For Leaders
You, our volunteer leader, are a mainstay of Safe Scouting. Our youth and our parents depend upon you to stay trained, and to follow the policies that will help our youth enjoy Scouting, at minimum risk.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, complete Youth Protection Training.
Follow the Online Guide to Safe Scouting. It has been developed through decades of experience. If you follow the policies and the guidelines in it, you can provide a fun and successful Scouting experience, and minimize the risk for the youth.
Get the training you need. Most Safe Scouting training is self-study. The self study programs are available on the internet or by video. For example, if you will be taking your unit on a swimming activity, at least one adult leader must complete Safe Swim Defense training. That training is available on the internet, it is easy to become trained!
For the video programs E-mail or telephone (507-287-1410 or 800-524-3907) the Council Office to borrow any training videotapes or DVDs you would need.
File tour permits! Doing so provides a double-check, to help you follow the Guide to Safe Scouting. Properly doing so also means you will be covered by the Boy Scouts insurance.
Part of our challenge as a leader, is encouraging youth to push their limits, yet helping assure they do not do things beyond their capabilities. Please review the age appropriate guidelines for guidance.
In addition, when engaged in outdoors activities, we should be aware of our surroundings and the risk to youth. There are numerous weather hazards we face. In the upper Midwest, we face risk from heat in the summer, cold in the winter, lightening, as well as flash floods. Gamehaven Council has adopted guidelines for minimizing the risk to our youth from extremes of heat and cold. The web page Guidelines for Scouting Activities to Protect Our Youth From Extremes of Heat and Cold explains these guidelines. We strongly encourage you to use them in your unit activities.
The National Weather Service has a series of information brochures. Ones of particular interest to us are:
Be aware of the emergency procedures for the camp you are at. Ask the camp ranger or caretaker what the suggested responses might be, before they are needed. The emergency procedures for Gamehaven Scout reservation are posted on the Gamehaven Council web site.
Drive safely! See guidelines for driving safely here. We know distraction when driving increases our risks. A common distraction is cell phone use when driving. Please, avoid it if at all possible. If it is absolutely unavoidable, remember these tips from the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association:
- Make safe driving your first priority:
- Buckle up
- Keep your hands on the wheel
- Keep your eyes on the road
- Position your phone where it is easy to see and reach
- Familiarize yourself with the phones' operation while the car is parked
- Use a hands-free microphone while driving Use the speed dial feature for frequently called numbers
- Pull over and dial manually
- Never take notes while driving. Pull off the road if you must read or write
- Use voice mail to pick up your calls if it is inconvenient or unsafe to answer the car phone.
When we are engaged in outdoors activities, we must watch out for our own safety. The Minnesota Safety Council has a series of fact sheets that may be useful.
Scout leaders also need to be careful clearing campsites. It turns out that there is a safe way to fell trees. OSHA provides guidance on felling trees safely. Chainsaws are prohibited unless the individual is over 18 and is properly trained in the use of chainsaws. The BSA offers a training course which can be taught by the Camp Ranger.
A unique problem we now face as leaders is how to protect the private information about our youth and our leaders. If you run a unit website, do not publish rosters or address lists publicly on the web site. At a minimum, this information should be password-protected, and the password changed on a regular basis (for example, at least once a year). If you want to publish pictures or names of youth, obtain parents' permission before any are published.
There are also special problems when it comes to medical information. Many leaders wonder whether HIPAA Privacy Rules (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) affect us in Scoouting. On October 7, 2005, the National Council sent us very specific guidance. While we always should protect our Scouts' privacy, HIPAA does not apply to the Annual Health and Medical Record Parts A, B, & C. It does not apply to to tour permit forms or other medical release information we collect. It does not apply to release forms, first aid supplies, and treatment logbooks from camp or conferences (for example Order of the Arrow).
The reason is that while the physicians that fill out many of these forms are subjet to HIPAA, when the individual (Scout or parent) submits the completed form to the Boy Scouts of America, it is no longer covered by HIPAA. However, if we send an individual to an external provider, such as a physician or hospital, that provider is likely subject to HIPAA and they may not be able to release medical information back to us.
In general if you keep information about your leaders or youth on paper, protect that information. When you no longer need it, shred it with a cross-cut shredder.
For more information about identity theft, see the US Government Identity Theft site as well as information from the US Department of Justice and the US Postal Service Inspectors.
Teach your scouts about internet safety. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has excellent resources and training. This set of web sites also offers information to youth on the Scouts page.
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