Texas Youth Camp Safety Act

Compliance Procedures

Please note that if you are attending a Youth Camp in the State of Texas, you must follow specific procedures if you are an adult over the age of eighteen so to be in compliance with State Law. Please read the following memo:

TO:                  Boy Scout Resident Camp Directors

                        Cub Scout Day Camp Directors

                        Cub Scout/Webelos Resident Camp Directors

                        SHAC Winter Camp Director

FROM:            Mike Sheets

                        Director of Program

SUBJECT:       Texas Youth Camp Safety Act Compliance Procedures (Revised)

DATE:             March 26, 2007

This memo will set forth immediate procedures to be followed so that all Sam Houston Area Council camps will be in compliance with the Texas Youth Camp Safety Act.

BSA Membership

All camp staff members must be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America. A camp staff member is defined as any person, regardless of age, who serves under the direction of a Camp Director in the operation of a youth camp. (This includes all unit leaders and parents serving in the capacity of an unit leader attending any day or resident camp. The SHAC Winter Camp is considered a resident camp.) NOTE: Parents not serving as an unit leader and only camping with their son at McNair Cub Adventure Camp are not required to be a registered member of the BSA. However, Parents must comply with the Texas Youth Camp Safety Act and comply with the instructions below except that they do not have to be a registered member. (Documents #3 & #4 below plus completion of the on-line Youth Protection Training course.) Before the above listed individuals have in-camp contact with youth, documentation must be in the hands of Camp Administration. We recommend that this be done at least two weeks prior to the opening of day camps or upon arrival to the Camp Business Office for all resident camps.

The following documents must be on file at the camp and available for inspection, and must be returned to the Professional Staff Advisor at the conclusion of camp:

1. Official BSA Membership Roster (responsibility of Camp Director);
2. Completed Camp Staff Application (responsibility of Camp Director);
3. Completed Adult Application (responsibility of staff member and Unit leadership); and
4. Copy of Sexual Offender database check (responsibility of staff member and Unit leadership).

Please highlight staff member names on the official BSA Membership Roster.

Please ensure that the adult application is complete in its entirety. Do not overlook any area of the application. In addition to the top half of the application, each of the six questions must be answered and then signed and dated by the applicant.

Adult applications are available online at http://www.scouting.org/forms/28-501.pdf (English) and http://www.scouting.org/forms/28-502.pdf (Spanish).

To obtain a Sexual Offender database check at no charge, the individual should go to the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Records Service website at:

https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/dps_web/APP_PORTAL/index.aspx.

Enter the Sex Offender database. Search using first name, last name and date of birth. Print out the results. (You may print by highlighting the results page, FILE, PRINT, check SELECTION box and then PRINT. Print two copies and then attach to the Adult Application.

NOTE: These documents contain sensitive information and must be secured in a locked file on site. Access is to be limited by only those who have a genuine need to know.

Youth Protection Training

All camp staff members, as well as unit leaders, must successfully complete the Boy Scouts of America’s online Youth Protection Training before they can have contact with campers at a youth camp. The training course is available at:

http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Training/YouthProtectionTrainin/

There is one document that must be on file at the camp with Camp Administration and available for inspection. These documents are returned to the individual as they depart camp.

1. Copy of the Certification Card page. (responsibility of Camp Staff and Unit leadership).

After taking the test, click on SUBMIT. You will be directed to a page giving the results and that asks you to close the page and to REFRESH. If you do not REFRESH the yellow or blue dot next to Youth Protection Training, the dot will not green.

Once the dot is green, click on Youth Protection Training again and a window will open. Click on VIEW CERTIFICATE. Print the certificate (FILE, PRINT, OK).

This certificate is good for 24 months from the date taken. If your on-line completion certificate is dated anytime after January 1, 2006, your certificate is current for the 2007 camping season.

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In the meantime, these users may be able to complete the form if they use their "tab" key to navigate among text fields. Otherwise, they will need to use a different Web browser (Netscape, FireFox, or even an older version of IE) to create an account.

NOTE:

In summation, you must have the five referenced documents on file with Camp Administration to be able to participate in a youth camp in the State of Texas.