Youth Protection & Safety

Training and Screening

As part of our commitment to safety, every adult leader must be registered and complete Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT). Registration includes a criminal background check. Training must be current, is retaken periodically, and is free at my.Scouting.org.

This applies to registered leaders. Parents who want to attend outings should complete the training as well; it takes about ninety minutes and it is genuinely worth every parent's time, scouting or not.

The Core Rules

• Two-deep leadership. At least two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a participating parent, are present at all activities. One must be 21 or older.
• No one-on-one contact. Never between an adult and a youth who is not their own child. This covers meetings, car rides, phone calls, texts, and online communication.
• Separate accommodations. Adults and youth do not tent together, with the narrow exception of a parent and their own child. Separate sleeping and shower facilities.
• The buddy system. Scouts never go anywhere alone.
• Open communication. Adult-to-youth electronic communication includes another adult or the scout's parent. No private channels.
• No secrets, no hazing. Hazing, initiations, bullying, and secret organizations are prohibited outright.
• Mandatory reporting. Any suspected abuse is reported to local law enforcement and to the Scouts First Helpline. There is no internal-only handling of these matters.

Health Forms

Every scout and adult needs a current Annual Health and Medical Record.

• Parts A and B for all scouting activities, including weekend campouts. Completed by the parent, no doctor needed.
• Part C adds a physician exam, required for summer camp, high adventure, and any event over 72 hours.
• Forms expire annually. Ours are collected by the health forms coordinators, Tracey Barnhart and Jenny Richason.

Get the current form at scouting.org/health-and-safety/ahmr. A missing form is the most common reason a scout cannot go on a trip, so submit it early.

Activity Safety

Scouting America publishes the Guide to Safe Scouting, which governs what activities are permitted at what ages and with what supervision. It covers aquatics (Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat), shooting sports, climbing, winter camping, and driving. Our leaders follow it, and it is why some activities that sound fun are not on the calendar.

• Hazardous Weather Training is required for leaders running outdoor activities
• Shooting sports happen only at council facilities such as Bert Adams, with certified range officers
• Aquatics require swim classification and trained supervision

What Parents Should Do

1. Take Safeguarding Youth Training, even if you are not a registered leader
2. Keep your scout's health form current
3. Talk with your scout about what is and is not appropriate, and that they can always tell you
4. Speak up if you see something that does not look right. Any leader, or the committee chair, will take it seriously.