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Verifying if a Scouter is in good standing?


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How do we find out if a registered leader has been bared are kicked out of Scouting?  Let's say for example an adult leader was arrested for several charges including drug and weapons charges, terrorizing and threatening a public official and is currently out on Bond.  How do we see if they are still authorized to be a scout leader and a MB counselor?  Would this person be at least temporarily bared from Scout events as a leader?  There is no conviction just a host of charges.

What if it is a Scout instead of the leader?

And no it is not me!

 

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I see from your avatar that you might be a Chartered Organization Representative, which would lead me to understand why you are asking this particular question.  If you are curious about a Scouter, with regard to his/her criminal background, the local Council should be able to find out based on their background checks.  Considering this Scouter is currently registered, it would behoove the local Scout Executive to know if one of his/her registered volunteers is not following the Scout Oath and Law.  

If a Scout in your unit has been arrested for charges, as mentioned in your original post, I would recommend contacting your District Executive for counsel.  This particular Scouter forum might not be the best place to discuss this issue any further.

Yours in Scouting Service,

LeCastor

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Hey @Snow Owl, the BSA has four main mechanisms for verifying if a volunteer is eligible to work with youth.

  1. Each Scouter is required to undergo a background check as a part of their application. Your council service center and its professional staff are responsible for filtering out volunteers whose background checks come back with offenses. Your Scout executive or their designee should contact your unit's leadership if anything comes back beyond, say, a parking ticket.
  2. Each adult application requires references be checked. For unit-level Scouters, this should be done by the unit committee. For council/district Scouters, this should be done by the Scout Executive or designee.
  3. Each adult application is cross-referenced to a database maintained by the National Council known as the Ineligible Volunteer (IV) files. If a volunteer is included on that database, they are automatically disqualified from serving in any volunteer-capacity.
  4. At the unit-level, each Chartered Organization Representative (COR) has the authority to disapprove an adult application with almost any impunity, especially if they know there are significant impediments to that volunteer's ability to work with youth. For council/district Scouters, the Scout executive or their designee may also do the same. [Sidenote: there are exceptions to disapproving an adult application, but they mainly relate to the Declaration of Religious Principle and the BSA's 2013/2015 membership decisions].
Edited by 4CouncilsScouter
Clarification of BSA policy.
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10 hours ago, Snow Owl said:

Good posts above by @LeCastor and @4CouncilsScouter

How do we find out if a registered leader has been bared are kicked out of Scouting? 

Council should have this information, however, the reasons will likely not be disclosed.

Let's say for example an adult leader was arrested for several charges ...and is currently out on Bond.  How do we see if they are still authorized to be a scout leader and a MB counselor? 

IMO,  his CO should make sure Council is aware of the situation and action is taken from there. We have seen child abuse examples where as soon as the charges were made, a council barred the accused adult from Scouting.  Council has to be informed and CO's/units need to inquire.

Would this person be at least temporarily bared from Scout events as a leader?  There is no conviction just a host of charges.

That is my understanding but that person could still be there as a parent.

What if it is a Scout instead of the leader?

Good question.  A Council can remove a youth from Scouting but how vigilant about checking that information down the line and across units is unknown to me.

A CO can remove anyone from its own unit(s).

My $0.01

 

 

Edited by RememberSchiff
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