Bay Area Council Youth Protection Policy 

There are many amazing things going on in Scouting in our council, and we thank our leaders, like you, who help make our council what it is.

As we strive to be the best we can be, we must also address areas that need improvement. Our council has consistently been ranking one of the lowest in the country in up-to-date Youth Protection Training (YPT) for our registered leaders (currently about 93%). This occurs due to some of our leaders not renewing their two-year YPT certification on time despite being sent multiple reminders.

To address this issue, our Council Board has approved the following YPT policy:

The Bay Area Council will suspend the membership of any registered adult leader whose Youth Protection Training (YPT) has expired. In compliance with the policy of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, YPT must be renewed every two years. If an adult leader is suspended, they must not participate in any leadership role within their Scout unit, district, or council until their registration has been reinstated. Once proof of YPT completion is presented to the Council Registrar, they will be reinstated. If YPT is not completed prior to their annual membership renewal date, they must reapply as a leader. This includes completing a new application, completing YPT, and paying the annual membership fee. Any dues paid prior to the rescission of membership will be deemed forfeited.

Once a month, we will extract a report showing registered adults with expired YPT and those who are set to expire the following month. Those whose YPT is expired will be suspended in our system, and an email will be sent to notify them. Those who are set to expire the following month will receive an email reminder and notice in addition to the ones already received by the National BSA. Upon proof of YPT completion, registrations will be reinstated if their annual membership is not expired.

This policy goes into effect October 17, 2023. Leaders with expired YPT or set to expire in October will be sent a notification this month, and they will have until October 31 to renew their YPT certification.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping keep our youth safe!

 Bay Area Council Youth Protection Policy

Addendum

For your information:

1. Youth safety is everyone’s responsibility. Help ensure every registered adult volunteer is current in their YPT at all times.
2. The Unit Key 3 [Chartered Organization Representative (COR), Committee Chair (CC), and Unit Leader (Scoutmaster/Cubmaster/Crew Advisor/Skipper] is responsible for ensuring all adult leaders are 100% trained, including being up to date in YPT.
3. The Unit Key 3 should monitor their unit roster regularly to ensure they meet the 100% YPT requirement.
4. The unit leader should notify the Council’s Registrar via email immediately to remove any of their adult leaders who are no longer active.
5. The unit leader should encourage their adult leaders to forward a copy of their renewed YPT certificate to the Council’s Registrar each time it is taken.
6. Once suspended, you will have seven (7) days to renew your YPT and send the certificate to the Registrar. Otherwise, your BSA membership will be expired and you must reapply to be a member. This includes completing a new application, completing YPT, and paying the annual membership fee. Any dues paid prior to the rescission of membership will be deemed forfeited.

* One of the key elements of YPT is covered under the Trained Leaders platform. Ensuring that each of the unit’s Key 3 is trained in their specific position also supports YPT.