The Adult Leader Application

Ok, this subject may be the proverbial dead horse, but it is still an issue for many local councils. The Adult Leader Application.

Recharters this year were an extra challenge for many councils due to the Disclosure/Authorization Form. In addition to the usual challenges the applications that were submitted without the form delayed numerous charters and caused councils untold extra expenses (additional support staff time, phone calls, faxes, postage, staff mileage and time, etc)

In addition the legaleeze is intimidating to some of our volunteers. A page full of mumble jumbo to be read while they are sitting at School Night for Scouting does not leave a warm, fuzzy feeling with our newest volunteers.

Most people skim the legaleeze. However when the see the phrase "Fair Credit Reporting Act" their radar goes up. Even though it says that it will not include a credit report or motor vehicle record check the average new leader does not read that far and wonder why the BSA wants that information.

While no one doubts the need for screening our leaders and protecting our youth, there has to be a better, simpler way to go about it. If we are not careful we will become nothing but paper pushers and line checkers. New units, new volunteers and new dollars are not found under or behind piles of paper. They are out in the field. That is where we need to be.

We used to teach and preach "Keep it simple." We've seemed to have lost our way on this issue.