Paoli Troop 1 considers youth protection our number one priority. We strictly follow all BSA Youth Protection Training (YPT) guidelines as well as PA Act 153/Act 15 requirements. Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters, as well as all adult Committee members and Merit Badge Counselors who have contact with youth are required to complete YPT training and fulfill the requirements below. If as a parent (or scout who has turned 18), you plan to join the troop on any overnight event whether at the cabin or on a trip, you must complete the requirements below. Please note that Chester County Council requires YPT training to be taken annually even though National requires this every two years.

Please note that we encourage ALL parents to become familiar with BSA youth protection policies. You do not need to be a registered member of the troop to take YPT. See the links below for more information and to take the training.

BSA Guide to Safe Scouting
click here

PROCESS FOR NEW ADULT LEADERS

• Complete YPT (see further instructions below)
• Complete PA Act 15 Clearances (these are good for 5 years; see Council website for additional info)
  • Child Abuse Clearance
  • PA State Criminal
  • FBI Background Check
    • Fingerprinting is required for those who have lived in PA <10 years and have not previously provided this information to Chester County Council
      • Go to http://www.identogo.com/, use code 1KG6ZJ. There is a fee required
    • A waiver can be provided for those who have lived in PA for 10 or more years or who have previously shared fingerprinting background check results with Chester County Council
• Complete an adult Scouting America application. Download the PDF and use Adobe Acrobat Reader or other software that allows you to complete and sign the application digitally. Please do not print, fill out, and scan the form as that complicates the process on our end.
• Email your YPT completion certificate, all PA Act 15 Clearances, and your completed application to the Chartered Org Representative (check with the scoutmaster if you need this contact info). Please attach these as separate files, not as one combined file.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSISTANT SCOUTMASTER (ASM):

• Complete training for your role – must be complete within 1 year of taking on the role:
  • ASM training – a full day usually at Horseshoe
  • Troop Committee Challenge e-Learning – can be done on-line at https://my.scouting.org
  • Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS)- this is a weekend camping exercise that has been run at the Cabin in recent years – see Chester Council website for schedule and locations

MERIT BADGE COUNSELOR REQUIREMENTS:

• Instructions are found on our Merit Badge Counselor page

RENEWING MEMBERS

• The process for renewing is simpler and is communicated directly to each adult depending on their position(s)

YPT INSTRUCTIONS
The following are step-by-step to get to the right place- USE GOOGLE CHROME or may not be able to successfully complete:

• Go to: https://www.scouting.org. Log in Or create a log in.
• In the upper left – click “MENU” – you will get a drop down
• Click on “My Dashboard” – you should see a page that says “My Training” at the top
• Click on “YPT”
• This will show the date of your training – Click on “retake” – YES, IF YOU TOOK YPT LAST YEAR YOU MUST DO IT AGAIN – IT IS A YEARLY EXERCISE FOR ALL!!
• Follow the video script, answer the questions
• When done – print your training certificate
• Send a copy and a short note that you completed YPT to the P1 Re-charter coordinator
• IF YOU WERE ON THE LIST FOR TAKING ANY E-TRAINING OTHER THAN YPT, CLICK ON “Training Center” tab – which is right next to YPT and you will see a list of all on-line training available. Those who need “troop committee challenge” can pick that link – again, should be about 10-15 minutes to complete.