Adult Leader age requirements

[Crazy_TP_Lady]

To my knowledge, both males and females can be assistant scoutmasters at age 18. Does anyone know if this has always been the case or if they as well needed to be 21 to hold the position. I am currently being told that females must be 21 to be an assistant scoutmaster, but all the the literature I can find, including the adult application, states Assistant Scoutmasters need to only be 18.

[scoutldr]

There is no longer any gender discrimination in the BSA. Males and females can hold any position. No, females do NOT need to be 21 to be an ASM, according to BSA policy. But it could be that a chartering organization can set policy for its unit that is more stringent than BSA. Is this an LDS unit by any chance?

[ScoutNut]

The adult Application has the joining requirements. BSA does NOT have different joining requirements for adult males and females.

 

From the BSA Adult Application -

 

"Leadership Requirements

The applicant must possess the moral, educational, and emotional qualities that the Boy Scouts of

America deems necessary to afford positive leadership to youth. The applicant must also be the correct

age, and subscribe to the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle, and abide by the Scout Oath

or Promise, and the Scout Law."

 

On the "correct age", the Adult Application has this to say -

 

"All leaders must be 21 years of age or older, except assistant Scoutmasters, assistant den leaders, assistant Cubmasters, assistant Webelos den leaders, and assistant Varsity Scout coaches, who must be 18 or older."

 

HOWEVER - All of that being true, a Charter Organization may make stricter rules for who IT ALLOWS to be a leader in ITS UNITS.

 

It is possible that the "rule" that female ASM's must be 21 years of age, is strictly a CO rule.

 

Who is your CO? Who is telling you that you must be 21? If you really want to push it, you can go to the head of the Charter Organization (CO) and ask about the policy.

 

 

[NJCubScouter]

Crazy TP Lady, you ask whether the 18-year-old rule for Assistant Scoutmaster "has always been the case." I became an ASM at age 18 in the mid-70's, so it has been the case at least that long and possibly far longer. Of course, back then you had to be male to be an ASM, but that is no longer the case, and the age requirement should not vary by gender.

[Crazy_TP_Lady]

My unit has never seen a problem with this, it is only becoming a problem now that I am applying for the 3rd assistant scoutmaster position for the Jamboree contingent. The Jamboree Committee Chair believes this is BSA policy and apparently some of the other committee shares that view, and some do not as per what I've heard has been discussed. I will be speaking directly with some council officials to sort this out, but just wanted some other views on it first. I was not sure if there was something major I was missing. I figured if it used to be the case, then that was possibly what some people were still referring to.

[John-in-KC]

Welcome to the forums. When in doubt, ask to be shown the policy in writing. That tends to take wind out of sails.

[ScoutNut]

That puts a bit of a different spin on things.

 

From BSA Jamboree Web site -

 

http://www.bsajamboree.org/register-scoutmaster.html

 

The requirements to register as a Third Assistant Scoutmaster for the 2010 Jamboree are -

 

"Third Assistant Scoutmaster

 

- Be at least 18 years of age (but not yet 21) by September 1, 2010.

- Have served actively in a troop leadership position.

- Complete the appropriate leader specific training.

- Have participated in the prejamboree training experience.

- Have filed a Personal Health and Medical Record, Class 3, No. 67-

34412, before the prejamboree training with the council jamboree

committee.

- Complete the 60-minute Youth Protection training.

- Be approved by the local council.

- Be able to serve as a role model of physical fitness."

 

Will you turn 21 before 09/01/10? That might be where the problem lies.

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

OK, so this is for the Council National Jamboree Contingent?

 

The qualifications for the 3rf Assistnat Scoutmaster are:

 

Third Assistant Scoutmaster

Be at least 18 years of age (but not yet 21) by September 1, 2010.

Have served actively in a troop leadership position.

 

Complete the appropriate leader specific training.

 

Have participated in the prejamboree training experience.

 

Have filed a Personal Health and Medical Record, Class 3, No. 67-34412, before the prejamboree training with the council jamboree committee.

 

Complete the 60-minute Youth Protection training.

Be approved by the local council.

 

Be able to serve as a role model of physical fitness.

 

http://www.bsajamboree.org/register-scoutmaster.html

 

many Councils use recently aged out Eagle scouts to serve as role models for the boys going to the Jamboree. The National qualifications does not mention sex as a qualification, but the Council gets to choose whom they want.

 

Have you considered working as staff?

 

Edited part, scoutnut got in before me,(This message has been edited by OldGreyeagle)

[Kahuna]

The age 18 to be ASM and 21 be SM go all the way back to at least the first Handbook For Scoutmasters. There were no women, of course.

[scoutldr]

As as former boss once told me..."It's always better to be wanted, than to be qualified." (after he selected someone unqualified for a promotion)

[Crazy_TP_Lady]

Although this has come about as a result of Jamboree, that is not the end all issue here. I wholeheartedly understand that it is up to the council to decide on their adult leadership, I am merely asking for the chance to apply. On a completely different point the "Be at least 18 years of age (but not yet 21) by September 1, 2010. " requirement, it baffles me. Is the by 9/1/10 in reference to the 18 or 21 part or both? If it is in regards to the 18, that seems a bit wacky to me, because that means they may not even be an adult while going. However, if it is the 21 part, that narrow group turning 21 between 7/1 and 9/1 is being excluded because the 2nd assistant must be 21 by 7/1/10. Why the difference in birthdate deadlines?

[ScoutNut]

It looks like the wonderful BSA proofreaders have struck again.

 

The MyScouting site states you have to be at least 18 before the Jamboree. It seems the date cut off to be at least 18, but not yet 21, should be July 1, 2010. This would make it consistent with the dates for the other Adult Leader positions.

 

 

[emb021]

National policy for sometime has been that staff/adult leaders can't have their 21st birthday during National Jamboree. This is because they go from being youth (under 21) to adult (21 and over), and they don't want this.

 

Hence the age requirements for staff and adult leader is such that you have to be 20 and under during the entire jamboree or 21 and older during the entire jamboree.