Criminal Background Checks for Leaders

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 will be available until August 1.

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.

Volunteers who did not give their agreement, or who took no action to respond to the letter, are required to submit a new adult application when it is time to renew their registration. To protect our youth members, those volunteers who did not have the background check will have their registration expired. These adults will not be listed for selection at the time of charter renewal.

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. This summer, the BSA will introduce 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 the council service center.

To learn more about the Volunteers and Background Checks program, click here. To view the FAQ, click here.

Further inquires may be made to Mike Sheets.