.  Having been Pack Trainer for 3 years, I know our parents and few of them have ever taken time to explore the great resources my.scouting has to offer. 

I did the new YPT a few weeks ago and I think the BSA is expecting too much.  I believe the old course was adequate, although I do appreciate the addition of the Scouts First hotline.   The material is college level & disturbing.  It's law enforcement training (which I've had) and I don't think a lot of parents are up to it.  A few "thank you for your service to the youth of America" plugs would've made it more palatable as well.  Plus, the trick questions in the exam are infuriating!

There are always some that will just refuse to train, although if they are leaders, they'll be removed from the rosters in October.   I'm more concerned about the potential future leader who gets halfway through the course and says "To heck with it, I'm not signing up for this!"

 

 

 

[DeanRx]

My two largest concerns with the new training:

1) The new Scouts First Hotline.... might as well call this dial 1-800-witchhunt.  Remember, if it gets to council... their job is to protect the brand and mitigate liability of the corporation.  It is NOT the best interest of the scouts involved.  Its kind of like getting HR involved in a workplace dispute between coworkers.  Its not about resolution as much as its about making sure BSA national won't get sued.  God forbid a unit leader hears something on a campout, says "hey knock it off, we don't talk like that to each other and here's why... x,y,z..." and then a fellow adult or other scout on the outing decides it was more offensive than that and calls in to the hotline.  Now both 'offender' and registered adult will likely be defending their actions to a paid scouter at council who's most likely course of action is to tell them both that their time in scouting is over.  Better to cut bait on a couple members as a means to mitigate any chance of a lawsuit by whomever might be the slightest bit offended.

2) The "mandatory reporter" designation in YPT.  And the subsequent laundry list of "must report" offenses.  So one kid gets mad at another and says "stop acting so gay" or "don't be a little bitch".  That MUST be reported to council because it falls under discriminatory speech based on gender, orientation, ethnic background, etc... ?!!??

The new YPT expectations leave ZERO room for unit level adult leaders to correct / train / guide / educate youth when they mess up or make an off-hand comment.  Our expectation is to report.  McCarthyism at its finest.  I guess they could re-brand the new YPT standards as "Salem Witch Hunt BSA".  The problem with the standards as currently written is that the "offended" gets to decide what is offensive and most everything is a must report to the council level.  Hope council hires a few more pro's to field the call influx.

Dean

[Bowline]

We offered a big group setting and a smaller one for the leaders which has worked so far   Time will tell with our fall rostering  

The new course is longer at 1.5 hours, but I found it really well done.  The Monday after I took it last spring there was something in the news about a young girl getting aducted.  I had deja VP as the story was text book from the course and all the warning signs were there.  

[HelpfulTracks]

Our Council is training Trainers/Facilitators to conduct YPT sessions. The facilitators are mostly District Training Chairs, Coordinators with some additional trainers identified.

Several training sessions are planned over the next month and a half. Facilitators will conduct the class and test the participants. Training chairs will record YPT in Scoutnet.