Merit Badge Counselor Registration

[Hunt 11]

I just received a letter from Council (National Capitol Area Council) telling me that all Merit Badge Counselors must be registered with BSA as Code 42 (Merit Badge Counselors) even if they are already registered for another position. The reason given was that BSA needed to ensure that proper background checks are done. This seems odd to me--is a different background check done for counselors? The letter apologizes for the inconvenience of all the MCs, ASMs, SM, etc. having to file a second registration, but states that the Council has no

[Hunt 11]

no choice but to require this. Can anybody explain this? Is this how it's now being done everywhere?

[Bob White 20]

This has been the standard procedure for at least the last two years. Merit badge counseling requires a seperate adult application even if you are already registered in other positions in scouting. There is no charge for application and it does not give you all the benefits that a paid membership in a unit or District/Council position gives you. The primary reason is for the safey and security of the scouts, and it must be complied with.

[evmori 11]

Never had to fill out a registration form to be a merit badge counselor! There is a separate form for that! Sound like your council is trying to get background checks done on all its membership instead of just the new people.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Eamonn 61]

We ask our people to fill out a separate application for each and every position that they hold. They only pay once for their primary registration.

Eamonn

[boleta 10]

Tidewater Council requires the separate registration form as well.

[Hunt 11]

Up until this latest message, the way it was done here was that there was a Merit Badge Counselor information form that all counselors had to fill out, but only those that were not registered for another position had to fill out the regular BSA registration form. I'm not really complaining about this, because it's not that big a deal, but isn't all the information entered into a computer database anyway? Why do there need to be multiple phys

[Hunt 11]

physical registration forms? How does this improve safety or enhance background checks? Surely a more comprehensive background check is done for a SM or ASM than for a merit badge counselor, or at least the same check is done. Or do they perform a new background check when the new registration form is filed?

[Bob White 20]

Any Scouter who was already registered prior to the relaese of the new aduklt application form was not required to fill one out. Merit badge counselors operate under far less peer supervision that unit leaders do when working in direct youth contact. So National decided and has mandated that all merit badge counselors fill out the new application so that the background check can be done. It is helpfull to understand that it was abuses discovered in the merit badge program that lead to the BSA Youth Protectyion program to begin with. The BSA does not want to see that be the weak link in our overall program again.

 

I urge you to register your merit badge counselors as instructed.

[scoutldr 732]

I am registered as a Troop CC, a District Committee member, and a MBC, and have been registered continuously as an adult since 1985. I had to fill out three new application forms this year. If they consequently did three separate background checks, that is terribly inefficient and unnecessarily expensive.

 

It is also the responsibility of the District Advancement Committee to approve all MBC applications, which means they should be verifying that they are qualified to serve as experts in their chosen MB. MBCs are registered at the District level; it is not a Unit position as is commonly believed.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[Bob White 20]

scouldr

 

You are partially correct. While it is the District or council advancement committee's responsibility to approve merit badge counselors, the troop shares the responsibility to recruit and train them (see the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures manual). And it is the Scoutmaster's responsibility to see that the counselor being used by the scout has been registered and approved by the district/council BEFORE the scout begins work on the merit badge.

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Hunt 11]

So the problem is that some unit Scouters were "grandfathered" and never got a background check at all? That's certainly a good reason to require a background check, but I guess I still don't see why it should be limited to those who are also signed up to be MBCs. Of course, I will comply with the new instructions; I just want to be able to answer the inevitable questions about it.

[EagleInKY 14]

We haven't been told to do this for MB Counselors. We do have to send in a new application every time a person changes position. We were told this was an effort to get background checks on all leaders.

 

I asked a few months ago about the procedures for MB counselors and I was told we only needed to submit an application for anyone not registered as a leader. (It could be possible that, since our troop just formed last year, they know that all of our leaders have had background checks). Don't know the answer. As is often the case, each council interprets the rules differently.

[Bob White 20]

The purpose is to get all merit badge counselors registered so that there is a background check on all of them. Do do this they must all have completed a new application under code 42 as a counselor.

 

The fact that are have previously registered as a counselor or as any other type of adult member in scouting is not relevent.

 

For administrative and record keeping purposes even if a leader has previously registered on the new application, if they wish to be registered as a counselor they must have a separate application with a position code of 42.

 

There is nothing you need to explain. This is a matter of compliance. If you want to be a counselor, or want someone to be a counselor, they must supply the correct application paperwork. If compliance is a problem with someone, thank them for considering to be a counselor but without the application they cannot register. Then go find a new counselor.

 

Do some people get more than one background check? Probably but so what? It will be a proportionately few instances and it is a small price to pay in order to protect the scout and the program.

[evmori 11]

Do some people get more than one background check? Probably but so what?

 

Background checks aren't cheap & if a council is paying twice for some of theses that is spending money that could be used elsewhere.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10