Charter Organization requiring additional background check and their YPT

[Anniescout45]

I've recently took a leadership position in my Troop.  It was brought up at our weekly meeting that a few hand picked adults are being required by the Charter Organization to have an additional background check performed by a third party (not the organization) and these leaders must go through additional Youth Protection Training that is taught by the organization.  All leaders have submitted the BSA membership application this past January (and previous years too) and have completed BSA YPT, so can this organization enforce repetitive back ground check/training?  If you have documentation to back up any information provided, please share that too.  I believe in opinions, but have found some opinions differ from BSA guidelines.  Trying to learn, but also have some form of reference too. - Thanks!

 

 

[RememberSchiff]

@Anniescout45 welcome to scouter.com

 

[fred johnson]

I'm surprised we don't hear about this more often.  I know my church requires all volunteers to have a background check and specific vulnerable person training.  Because of situations, there is zero flexibility on it.  I'm sure if we chartered a scouting unit, the requirements would apply to the scout leaders.  

[Chisos]

This is not an uncommon occurrence.  Units are "owned" by their Charter Organization, so unit volunteers are also volunteers with that CO.

For example, my troop is chartered to a Catholic parish.  All leaders have to do BSA YPT, as well as our Diocesean youth protection training.

[ValleyBoy]

I have seen this in the past were a Pack that's Charter Organization was a church required that the adult volunteers had to go threw this process to be able to meet at the church.  In this case it was the same requirements that all the church members that worked with the youth in the church had to go thru also.  As the other two posts above this is not uncommon. 

[qwazse]

Welcome to the forum.

Be glad you're not in PA.

And yes, CO's can request more of you all so that they will be in compliance with their own by-laws.

[HelpfulTracks]

In short, yes. The BSA policies are the minimum requirements in terms of leadership criteriaand youth safety. A CO may choose to strengthen requirements when it comes to safety of the youth. It may not add requirements for youth advancement.

[scotteg83]

1 hour ago, Chisos said:

This is not an uncommon occurrence.  Units are "owned" by their Charter Organization, so unit volunteers are also volunteers with that CO.

For example, my troop is chartered to a Catholic parish.  All leaders have to do BSA YPT, as well as our Diocesean youth protection training.

We were chartered by the knights of Columbus and met at the Catholic Church.  When the Knights gave the scouts back to the church, we were hit with the extra requirements from the church. The pack moved charters to the local hospital and the troop stayed on another year while looking for a different charter as well. 

[T2Eagle]

If your CO is a Catholic Church dual background and YPT is just about universal.

[awanatech]

As others have said, the church can definitely impose more requirements on leaders and volunteers.  As the Chartering Organization, they basically own the Scout unit.  By default, that means that unit volunteers are also CO volunteers.  Most churches in my area have background check requirements for any volunteers or workers who work with youth/ children. I'm surprised, but so far, the church that is our CO has not required that, yet. 

[Anniescout45]

Thank you all for the response.  I guess the twist to this story is why not have all leadership take these classes?  They have contacted only three people. 

[HelpfulTracks]

1 hour ago, Anniescout45 said:

Thank you all for the response.  I guess the twist to this story is why not have all leadership take these classes?  They have contacted only three people. 

Could it be those 3 are direct contact and others are not? Or may the others have already done it?

[Cleveland Rocks]

Our troop is chartered to a Catholic church. Diocesan policy requires that any youth volunteer in a parish that has direct contact with children more than 3 times a month (teachers, CYO coaches, Scout leaders, etc.) has to take VIRTUS training (the Catholic church's version of YPT) and has to undergo a fingerprint and background check. And even if you had that exact same fingerprint and background check done for another organization (I have to do it as a volunteer at my kids' school), you have to do it again for the church.

[John-in-KC]

Who are the three?

it might be the training costs them, so they are doing the minimum for compliance. 

[mrkstvns]

On 9/8/2018 at 11:05 AM, Cleveland Rocks said:

Our troop is chartered to a Catholic church. Diocesan policy requires that any youth volunteer in a parish that has direct contact with children more than 3 times a month (teachers, CYO coaches, Scout leaders, etc.) has to take VIRTUS training (the Catholic church's version of YPT) and has to undergo a fingerprint and background check. And even if you had that exact same fingerprint and background check done for another organization (I have to do it as a volunteer at my kids' school), you have to do it again for the church.

It might be a royal PITA to have to keep doing background checks, training, etc., but sometimes the experience is worthwhile.

I also was required by chartering church to take VIRTUS training and I found the experience to be much better than YPT. 

VIRTUS was more in-depth, more amenable to discussions and scenarios, and most importantly to me, included a very well-informed discussion of online predators (which BSA's CyberChip gets into a bit....but most adult scouters never get into the content of CyberChip). 

VIRTUS was a FAR better youth protection training than YPT. I'm glad I took it.