72 hour rule

[scotteg83]

So I emailed national asking about a clarification on the 72 hour rule, because our council was saying it’s 72 hours over a year span, and not just one event. This is what I got in response. So for my pack, that means every parent that attends more then 3 weekend camp-outs MUST become a registered leader, and pay the $33 fee to national.

 

Quote

Thank you for contacting Boy Scouts of America regarding Youth Protection.  Your council is correct, anyone that will be with our youth for more than 72 hours over the course of the years activities they should be registered and taking Youth Protection as an extra safeguard to keep our children safe. So if a parent is going to be at a camp out that is going to last 36 hours this weekend, and another camp out next month for 36 hours and then they are going to be attending anything else during the year they would need to take Youth Protection and be registered.  
If you need additional assistance, please call us at 972-580-2489. (Advocates are available from 7:00A to 7:00P CT; after this time you will be transferred to our voice mail which will be answered the following day) or send a reply email to MyScouting@Scouting.org and please include the *ref#24-2176327 number in the subject line.
Thank you for your support of Boy Scouts of America.
Cyndi
Member Care Contact Center

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by scotteg83

[NealOnWheels]

That is funny.  That is not what the Guide To Safe Scouting says.

[MzKelly]

If your a Merit Badge counselor and have already completed the updated youth protection do you still have to register as a leader in your sons Boy Scout Troop?

[scoutldr]

Unless it's changed, MBC are registered with the Council and do not need to be a member of a unit.  

 

[Hawkwin]

1 hour ago, MzKelly said:

If your a Merit Badge counselor and have already completed the updated youth protection do you still have to register as a leader in your sons Boy Scout Troop?

As a leader, no, but you still need to fill out the adult application.

7.0.1.5 Registration and Reregistration

Merit badge counselors register at no fee, using the Boy Scouts of America’s standard adult registration form with position code 42.

[Thunderbird]

I think @MzKelly is referring to this and whether or not merit badge counselors count as "leaders" or not:

 

Quote

 

Adult Supervision

(Effective October 1, 2018) Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including meetings. There must be a registered female adult leader over 21 in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader over 21 must be present for any activity involving female youth. Notwithstanding the minimum leader requirements, age- and program-appropriate supervision must always be provided.

All adults accompanying a Scouting unit who are present at the activity for 72 total hours or more must be registered as leaders. The 72 hours need not be consecutive.

One-on-one contact between adult leaders and youth members is prohibited both inside and outside of Scouting.

• In situations requiring a personal conference, the meeting is to be conducted with the knowledge and in view of other adults and/or youth.
• Private online communications (texting, phone calls, chat, IM, etc.) must include another registered leader or parent.
• Communication by way of social media (Facebook, Snapchat, etc.) must include another registered leader or parent.

 

https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss01/

If the BSA's goal is for the adult to be registered, have current YPT, and have a criminal background check, then I would think that a merit badge counselor (or Nova counselor / Supernova mentor) would count as a registered adult leader.  These new YPT rules seem to have created more questions than they have answered.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Thunderbird

[Eagle94-A1]

We had this come up since all folks going to summer camp had to be "registered leaders" with the BSA. Camp the troop went to told us to register the parent as an MBC.

[NealOnWheels]

The Guide To Safe Scouting says "All adults accompanying a Scouting unit who are present at the activity for 72 total hours or more must be registered as leaders".  By using the word "the" it implies a single activity.

Nowhere does it mention a one year period.

I find it disturbing that a published policy guide and a national help desk give two different statements.

Maybe RichardB could clarify.

[Kryten]

They said that also at ypt2 training. the trainer said scouting is a year round activity and hours are cumulative. i just rolled my eyes. cant argue with a woodbager

seems these days that reading comprehension is lacking on so many levels.

[Eagle94-A1]

I believe this one sentence is causing the problem:  "The 72 hours need not be consecutive."

My interpretation is that one event 72+ hours, say summer camp, and if an adult is there Sunday 12PM to Tuesday 6PM (54 hours) then comes back Thursday at 8 PM and they stay past 6PM on Friday, they need to be registered.

Apparently someone is interpreting "The activity" as Scouting's year round program. If this is the case. then ALL Cub Parents need to be registered.

 

[Jameson76]

Seems if the "activity" was supposed to be interpreted as the whole year (whatever that may be, calendar, school, program, Martian) they should have actually

1. Said that clearly in the G2SS (what's another page when you already have 100+)
2. Defined a year

They appear to be making up stuff as they go along

[Kryten]

seems to much of a coincidence that the national help desk and my council trainer are parroting the same idea.

the rule is pretty clear.

2 hours ago, NealOnWheels said:

"All adults accompanying a Scouting unit who are present at the activity for 72 total hours or more must be registered as leaders".

one single activity. i relay don't see how they can interpret this as meaning anything else. 

looks to me they want to  increase adult registrations and are using this rule as a guise. unfortunately most people will just do it without question.

 

 

[ParkMan]

Well, technically - they wrote the rule, they can interpret it to mean whatever they want.

The GSUSA mandates that you be registered to go on any trips.  Even at 72 hours, the BSA is much laxer.

[Saltface]

Evidently my council interprets this as 72 hours on one single activity. In the lead up to summer camp, we were reminded again and again that any adult attending a council camp for longer than 72 hours (consecutive or not) needed the new YPT. But they didn’t give a hoot if you had already camped with the troop 71 hours. 

At any rate, it would be nice to have some more stability in policies (and rank advancement).  

[NealOnWheels]

1 hour ago, ParkMan said:

Well, technically - they wrote the rule, they can interpret it to mean whatever they want.

The GSUSA mandates that you be registered to go on any trips.  Even at 72 hours, the BSA is much laxer.

They can intepretate it however they want but if they expect the membership to correctly follow the rule then they need to clearly comunicate it to the membership.

The 72 hour period seems rather arbitrary to me.  Why not 48 hours? Or 24? Why a time period at all?

Edited September 5, 2018 by NealOnWheels