Required Training is Coming

[Quailman]

What's the current status of required training?

I just took over as CC, having been an ASM in this troop for 8 years. The committee adopted bylaws and policies& procedures in November. Included is a statement that all registered leaders will get trained within six months. The SM couldn't make it to a meeting, and he named a long-time ASM who came to about two meetings last year as acting SM. He actually rechartered as a CM because he's never attended SM training or IOLS. I suggested to the SM that since our P&P requires training for leaders, that he should not have selected that guy to be acting SM. We only have two active, fully trained ASMs (plus my son, but he's only 19). If those two get frustrated because SM skips them to use his cub scouting pal, I'm afraid we'll lose them.

So this week, SM calls to tell me that he spoke with our DE, and our council doesn't require training for recharter, so we shouldn't require it in our troop. I pointed out that all leaders had the opportunity to review and comment on P&P, and I didn't see why he had a problem with having fully trained leaders. His reasoning is that the troop adopted the policy in anticipation of the council requiring training. I told him that I would bring up his concern at the next meeting and see if the other CMs wanted to not have trained leaders.

So what's the status? Will my council be requiring it by the end of 2012?

[JH-SM-T03]

Not really a question for the forum. Ask your council. Effective dates and training requirements vary by council.

[RWSmith]

Not really a question for the forum.

Uh-hem. Dude, I would ask you to leave such decisions up to the administrators/moderators.

Ask your council. Effective dates and training requirements vary by council.

Now, that's good advice.

=================

What's the current status of required training?

Here's the latest info from national:

Update on Required Training
It was announced a couple of years ago that required training was coming for all Scouting leaders. There are currently about 80 councils that are requiring leader training, and 19 of the 80 councils are part of an official pilot program. We are now reviewing the results of the pilot councils, as well as the councils who did it on their own.

In reviewing those results after the first year we have discovered some very positive results, but also some issues we need to resolve.

....

But we also know that a great training team, a "culture of training," and the maintenance of accurate records are major parts of the process if there is to be success. Training has to be a priority of the council and not just "something they make us do" for it to work.

The volunteer training team is working with the computer folks in the design of new resources for recordkeeping and reporting. We are also conducting webinars and one-on-one training for local councils to help them with record keeping in the current ScoutNET system. (See the Making Your Training Records Stick quicklink on the Training page.)

As an update, until we finish the analysis and work out the issues, there is no national training requirement except for Youth Protection.

However, local councils do have the option to make training mandatory and we support the efforts of those councils!

We have not set a new timeline to make training a requirement in all councils at present. We are waiting for the results of the pilot councils and for the updated training entry/reporting system to be in place first.

As to whether or not yours is one of the participating councils, I don't know.

As JH-SM-T03 said, ask your council.

[Quailman]

I will ask my council. I saw above that many councils voluntarily required training on their own. Can a district do that? A troop?

[RWSmith]

A district is merely an "administrative" arm of the council; districts do not have charters, so... I would think, no. A district would have to go by whatever standard the council sets. (That is not to say, that a council couldn't require mandatory training for one district, but not the other(s)... it could).

However, at the unit level... requiring some (e.g., "direct-contact" leaders, such as A/SMs, but not MCs), or all, unit volunteers to be trained-to-position would, IMO, certainly fall within the purview of the unit committee (and/or CO).

....just my opinion.

[FrankJ]

The unit sets the standards for the leaders. So they can require whatever additional training they want. Obviously they cannot exempt BSA required training. For example the Catholic units are required to take their YPT in addition to the BSA one. I know of a couple of units that require SM specific before the ASMs can wear the uniform.

[Nuts4Scouts]

Charter Organizations can have their own membership requirements (including training) that are over and above (not less than) National requirements.

Talk to your council to find out their training requirements.

Then talk to your Charter Organization Representative (COR), and the head of your Charter Organization (IH), and get them to support your policy that all registered adults be trained for their position within 6 months of registration.

Then enforce it with all adults registered (Scoutmaster, Asst Scoutmasters, Committee Members, COR, etc) with your Troop.

[wagionvigil]

Over the next few years I think you will see BSA aligning much of their training to Nationally recognized organizations training. they have already done that with Shooting sports with the NRA certifications. Next you will see COPE and Climbing and rappelling training get changed to go with ACCT and AMGA we are very close but still a bit apart on these. I am hearing rumblings of BSA coming up with their own Wilderness First Aid course to address some BSA specific items. It boils down to if you want to be in the organization you are going to be trained or else. I have seen this over the years in the Volunteer Fire Service as an example. The training required now is pretty intense compared to when I joined the VFD in 1977. It is possible that you will see unit operated high adventure activities a thing of the past unless there are trained people doing those programs. Another example of required training I will use are the Canopy Tours, zip lines and challenge courses being built at the Summit. The people operating those WILL be COPE directors or instructors AND attend a Weekend training program put on by Bonsai Design our builder. These will be offered at several places around the country at no cost but getting there. Non Trained people will still be used and Needed on the course but will have no direct contact with the apparatus.

[razor_strop]

Speaking of "basic" training, did anyone else notice that as of 01 Jan 2012, neither This Is Scouting nor program-specific Fast Start are required for basic training (except for CORs, who still must complete This Is Scouting)? That will help us on the JTE 'trained adult leadership' requirement.

[Mrw]

Speaking of "basic" training, did anyone else notice that as of 01 Jan 2012, neither This Is Scouting nor program-specific Fast Start are required for basic training (except for CORs, who still must complete This Is Scouting)? That will help us on the JTE 'trained adult leadership' requirement.

After ensuring ALL of our registered adults had taken both of these this past year as well as either the SM stuff or Troop Committee training, I do not think I will be pointing this out to anyone......

[fritz1255]

I became the Chartered Organization rep last fall because our long-time rep was on vacation when the one-time-offered "mandatory" Charterted Org Rep training was held. The training itself was a joke - about a half hour powerpoint presentation. Supposedly no Troop was allowed to recharter without a trained Chartered Org rep. I don't know how all that played out in late December of 2012. For those unfamiliar with the process, late December is when the long suffering District Executive makes phone calls and visits to Committee Chairs and Scoutmasters of Troops who have not turned in their paperwork. Would not want that job for twice what they get paid, and this kind of nonsense only makes their jobs harder.

[Billiken]

I became the Chartered Organization rep last fall because our long-time rep was on vacation when the one-time-offered "mandatory" Charterted Org Rep training was held. The training itself was a joke - about a half hour powerpoint presentation.

On-line YPT is, IMHO, quite good.

However, a lot, if not most, of the rest of the BSA training is lousy (boring and insultingly remedial).
I've had newer and more established leaders voice the same opinion to me.

Once, as a Den Leader, I went to a "class" to get certified so our Pack could shoot BB Guns.
Trainer actually read, verbatim, the book/class to us.

Have had other horrible experiences....like having to take BALOO so our Pack could get a Tour Permit.
(I'm an Eagle Scout and have camped in five countries. I know how to build a campfire and put up a tent.)

As a fellow SM once said, "The BSA is great at taking 10 minutes of material and turning it into a 1 hour class."

[jr56]

I have to agree with you on that one. I do training all the time, and sections of training that are supposed to take 20 minutes, I am completing in 10.