HOW AN ADULT MUST BE REGISTERED TO ATTEND SUMMER CAMP 2023

Adult leaders attending camp with their unit must be registered in their specific chartered organization’s unit if they are at camp for more than 72 hours. (Note the “72-hour” policy will change effective 9/1/2023. Early adoption is always encouraged; however, for summer 2023 the “72-hour rule” remains in effect. If you missed the webinar regarding the upcoming change to the 72-hour rule, click here to view the recording. You can also review Scouting’s Barriers to abuse here and the Barriers to Abuse FAQs here.)

Adult leaders cannot be registered as a merit badge counselor or any other non-unit position instead of through their unit to attend camp. They could be “multipled” or primary in their unit, but regardless, they must be registered with the specific unit they will attend with.

Why must they be registered in this way?
1. First: Camp is a unit program. Meaning, youth fall under the direction of their chartered organization’s approved unit leaders while in attendance (see NCAP HS-502).
2. Second: Because youth participate with their unit, the chartered organization must approve any adult working with their youth. A merit badge counselor (or other non-unit position) is registered through their council and therefore does not have the required approval from the chartering organization. There is a chart below with potential positions they could register in for their unit type.

Unit Positions

3. Finally: What about “provisional units”? Council organized camp units (sometimes called “provisional”) are a council-organized activity and therefore not unit organized. Chartered organization approval would not be required. These camp / council-organized provisional “unit’s” adult leaders would be required to meet SQ-401-402. Please ensure all of your registrars, participants guides etc. reflect this important guidance.

Update to Scouts BSA joining requirements opens the door to more young people

While Scouts love to climb mountains and hike across rugged terrain, their path to joining Scouts BSA shouldn’t be met with similarly daunting obstacles. To that end, a change to the Scouts BSA joining requirements will make it easier for young people to join a troop alongside their friends and classmates.

Effective April 18, 2022, the Scouts BSA joining requirements have changed. They now state that a young person can be a member of Scouts BSA if they meet any of these requirements below.

New Scouts BSA joining requirements (effective April 18, 2022)

• At least 10 years old, currently in the fifth grade and register on or after March 1

or

• At least 10 years old and have earned the Arrow of Light Award 

or

• At least 11 years old (but not yet 18)

As a reminder, the previous joining requirements stated that a young person could be a Scouts BSA member if they met any of the requirements below.

Old Scouts BSA joining requirements (prior to April 18, 2022)

• At least 10 years old and have completed the fifth grade

or

• At least 10 years old and have earned the Arrow of Light Award

or

• At least 11 years old (but not yet 18)

In comparing the two sets of bullets, you can see that the change primarily applies to young people who are still in the fifth grade. Thanks to the change, a 10-year-old who wants to join a Scouts BSA troop in March of their fifth grade year (or beyond) is welcome to do so.

An option to cross over

Some parents might wonder whether a Cub Scout working on Arrow of Light must move to a Scouts BSA troop if they turn 11 but haven’t finished the rank.
The answer is no. The pack can continue to work on rank advancement as normal and move the Scout into a troop when they complete the rank or at the regular program roll-up in June.
In other words, the only mandatory crossover is when they have completed the fifth grade. Like all the other ranks in Cub Scouting, once school ends, the Cub Scout is now the next rank.