Fall is a busy time. Kids are back to school and engaged in sports and other activities. From a Scouting standpoint, we are extending our camping season, conducting membership drives, and contributing to our communities through cheerful service. It is also a time when there are changes in unit leadership and new leaders are receiving training, which they need to be successful. As commissioners, we are not only working to support those activities, but we are responsible for leading the rechartering efforts for all units in the Council.
A large element of successful rechartering is making sure all leaders are Youth Protection Trained (YPT). Nothing should be more important to us as leaders than to ensure the safety of the Scouts we are entrusted to lead. By district, between 50 to 70% of unit Scouters and other district members will have their YPT training expire between now and year-end. Units cannot recharter unless their leaders are all currently trained. Getting this training in early Fall helps avoid a lot of last-minute, unnecessary charter hold-ups, smoothing out the recharter process for everyone.
Let me give you a heads-up on something new. Soon, Bay-Lakes Council will move in the direction of requiring volunteers to be YPT trained for their entire recharter period (for unit Scouters, this is January 1st – December 31st). Many councils across the country are doing the same thing. This change assures that our leaders are always fully trained in this critical area. As a council, we believe this is the right thing to do. YPT training only takes a little over an hour, go to www.my.scouting.org to get the process started. Keep an eye out for additional information on how this change will affect you.
Many of you have heard me say this before and I will say it again. I am so happy to be a part of Bay-Lakes Council and to have the privilege of serving all of you. Here’s to a successful and exciting Fall!
Roy LaPean
Bay-Lakes Council Commissioner
“Commissioners – useful, not ornamental!”
