Can an adult become a member without giving his Social Security Number?

[perdidochas 658]

we had never required individuals to provide ss#'s

 

It's on the adult application.

[NJCubScouter 1389]

 

A DUI when one is 21 years old might not be a big deal anymore to the government after 10 years, but BSA might not want to risk it.

 

Does anyone know what BSA National's actual standards are for declaring someone ineligible? (Other than the blindingly obvious, I mean; I'm talking about the grey areas, the long-ago DWI/DUI, the breaking-and-entering with no theft at age 18 with 30 years of a clean record after that, etc.) And my other question is, if the background check finds something that does not disqualify the person but that the UNIT might want to know about, do they tell the unit? Even if National might excuse a "youthful transgression", a particular unit might not. Well, and that raises another question. If someone has something like that in their past, and it is first discovered in the BSA background check, it means the person did not list the event on their application - which in many cases would mean the person was not truthful on their application. So the person did something that, after the passage of time, might be excusable as far as adult membership, but they didn't disclose it when they were supposed to. What happens then?

[fred johnson 936]

... Even if National might excuse a "youthful transgression"' date=' a particular unit might not. ... [/quote']

 

That is an interesting limit in the system. The background check stays at the council. The charter organization is vouching for their character as they know the person now, face-to-face. The charter org will never learn about what is in the background report.

 

The interesting point is the charter org doesn't get an input on the background check evaluation.

 

[Rick_in_CA 401]

So what does happen if something is flagged on the background check? Does the unit get told what the issue is and allowed to make a decision, or are they just told "no" by the council? Does the person applying for membership get informed and offered a chance to challenge the background check (the background check companies often do quick and dirty checks and make mistakes - you get what you pay for)? Has anyone here ever seen an application rejected due to a background check and knows how it's supposed to work?

 

I know when a potential employer runs a background check on an applicant (at least here in California), if the check returns something negative, the applicant must be told and given a chance to correct or explain anything it turns up. That happened to an old coworker of mine, his background check turned up a serious criminal conviction that wasn't his (from a state he never lived in). He was able to show it was an error, and got the job. The legal protections for volunteers are probably very different then for employees.

[howiezee3 10]

in matters of youth protection I never ,ever trust word of mouth .If I could count all the times guys have told me they are eagles ,or they were navy seals ,or marines . I am sorry to infer anything bad about this person ,but until you have proof otherwise ,I see red flags waving . Hope for your unit; I am wrong ,but I would not risk it.

[TAHAWK 1420]

Why do we require Social Security numbers from volunteers?

 

All new adult volunteers must complete a BSA adult leader application. An adult leader application is also required when an individual changes Scouting positions.

 

While a Social Security number is required on the application, this number appears on the Local Council Copy only. Social Security numbers are blacked out on the chartered organization and unit copies of the application to protect this information. Units have no need for Social Security numbers. Also, the BSA does not identify adult volunteers by their Social Security numbers.

 

At the council service center, the registrar enters or scans the Social Security number into ScoutNET. When entered, the number cannot be seen by anyone who has not been specifically granted the role for the Private tab. Applications should be filed in a locked cabinet that registrars control. Access to these secured applications should be safeguarded.

 

Some volunteers believe that the Privacy Act of 1974 is the legal authority for an individual to refuse to provide their Social Security number as a condition for membership/leadership in the BSA. This is inaccurate. The Act applies only to government agencies and information systems maintained by those government agencies.

 

We currently use ChoicePoint as the provider for criminal background check services. Securing valid Social Security numbers is part of the process that helps ChoicePoint accurately identify persons submitted for background checks. Without this information, the criminal background check process might not be effective.

 

In order to protect the youth in our programs, we insist that the correct Social Security number be included on the adult leader application. Those who decline to provide their Social Security number will not be allowed to register as leaders in the BSA. Exceptions to this rule must be handled on a case-by-case basis by the local council Scout executive.

 

. . .

 

Send written requests to: Registration Service, S218 Boy Scouts of America 1325 West Walnut Hill Lane P.O. Box 152079 Irving, TX 75015-2079 Fax requests to 972-580-2416.

 

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