Background Checks.....

[Lisabob]

I have no idea why your DE is an idiot. I know that mine (2 or 3 DEs ago) was as transparent as he could reasonably be.

[packsaddle]

I've never known, or known of, a single adult applicant who was denied membership for any reason around these parts. One guy I know got really sick right after he applied and he was too sick to speak for himself so the CO took his application off the table. That's about it.

 

Background checks probably happen. I never hear anything about them except for the respondents to this forum.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[Eagle92]

Why are DEs idiots at times?

 

Some are naturally

 

Seriously, though sometimes they are told not to do or say something. And sometimes they don't know what's going on and are shocked too. I know I was told point blank not to attend OA events because "you don't have time to play Indian." So after that I didn't attend anything OA related. I was also told to not discuss the idea of having the council add $1 to the registration fee to cover insurance. And one time I didn't know that an individual was allowed back into the movement pending his court case (pre-Dale)and was completely shocked and speechless when I saw him. Only After I called the SE did he notify me that, oh yeah he's back pending the court case. Thanks alot.

 

 

[5yearscouter]

background checks are done.

I was told they are sent out to be done in our council.

I know if someone doesn't pass a background check it is handled very quietly to avoid any defamation of character and that person just disappears from service. BSA won't tell anyone but the person involved and occassionally minimal to the chartered org.

and I was told that they are looking for crimes against children.

 

I know a prior felony car theft in your background you will still pass if it's been over a certain number of years(8-10) even if it wasn't expunged from your record like they said it should have been as long as you've done all that was required by the court. I know having your license revoked for DUI and such will still get you passed as well, as long as you've done what was court ordered--and as a unit we didn't let them drive scouts unrelated to them.

 

If you want to know the specifics of your council, ask the registrar, they are the one who will know since they deal with all registration issues.

 

 

[Pack212Scouter]

Our Council supposedly uses a national company, however I have yet to be involved with a CO that doesn't do their own. Our Troop & Pack's CO does their own background checks through a private company, plus calls the references themselves. My daughter's Venture Crew which is chartered by a catholic church also does their own. All the volunteers in the diocess (sp) have a state police background check run.

[ScoutNut]

Page 4 of the Current BSA Adult Application, available online, or at your local Council offices -

 

"Disclosure/Authorization Form

 

NOTICE TO APPLICANT REGARDING BACKGROUND CHECK

 

In order to safeguard the youth in our care, the Boy Scouts of America will procure consumer reports

on you in connection with your application to serve as a volunteer, and the Boy Scouts of America

may procure additional consumer reports at any time during your service as a volunteer in order to

evaluate your continued suitability for volunteer service. The Boy Scouts of America has contracted

with ChoicePoint, a consumer reporting agency, to provide the consumer reports. ChoicePoint may

be contacted by mail at ChoicePoint, 1000 Alderman Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30005 or by telephone at

800-845-6004.

 

The consumer reports may contain information bearing on your character, general reputation,

personal characteristics, and mode of living. The types of information that may be obtained

include but are not limited to Social Security number verification, sex offender registry checks,

criminal records checks, inmate records searches, and court records checks. The information

contained in these consumer reports may be obtained by ChoicePoint from public record sources.

The consumer reports will not include credit record checks or motor vehicle record checks.

 

The nature and scope of the consumer reports are described above. Nonetheless, you are

entitled to request a complete and accurate disclosure of the nature and scope of such reports

by submitting a written request to ChoicePoint at the address listed above. Additional notices

for applicants in California, New York, Minnesota, and Oklahoma are provided.

 

APPLICANTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AUTHORIZATION

 

I have carefully read this notice and authorization form and I hereby authorize the Boy Scouts of

America and ChoicePoint to procure a consumer report, which as described above will include

information relating to my criminal history as received from reporting agencies. I understand that

this information will be used to determine my eligibility for a volunteer position with the Boy Scouts

of America. I also understand that as long as I remain a volunteer, additional consumer reports may

be procured at any time. I understand that if the Boy Scouts of America chooses not to accept my

application or to revoke my membership based on information contained in a consumer report, I will

receive a summary of my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and contact information for the

reporting agency, ChoicePoint.

 

My signature below indicates that I have read, understand, and accept the accompanying disclosures and acknowledgments."

 

 

The above information has been on the applications for a number of years now.

 

For quite a while after National started the background checks they were only doing NEW applicants, with current members being "grandfathered" in. This can be why some have noted they knew members who were felons.

 

A few years back BSA sent out a notice to ALL members stating that they were required to give their SSN, and approval for a background check to be run, or their membership would be dropped. All "grandfathered" members were either background checked, or dropped at that time.

[Eagle92]

In regards to references, I know that my council will reject an application that does not provide them.

 

We had several leaders who were left off the 2011 charter for whatever reason (don't ask we found out that there were major errors on our charter when we started doing Internet Adavcnement: leaders not listed or listed in the wrong position, scouts missing, scouts that were dropped remaining on the charter, etc). We hastily redid the apps, skipping the references sicne we knew them, they were workign with the kids already, and from the pack's POV they had been vetted by the CO. Council kicked them back saying they needed references.

 

My advice, make sure you keep a copy of the application.

[hadulzo]

No matter what your council says, don't hang your hat on a backround check. We need to vigilantly abide by two or three deep leadership and keep the scouts safe. 95% of child molesters are never caught, making the backround check pretty much a useless scam and only good for press releases.

The bigger question is what units do about adult who don't abide by 2 deep leadership guidelines. These are the perverts and we need to get them out of scouting.