Our Troop follows the BSA’s Youth Protection policies to protect your youth and others involved in Scouting. Our Troop Committee and the Scoutmaster Staff follow mandatory practices, summarized below:
- Two Leaders on Outings. A minimum of two registered and Youth Protection trained BSA leaders must be present. Both persons must be at least 21 years old and at least one of these people must be a female if a female scout is present.
- Two Adults on Cyber Communication. There are no one-on-one online or digital activity or electronic communications. Two Troop Leaders and a parent or guardian are always included in any email or text with a youth member, ensuring no one-on one contact exists in text, social media, or other forms of online or digital communication. Video or Zoom advancement meetings between a Troop Leader and a Scout require a parent or guardian to be present with the Scout during the entire meeting
- No One-On-One Contact is allowed between Youth and Adults. When a situation requires a personal conference, the meeting is conducted with knowledge and in the view of other adults and youth.
- Separate Accommodations for Youth and Adults. No youth is allowed to sleep in a tent with an adult other than their own parent or guardian. Separate shower and bathroom facilities are used for adults, males, and females. The only exception is when separate facilities are not available and scheduled and posted times are used to separate adults from youth and males from females.
- Buddy System: Self-selected groups of 2 or 3 youth assure they are never alone on Scouting activities.
- No Inappropriate Digital Use. No use of digital devices is allowed in circumstances where privacy is expected or requested.
- No Secret Organizations. These are prohibited in the BSA and in our Troop.
- No Hazing or Bullying is permitted.
- Youth leaders are carefully advised. We monitor and advise our youth leaders to assure safety and compliance with BSA policies.
- Discipline. This is always positive and constructive. No corporal or negative activities are allowed.
- Appropriate Clothing Required. Bathing suits are required and no revealing clothing is allowed.
- Mandatory Reporting. All Troop Leaders are required by law and the BSA to report youth protection-related incidents or suspicions. Any good-faith suspicion or belief that a child has been abused or exposed to any form of exploitation or obscenity is required by law to be reported to local law enforcement. Scoutmasters in particular are under an obligation to report to law enforcement any information from a child or adult indicating child abuse may have occurred whether or not in connection with the Troop – Please do not joke or engage in humor about these topics in the presence of Scouts or Troop volunteers. We are also required to notify our local professional BSA Scout Executive and the Chief Executive of the Local 798 Union of such matters.
- Safe Family Camping. Only BSA-registered adult leaders and committee members are allowed to attend overnight activities, because this assures each adult has undergone a background screening, completed Youth Protection Training, as well as the California mandated reporting training (AB506) and background checks. An exception is that once a year the Troop will open a campout to all family members of Scouts. In those cases a separate set of “family camping” rules applies – but all adults attending “family camping” weekends still need to have taken the Youth Protection Training