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Here's some real news.

 

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Boy Scouts to Require Background Checks

 

 

By IRA DREYFUSS

Associated Press Writer

 

November 27, 2002, 10:32 AM EST

 

 

WASHINGTON -- The Boy Scouts of America will require criminal background checks of new adult volunteers beginning next year, it announced Wednesday.

 

"New volunteers to the Boy Scouts will have to submit for criminal background checks as of this spring," spokesman Gregg Shields said. The checks will be based on new application forms in which the applicant gives permission for the checks to be done, he said. The forms must be filled out by adult volunteers for scouting's varied arms, including Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Explorer.

 

Those who do not get clearance won't be allowed to join, Shields said.

 

The organization's national executive council engaged ChoicePoint, a background-checking division of the consumer data management corporation Equifax, to handle the job, which scouting will call VolunteerSelect, Shields said. ChoicePoint will review national and state government databases, he said.

 

The requirement will take effect April 1, allowing time for the new forms to be distributed and for the policy change to be explained to all of scouting's volunteers, Shields said.

 

`We have as our highest goal to protect the children involved in Boy Scouting," Shields said. "To date, it's been difficult to do such a background check because all of the data is not in one spot."

 

Membership will be prohibited if the checks turn up convictions for sex crimes, crimes of violence, or drug offenses.

 

Findings in the background checks will be divulged only to the chief executive of a regional scouting council, who would tell local-level scouting officials only that an applicant does not meet the standard, Shields said. Those who are rejected will be given the opportunity to review and challenge any adverse information.

 

The spokesman says the backgrounds of current adult volunteers are not being checked. But he says that might be required in years to come. There are 1.2 million adult volunteers in scouting, but the number of new volunteers varies from year to year, Shields said.

 

Other youth organizations, such as Little League, already require background checks of adult volunteers.

 

The background checks will supplement existing requirements for youth protection, which are conducted on regional and local levels, Shields said.

Copyright 2002, The Associated Press

 

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That may be new to the organization but our district already requires it. As a matter of fact we are associated with a Catholic Church and they require a background check for all adults that attend any of our outings. The only qurestion is where does the funding for this come from?

 

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My question was also who is going to fund the background check. And how far is back is the check going? I can't see someone who has a drug or alchohol related offense in high school or college being denied a position 20 years later. I would really like to see the parameters they will be using. Can you see the lawsuits piling up?

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Background checks have been a way of life for years for anyone wanting to work around youth on a military base, volunteer or paid. The Army does ours, since our District is on an Army base, and I get periodic inquiries from our family advocacy office to ensure the paperwork's being submitted. And, these are not just criminal checks, but include checks with other agencies for incidents of reported/substantiated abuse, neglect, endangerment, substance abuse, and so on. A concern: these are also undesirable traits that would disqualify a potential volunteer, but won't show up in a single-scope criminal background check. If the military wasn't turning over these stones for us, I'd be ensuring our committee/CO was doing it.

 

KS

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My troop is Registered to a Salvation Army Church and we are already doing the most extensive background checks we can. We welcome the Boy Scout screening as another step in protecting the youth. It just shows that the Boy Scouts are doing thier best to protect the youth entrusted to us and also lowers their liability in case one of the leaders does do somethig.

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Scouts Australia has been doing these checks for many years.

 

The rest of the community is now required to do this as well. There is a national database for child sex abuse convictions that is about to come into existance.

 

Any person working in any capacity with young people must declare on paper that they are not prohibited from such employment. Prohibition means that they have been convicted of the sorts of crimes that were in eisely's post. No protection for the child but puts the criminal in jail for longer if found to be making false declerations.

 

 

There is international precident for what BSA are doing and if the lawsuits mount up I wouldn't think they stand a chance. eisely's article also states your Little League precedent. BSA would claim costs back anyway.

 

And how far back does it apply? Age 20? The article is not specific enough. It mentions a standard and that the Nat Exec would be informed. This seems to be a BSA standard so I'm sure the courts could advise the BSA on what is reasonable and BSA can make its own judgement in the childrens best interest.

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I would assume it would go back as far as criminal records go, to birth...or maybe to when the person becomes an adult according to BSA Standards, 18 for Assistant Scoutmasters, and 21 for Adult Venturing Leaders. The parameters are fair, they exclude most all non-violent crimes. But it will be interesting how they interpret crimes committed while a minor, but by the language of the report, it does'nt matter how old they were. We will see...

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The ability to challenge one's background check is key.

 

"Those who are rejected will be given the opportunity to review and challenge any adverse information."

 

I don't go for mandatory anything. A seventeen year old boy can have sex with his seventeen year old girl friend (and future wife) and because of his actions be convicted of a sex crime in many states. Does this make him unfit to be a Scouter twenty years later? Maybe, maybe not.

 

Jimmy Carter was a former SM who admitted he "lusted in his heart." A definite sex "crime" by some guy who use to write on stone tablets. I for one, would not mind Mr. Carter helping out my troop as a registered Scouter!

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For what purpose one might ask? The obvious answer is to protect the children.

 

That being the case, whether or not some qualified leaders are barred because of their youthful indiscretions, becomes a small side issue to me. First and foremost, let's take measures to ensure that the truly sick are denied access to our children. As a matter of practicality, some well-meaning potential leaders may inescapably become victims of these background checks. While regrettable, ultimately it's worth the price. What would be worse? A molester is inadvertently allowed to have membership in a troop - Or - An otherwise qualified leader is denied membership because he had sex with his girlfriend at the age of 17? I realize that these background checks may not present this kind of either or scenario. However, depending how these databases are built and searched, BSA may be confronted with just such a situation. If so, I vote to continue the course. We should be more concerned about the boys' safety vice the perceived "rights" of some adult leaders.

 

By the way, "that guy" who wrote on the stone tablets, was God. While Jimmy may be a great guy - if given the choice, I'd rather have a SM who can resist lust as opposed to someone who embraces it. Of course, since only God can see one's heart, I don't imagine that BSA will be creating a "lust" policy any time soon.(This message has been edited by Rooster7)

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Our background checks through the church goes back until the age of 18. Before that most records of juevenile behavior are sealed by the Court. We are also given the opportunity to challenge any incorrect information that turns up. Granted the process make take some time but it is worth it in my opinion. I am glad the Scouts are finaly doing something to protect the youth instead of just doing lip service to YPP>

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Yes Background checks are a good idea but it would not eliminate someone who may be a child molester if they were never convicted or charged. When you read the papers some of these molesters have been doing it for years before they are caught. The best protection is still the 2 deep leadership requirement.

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