Taughannock District
Baden-Powell Council, BSA
Training

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Training Committee: for names and contact information see the Contact page
Any questions on training? E-mail training@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org 

University of Scouting Resources

Presentations and handouts from the Baden-Powell Council's University of Scouting over the years are now available on an  on-line resource page. Check it out! 

Upcoming Training Opportunities in 2018

(Additional courses and opportunities will be available from the Baden-Powell Council and from neighboring councils).
For more info on these courses, please email training@tompkinscortlandscouts.org

• November 17 - Introduction to Leader Skills - Troops (ILS-T) - training for youth leaders in troops. Time and location to be announced. See below for details. 
• January 6, 2019 (classroom) and January 11-13 - Okpik - winter camping and hiking training* see below and Council Training Page
• March 30 - University of Scoutsing* - Contact for Information - Ed Plesnar, eplesnar@stny.rr.com
• April 27-28 - BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) - - at least one BALOO-trained adult leader must accompany a Cub Pack or Webelos Den camping trip - see Council website*
• April 27-28, 2019 - INTRODUCTION to OUTDOOR LEADER SKILLS (IOLS) - Camp Tuscarora - a required course for all Scoutmasters and Ass't Scoutmasters; all adult leaders involved in either troop or venturing camping are encouraged to take this course - see Council website*

*= Course given by Baden-Powell Council - unless a link is provided, contact the Council or check the Council website for more information n these courses. 

Recent Changes to BSA Training

BSA National  HQ has announced the following changes to training:

• As of April 2018, Hazardous Weather Training (SCO_800) is now required for direct contact leaders to be considered "trained". The training is available on-line through the Training Center, and takes about half an hour to complete. While this applies only to users who were not already considered "trained" at the effective date, it's a good idea for everyone to take the training - it's less than an hour, and covers useful information. The module for this training is now part of the suite of modules for basic leader training, so it does not have to be taken separately by new leaders. 
• Youth Protection Training (YPT): For details, see below.
  • As of September 1, 2017, Youth Protection Training is required before any adult can register. Note that this was a local requirement for several years, it is now National policy. YPT has been available through my.scouting.org for several years. 
  • As of February 2018, a new YPT course has been released, replacing the three program-specific courses Y01-Y03. 
  • As of Summer 2018 all adults attending long-term camp must register as leaders and take YPT. 
  • As of October 1, 2018, all adults must have taken the new (post-February 2018) version of YPT. All earlier YPT has been set to expire as of September 30th. 
• BALOO/OWL - has been combined and broken into two parts.  Both parts must be completed to be considered trained.  
• Part 1 - On line - available through my.scouting.org
• Part 2 - in the field
• Boy Scout Leader Position Specific Training - on line training is 19 modules (don't groan) - available through my.scouting.org
• Chartered Organization Representative (COR) - on line training to be position trained was released in 2017.  
• Commissioners Basic - on line training is available through my.scouting.org

Introduction to Leader Skills - Troops (ILS-T)
Saturday, November 17

ILS-T is a one-day only leadership training offered by Taughannock District for Scouts in local troops. Adult leaders are encouraged to attend with your Scouts. 

Supercharge your troop with trained youth leaders! Scouts should be First Class and either already in a leadership position, or ready to take on a leadership position.

For more information, contact Jery Stedinger or Mike Homrighaus at training@TCScouts.org  

Okpik Cold Weather Camping Training Course
January 6 and 11-13, 2019

Okpik, an annual Baden-Powell Council cold weather camping training course, consists of two sessions:

• an orientation classroom session on Sunday afternoon, January 6, 2019 at the Baden-Powell Council Office (2150 NY Rte 12, Binghamton)
• an outdoor weekend, January 11-13, 2019 at Highland Forest (Valley Camp), an Onondaga County Park east of Tully, NY.

During the outdoor weekend participants spend two nights, the first in our heated cabin and the second in your choice of a tent or improvised snow shelter.

Here are just a few of the topics you'll learn about in the Okpik course -- winter clothing and winter camping gear like stoves, tents, and sleeping bags, along with opportunities to try winter hiking with snowshoes, crampons, and cross-country skis.

We are now taking registrations for the Okpik course. The course is open to all adult leaders and Scouts 13 or older (must be at least 1st Class), as well as all Venturers and Sea Scouts. Primary contact for registration and additional information is Dave Martin, dwmartin@stny.rr.com

Please click on the links below to view the information and registration flyers.
Okpik information flyer
Okpik Registration Form

Thank you from the Okpik Staff,
Dave Martin, Tim Woods, and Larry Blumberg

Train for Emergencies in
Wilderness and Remote Environments
Fall 2018

• Ideal for Scouts, outdoor leaders or employees in remote environments an hour or more from EMS response, our new 16-hour Wilderness and Remote First Aid course and 8-hour CPR for the Professional Rescuer with AED course give you the emergency skills you need when on a back country trek or float.
• Based on the Boy Scouts of America Wilderness First Aid Curriculum & Guidelines
• 16-hour WRFA course with 8-hour CPR for the Professional Rescuer/AED course
• Minimum age of 14 can attend
• Required at all BSA High Adventure Bases

Learn Skills That Could Save a Life
Course Highlights

To prepare participants to give critical care for potentially life-threatening emergencies in a delayed-help situation, the BSA/Red Cross Wilderness and Remote First Aid course covers the following:

Register Today for Our Next Training Session

Dates:              TBA - Fall 2018
Time:               Fri 6:00 – 10:00 PM, Sat 9:00 AM -- 10:00 PM, Sun 2:00 -- 10:00 PM,
                        Course space is limited to 10 students.
Costs:              Wilderness & Remote First Aid Course $60, CPRFPR/AED Course $30
Two work books, water-resistant field reference booklet, pocket mask and 2-year certifications included.

Download a flyer here (PDF)
Download a Registration Form here - MS Word format - PDF Format

For more information or to register, contact Tim Woods at 607-844-3921 or wwwoodsw@earthlink.net.

Are all of your unit's leaders trained?

Review the page from National's website giving the requirements for a leader to be considered "trained".
Specific course modules required for training Cub, Venturing, Sea Scouting and Exploring leaders can be downloaded here in PDF format.

Online Training: You need to log into the Learn Center at My.Scouting.org to take online courses. You don't need to be a registered Scouter to set up a MyScouting.org account, but it is a very good idea to associate your account with your member ID number as soon as you receive your membership card. That way, any training you take online will automatically be credited to your BSA records. When entering my.scouting.org, you'll find training under Home, My Dashboard, My Training. Courses are in the "Training Center", listed by program. Please do not set up more than one My.Scouting.org account! If you have problems after you've set up one account, get help - duplicate accounts are one of the major causes of problems in getting proper credit for training, among other things. If for some reason you wind up with two BSA membership nunbers (you shouldn't, but it happens), you can associate your My.Scouting.org account with all of the member numbers through the Manage Member ID tool under "Legacy Web Tools". 

Note: Nearly all position-specific training includes many different modules, all of which need to be completed before a leader is considered "Trained", and different leadership positions require different combinations of modules. Be sure that you have downloaded a list of positions and modules here and reviewed them to make sure that your leaders are, in fact, trained!

All Adults: All adults are required to take Youth Protection Training before they are registered, and to keep their YPT current while they are registered. All unit-level leaders who were not considered "Trained" as of April 2018 are required to take Hazardous Weather Training in order to be considered "Trained". 

Cub Scouts: All training courses for Cub Scout Leaders are now available online (other than the outdoor session required for BALOO). 

Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts and Venturing: Most Boy Scout, Sea Scout and Venturing leader training  can be taken from my.scouting.org, other than required Outdoor Training (IOLS). You'll find training under Home, My Dashboard, My Training, or, click the Learn Center image on the right side of the home page.

Exploring: Training for Explorer leaders available through My.Scouting.org includes:

• Exploring Advisor and Associate Advisor

• Exploring Committee 

• Exploring Service Team 

• Exploring Ride-Along Safety 

District-level Adults: Training for adults who are registered at the District level which is available through My.Scouting.org includes:

• Merit Badge Counselor training

• Commissioner Basic Training (separate courses for District Commissioner, Unit Commissioner, Roundtable Commissioner and assistant commissioners for each of these)

Other courses with links at My.Scouting.org include:

• Safe Swim Defense

• Safety Afloat

• Climb on Safely

• Trek Safely

• Hazardous Weather (required for unit leaders after April 2018)

• Unit Commissioner Fast Start

• Chartered Organization Representative Fast Start

• New Member Coordinator Training

• Staffing the District Committee

In-Person Training:

If your pack or troop has a large number of people who need training, don't wait for a scheduled session - the Training Committee is also bringing the training to you! Contact them at training@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org and schedule a training session for your pack leaders. Packs should have a Pack Trainer if at all possible, so as to be able to present leader training to new leaders as needed. 

The Boy Scouts of America’s Youth Protection Training Policies

Youth safety is the No. 1 concern of the BSA.

To increase awareness of this societal problem and to create even greater barriers to abuse than already exist today in Scouting, the Boy Scouts of America has implemented the following Youth Protection policies:

• Youth Protection Training is required for all registered volunteers.

• New leaders are required to take Youth Protection Training before registering as a leader. Applications cannot be accepted without certificates of completion for the YPT course. This has been local policy for some time, but as of September 1, 2017, it became a requirement nationwide. 

• For current leaders, Youth Protection Training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer’s Youth Protection Training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered and the unit charter will be held up - make sure that all leaders are trained, and will remain so throughout the year, before handing in a recharter application. Note: B-P Council local policy says YPT must be current throughout the year for which the volunteer is being registered. 

• Adults accompanying a Scouting unit on activities who are present for more than 72 hours: Effective for the 2018 BSA summer camp season, any adult accompanying a Scouting unit to a resident camp or other Scouting activity who is present 72 hours or more must be registered as a leader, including completion of a background check (CBC) and Youth Protection Training (YPT) - even if they are the parent of a youth on the trip. The 72 hours need not be consecutive, so an adult can't "reset" by leaving camp for a while. 
• Effective October 1, 2018, two registered adults 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including meetings. This also applies to Patrol events - youth-only Patrol outings are no longer permitted. A registered female adult over 21 must be present for any activity involving female youth. Notwithstanding the minimum leader requirements, age- and program-appropriate supervision must always be provided.
• Units Service Female Youth Members: There must be at least one registered female adult leader over 21 in every unit serving females. This does not have to be the top leader, however - when Girl Troops are chartered in the Scouts BSA program after February 1, 2019, the Scoutmaster may be male as long as there is at least one female Assistant Scoutmaster.  
• Tenting: Separate tenting arrangements must be provided for male and female adults as well as for male and female youth, although spouses may share tents. Youth sharing tents must be no more than two years apart in age. In Cub Scouting, parents and guardians may share a tent with their family. In all other programs, youth and adults tent separately, even if the adults are parents of the youth.
• Reporting: All persons participating in Scouting programs are mandated reporters of child abuse. Reports must be made to local law enforcement and child protective services. As part of its "Scouts First" approach to the protection and safety of youth, the BSA has established a dedicated 24-hour helpline to receive reports of known or suspected abuse or behavior that might put a youth at risk. The number is 1-844-SCOUTS1 (1-844-726-8871). Online reporting is also available at http://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/incident-report/  When to use it: Anytime you believe a youth has been harmed or their safety and wellbeing is at risk, and you cannot immediately reach your Scout executive or local council. If a Scout is bullied because of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, and local help is unable to resolve the problem. If someone is at immediate risk of harm, always call 911.

• The Guide to Safe Scouting on-line version is always the most up to date - find it at https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/ 

• To ensure these policies are fully implemented, please take the following steps:
  

  • If your YPT will expire within the year for which you are registering, by local rule, please log on to My.Scouting.org and take the training. 

  • If you are already registered, and your My.Scouting.org account is properly linked to your membership number, your training will automatically be updated in the system and associated with the member ID/reference number issued when you created the account. If you do not know your member ID number, contact your unit leader or committee chairman. Your council can also assist you.

  • A person does not have to be a registered volunteer or have an ID number to take Youth Protection training. To take the training, log in to My.Scouting and create an account. Upon completion, you may print a training certificate to submit with a volunteer application. Once you have your membership card with your new member number, log back in My.Scouting.org and input your member ID in your profile so the training will be linked with your records.

  • If you have taken Youth Protection Training within the past two years but did not take the course online, log on to My.Scouting.org to ensure your records are up to date. If your records are not up to date, e-mail training@TCScouts.org with information about when you took the training and from whom, and we will enter the information into your records (don't forget to include your unit number, so we can find you!). Or, you can contact the Baden-Powell Council and have them verify that your Youth Protection Training records are accurate.

February 2018 Update to the YPT Course (YPT2)

BSA National has rolled out a new Youth Protection Training course, which is being called YPT2 (at least unofficially). This new four-module online training course is to be used for all adults in all programs, and it replaces the three program-specific courses - Y01 (generic), Y02 (Venturing) and Y03 (Exploring) - which were in effect until now. 

Effective immediately, all new and renewing adults must take the new YPT2 training - the old training is no longer available online, and the old courses should no longer be given as in-person or DVD-based training. National has promised an in-person version of the training will be available in July.

At this time, the BSA has said that all currently-registered adults will be required to take YPT2 before October 1st in order to remain current - in other words, they are saying that whatever expiration date you might have on your current YPT, it will be canceled on October 1st. These deadlines have a habit of slipping, and you'll probably have to take YPT again before the end of the year to meet the council's local policy anyway, so in the words of the Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, "Don't Panic". Note that the completion certificate for the new training is identical to that for the old training and carries the same Y01 code. The only way to tell if the certificate is for the new training is to look at the completion date - it must be on or after February 1, 2018, to comply with the October 1st requirement. 

The new training course is a good one. It takes about an hour to complete, which is longer than either of the old Y01 or Y02/03 training programs individually, but shorter than the two combined, so it's not particularly troublesome. The bugs which plagued the training when it was first rolled about appear to have been squashed, and the system seems to work well, so there's no reason not to take the new training whenever you find the time to do it. It's got the same two-year shelf life by National standards as the old courses had, so if you take it now it will still be in force through next year and you'll be all set for rechartering in December. 

Here is a summary of the four modules, the course numbers and approximate run time*:

o Overview & Policies - SCO_3001 (20 minutes)
o Sexual Abuse - SCO_3003 (22 minutes)
o Bullying - SCO_3004 (13 minutes)
o YPT Certification - SCO_3007 (no time estimate)

Hints:

1) refers to buffering problems with the original training, which have been fixed.

2) The 'right arrow with a vertical line at the point is "your friend;" this is how to advance to the next slide or make the training continue.

3) When done with each module click on the "Close Course" button in the upper right-hand corner of the module. (or, better yet, click on the banner with the course name in the upper-left corner, which will take you back to the module listing - Mike Brown)

4) To print your certificate you will have to relog into My.Scouting, go to the Learn Center, then when on the YPT tab (located near the top) click on the printer icon on the right hand side of the line that has your YPT Status and expiration date. At this point a 'pop up' window will appear (reminder: make sure your browser allows pop-up windows) and then you can choose which YPT course you want to a certificate to print or to download. Note: if you don't see the printer icon, try again later - maybe even the next day. There appears to be a time delay of up to several hours before the certificate can be printed - Mike Brown. 

Best personal take-aways:

o Keep the Scouts First phone number handy, 844-Scouts1 (844-726-8871), and use it to report ALL suspected abuse in Scouting, or even if you have questions.
o BSA policy that when tenting, youth must be NOT more than 2 years apart in age unless relatives.
o BSA policy that "buddies" must be NOT more than 2 years apart in age and the same level of maturity.
o 93% of those hurting our kids are NOT strangers.
o 25-35% of sexual assault is committed by those under 18.
o Consider the digital communications adults use with youth. Digital communications are subject to BSA's "No 1 on 1" policy. Are you "friends" with a youth on social media (Facebook, Linked In, etc.)? Over the years I've specifically had several Venturers ask me why I wouldn't accept their "friend" requests … and now YOU know why. (I always told them to try again after they were 21.)
o You need to get 75% or more of the 25 questions correct to 'pass' the YPT exam. Read the questions thoroughly… I misread a "gimme" and clicked too fast, thus got one question wrong. 

Rick Hillenbrand

To find out more about the Youth Protection policies of the Boy Scouts of America and how to help Scouting keep your family safe, see the information available in any of the Cub Scouting or Boy Scouting handbooks, or go to http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx.

Baden-Powell Council Local Policy for Youth Protection Training

The Baden-Powell Council has established the following stricter Youth Protection Training (YPT) requirement that supersedes the National Policy: In order to renew your registration, your Youth Protection Training must remain current through your entire registration period...for this reason, you are encouraged to take YPT every year to ensure that it will not lapse during your registration period!  (National requirements just require current YPT at time of registration) 

Has your training passed its "shelf life"? 

Two Years: 
Youth Protection Training (YPT) *
Climb On Safely *
Trek Safely *
Safe Swim Defense*
Safety Afloat*
Hazardous Weather*
Camp Visitation
Chainsaw Safety

Have you applied for recognition of your accomplishments?

The BSA has many "square knot" recognition awards for taking training and putting it into practice. See the Recognition section of the Advancement page for details.