Criminal Background Checks for Leaders

• The Boy Scouts of America has conducted criminal background checks on all new adult leaders since April 2003
• Some leaders have not changed leadership positions since that time, and have not been checked
• Leaders who have not been checked will receive a letter from the national Chief Scout Executive in early June
• The letter will give recipients instructions to visit a website, to "opt in" to a criminal background check
• Recipients who decline to authorize a background check will lose their BSA membership

As dedicated BSA volunteers, you understand the importance of keeping our youth safe in the Scouting program. To ensure Youth Protection, our organization has conducted criminal background checks on all new volunteers since April 2003. Because some volunteers have been continually registered in the program before April 2003, some have not had a criminal background check. In the next few moths, we will be communicating with those volunteers on this issue.

Volunteers who have not had a background check will receive a letter from our Chief Scout Executive, Bob Mazzuca, recognizing them as valued volunteers and explaining the need for criminal background checks and our continued youth protection efforts. The letter will explain the need for consent to conduct a criminal background check and direct volunteers to a Web site.

The letter with the Web site information is scheduled to be mailed by June 2, 2008. The Web site address is www.bsacbc.org, and the site will be active from June 1 until August 1, 2008. On the site, volunteers will be asked to review an authorization statement, agree to consent to a background check, and provide information, such as your Social Security number, which is necessary to conduct the CBC, and verify and submit the information.

To learn more about the Volunteers and Background Checks program, click here. To view the FAQ, click here.

For further information, please contact Mark Conrad