2019 GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING

[John-in-KC]

Scouters, for your reading and compliance. 

Here’s the online version.

Here’s the link to the downloadable version.

[NealOnWheels]

2018: Youth sharing tents should be no more than two years apart in age.

2019: Youth sharing tents must be no more than two years apart in age.

[NealOnWheels]

2018: 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.

2019: There must be a registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over must be present for any activity involving female youth.

[John-in-KC]

20 hours ago, NealOnWheels said:

2018: Youth sharing tents should be no more than two years apart in age.

2019: Youth sharing tents must be no more than two years apart in age.

Just a bit significant. 

20 hours ago, NealOnWheels said:

2018: 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.

2019: There must be a registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over must be present for any activity involving female youth.

Pole vaulting over mouse turds.  I wonder how much National paid the attorneys for that wordsmithing?

[Jameson76]

56 minutes ago, John-in-KC said:

Pole vaulting over mouse turds.  I wonder how much National paid the attorneys for that wordsmithing?

No doubt there was a survey, then a listening tour, then a sub-committee meeting on the topic, then a working committee meeting on the topic, then a general committee meeting on the topic which was forwarded with a resolution of support for the change to the legal topics sub-committee, who then reviewed, sought outside counsel advise, the outside counsel then also reviewed, looked over historic documents to understand what the original framers of the Guide to Safe Scouting's intent may have been, the watched "Follow Me Boys" (twice) as active reference material, reviewed the desired change on the corporate retreat to the lovely Sheraton Grand on the Big Island, then forwarded their recommendation to the firms partner working group who took in under advisement, who then sent the recommendation (123 page document with annotated index and twenty-seven 8-by-10 color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was, to be used as evidence in the proceedings), which the committee then reviewed in detail and forwarded their support recommendation to the BSA Executive Board who flew in some of the lawyers from the outside counsel to do a full 76 page PPT slide presentation to the board, who then took it under advisement, considered it, voted, and then it was approved.

Bottom line nobody is sure what the wordsmithing may in fact have cost

[RichardB]

@John-in-KC Please note that the 2019 version Animal and Insect Hazards https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss13/  contains a link to the following reference, please review before working with mouse turds.    https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/index.html    

 

[shortridge]

Holy cow, H&S has a sense of humor!

[NJCubScouter]

On 2/12/2019 at 3:41 PM, shortridge said:

Holy cow, H&S has a sense of humor!

I wouldn't go that far. 

On 2/11/2019 at 5:40 PM, NealOnWheels said:

2018: 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.

2019: There must be a registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over must be present for any activity involving female youth.

I don't think there is any difference in intent there.  I don't think they previously meant you have to be 22.  It is just a clearer way of saying the same thing.

[scotteg83]

Just cause I haven't looked into the update. 

 

Whats the ruling on Traveling with scouts?   If I have an all girl troop, and we are traveling in 2 different cars, can 1 car have a male adult and all girl scouts? Or do I now have to find another female leader for every car?

[John-in-KC]

8 hours ago, scotteg83 said:

Just cause I haven't looked into the update. 

 

Whats the ruling on Traveling with scouts?   If I have an all girl troop, and we are traveling in 2 different cars, can 1 car have a male adult and all girl scouts? Or do I now have to find another female leader for every car?

Have you asked Your District Commissioner?

(to use the adult version of “have you asked your patrol leader?”)

Edited February 14, 2019 by John-in-KC

[scotteg83]

15 hours ago, John-in-KC said:

Have you asked Your District Commissioner?

(to use the adult version of “have you asked your patrol leader?”)

Nope, Haven't seen him since I thought of the question

[Jameson76]

On 2/14/2019 at 7:56 AM, scotteg83 said:

Whats the ruling on Traveling with scouts?   If I have an all girl troop, and we are traveling in 2 different cars, can 1 car have a male adult and all girl scouts? Or do I now have to find another female leader for every car?

First thought is this is one of the pitfalls / minefields that will be an obstruction to delivering program, but the lawyers will love to have the discussion

Second thought is that as the requirement is at least one female on the event, then as long as no one on one contact, and there is a registered female on the event, you would be in compliance.  Currently we have 1 leader and multiple Boy Scouts in cars / vehicles all the time.  There is more than one leader on the outing (two deep) and there is no one on one contact with the youth as there is more than one Boy Scout in the car.

[scotteg83]

12 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

First thought is this is one of the pitfalls / minefields that will be an obstruction to delivering program, but the lawyers will love to have the discussion

Second thought is that as the requirement is at least one female on the event, then as long as no one on one contact, and there is a registered female on the event, you would be in compliance.  Currently we have 1 leader and multiple Boy Scouts in cars / vehicles all the time.  There is more than one leader on the outing (two deep) and there is no one on one contact with the youth as there is more than one Boy Scout in the car.

The old boy standard was 1 leader in a car was fine, because it still met the no one on one contact.

 

But now that there's girls, it changes the mind set.  But it would still meet the no one on one contact.  Female leadership would be at the event, just not in each car transporting all the scouts.

[shortridge]

I view this question the same way I view merit badge classes at summer camp. We don’t need a female registered leader 21+ sitting in every session with a female Scout, so we don’t need one riding along in every car. As long as there is no 1-on-1 contact, you’re fine.

My personal policy when driving my daughter and her friends is that either my daughter rides in the front passenger seat or no one rides in the front passenger seat. But that’s just me.

[awanatech]

On 2/12/2019 at 1:44 PM, John-in-KC said:

Just a bit significant. 

Pole vaulting over mouse turds.  I wonder how much National paid the attorneys for that wordsmithing?

Pole vaulting for sure, but no doubt it would be used to absolve BSA from liability if it comes down to it.  These seem like such minor, insignificant changes, but they were intentionally made.