GGAC Scouting Family
Youth protection is a core value of the Golden Gate Area Council. We have an update on the Live Scan background check requirement of California law AB 506, which adds layers of protection to our already robust BSA Youth Protection and Barriers to Abuse policies.
As noted in previous communications, all youth service organizations (e.g. Scout units, church groups, and sports teams) are required to meet AB 506 standards as of January, 2022. Two of the AB 506 standards affect all adult volunteers, all employees, and many of our families.
Mandated Reporter Training from the State of California:
Mandated Reporter Training is required in addition to our BSA Youth Protection Training. Volunteer leaders must complete the 2 hour training and upload their certificate at California Scouting.
They must also complete a Live Scan background check : A Live Scan background check (the digital version of inked fingerprinting) is required for all volunteers and staff. Live Scan replaces previous background checks; all volunteers will have to complete this once.
Please follow Step 3 at California Scouting/GGAC and use your web browser’s pdf reader to open the Live Scan Request Form. Only the “Applicant Info” section needs to be completed. (Note: if your default settings are to open pdf files in Adobe Acrobat, the form may not be populated with our council’s unique routing number)
Continue to refer to the California Scouting site, developed by all California councils, to follow the steps necessary for your training and Live Scan background check. It is imperative that you complete steps 1-3. Local information will continue to be available at GGAC Youth Protection. We appreciate your patience and assistance as we join all California Youth Service Organizations in improving youth protection.
Yours in Scouting
Tom Weibert
Council President
Mike Hale
Scout Executive
Michael Allison
Council Commissioner
All GGAC adult volunteers must be registered with the BSA and be Youth Protection Trained (YPT) to ensure that all adults know how to recognize and correctly report behaviors suspicious for grooming and abuse. On May 19, 2021 the GGAC Executive Board adopted a YPT policy to reinforce our awareness of Youth Safety. GGAC now requires that all registered adults 18 and over maintain YPT compliance for their entire registration period. As it is currently possible for YPT to expire during that period, this will require adults to refresh their YPT training on an annual basis.
GGAC has a new YPT Policy for Rechartering. The policy is as follows: All adult leaders MUST be trained in Youth Protection for the full length of their current registration period. Basically, that means that for our 2022 recharters, every adult’s YPT certificate must expire in 2023 or 2024.
My Scouting sends reminders at 90, 60, and 30 days prior to YPT expiration. The BSA updated its YPT course materials effective June 1, 2021. If your YPT training is not current or will expire before December 31, 2021, you should complete the course as soon as possible. If your YPT training is current, you do not immediately have to take the updated course, but you will need to ensure compliance with GGAC policy.
Learn more about YPT training here.
Check your YPT status via My Scouting here.
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Mental well-being of our Scouts should be a priority for all Scouting Units. Please check the bellow links for some valuable resources:
Another resource is Beingwellca.org Graham Wiseman from Troop 200 is the founder of Beingwell and is a valuable mental health resource.
For printed BSA mental health flyers click on the links below:
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Make sure that you are logging your unit’s service hours through the Activity Log on Scoutbook. Reporting these hours is very important so that the National Council can tabulate the total number of hours our organization gives as service nationwide.
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Make sure that you are keeping up with your Invitation Manager and Application Manager on www.my.scouting.org! That is where many potential Scouting Families reach out to us.
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The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek has some great opportunities for Eagle projects or conservation service hours. We will also be working together in the near future to offer rank advancement at the garden. Please reach out to Marie Gelin, Children’s Education Manager at [email protected] if you are interested in those opportunities.
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Check out the new User Support page from our council at https://ggacbsa.org/support/. This page has support for passwords, Scoutbook, BeAScout Pins, and lots of other issues.
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Please check out: https://campwolfeborocaliforniascoutsbsa.shutterfly.com/pictures/1088. These pictures are most recent one taken at Camp Wolfeboro. Your FOS donations directly help to fix and maintain our properties.
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Certificates of Insurance for 2024 are now available from Council. Please let our District Executive know if your Scout Unit needs one and who needs to be listed as the property owner.
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The attached pdf is from an organization called BeingwellCA. It was formed in honor of a Scout from our district who we lost to suicide in 2013. Their mission is to raise funds to provide mental health counselors in schools. Please read the letter and if you feel led, pass it on to your Scouting Families and friends, to show support for this great cause.BSA Support Letter
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Make sure that you are keeping up with your Invitation Manager and Application Manager on www.my.scouting.org! That is where many potential Scouting Families reach out to us.
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The Pleasant Hill Scout Shop is now open 508 Contra Costa Blvd. Suite K2:
Monday-Friday: 10am-1:30 pm 2:30-5:00 pm
Saturday: 10:30am-3pm
The Alameda Trading Post is now open 1714 Everett St. Alameda
Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Pleasanton Trading Post is open 6601 Owens Drive, Suite 100, Pleasanton
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Fairfield Trading Post: 1955 West Texas St. Suite 1, Fairfield
Tuesday & Wednesday 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm, 1st Saturday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
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How To Become a Citizenship in Society Merit Badge Counselor
Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor for Citizenship in Society is different from counseling other merit badges. A dedicated GGAC committee (led by Advancement) developed an implementation plan as outlined by the BSA’s Guide to Advancement.
1. The committee is tasked with qualifying Citizenship in Society MB Counselors.
2. Counselor will act as a facilitator and meet the following requirements:
a.) have current YPT
b.) take Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training for Volunteers: SCO-1800. (Log-in to My.Scouting for the training link)
c.) be very familiar with the 11 merit badge requirements and concepts for discussions
d.) take GGAC council-presented orientation
e.) be approved through an interview process
f.) be registered as a MB Counselor
4. Counselor should not advocate a particular or personal point of view.
5. Merit badge is not suitable for large group discussion or at summer camp.
6. A listing of approved counselors will come from the Advancement Committee.
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Our Council has introduced a three-part patch that can only be earned by attending a weeklong summer camp at Royaneh, Wente, and Wolfeboro!
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The Council Communications Committee has created a map to mark local Eagle Scout Projects! Please share the link with your Leaders who earned their Eagle Scout Rank locally so that they can participate: https://eagles.ggacbsa.org/eagle-projects-map/. If you earned your Eagle Scout Rank locally, please also add your information to this map!
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Our National Council has a great website highlighting available scholarships for current and past Scouts. Please share this link with your Scouting Families: https://www.scouting.org/awards/scholarships/.
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Briones District Roundtable
Roundtable is a district monthly meeting normally held the first Thursday of every month at the either on Zoom or at a location to be determined at 7:00 pm to help unit leaders plan and carry out their own program. Roundtable is a form of supplemental training for volunteers. The objective of Roundtable is to give leaders program ideas; information on policy, events, and training opportunities; and an opportunity to share experiences and enjoy fun and fellowship with other Scouting leaders. As a result of the Roundtable experience, unit leaders will be inspired, motivated, informed, and able to provide a stronger program for their Scouts.
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Eagle Scout Information
Briones Scouts have a choice of working with either Lamorinda or Walnut Creek based volunteers to advance to their Eagle rank.
For Eagle project approval Scouts may work with Chris Kolm [email protected] (based in Moraga) or work with Mark Paulson [email protected] (based in Walnut Creek). Mr. Kolm meets with the Scouts at his residence by appointment on Monday evenings. Mr. Kolm will review projects via email and then arrange meetings at his residence in Moraga by appointment on Monday evenings. Mr. Paulson will work with the Scouts via email and will set up an appointment when the project is ready for District approval.
When an Eagle candidate fulfills all their requirements for Eagle rank (except Eagle Board of Review), they should download Scoutbook generated Eagle RankApplication. It’s generated as a fillable PDF and can be easily completed, and used to collect required Troop signatures. Once the application is signed on the Troop level the Eagle candidate needs to send the Eagle Rank Application to the Council office ([email protected]) to have it verified by the Council. Only after the application is verified the Eagle candidate should schedule their Eagle Board of Review (EBOR). Please remind your Scouts to include a second adult on all forms of digital communication within Scouting community. Note that the verification process can take up to 3 business days.
In person Eagle Board of Reviews are held twice a month:
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Every first Tuesday of the month at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Moraga. To arrange binder review and schedule the EBOR contact Marie Mlynek ([email protected])
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Every third Wednesday of the month at Grace Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek. To arrange binder review and schedule the EBOR contact GordonBell ([email protected])
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