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 is implementing several important changes to further enhance its Youth Protection policies.

Effective June 1, 2010:

Youth Protection training is required for all registered volunteers.
New leaders are required to take Youth Protection training before they submit an application for registration.
The certificate of completion for this training must be submitted at the time application is made and before volunteer service with youth begins.
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.

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

If you have not taken Youth Protection training within the past two years, please log on to MyScouting and take the training. Be sure to have your member ID number. The number can be found on your Boy Scouts of America membership card.

If you do not know your member ID number, contact your unit leader or committee chairman. Your council can also assist.

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 MyScouting and create an account. From the MyScouting portal, click on E-Learning and take the Youth Protection training. Upon completion, print a certificate and submit it with an application or submit to the unit leader for processing at the local council.

If you have taken Youth Protection training online but did not input your member ID number, please log on to MyScouting and input your member ID in the My Profile section so the training will be linked to your records.

If you have taken Youth Protection training within the past two years but did not take the course online, log on to MyScouting to ensure your records are up-to-date, or contact your council for verification that your Youth Protection training records are accurate.

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 Parent's Guide in any of the Cub Scouting or Boy Scouting handbooks, or go to http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx.

Thank you for your commitment to our nation's young people and to Scouting.

Sincerely,
James Terry
Assistant Chief Scout Executive