Although the Heart of Virginia Council is not one of the pilot Councils, it has decided to act as if it were one and adopt National’s mandatory training requirements for 2010 and 2011. This simply means that:

• During 2010, the Top Leaders in all Units will have to be “Trained” or the Unit will not be rechartered for 2011, and
• During 2011, all Direct Contact Leaders will have to be “Trained” or the Unit will not be rechartered for 2012.

Top Leaders are Cubmasters, Scoutmasters and Venture Crew Advisors. Direct Contact Leaders are those who work directly with youth, including, Cubs Scout den leaders and assistants, Assistant Cubmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, Varsity Team Coaches, and Venturing Crew Skippers.

The four basic components to mandatory training are:

1. Fast Start
2. This is Scouting (replaced New Leader Essentials)
3. Youth Protection
4. Position Specific training

The specific training requirements for each position are set out in various places, but one of the most accessible is the back of the Adult Leader Application. For 2010, the following training is required:

Cubmasters are considered “Trained” when they have completed Fast Start, Youth Protection, Cub Scout Leader Specific training (for Cubmasters), and This is Scouting (which has taken the place of New Leader Essentials).

Scoutmasters are considered “Trained” when they have completed Fast Start, Youth Protection, Boy Scout Leader Specific Training (for Scoutmasters), This is Scouting and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills.

Venturing Crew Advisors are considered trained when they have completed Fast Start, Youth Protection, Venturing Leader Specific Training (for Crew Advisors), and This is Scouting.

The second year of mandatory training (2011) applies to Direct Contact leaders. They must have the same training as above with the only difference being the Leader Specific training for their specific position.

What do you need to do? The first and most important step is to make sure that you have set up and can access a MyScouting account and that it accurately shows the training that you have completed. The next step is to complete any training that you have not completed. Fast Start, Youth Protection and This is Scouting are available and should be taken on the On-Line Learning Center at www.myscounting.org. During 2010, the Heart of Virginia Council will be working on updating its training records to ensure that they are up-to-date and accurate.

There is no requirement that any leaders take any supplemental training, such as The Trainers Edge or Wood Badge although those courses should be taken by any leaders who train others. There is no requirement that Troop Committee members or Chartered Organization Representatives complete any training, although that also is encouraged. Nevertheless, the mandatory training requirements do not affect or alter previous requirements such as Youth Protection, BALOO, and Hazardous Weather Training. If you unsure of those requirements, I suggest that you go on line at www.scouting.org/Training/Adult.

Christopher J. Habenicht
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