Cub Scouts is a parent-led organization!

P81 and your cub scout need your help in providing a fun year of programming for our scouts!

P81 is looking for a few cheerful parents to become scout-facing leaders to help run meetings and activities, as well as admin behind-the-scenes support with organizing activities.  P81 encourages parents to help the pack by utilizing their talents, or by attending training and learning new skills!  Chester County Council, and surrounding Philadelphia area councils provide year-round training covering fishing, cub scout programming, certified rangemasters, to wilderness first aid.

BALOO and Rangemaster training will be offered Oct 4th and 5th @ Camp Horseshoe!

https://cccscouting.org/training/

To become an adult leader with Pack 81, please follow these steps:

1. Fill out an adult application by either using the jotform link below, or the embedded PDF (and emailing to ChesterCounty@scouting.org)

2.   Submit payment to Chest County Council by

   1.   Send $95 to Council's Venmo account-@ChesterCountyCouncilBSA

   2.   Pay $98.32 over the phone with card(3.5% transaction fee will apply) : (610) 696-2900

   3.   Mail a check for $95 made out to CCCBSA to the address:  Chester County Council, 1 Scouting Way, Exton, PA 19341

3.  Obtain proper PA State Law clearances

4. Take Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) at my.scouting.org

Adult BSA Registration

Obtaining PA15 Clearances

Chester County Council Clearances Website 

Adult Training

Required PA15 Clearances

When Applying as an Adult Volunteer with BSA in Pennsylvania

In order to comply with Pennsylvania state law, certain background check clearances must be submitted to our troop during the adult BSA application process. The instructions on this page and forms attached will provide the information you need to obtain these background check clearances and to submit them to our troop. We cannot forward your adult BSA application to Council until we obtain the appropriate background check clearances.

As a reminder, any person 18 and over is considered an adult in the context of PA15. This includes recently aged-out scouts.

Obtaining Clearances

Those adults who assist in the care, supervision, guidance or control of youth, those adults who act in lieu of a parent, and those adults who have routine direct contact with youth, must obtain 3 (three) background checks, one of which may be waived if certain qualifications are met (see the FBI Criminal Background Check exception, below). The 3 (three) requisite clearances are:

• PA Child Abuse History Clearance - (please note that when you are asked for your Keystone ID, they are asking you to create an ID)

• PA State Police Criminal Record Check - https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp

• FBI Criminal Background Check - https://uenroll.identogo.com/

  • FBI Criminal Background Check exception: If you are a volunteer who has lived in Pennsylvania continuously for 10 (ten) years or more, you are not required to obtain the FBI Criminal Background Check.

  • Additionally, if you have lived in Pennsylvania for less than 10 (ten) years and have previously obtained the FBI Criminal Background Check since living in Pennsylvania, you are not required to obtain a new clearance. To qualify for this exception, you must sign and date the Disclaimer Statement found cccbsa volunteer disclosure statement in place of FBI clearance for submission together with the other 2 (two) clearances referenced above.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has transitioned to a new vendor for digital fingerprinting, IDEMIA. You can register with IDEMIA, and be fingerprinted at an IdentoGO site. For general questions about FBI clearances, please contact the FBI Background Check Unit at 717-783-6211 or 1-877-371-5422. For IDEMIA registration, processing, or billing questions, please contact IDEMIA/IdentoGo at 1-844-321-2101."

To get finger printed use the service code below to pre-register at https://uenroll.identogo.com/.

Service Code Applicant Type 1KG6ZJ DHS Volunteer

Please see:

• The Chester County Council's page on PA Background Checks, which provides step-by-step instructions about these links, including:

  • How to Obtain PA Mandated Background Check Certifications

• You may also refer to Chester County Council Frequently Asked Questions about PA Background Checks page to find additional information concerning the application process.

• Our Frequently Asked Questions section, below.

Note that Internet Explorer is the recommended browser for online clearance applications.

If you have already obtained any of the clearances above, you may submit copies of those prior obtained certificates to the PA15 Background Coordinator as long as they were completed within the past five years, such time period being the duration of their validity for purposes of the applicable state background check law.  Freshly obtained clearances are valid for five years moving forward.

If you did not receive a copy of your previously obtained FBI criminal background check certificate, you may request a copy of the certificate directly from the company or organization which requested it, be it your current or former employer, or other volunteer organization.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding PA15 Background Checks

• Does every adult associated with our troop need the background check certificates?

All adults (persons 18 years of age or older) applying for or holding an unpaid position as a volunteer with Boy Scouts of America who are responsible for youths’ welfare, or who have direct volunteer contact with youth, must submit the background check certificates.

An adult is responsible for the youths’ welfare if he or she provides temporary care, supervision, training, or control of a child in lieu of parental care, supervision, and control.

An adult has direct volunteer contact with youth if he or she provides care, supervision, guidance or control of youth, or has routine interaction with youth.  Routine interaction is regular and repeated contact which is integral to a person’s volunteer responsibilities. A parent, committee member, or chartered organization representative who “volunteers” to attend and provide leadership to a number of events during the year would meet this definition even if their primary volunteer position would not.

• I do not hold a leadership title: I am only a parent. Do I qualify for a Waiver to bypass this process?

If you would like to serve as a Merit Badge Counselor, host a patrol meeting, attend trips or activities, training courses, camping programs, or service projects where youth are involved or where you will have regular direct contact with youth, you must complete the background check process; volunteer adults responsible for the care, supervision, guidance or control of youth must have submitted the clearances and be fully compliant in order to participate.

The clearances are "transferrable" to other organizations for volunteer purposes until they expire.

Volunteers who do not meet any of the criteria above must submit the requisite Waiver in lieu of obtaining the certificates and related documents.

• Which background checks are required?

Every volunteers who meets one or more of the conditions requiring background checks must obtain 1) the PA Child Abuse History Clearance, 2) the PA State Police Criminal Record Check, and 3) either the FBI Criminal Background Check or execute a Disclaimer Statement in lieu of the FBI Criminal Background Check, if eligible. Volunteers are eligible to execute a Disclaimer Statement in lieu of the FBI Criminal Background Check if either they have a) continuously resided in Pennsylvania for the past 10 years, or b) have resided in Pennsylvania for less than 10 years, however have already completed the FBI Criminal Background Check since establishing residency in Pennsylvania.

Note: A volunteer who meets the 10 year-residency requirement other than living at an out-of-state college does not need the FBI Criminal Background Check, as long as the volunteer maintained PA residency during college.

Access to the background check process for all clearances may also be found at the Department of Human Services, here.

• May I use my background checks previously obtained for another organization?

Yes, background check certificates issued within the previous 60 months are valid and may be submitted.  Please note that a copy of the actual certificates are required. If you completed the FBI Criminal Background Check previously and would like to submit your background check to volunteer with us, you must obtain a copy of the actual certificate evidencing that FBI Criminal Background Check from the previous employer or organization which received it on your behalf. The confirmation letter sent directly to you is not sufficient for submission to Council. If the FBI Criminal Background Check was obtained while you were a resident of Pennsylvania, you may submit the Disclaimer Statement in lieu of the certificate.

• When are my certifications and related documents due?

All adults (registered and un-registered) who volunteered prior to August 25, 2015 have until July 1, 2016 to comply with the law. All adults (registered and un-registered), who volunteer after August 25, 2015 will need the background checks before they commence their services.

• Are there instructions to guide me?

Although each application to obtain a background check does provide instruction throughout the application process, you may find the step-by-step instructions provided by Council helpful while completing the process. Council’s step-by-step instructions can be found attached hereto on the bottom of this page.

• In completing the applications, what is meant by my “residence”?

For purposes of the application process, residence means the actual addresses where you have previously lived.  If you slept at the location and received mail at the location, you likely resided there. It is not limited to the address on your identification or voter registration.

• I studied abroad/worked abroad/have lived in various far-away places.  Do I need to list every address in every detail?

You must make a good-faith effort, listing as much of the information as can be remembered pertaining to any previous address where you have lived. If you can only remember part of the address, such as the city and state or street, city and state, then that response is acceptable. Your application will not be rejected for listing previous addresses with partial information.

• When listing all of the people with whom I have lived, do I need to include all of my roommates, or are my relatives enough?

All household members must be listed on the application. Household members includes the names of all individuals with whom you have lived since 1975, including parents, guardians, siblings, spouses and roommates.

• Why am I having technical difficulties?

Please try the application process using Internet Explorer as your browser.  Web browsers need to accept cookies, and also have scripting enabled. Pop-up blockers should be disabled.  More information is available at the "[w]hat are my computer requirements?" section of the Compass website, found here.

• Help! I still have a question.

Contact the PA15 Background Check Coordinator, Megan Kampf.

• I think I’m finished!  Now what do I do?

Before submitting your documents, please confirm that you have all three clearance certificates, or two clearance certificates and Disclaimer Statement, if applicable.  Model samples of all three certificates can be found in the Sample Certificates section, below.

Place your complete package in a sealed envelope in the Jarvis Mailbox addressed to:
Megan Kampf, Attn: Devon 50 PA15 Background Coordinator

The clearances and related documents will in turn be forwarded to Council on your behalf.  Council's step-by-step instructions for obtaining the clearances can be found by clicking on the attachment below.

See also Council's Frequently Asked Questions page for further guidance, a portion of these answers derived in part from those responses.

Sample Certificates

BEFORE SUBMITTING THE BACKGROUND CHECK CERTIFICATES, PLEASE REVIEW THESE SAMPLE CERTIFICATES FROM COUNCIL AND CONFIRM THAT THE CORRECT DOCUMENTS ARE SUBMITTED.  We cannot accept other documents evidencing the obtaining of the clearances, including confirmation letters or invoices. We must receive a copy of the actual certificates.

Submitting Clearances, and Questions

Once you have completed all of the above, please retain a copy for your records and additionally send a copy of your clearances (and Disclaimer Statement if you fall into the FBI Criminal Background Check exception outlined above) via email to megkampf@comcast.net

If you have questions, please email megkampf@comcast.net

After You Submit Clearances

If a volunteer is arrested for or convicted of an offense that would constitute grounds for denying participation in our program, or is named as a perpetrator in a founded or indicated report, the volunteer must provide us with written notice not later than 72 hours after the arrest, conviction or notification that the person has been listed as a perpetrator in the statewide database.

Safeguarding Youth Training

Required Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT)

All active adults in Pack 81must take SYT every year at the same time during the Pack SYT season. Please see the instructions on adult training and how to set up a MyScouting.org account for more information on how to take the SYT training.

The Pack's Adult Training Coordinator communicates the annual SYT Season by email and also notes it on the Pack 81 website announcements (typically August/September time frame). Any adult who does not take SYT during the Troop SYT Season but has a valid certificate at time of recharter will be required to retake SYT one year after the last date of completion.

Any adult who has an expired SYT  certificate (more than one year old) will not be permitted to interact with Scouts as per SYT guidelines. SYT certificates must be mailed to the Adult Training Coordinator to be recorded on adult Troop Roster member cards and the Troop Record. An adult is SYT compliant if their certificate is less than one year old and has sent their certificate to the Adult Training Coordinator.

Adult Online Training through BSA's MyScouting.org

Adult Training

BSA has all kinds of adult training. Which training course you select depends on your position and activities within the Troop.

The minimum required training for all adults that interact scouts is Youth Protection Training (SYT ). SYT must be re-taken annually for Chester County Council organizations for registered adults who interact with scouts. NOTE: This is different than the National BSA policy (training is valid for 2 years) and the Expiration date noted on the SYT certificate. The training takes about 60 minutes.

Pack 81's SYT Policy is:

All active adults in Pack 81 will take SYT every year at the same time during the Pack SYT Season. The Pack SYT Season will be communicated via email, as well as noted on the Pack 81 website announcements by the Adult Training Coordinator (typically August/September time frame). Any adult who does not take SYT during the Troop SYT  Season but has a valid certificate at time of recharter will be required to retake SYT one year after the last date of completion.

Any adult who has an expired SYT certificate (more than one year old) will not be permitted to interact with Scouts as per SYT guidelines. SYT certificates must be mailed to the Adult Training Coordinator to be recorded on adult Troop Roster member cards and the Troop Record. An adult is SYT compliant if their certificate is less than one year old and the adult has sent their certificate to the Adult Training Coordinator at vfpack81@gmail.com.

To take the on line SYT training and any other BSA online training, you need an account at my.scouting.org. You will use this account for all on line courses that active adults typically take to be trained for trips. The account and all the online courses are free.

Always download and/or print your certificate after completing the online SYT and any BSA Training course for your own records. Certificate copies can be used to prove you have taken the course, in case there is a problem.

Setting Up A my.scouting.org Account

Go to my.scouting.org and either sign in with your user ID and password (if you are a returning user) or create an account.

Let's assume you have never before taken an online course on either my.scouting.org or the legacy site, myscouting.org. Click on Create Account. If you answer yes, the system searches for a previously established account (which you may have forgotten).

If the system finds an account already established for you, you select it and it takes you to the Retrieve Username page. If it doesn't find an account, it sends you to the Create Account page.

If you answer no, you are also taken to the Create Account page. You will need to provide some basic information. This includes:

• Full name

• Date of Birth

• Gender

• Home address

• Email address (use an email that will follow you, not a work email)

Click to accept the terms and conditions, enter the scramble code, and now you create your username and password to finish setting up your account. Click Continue when finished.

YPT Training

The News page appears. If you are brand new to all this, look for the Youth Protection image on the right hand side. Click on it to start the YPT training. See attached document on further instructions on how to complete the YPT course. The YPT certificate is emailed to you from my.scouting.org upon completion of the all modules of the training course. This certificate MUST be emailed to the Adult Training Coordinator for you to be YPT compliant.

Other BSA Adult Training

Other BSA Training can be found by clicking the BSA Learn Center logo on the home page. On the Scouting U page, select the Course Catalog option in the top Menu bar. You can search for any course title in the Search box provided at the top of the page. You can also go directly to the Scouting U website -- https://bsalearn.learn.taleo.net -- and use your my.scouting.org credentials to log in.

Once you have completed a BSA training course, email the completion certificate to the Adult Training Coordinator at AdultTraining@Devon50.org. Once a certificate is received, the Adult Training Coordinator will then update your record in the Troop Record that hold all adult training records.

Certificates

If you are missing certificates for any training you have completed, follow the steps below:

1. Log into my.scouting.org

2. Go to Menu|My Dashboard

3. Click Completions tab

4. Select training course and click Printer icon

5. Download and email certificate to AdultTraining@Devon50.org

Multiple BSA IDs

If you were a member of another BSA Troop from another Council, your current BSA ID cannot be seen by Chester Country Council. For this reason, you will need to Link your Chester Country Council Member ID via my.scouting.org

1. Login to myscouting.scouting.org

2. Click Menu on top left of screen, click Manage Member ID

3. Select Chester County Council l West Chester, PA #539 _Chester County from the drop down list

4. Enter CCC Member ID#

5. Click Add button

6. Click Set as primary link for CCC Member ID

   • NOTE: Do not Remove any other BSA ID. Keep the previous Council Member ID in the system. Member ID numbers are Council Specific.

7. Click Save Profile

The Help Guide for setting up a my.scouting.org account with even more detail is at the bottom of the my.scouting.org sign in screen.

The Help Manual for the entire my.scouting.org tools are at the bottom of the dashboard.