Risk Management & Safety

Scouting Safely

Risk Management and Youth Protection are taken seriously by the leaders of the Northeast Georgia Council and the Boy Scouts of America. Here are some of the available resources.

June 1, 2010

Youth safety is the No. 1 concern of the BSA.
To increase awareness of this societal problem and to create even greater barriers to abuse than already exist today in Scouting, the Boy Scouts of America is implementing several important changes to further enhance its Youth Protection policies.

Effective June 1, 2010:

-- Youth Protection training is required for all registered volunteers.
-- New leaders are required to take Youth Protection training before they submit an application for registration. The certificate of completion for this training must be submitted at the time application is made and before volunteer service with youth begins.
-- Youth Protection training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer's Youth Protection training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered.

To ensure these policies are fully implemented, please take the following steps: BSA Card

-- If you have not taken Youth Protection training within the past two years, please log on to MyScouting and take the training. Be sure to have your member ID number. The number can be found on your Boy Scouts of America membership card.
-- If you do not know your member ID number, contact your unit leader or committee chairman. Your council can also assist.
-- A person does not have to be a registered volunteer or have an ID number to take Youth Protection training. To take the training, log in to MyScouting and create an account. From the MyScouting portal, click on E-Learning and take the Youth Protection training. Upon completion, print a certificate and submit it with an application or submit to the unit leader for processing at the local council.
-- If you have taken Youth Protection training online but did not input your member ID number, please log on to MyScouting and input your member ID in the My Profile section so the training will be linked to your records.
-- If you have taken Youth Protection training within the past two years but did not take the course online, log on to MyScouting to ensure your records are up-to-date, or contact your council for verification that your Youth Protection training records are accurate.
-- Finally, please share these important changes with other Scouters.

To find out more about the Youth Protection policies of the Boy Scouts of America and how to help Scouting keep your family safe, see the Parent's Guide in any of the Cub Scouting or Boy Scouting handbooks, or go to http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx.
Thank you for your commitment to our nation's young people and to Scouting.
Sincerely,
James Terry
Assistant Chief Scout Executive

Click here to take Youth Protection training online now!

The recent changes in Youth Protection requirements have generated a number of questions.
The following are answers to some of the questions we have received. We will send regular updates to this information.
June 3, 2010 Question and Answer Update

Scouting Safely (http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety.aspx) on www.scouting.org has a Scouting Safely Alerts section with an informative piece on Insurance Coverages in the Insurance Programs Alert, which is available to volunteers and chartered organizations. (added May 24, 2010)

The Boy Scouts of America National Council’s E-Learning Center offers the following courses on-line.

Safe Swim Defense
Safety Afloat
Youth Protection Training

The Northeast Georgia Council and other locally hosted training courses include.

Climb on Safely
CPR
Basic First Aid
Wilderness First Aid - November 2010 Course
Trek Safely

Other documents that are "Must See’s" are:
Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities a PDF file.
The Guide to Safe Scouting searchable, on-line version.
The Guide to Safe Scouting all at once in case you want to print it.
The Guide to Safe Scouting is also available in the Service Centers for a small fee.
Council Guide to Safe Scouting Power Point presentation.

Awards and Recognition

Two award programs are in place to help promote Risk Management within the unit. They are.
Ready & Prepared Award for Troops, Teams and Crews.
Safe Scouting Unit Award Application for packs, troops and crews

The Ready & Prepared Award
The BSA Ready & Prepared Award was developed to encourage and reward Boy Scout troops, Varsity teams, and Venturing crews that incorporate safe practices while enjoying challenging activities. The award acknowledges the common sense and judgment, founded on knowledge and training, used to incorporate risk management into a unit's decision-making process. It recognizes that the more responsibility individual members take for their personal health and safety, the more everyone contributes to a successful activity. Earning the award helps units focus on areas in which emphasizing risk management can help reduce fatalities and serious injury, such as

Driver and passenger safety
BSA Youth Protection
Precautions for aquatics activities
Premises safety and first-aid readiness
Personal fitness and safety

There are two award levels: Gold and Silver.
To earn the Gold Award, a Boy Scout troop, Varsity team, or Venturing crew must complete 10 mandatory requirements and three elective requirements. Youth and adult members of a unit earning the Gold Award are entitled to wear the gold-bordered BSA Ready & Prepared Award patch and the unit is entitled to display the gold BSA Ready & Prepared ribbon.
To earn the Silver Award, a Boy Scout troop, Varsity team, or Venturing crew must complete 10 mandatory requirements and six elective requirements. Youth and adult members of a unit earning the Silver Award are entitled to wear the silver-bordered BSA Ready & Prepared Award patch, and the unit is entitled to display the silver BSA Ready & Prepared Award ribbon. Apply for this award at the time of re-chartering.

Questions? Contact our Council Risk Management and Youth Protection Committee Chairman