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Recently the Boy Scouts of America began a process to obtain authorization for criminal background checks from volunteers who have continuously served in the same volunteer positions. Since 2003 background checks have been conducted on new volunteers when they registered. Background checks were not performed on those volunteers who did not change their position. The new volunteer authorization Web site opened on June 1 and closed on Aug. 1, 2008.
Letters were sent in early June to volunteers requesting that they visit the site, log in, and accept the background-check authorization. Volunteers who give authorization will receive the background check and need to do nothing more.
Those volunteers and staff who received a Criminal Background Check letter in June and did not log on to the Web site, or those who logged on to the Web site but did not complete the authorization process, will be “naturally expired.” They will still be registered with the BSA through their current registration expiration date; however, their names will not appear on rechartering paperwork or on Internet Rechartering. To continue their registration with BSA after their current term of registration, they must complete and submit a new BSA Adult application, which includes the disclosure and authorization statement.
When the council enters their membership information in ScoutNET, these volunteers will be submitted for a criminal background check.
Units that use Internet Rechartering for online renewal will need to enter these adults, if they are to be registered, as new adults and submit the volunteer applications to the council along with their renewal.
Units that renew using the paper application must submit the volunteer application for these adults, if they are to be registered, with the charter renewal papers.
Background checks will be conducted on all new volunteers. The BSA introduced an application to replace previous versions of the BSA Adult application. This form will include a new authorization and disclosure statement. Units should use this new BSA Adult application to ensure that new adult registrants use the proper authorization and disclosure statement. Units may obtain the new BSA Adult applications from any council service center. |