Additional FAQ’s: General Health and Safety, Annual Health and Medical Record, Shooting Sports program
Updated 4/20/2023 – ♦ indicates latest updates
Adult Supervision
A: No, provided you as the parent or legal guardian are present during the merit badge counseling session. If more than one Scout is present, all Barriers to Abuse supervision requirements must be met.
A: No, provided you attend with your child during the entire fundraising activity. If more than one Scout is present, all Barriers to Abuse supervision requirements must be met.
A. The requirement to ensure that a registered female adult is present at activities serving girls is not dissimilar to policies we’ve enacted in the past for Venturing when male and female adult leaders were required for certain co-ed activities. At this time, we believe that these are the best, most appropriate measures for our movement. We hope you understand that these requirements were given substantial and thorough consideration.
A. Yes. A Lion or Tiger adult partner is not considered a registered leader for meeting two-deep leadership requirements. Lion or Tiger partners, as well as other pack leaders, provide a pool of adults who could be registered as an assistant den leader to meet this requirement.
A. Yes. This policy is in place to prevent abuse in and out of Scouting. Adults should never be alone with youth who are not their children.
A. No. However, they cannot serve as unit or den two deep leadership or supervision.
A. Yes, if you participate/stay overnight, you must be currently registered in an adult fee required position or as an adult program participant. Also, see Cub Scout Exception for parents or legal guardians.
A. An adult program participant is an individual aged 18 or older (most often aged 18-20) who is registered as a program participant in which youth members are also eligible to participate (for example Venturing, Sea Scouting, and Exploring). Adult program participants are subject to the same youth protection policies and guidelines as adult Scouters.
A. Adults may select from the list below of adult leader position options provided in the “Registration Guidebook of the Boy Scouts of America” that is available for their unit, district or council position. For example, registration as a Merit Badge Counselor, Lion Cub Partner, Tiger Partner does not meet this requirement.
Unit Positions
- Assistant Cubmaster
- Assistant Scoutmaster
- Assistant Webelos Leader
- Assistant Den Leader
- Chartered Organization Rep.
- Committee Chairman
- Committee Member
- Cubmaster
- Den Leader
- Explorer Post Advisor
- Lion Coordinator
- Lion Den Leader
- Mate
- New Member Coordinator
- Pack Trainer
- Post Explorer Post Associate Advisor
- Post Committee Chairman
- Post Committee Member
- Principal / Executive Officer
- Scoutmaster
- Skipper
- Tiger Den Leader
- Unit Chaplain
- Unit College Scouter Reserve
- Unit Scouter Reserve
- Venturing College Sctr Reserve
- Venturing Crew Advisor
- Venturing Crew Assoc. Advisor
- Webelos Leader
Council and District Positions
- Assistant Council Commissioner
- Asst Roundtable Commissioner
- Asst. District Commissioner
- College Scouter Reserve
- Council Advisory Council
- Council Assistant Treasurer
- Council Associate Member
- Council Camp Staff (Adult)
- Council Camp Staff (Youth)
- Council Chaplain
- Council Commissioner
- Council Committee Member
- Council Executive Board Member
- Council Expl/LFL Committee Chr
- Council Expl/LFL Committee Mbr
- Council Honorary Member
- Council Member-at-Large
- Council President
- Council Religious Emblems Coord
- Council Scout Alumnus
- Council Service Team Chair
- Council Service Team Member
- Council Treas
- Council Vice-President
- Dist Exploring/LFL Committee
- District Chairman
- District Chaplain
- District Commissioner
- District Exploring / LFL Comm Chr
- District Member-at-large
- District Religious Emblems Coord
- District Service Team Chair
- District Service Team Member
- District Vice-Chairman
- LFL Stem Day Camp Staff (Adult)
- LFL STEM Day Camp Staff (Youth)
- Neighborhood Chairman
- Neighborhood Committee
- Roundtable Commissioner
- Scouter Reserve
- Unit Commissioner
A. Yes, each troop is a separate unit, and therefore, each troop/unit must provide its own two-deep leadership, meeting the leadership requirements outlined in Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse.
A. The BSA has adopted its youth protection policies for the safety and well-being of its members. These policies primarily protect youth members; however, they also serve to protect adult leaders. All parents and caregivers should understand that our leaders are to abide by these safeguards. Registered leaders must follow these guidelines with all Scouting youth outside of Scouting activities. There are careers that may require one-on-one contact with youth, however aside from those roles, volunteers must abide by the youth protection policies of the BSA even outside of Scouting activities.
This policy is in place to prevent abuse in and out of Scouting. Adults should never be alone with youth who are not their children.
A. Yes, if any of the children other than your own child is a Scout, we strongly encourage all adults to use the Barriers to Abuse in and out of Scouting.
A. No. Two-deep adult supervision by registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required for all Scouting activities and must meet the leadership requirements outlined in Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse. This includes patrol activities.
Accommodations
A. Lodging.
A. Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts, and Venturing are youth led programs. The Cub Scout program is family-oriented.
A. Youth and adults tent separately in the Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts, and Venturing programs. Youth who have a special need or disability who may require a parent or legal guardian to tent with them must develop a plan in conjunction with their local council Scout Executive to address their specific needs.
A. Yes. There is no prohibition on tenting alone if unit leadership and logistics can accommodate that request. As always, all BSA youth protection policies must be followed.
A. Yes, in Cub Scouting programs only, parents and guardians may share a tent with their family, including siblings that may be registered in other BSA programs.
A. Youth who share a tent cannot be more than two years apart in age. For example, a 13-year-old Scout could share a tent with anyone between the ages of 11-15 but not someone who was 10 or 16+.
Transportation
A. An adult may not drive or be alone in the car with a Scout unless that Scout is their own child. An adult may drive two or more Scouts.
A. Yes. Drivers must be currently licensed and at least 18 years of age. Scouting youth (under age 18) are not insured under the Boy Scouts of America commercial general liability policy. Transportation guidance can be found in the Guide to Safe Scouting.
♦ Program Requirements
A. No. Buddy pairs may only be single gender, not coed. Reminder, the buddy system must be used at all times. Buddy pairs can only be made between youth members. Adult program participants cannot buddy with youth members, even if they are registered in the same program.
A. No. Scouts BSA program integrity requires single gender units and single gender buddy pairs.
A. Yes, as part of a provisional unit at camp. Contact your local council for availability.
A. Yes, if the campsite’s layout and amenities meet all the requirements of Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse, including privacy and separate accommodations. Each unit must also meet adult supervision requirements, providing two deep leadership for each unit.
A. No. The buddy system must be used and buddy pairs must be single gender. Therefore, each troop must have at least two members attend the outing in addition to adult supervision, meeting the leadership requirements outlined in Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse.