Area boy scout leaders say organization has increased leader training in recent years

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Leaders of the region's boy scout district, Anthony Wayne Area Council, said Saturday changes in recent years to the organization's Youth Protection training has improved scouts' safety.

The Boy Scouts of America is in the middle of a sex abuse scandal, after 20 years' worth of secret files on men suspected of abusing scouts was released this week.

Click here to read the Boy Scouts of America's facts on Ineligible Volunteer Files.

Saturday, the northeast Indiana 11-county district held University of Scouting at IPFW.  Lisa Porter, the event's organizer, said close to 400 people attended.  That included about 275 adults and 160 registered boy scouts.

The day was designed to allow scouts to earn merit badges, and for adults to receive training.  That included training on how to protect scouts.

"It's a series of policies and procedures that al our leaders are trained on, in order to assure the safety and welfare of all of our kids," John Gliot, the director of the Anthony Wayne Area Council in northeast Indiana, said.

According to the Boy Scouts of America website, training is designed to teach scouts, parents, and adult volunteers to recognize, resist and report abuse.  Youth must also review training materials as a requirement for rank advancement.

The training has to be taken by the following:

• Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers, regardless of their position.
• New leaders are required to take Youth Protection training.
• Youth Protection training must be taken every two years.  If a volunteer's Youth Protection training record is not current at the time of re-charter, the volunteers will not be reregistered.

The BSA has taken several steps in the past several years to address volunteer misconduct.  It includes:

• 2003: Initiated third-party, computerized criminal background checks on all new adult volunteers
• 2003: Introduced online Youth Protection training—“Youth Protection Guidelines: Training for Adult Leaders and Parents”—to supplement in-person trainings.
• 2005: Revised “How to Protect Your Children” insert in Boy Scout and Cub Scout handbooks to aid parents in discussing youth protection issues with their children.
• 2005: Launched new Adult Leader Application that encourages immediate online training for Youth Protection and other immediate needs.
• 2008: Required all current volunteers to go through a criminal background check.
• 2008: Implemented Youth Protection requirements for youth to advance in rank.
• 2010: Established mandatory Youth Protection training for all of the BSA’s volunteers.  
• 2010: Hired a full-time Youth Protection director to continue to enhance the BSA’s Youth Protection program.
• 2010: Updated Youth Protection materials to include scenario-based training to raise awareness of potential abuse—even in the Scouting program.
• 2011: Established a dedicated website focused on communicating the BSA’s commitment to youth protection.
• 2011: Mandatory reporting of suspected abuse.