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Adult App Sign Up = Adult Leader?


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I struggle with this question every time I begin preparing for our Court of Honor so I am curious how other troops handle it.

 

A new parent completes an adult app, either because they want to attend camp outs or maybe because it's an old habit carried over from Cub Scouts, whatever the reason may be, but they haven't assumed any sort of leadership position. My understanding is they are automatically a committee member but they have never attended a meeting. Is this parent considered an "adult leader"? Do they receive a "service star" at COH? I know of a couple of parents strictly signed up so they may attend campouts and that is perfectly fine...but they aren't considered a leader of any sort, correct? We use Troopmaster and it has a "joined unit" & "became leader". It also has a check box to "include on leader report", so this just adds to my confusion! LOL!!

 

Just thought I would throw this out there.

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Well, if your Committee Chair and Chartered Organization Rep sign off on the application, they can be registered Scout leaders upon paying the membership fee. Does your troop pay the adult leader membership fee, or are these people paying themselves?

 

They don't have to be registered Scouters in order to attend campouts.

 

Your troop can decide who to award service stars.

 

<< I know of a couple of parents strictly signed up so they may attend campouts and that is perfectly fine...but they aren't considered a leader of any sort, correct?>>

 

 

Again, that's really up to troop leaders to decide.

 

Quite a few people will do stuff if you ask them. I'd make a point of asking these folks to do a small task now and then, and perhaps they will work themselves into being real troop leaders. It's not unusual for people to feel neglected because they would like to serve, but aren't asked.

 

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One does not need to fill out an app to attend scouting activities. It is nice if they do so and when they do they are an adult leader and should take YPT for THEIR protection.

 

Stosh

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My understanding is they are automatically a committee member but they have never attended a meeting.

 

 

There are no at large committee positions. You should look at the Troop Committee Guidebook:"Each member of the committee should have specific responsibilities"

 

Just because somebody fills out a form they are not automatically a leader.

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There is no value having every adult registered in the troop and it can actually hurt. Over a seven year scouting period, it wastes $168 that could be used on other items. If you have 15 or 20 extra parents registered, that is $2000 to $3300. It lists adults as leaders who are not trained and who have not invested to understand the program so that they can make the program work.

 

IMHO, it diminishes and confuses the program. I know many troops do it, but I just don't like the process. I'd rather have a troop with the committed leaders registered and the parents helping if and when needed.

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Our CO wants all adults involved in it's youth programs to be background checked. That means anyone who attends a campout. The church's process cost $65. BSA membership is a steal. Adults pay their own registration fee.

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A Scout Unit should identify and ask a person to join the staff of that unit in the capcity of what is needed. An Adult can ask to join, but the Scout Unit does not need to accept/turn in that application. So, it is not just immediate. Plus the Application needs to specify what position.

 

You do not need to be registered to be on a BOR.

 

As to Camping....Having parents show-up on a Campout because they want to go starts looking like a Family Campout. That is not the reason Boy Scouts started. I would restrict who goes on Campouts to only ASMs. MCs can go, but they are usually the drivers.

 

Parents can help out on Unit activities as needed. I would enforce YPT be taken so they know the rules.

 

Again, the CC and Unit Leader should pick and choose who is on staff. Generally the COR has no clue as what is going on in a Unit and they just sign the paper that is in front of them.

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Hueymungus, you do not HAVE TO be registered to be a BOR member, but you SHOULD be. This is from the Guide to Advancement section to Tenderfoot through Life BOR's:

The board is made up of three to six unit committee membersâ€â€no more and no less. In units with fewer than three registered committee members available to serve, it is permissible to use knowledgeable parents(not those of the candidate) or other adults (registered or not) who are at least 21 years of age and who understand Boy Scouting's aims. Using unregistered adults for boards of review must be the exception,not the rule. Registered committee members familiar with the unit program, who have had a background check, and who are Youth Protection trained are preferred. Scheduling boards of review when and where committee members can attend usually alleviates the problem of not having enough committee members for a board.
We can now go back to the actual topic of this thread. :)
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Our CO wants all adults involved in it's youth programs to be background checked. That means anyone who attends a campout. The church's process cost $65. BSA membership is a steal. Adults pay their own registration fee.

 

Is this a Catholic charter organization? I've heard similar, but don't know as I'm Catholic, but my scouts are in non-Catholic troops.

 

At some point, it's just a witch hunt. And, you might as well register everyone as you never know who is going to drive who and might cause an issue.

 

IMHO, it's very important to register the leaders and make sure they oversee that YPT is implemented and followed consistently.

 

Now, if an adult wanted to camp with the troop and his son was not there, then I'd say he was working in the role of a leader and needed to have an application completed. But I just don't believe every parent camping with the troop should be registered as a leader. I think it does more harm than good.

 

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I don't think the original posting gave out numbers or percentages of those signing up as relevant. What was asked was, are those who sign an application considered adult leaders and the answer is yes. They are registered scouters and the years of service need to be counted. It doesn't make any difference what role or position they are placed in. When I signed on to Boy Scouting many moons ago, I filled out the application and left the position code open. The COR put me in as ASM. There was nothing "automatic" about it. A code was entered.

 

While it is nice to have every committee member assigned a responsibility, there is nothing on the application that states that the committee member is given any particular duty in that position. I do believe the application code for a committee treasurer is MC, but the application code for the advancement chairperson is MC, and the application code for the FOS chairperson is MC... but the application code for just a plain old committee person is just MC.

 

A registered adult has a position code indicating their leadership position, it has nothing to do with what the CC assigns to the MC's after that.

 

Stosh

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Presbyterian, Fred. What you or I think is immaterial. The CO gets to decide. Honestly, registering them as committee members was something we had to negotiate for. The church wants to put them through their own day-long YP training and charge $65 for a background check. Every few years, when a new set of deacons takes over, we have to make our case again.

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Again I cringe saying this, but Stosh is right. The original question was about adults who fill out applications and are they adult leaders. And he's right and the answer is yes. And like scouts who get PORs and do little, they probably should get credit for time served. Otherwise, why did the CC & COR accept the application in the first place. But they are registered leaders in their troop.

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