CO Child Protection training

[FireStone]

Our CO is requiring us to attend a church-sponsored child protection program, in addition to BSA YPT. If we don't attend, we cannot be BSA adult volunteers.

As a broad and general question, are COs allowed to do this?

Edited October 1, 2020 by FireStone

[DuctTape]

yes.

[CynicalScouter]

29 minutes ago, FireStone said:

Our CO is requiring us to attend a church-sponsored child protection program, in addition to BSA YPT. If we don't attend, we cannot be BSA adult volunteers.

As a broad and general question, are COs allowed to do this?

Yes.

Remember, your unit is an appendage of the chartered organization. They "own" your unit. Not only are you a BSA Leader, you are a leader within that chartered organization.

To be a BSA Leader, you need YPT.

To be a leader of [insert name of church here], you need [insert name of training here].

To be BOTH a BSA Leader and a leader of [insert name of church here] need YPT and [insert name of training here].

Some Catholic Dioceses or individual churches, for example, will require Virtus in addition to YPT.

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by CynicalScouter

[FireStone]

Thanks, folks.

I had a feeling that was the case, just wanted to confirm.

[FireStone]

Follow-up question:

Can a CO require volunteers to sign a document that states that volunteers agree to exhibit Christian ethical standards and conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the discipline, norms, and teachings of the Cathollic Church?

I'm struggling with this one and how it potentially impacts volunteers who follow other faiths. Or gay volunteers.

Edited October 1, 2020 by FireStone

[CynicalScouter]

2 minutes ago, FireStone said:

Follow-up question:

Can a CO require volunteers to sign a document that states that volunteers agree to exhibit Christian ethical standards and conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the discipline, norms, and teachings of the Cathollic Church?

I'm struggling with this one and how it potentially impacts volunteers who follow other faiths.

Yes as long as it complies with the Declaration of Religious Principles which, if this is a Catholic unit or dioceses, does.

Quote

Declaration of Religious Principle
Clause 1. The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member
can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an
obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath the member
declares, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and
my country and to obey the Scout Law.” The recognition of God
as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful
acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the
best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education
of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of
the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship
should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore,
recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but
it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious
training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group
with which the member is connected shall give definite attention
to religious life.

 

[FireStone]

The Declaration of Religious Principle is fairly broad, though, and not specific to any one faith.

The document I'm being asked to sign speaks directly to Christian standards and the teachings of the Catholic church. To me that seems too specific for a BSA volunteer, with the BSA being non-sectarian.

[CynicalScouter]

1 minute ago, FireStone said:

The Declaration of Religious Principle is fairly broad, though, and not specific to any one faith.

The document I'm being asked to sign speaks directly to Christian standards and the teachings of the Catholic church. To me that seems too specific for a BSA volunteer, with the BSA being non-sectarian.

Most Catholic units I've worked with require it.

Again, you are not JUST a BSA leader, you are a leader of the local Catholic Diocese (through the parish). Therefore you are required to adhere to their rules/standards as well.

[CynicalScouter]

May want to check out the Guide to Catholic Scouting

Quote

To accomplish this, the lay leaders in Scouting must themselves be spiritually indoctrinated with the importance and the opportunities of playing a part in the Christian formation of a youth.

and
 

Quote

Catholic Scouting

Scout leaders, families, and other scouts are witnesses of faith to each member of our Parish’s youth ministry program. We are witnesses to our faith through our:
• Religious emblems and activities program,
• Participation in scout retreats or days of reflection,
• Mass attendance while on weekend trips,
• Values in Scout Oath and Scout Law, and
• Outreach to unchurched members of the unit.

 

Quote

Evangelization
When an organization chooses to charter a unit, it does so because its values match those of Scouting and it wants to take advantage of the youth-serving programs the BSA offers. The Scouting program, when chartered to a Catholic institution, should take on the values of the Catholic faith. Scouting fulfills all the characteristics of a program of Catholic youth ministry when it utilizes the activities and programs of the NCCS and becomes involved in the community life of its Catholic chartered institution (see http://www.scouting.org/filestore/membership/pdf/522-451/522-451_low_english.pdf).

Effective Scouting programs also attract unchurched youth. Even if the church has a fine religious education program, sacramental formation, and youth ministry organization chances are that the youth program mainly attracts young people already active in the congregation. Scouting offers a distinctive outreach element to help extend the church’s ministry to the larger community

While a Catholic-chartered program may be open to youth of other faiths, the experience should be similar to that of someone attending a Catholic school or participating in a Catholic sports program where the Catholic faith is practiced. It's our calling as Catholics to practice our faith and thereby evangelize all those with whom we come into contact. This isn't the same as encouraging someone to convert. The NCCS offers the program National Catholic Leadership Development to prepare Catholic Scouters to better offer their talents and charisms in the service of the Church.

The BSA and NCCS are agreed that the BSA cannot prevent Catholic youth from joining BSA units sponsored by community and other church bodies. These units are found where it is not practical for one church to sponsor a unit. Catholic adults must be encouraged to participate as leaders in these units to support the Catholic youth that are present with appropriate Catholic components (Mass attendance, religious activities and emblems, etc.).

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by CynicalScouter

[SSScout]

Your church is asking YOU to agree to it, not someone else.  That said. if the church is requiring this of any and all Scout Leaders in the Units they will charter, that is another issue and may well limit the folks that allow their kids to be in those units.  But again, it is not the PARENT of a Scout that is asked to make such a promise (A Scout is Trustworthy) only the registered adult leader..... 

I have known of Troops sponsored by a particular faith that only allowed folks of that faith to join.  That is their right, but it severely limited the size of their Troop and Pack. 

AND,,,, I have known Troops that were sponsored by a particular faith that made it quite clear that anyone was free to join their Troop with the understanding that the Scouts there in would be governed and adhere to the church's teachings and ritual.....  

[FireStone]

4 minutes ago, SSScout said:

Your church is asking YOU to agree to it, not someone else. 

Not my church, my CO, and they're asking all of our unit volunteers to sign it, which includes folks of other faiths.

So I guess in this CO, if you're not Catholic, either you can't volunteer or you can and just have th sign the form without really meaning it.

[Chisos]

10 minutes ago, FireStone said:

Not my church, my CO, and they're asking all of our unit volunteers to sign it, which includes folks of other faiths.

So I guess in this CO, if you're not Catholic, either you can't volunteer or you can and just have th sign the form without really meaning it.

It's probably worth a discussion with the COR to see what they're really expecting.  Are they expecting all leaders to be practicing Catholics?  Or are they expecting that leaders won't go against church teaching in how they interact with youth?  It sounds like a similar expectation to teachers at Catholic schools...you (generally) don't have to be Catholic, but you agree to live/teach in a way the that reflects the beliefs of the church--or at least, not actively oppose them.

 

[CynicalScouter]

27 minutes ago, FireStone said:

Not my church, my CO, and they're asking all of our unit volunteers to sign it, which includes folks of other faiths.

So I guess in this CO, if you're not Catholic, either you can't volunteer or you can and just have th sign the form without really meaning it.

I've seen several non-Catholic Christians in the Catholic sponsored units I know in all leadership positions up to ASM/Den Leader, etc.

The key is that they expect leaders to not act or conduct themselves in open defiance of Church teachings.

Having an Episcopalian (or heck, Jewish) den leader is not going be banned.

Having a homosexual den leader bring his husband to a Cub Campout and introduce him as "my husband" is not going to fly in a Catholic-parish sponsored unit.

Edited October 1, 2020 by CynicalScouter

[SSScout]

24 minutes ago, FireStone said:

Not my church, my CO, and they're asking all of our unit volunteers to sign it, which includes folks of other faiths.

So I guess in this CO, if you're not Catholic, either you can't volunteer or you can and just have th sign the form without really meaning it.

I apologize for the misunderstanding.  Your "Scout Unit's" church.   It does not sound from your description they are asking all Scout parents , but the Unit's Scouters...   

Again,  if they are asking all registered Scouters to agree to this statement,  read the fine print and see if you can agree to it.  If not . . .  

[scoutldr]

The bottom line is, the BSA has licensed your CO to use the BSA materials, name and program and the CO "owns" the unit.  As they have chosen you and approved your membership, you are their representative.  They can require additional membership standards, such as only admit members of their church or faith, or only males, or only females, etc.