I am going to include an article each month which highlights some adult or Scout training opportunity.
This month my focus is on the training that is available online from the BSA. The http://olc.scouting.org/ website has several training courses that can be taken while in the comfort of your own home. I listed the trainings below in the order I believe is most important to take them.
First, every parent, whether involved with the BSA or not, should take Youth Protection for their own education and the safety of their children. Next, all adults should have at least a basic understanding of how a Troop operates, and the Fast Start training provides that. The next step after Fast Start is New Leader Essentials and Leader Specific Training, which I will cover next month. The last three courses are supplemental courses that provide additional safety training and education.
The courses provide every adult an opportunity to get valuable information about general safety practices and knowledge about the way a troop operates. They are available to you without cost and at any time it is convenient for you to take them. Each course only takes about an hour to complete, but if it is difficult to come up with a free hour, you can start a course and complete it at a later time, and for as many times as is necessary to complete it.
The training courses are (with the descriptions from the BSA website):
The BSA places the greatest importance on creating the most secure environment possible for our youth members. All Cub Scout and Boy Scout adult volunteers should take this course. It covers the BSA's Youth Protection policies, kinds of abuse, signs of abuse, how to respond to disclosure of abuse, and proper reporting procedures. It does so by taking you through situations that require choices and produce consequences. Successful completion of this course requires an 80 percent or higher score.
This is the first step to take for any volunteer new to Boy Scouting. This course should be taken before beginning youth activities. You'll learn the aims and purposes of the Boy Scouts of America's core program, then zero in on the job. You'll cover the seven parts of the troop meeting, the troop committee, outdoor program, and other basic concepts of Scouting, all in one short online experience. It's the best way for someone new to the program to quickly grasp how troop Scouting works and where additional resources can be found.
Before a BSA group may engage in swimming activities of any kind, a minimum of one adult leader must complete Safe Swim Defense training, have a commitment card (No. 34243) with them, and agree to use the eight defenses in this plan.
Safety Afloat has been developed to promote boating and boating safety and to set standards for safe unit activity afloat. Before a BSA group may engage in an excursion, expedition, or trip on the water (canoe, raft, sailboat, motorboat, rowboat, tube, or other craft), adult leaders for such activity must complete Safety Afloat Training, have a commitment card with them, and be dedicated to full compliance with all nine points of Safety Afloat.
This fun and interactive training serves as a vital tool for new troop committee members as well as for veterans. The mission of the Troop Committee Challenge training is to help each troop committee work as a team to improve the Scouting experience for adult and youth members. It helps build the commitment of individual members as well as cultivates a better troop committee team.