ACTION REQUIRED Background Check Disclosures and Authorization & FAQs
To Our Volunteer Leaders in Lake Minnetonka District
Earlier this week, every registered Adult Leader in the Boy Scouts of America should have received an email message, or will receive an email message, from the National BSA Email, [email protected] (You may view the online version of the message). We need your assistance to complete, collect, and turn-in these forms from the Leaders in your Pack, Troop, or Crew.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is committed to youth safety. This commitment includes evaluating and updating youth protection policies as needed. One of the BSA’s many barriers to abuse is a mandatory criminal background check during the adult volunteer application process. The BSA will now also perform periodic rechecks to support the continued safety of youth in our programs. Please note that these steps must be completed before your 2020 annual registration can be processed:
- When receiving this e-mail, all volunteers will need to review the informational document, and print the separate document titled “Additional Disclosures & Background Check Authorization.”
- Then complete and sign the Authorization using an ink/wet signature.
- If you are a unit volunteer please turn your signed authorization into your unit leader. Unit leaders will turn-in signed forms with the annual charter renewal documents
If you are not a unit volunteer, please turn your signed authorization form into the council service center or email to the registration department.
Mail/Drop off: Registration Department, 6202 Bloomington Road, Fort Snelling, MN 55111 OR
Email: [email protected]
If a volunteer chooses to decline the background check or does not complete the Additional Disclosure & Background Check Authorization form their 2020 annual registration will not be processed and they may not serve as a volunteer.
We believe that the best process for collecting these new forms from every adult volunteer is for unit leaders to collect the forms from their leaders and turn them in with their Unit Charter Renewal paperwork. District and Council volunteer paperwork should be turned into the council registration department.
Even though we face challenges, our strong focus is, and continues to be, welcoming youth and families to join Scouting. Thousands of new youth and families have joined, or will join, our program this fall, Scouts BSA camp attendance was up, and we’re excited to share with everyone the fun, adventure and life-enriching experiences of Scouting to young people across our council.
Yours in Scouting,
Lake Minnetonka Key 4
Nick Pedersen, District Chair Nick Fasching, District Commissioner
Nicole DeYoung, Community Relations Director Jim Bollback, Program Relations Executive
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Is the BSA doing credit checks on volunteers?
No. The BSA will only use these signed authorization forms for approval to obtain a criminal background check. State and federal laws regulating background checks and consumer credit checks require that both items be mentioned on the form since a full background check includes both parts. Again, the BSA is only using this form for authorization to obtain a criminal background check.
2. Why is this being done now?
Starting in 2020, rechecks will be performed every five years. Unfortunately, technical limitations and changes in the law over the last five years prevent us from using existing authorizations from older applications. As such, new disclosure had to be sent and new signed authorization forms obtained. Rechartering provides the best window to collect and verify they have been received before the council processes the recharter application.
3. How do I turn in my form?
• Unit Volunteer- If you are registered with a unit please turn your form into your unit leader. The unit leader will turn-in all forms with the charter renewal documents for the unit during charter renewal time.
• Non-Unit Volunteer- If you are not registered with a unit but with a district or the Council please turn your form into the council service center. You may drop the form off at the office, mail it in, or email it to our registration department. Registration Department, 6202 Bloomington Road, Fort Snelling, MN 55111 or by emailing [email protected]
4. What about those with multiple registrations?
Only one authorization form per person needs to be collected and retained by the council.
5. What happens if a unit leader does not provide an authorization?
Leaders who do not provide new authorization will not be able to renew their registration, or serve as a volunteer. Council registrars are instructed not to renew any adult without first confirming that a new signed authorization form is on file at the council service center.
6. Can the council accept a faxed copy or scanned copy sent via email of the signed authorization?
Yes, so long as it is legible and is sent by the individual who signed it. It must be printed and saved, by the council, the same as an original.
7. Can the council accept an electronic signature?
Digital signatures from third-party providers are acceptable. E-mail confirmations, permissions or typed names on the form are not acceptable substitutes for wet signatures.
8. One of my leaders deleted the email. How does he/she get the authorization form?
You can download the authorization form from the online version of the message
Contact for issues
Please contact the council registration department, [email protected], 612-261-2304, if you have any questions.