Scouting America believes that safety is a value that must be taught and reinforced at every opportunity. That mantra was on full display at the SAFE Scouting Summit, held last month at Philmont Scout Ranch.
Scouting employees and volunteers from around the country gathered at the Philmont Training Center to discuss, learn and share their thoughts on the latest initiatives designed to keep youth safe.
“The Scout Oath and Law give us a duty to care for the people in our charge and to do our best to ensure every Scout has an experience free from serious harm,” says Tree Kiester, Scouting America’s director of environmental, health and safety (EHS).
Frank Tsuru, chair of the Safeguarding Youth Committee, and Glen Pounder, chief safeguarding officer, joined Chief Scout Executive Roger Krone in a fireside chat that highlighted the importance of safeguarding youth in the Scouting movement.
Scouting volunteers who specialize in risk management and health and safety were present for three days of focused learning and collaboration. Topics included injury, illness and prevention plans, how we can create safety cultures within councils, and prominent safety-related trends that Scouting America staff and volunteers have experienced throughout the movement.
Participants had the opportunity to share their concerns and offer suggestions on how the organization can get better.
“As we focus on being a leader in safeguarding youth, this group of people will be key in helping craft effective and employable strategies to provide awesome, character-building adventures while protecting everyone involved from serious harm,” Kiester says. “I don’t know that I have ever been part of an organization that has so much EHS talent on tap as we do, along with volunteers who are all focused on the same thing: SAFE outcomes.”
What is SAFE?
To ensure the safety of participants, Scouting America expects leaders to use the four points of SAFE when delivering the Scouting program.
Supervision: Youth are supervised by qualified and trustworthy adults who set the example for safety.
Assessment: Activities are assessed for risks during planning. Leaders have reviewed applicable program guidance or standards and have verified the activity is not prohibited. Risk avoidance or mitigation is incorporated into the activity.
Fitness and skill: Participants’ Annual Health and Medical Records are reviewed, and leaders have confirmed that prerequisite fitness and skill levels exist for participants to take part safely.
Equipment and environment: Safe and appropriately sized equipment, courses, camps, campsites, trails or playing fields are used properly. Leaders periodically check gear use and the environment for changing conditions that could affect safety.
A good example of the SAFE process in action can be found in the official guidelines concerning range and target activities.
Scouting America has established strict requirements for supervision; leaders are required to assess the activities to ensure they are done with the proper planning; participants are required to have the right level of fitness standards in order to participate; and the activities must be conducted with equipment that is both safe and aligned with Scouting’s values.
This consistent and demanding approach allows Scouting America to safely teach the fundamentals of range safety to tens of thousands of youth every year.
Additionally, range and target activities, along with other higher risk activities such as aquatics and climbing, require role-specific training. Contact your local council for information on how you can get help facilitate safe delivery of programs like these.
What else does Scouting America do to keep youth safe?
Scouting America has several key safeguards — informed by respected experts in the fields of child safety, law enforcement and child psychology — in place as part of a multilayered approach to keeping kids safe. These safeguards are among the strongest found in any youth-serving organization.
- All volunteers are required to complete Safeguarding Youth training prior to any interaction with children.
- Scouting America’s volunteer selection process includes criminal background checks and other screening efforts.
- Scouting America prohibits adult leaders from having any one-on-one interaction with a Scout, whether in person, online, via text or on the phone.
- Scouting America mandates that everyone in the organization reports any known or suspected abuse to law enforcement.
- Scouting America uses a volunteer database screening tool recommended for all youth-serving organizations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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