What Is A Parent’s Role In Scouting?

Scouting With Your Child

As a parent, you’re a primary role model for your child. Scouting provides a time-tested structure that helps bond parent/child development through group and individual activities, recognition and advancement. Your child needs your encouragement, guidance and participation along his or her Scouting path.

Scouting also recognizes that the make up of a family or who plays a parental role can vary greatly. We are a program for Dad, Mom, Grandparents, Uncles, and any other individual who is active in the scout’s life.

NOTE: All adults staying overnight in connection with a Scouting activity must be currently registered as an adult volunteer or an adult program participant.  If you plan to attend overnight activities please make sure to complete the adult application and Youth Protection Training.

Volunteering

New volunteer leaders in Scouting can take their initial training courses through Scouting U at My Scouting. Youth Protection Training is required before volunteers can participate in youth activities.

Scouting U brings together essential volunteer learning in a single package and allows volunteers to take courses at their convenience at home, and to download and print a certificate of completion. It also keeps a personal training history for each volunteer, showing courses completed, started and unfinished courses.

More information regarding training for volunteers can be found by clicking HERE.

How Parents Can Help in Scouting

There are many volunteer positions in Scouting that parents can help fill, working directly with Scouts or in support roles to the unit. Here’s a partial list:

Activity Leader, Assistant Scoutmaster, Scoutmaster, Advancement Committee, Fundraising Coordinator, Interfaith Religious Coordinator, Merit Badge Counselor, Printer, Publicity Chair, Unit Committee Member, Committee Chairman, Unit Webmaster, etc...

Adult Supervision

Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including all meetings. There must be a registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over must be present for any activity involving female youth or female adult program participants.  

Notwithstanding the minimum leader requirements, age and program-appropriate supervision must always be provided.  

All adults staying overnight in connection with a Scouting activity must be currently registered as an adult volunteer or an adult program participant.  Adult volunteers must register in the position(s) they are serving in. Registration as a merit badge counselor position does not meet this requirement.

Registration Requirements

The chartered organization representative, or in their absence the executive officer of the chartered organization, must approve the registration of the unit’s adult leaders.

Registration includes:

• Completion of application including criminal background check and mandatory Youth Protection training

• Volunteer Screening Database check

Current Youth Protection training is required for leaders when renewing their registration or at unit charter renewal.

Adult program participants must register as adults and follow Youth Protection policies.

Questions on registering???

Feel free to speak to one of the unit leaders and they can help you through the process.