Required Training is Coming

[nolesrule]

Our Council Commissioner informed us back in August at our annual commissioner conference that it was on hold due to ongoing issues with the training record keeping module of scoutnet. I'm not surprised, as for years I've seen fully trained leaders showing up on unit rosters as not trained.

[Mrw]

Example: ALL scouts and Scouters MUST wear an approved bike helmet when Biking. ...snipped...He laughed and said nothing will happen and everyone did not have helmets. Told him he was wrong and moved on. I notified our ASST SE and what troop Yes from my council. THE ASE is on Vacation and will get the email when he gets in the office tomorrow. I will follow up later this week but I suggested that he contact them and tell them about it and that we start putting G2SS information in our council newsletter. This was a trained leader that decided he did not have to follow the rules. .....snipped....

If this leader is not kicked out, then we have a problem. His choice of not following the BSA G2SS is considered reckless endangerment and gross negligence in many States and Commonwealths when opting to ignore safety equipement as simple as a helmut.

This flagrant disregard for the rules cannot and must not be tolerated.

I lead a cross-state bike tour each July. I will gladly send anyone on my tour who I catch not wearing their helmet as agreed home that day - at their expense to get back to their car too. Does not matter who you are or how old you are. I have seen too many smashed helmets where the rider walked away without a head injury to flaunt that rule!

[jr56]

Jumping in late, I feel that requireing roundtable attendance for completing on-line training is a good idea.

[scoutaholic]

Or maybe it is the realization that a 100% trained is a nice goal, but not an realistic expectation.

It is going to happen. If you are not trained you will not be involved in the program.

What is more likely to happen is that there will be fewer registered/trained adults. Outings will likely have a single registered/trained adult and a bunch of unregistered adult volunteers.

[smtroop168]

Or maybe it is the realization that a 100% trained is a nice goal, but not an realistic expectation.

It is going to happen. If you are not trained you will not be involved in the program.

What is more likely to happen is that there will be fewer registered/trained adults. Outings will likely have a single registered/trained adult and a bunch of unregistered adult volunteers.

Not sure about that..I have 4 new CMs and a new COR. Their first question was "What training do I need and can I get to make sure I'm doing my job right?"

[alex gregory]

Used to be it was relatively easy for me to convince teachers, coaches, doctors, lawyers, EMTs, police, you name it, to be merit badge counselors even if they had no direct relationship to scouting. With the new YPT rules I'm finding it that much harder. People are busy.

We already have far too few MBCs outside of the troop, and the new rules are not going to help with that problem. Increasingly, I suspect MBCs for the non-core badges will be even less involved in direct merit badge instruction/supervision with the scout and more of a guidance counselor that recognizes the scout for stuff he is doing outside of scouting.

[smtroop168]

Used to be it was relatively easy for me to convince teachers, coaches, doctors, lawyers, EMTs, police, you name it, to be merit badge counselors even if they had no direct relationship to scouting. With the new YPT rules I'm finding it that much harder. People are busy.

We already have far too few MBCs outside of the troop, and the new rules are not going to help with that problem. Increasingly, I suspect MBCs for the non-core badges will be even less involved in direct merit badge instruction/supervision with the scout and more of a guidance counselor that recognizes the scout for stuff he is doing outside of scouting.

This contention that the "new" YPT rules are what is going to keep people from helping scouts is getting really old and hogwash. MB Counselors were always required to follow YP rules anyway...buddy system...no one on one contact. The fact that they now must take a 30 minute easy course to cover the "new" rules is a minor inconvenience. They are registered with the BSA for free so a little effort on their part is not too much to ask.

[ThunderingWind]

This contention that the "new" YPT rules are what is going to keep people from helping scouts is getting really old and hogwash. ......

But you underestimate the "You have to do this now, it is required" factor into the equation.

Getting new poeple to become MBCs and telling them what the current process is will not change the number new MBCs we get by much.

Renewing those old stalwarts after telling them "YOU MUST..." will cost the BSA a few good MBCs. Not that they are bad people, but they are offended by the delivery of the message.

Changing how the message is presented by the BSA will keep more of those stalwarts. If National had gone with a softer tone to usher in the change, some good voluneeters might have stayed.

[smtroop168]

Renewing those old stalwarts after telling them "YOU MUST..." will cost the BSA a few good MBCs. Not that they are bad people, but they are offended by the delivery of the message.

Changing how the message is presented by the BSA will keep more of those stalwarts. If National had gone with a softer tone to usher in the change, some good voluneeters might have stayed.

Are these some of the same old stalwarts that want to do things their way..like keeping scouts from advancing. I have no use for the "I'm gonna take my ball and go home because its not fair I have to do what the rules say" attitiude. Mr. C can you help me with my MB? No kid because I have to take youth protection training and I don't want to so I quit. Should I quit too Mr C. because I don't think I should have to go on 20 days and nights of camping for my MB? Sets an example we don't want the boys to emulate so if they leave, we're better off.

[FrankJ]

If you are an educator you probably already do more YPT than BSA requires. (Still have to do the BSA one though) I wonder what requirements exist for team coaches for little league etc. I think if you explain it with tack most will be understanding. Especially when some of the record keeping is resolved and you making people do the same thing twice. Or continuously make them, copy & send in the YPT card.

Just do not tell them that if they are counseling venturing youth that they need to take two courses.

I wonder if they are ever going to tell venturing consultants that they need YPT ?

[ThunderingWind]

Are these some of the same old stalwarts that want to do things their way...snipped....

Not always. But the style of delivery used for this change has pushed some good people away.

Had the National office presented "we need to change things, you are a great volunteer, and we appreciate your service, please do this" instead of "Do this or your are kicked out" we (the big overall we) might have kept some of those good people.

The next change the BSA needs to make is to make it very clear in all the training that if the adult deviates from the plan (adds those extra requirements we have discussed on this forum to death) that they can and will be removed from the program once the infraction has been reported, investigated and found to be true.

....snipped.... I think if you explain it with tack most will be understanding.
...snipped...

Correct. The benefits of this positive change were lost in the "DO IT OR DIE" delivery.

I wonder if they are ever going to tell venturing consultants that they need YPT ?

I hope not. It will make earning things a lot more difficult for the Venturers. That being said, there is some decent cross over in a few MBs from the Troop side that would give the Crew youth access to YPT covered "Consultants." Archery and Shooting Sports come to mind as these people must be coverd by USAA and the NRA programs plus be registered MBCs (YPT Trained) now.

[FrankJ]

Had the National office presented "we need to change things, you are a great volunteer, and we appreciate your service, please do this" instead of "Do this or your are kicked out" we (the big overall we) might have kept some of those good people.

My late father in law was a doctor. He once told me that he learned early in his career that when dealing with people that had just lost a love one that you had to be direct: Tell them they were dead. They would misinterpret anything else.

So I understand saying take YPT or not be registered. The problem with the people that primary registered as MBC is there is no method of letting them know that they need to take YPT. There is not even a clear way to know if they are even registered. They fill out a registration and that is that last they hear of it.

[smtroop168]

So I understand saying take YPT or not be registered. The problem with the people that primary registered as MBC is there is no method of letting them know that they need to take YPT. There is not even a clear way to know if they are even registered. They fill out a registration and that is that last they hear of it.

Called management of the list. Each MBC is supposed to be contacted every year to thank them for their service and ask if they want to continue as a MBC. ACPP #33088 is the reference. That's when you can make sure they are current with their YPT. Does it happen? Will it happen now? Maybe. Can scoutnet produce a usable report for the CAC to work from?

[FrankJ]

Does it happen?

Not in my council. Our district's MBC coordinator resigned when the mandatory YPT came out because she did not want the aggravation in what is already a thankless job.

This would be an interesting poll since I expect a lot of people on this list are MBCs. When was the last time you (if ever) where you contacted by the council advancement committee about annual MBC registration. (You contacting them does not count)

[scoutaholic]

Does it happen?

Not in my council. Our district's MBC coordinator resigned when the mandatory YPT came out because she did not want the aggravation in what is already a thankless job.

This would be an interesting poll since I expect a lot of people on this list are MBCs. When was the last time you (if ever) where you contacted by the council advancement committee about annual MBC registration. (You contacting them does not count)

Never been contacted by the council advancement committee, nor the DAC about MB counciling (DAC knows me, so doesn't bother to call when he knows the answer). I know the council prints an annual list and gives it to the DAC. At least 3 times, the DAC has called everyone on the list to try and get it cleaned up. When he reports to the council that some are no longer interrested, have moved away, or are dead, the Council still doesn't remove them from the list. He got tired of calling the same widows of dead MBCs every year.

[Mrw]

Our Council has been working on the listing and it is finally very good. The DAC sends a letter every year to see if the MBCa are still interested and culls the list accordingly in our District. I am not an MBC, but my son was until he moved and I know we got the yearly letters up until he dropped off.

Some places the system is working. Prior to our current DAC though, our list was pretty worthless too.

[jr56]

My District has no merit badge counselor list. It doesn't exist.

[Quailman]

My District has no merit badge counselor list. It doesn't exist.

Ditto.

[VenturingL]

I was asked to be MBC for Communications for my son's troop a couple of years ago. I asked MBC Coordinator if I needed to fill anything out - was told no. I knew better (thanks in part to this forum), and went to Service Center and filled out forms. My daughter also registered to be MBC for Reptile & Amphibian Study, just in case someone needed one. No one from Council or District ever contacted us in any way.

[jr56]

I know, years ago I was the district advancement chair. Made up a district MBC list. Even tried to conduct MBC training for the district (2 people came). When I tried to do the annual renewal, I sent notices to all the MBC's, about 1/3 of them didn't respond, and then complained when I dropped them from the list.