How does two-deep leadership apply when driving to Scouting events?

The BSA’s top-notch Youth Protection training includes a number of Barriers to Abuse.

These policies, which you can review here, provide additional safety for your child and all who are involved in Scouting.

One of these policies is two-deep leadership, which says: “At minimum, two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a participating Scout’s parent or another adult, are required for all trips and outings. One of these adults must be 21 years of age or older.”

A well-meaning volunteer recently wrote me with a question about this policy: Does “two-deep leadership” apply to driving to and from Scouting events? In other words, are two adults required in each car?

For the answer, I asked the expert.

The question

How does two-deep leadership come into play when driving to Scouting events? Do two adults need to be in each car? Requiring two adults in each car would mean a ratio of two adults for every three youth. That seems excessive.

The expert’s answer

This comes from James S. “Jim” Wilson, the volunteer who serves as chairman of the National Youth Protection Committee.

Thanks for question on two-deep leadership and your concern for youth protection.

Two adults are not required per car when traveling to meetings or other Scouting events. That is, as long as the “no one-on-one contact” policy is followed.

So if a parent or unit leader is driving Scouts to a meeting or function, they need to make sure they are not in a one-on-one situation, unless that one youth is their own child.

It’s pretty easy to comply with this with a little forethought on the logistics of travel.

– Jim

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