NEW Youth Protection Training Certifications are DUE NOW!

The BSA has announced bold, wide-ranging updates to its Youth Protection program as part of an ongoing effort to protect young people from child abuse. This starts with an enhanced online Youth Protection training course ("YPT2") that all volunteers must complete.

Even those Scout leaders who took the previous version of Youth Protection training must log into My.Scouting.org and complete the updated Youth Protection course.

Who needs to take YPT2? 

• Anyone registered in any volunteer capacity with the BSA
• All Assistant Scoutmasters
• All Committee Members
• Plus, anyone who plans to attend a troop function or drive Scouts to and from Scout events. 

You do NOT have to be a registered leader to take Youth Protection Training.  In fact, the more of our Troop families that take it, the more protected ALL of our Scouts are!

The updated course debuted in February 2018; if you took Youth Protection training prior to that, you’ll need to complete the updated course by Oct. 1. (Unfortunately, our in-person YPT training in March was the old YPT course, so even if you took the March training you need to take it again.)

If you are a registered leader, be sure to use your BSA member number when you log into your my.scouting account so that your updated training shows up in the Council records. It should automatically be updated in Scoutbook as well.

Not sure what your BSA member number is? You can find it in your profile in Scoutbook.

YOU MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF YPT COMPLETION BEFORE OR WITH YOUR RECHARTER PAPERWORK. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL REMOVE YOU AS A REGISTERED LEADER WITH THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.

If you haven't renewed your Youth Protection Training, your certification is now expired!!

Besides being unable to participate in troop events, if you are a Merit Badge Counselor, your Merit Badge Counselor record will expire when your YPT expires and you must resubmit the paperwork to become a counselor again.

Please help us avoid the great paper chase that accompanies recharter every year.  Trust me it is every bit as fun as it sounds. Please take your Youth Protection Training NOW!

Troop Meeting Tonight

Reminder that there is a troop meeting tonight. See you at the Family Life Center at 7pm.

Troop Meeting Tonight

Reminder that there is a troop meeting tonight. See you at the Family Life Center at 7pm.

Troop Meeting Tonight

Reminder that there is a troop meeting tonight. See you at the Family Life Center at 7pm.

Sammiches!

Adults and Scouts, we need help making sandwiches for Arlington Night Shelter - Friday, 10/12, at 5:30 pm at Scout House. Please come help if you can. Service hours awarded.

We will also need an adult to drive the meals to the shelter. Check your email for contact information for Bob Morgan, Committee Chair, for this info.

#aScoutisHelfpul

Troop Meeting Tonight

Reminder that there is a troop meeting tonight. See you at the Family Life Center at 7pm.

Reminder - 30 days to renew Safe Sanctuary

At the same time that BSA is requiring all Scouters to take the new Youth Protection course in order to have a current YPT certification, our Chartering Organization, Keller United Methodist Church, is requiring all adults who work with youth to renew their Safe Sanctuary certification.

Adult leaders who are Safe Sanctuary certified will be receiving letters from Keller United Methodist Church concerning the upcoming global Safe Sanctuary renewal. As part of this renewal, all Safe Sanctuary volunteers will be required to do a new background check, and are being asked to pay the $15 fee to process the background check. The reason for this $15 fee is it is a blanket renewal, involving hundreds of volunteers at once, and the large cost is not in the church budget.

These renewals must be done before October 31, 2018, or the Safe Sanctuary volunteer will be taken off the roster and must start the entire process over, including references. 

For those who are unaware of Safe Sanctuary, this is another level of youth protection that is required of our Troop by our Charter Organization. As a reminder, we must comply with Keller UMC policy for Safe Sanctuary rules at every Scout meeting, campout, trip, function, etc., so we need as many of our volunteers as possible to be Safe Sanctuary-certified.

If you are a current Safe Sanctuary volunteer, and you renew prior to October 31, you will not be required to submit references.

The process to renew is as follows:

1. Read the Child/Youth Protection Policy, which can be found on the Safe Sanctuary page at kellerumc.org under Quick Links, Safe Sanctuary. If you are not able to access the policy, stop by the church office and request a copy. 
2. View the Safe Sanctuary Training Presentation. The presentation is a video available on the Safe Sanctuary page of the website. 
3. Print and sign the Authorization for Information/Criminal Background Report, the Participation Covenant Statement and the Compliance with Attendance Policy Form and return all three signed documents to the church office. 

Forms can also be submitted to Kathy Warren at an upcoming Troop meeting. You can pay the $15 background check fee online by clicking the link on the Safe Sanctuary page of the website, or you can give a check to our troop Safe Sanctuary representative, Kathy Warren. If you have questions, you can email Kathy at warren0698@yahoo.com

Troop Meeting Tonight

Reminder that there is a troop meeting tonight. See you at the Family Life Center at 7pm.