Heart of Virginia Council Training FAQ:
Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: these are questions regarding adult leader training in the BSA. (Youth training requirements are different.)

How do I get started with the MyScouting online training?

I've logged on to MyScouting in the past but cant now. I've forgotten my userid and/or password.

What does it mean to be a "Trained leader"; what's required?

I'm a new leader, how quickly am I required to be fully trained in my position?

Youth Protection training: Are there different requirements for different leadership positions in Scouting?

Who is considered the "Top Leader" for a Scouting unit?

Who is considered a "Direct Contact Leader"?

How do I find out what my BSA ID # is?

BSA National has a database that records what training is officially registered. How do I find out what has been registered for me?

The official database (above) is wrong. How do I make it right?

Special case of the above: I did take the online training but it does not show up in the official database.

I seem to have multiple entries in the database and need to combine the training records into one. How do I do that?

Where can I download the form to record all of my individual training dates?

How often do I need to retake a course?

What is the [phone number] [email] [name] of _____ at the Heart of Virginia Council?

Who is responsible for training-related activities?

Where can I find a list of the courses offered?

Do I have to take training at my district's training course?

How much does training cost?

How often are the courses offered?

What about other training; First aid, CPR, ...?

What about the new adult leader position "Scouter Reserve"?

Training? Not gonna happen.

How do I get started with the MyScouting online training?

BSA National has a very good on-line training web site called MyScouting. "MyScouting" is short hand for https://myscouting.scouting.org. There you can both receive training and see your official training record. The BSA National site has some "training how-to's" on:

How to create a personal record at MyScouting
How to take Youth Protection Training
How to reconcile Youth Protection Training with a MyScouting profile
How to print a replacement Youth Protection Training certificate

I've logged on to MyScouting in the past but cant now. I've forgotten my userid and/or password.

Sorry. Have you clicked into the "Forgot your User Name or password?" to no avail?

If all else fails, call BSA National and they can fix it for you. Phone the national help desk at 972-580-2489 say that "I'm having trouble getting into ScoutNet".

What does it mean to be a "Trained Leader"; what's required?

The Heart of Virginia Council web site outlines this. Go to the main page and click on the Training link at the top.

The definitive answer is at the BSA National web site. The Training>Adult links outline a variety of training materials. Towards the bottom of this page is the best single place I've seen. It's titled "What is a Trained Leader" and includes a link for more information. Please note that Fast Start is a good place to start training but is no longer required.

For each position that require something beyond Youth Protection, here is a matrix that shows the training needed.

I'm a new leader, how quickly am I required to be fully trained in my position?

Immediately. We require leaders to be fully trained before they can be registered in the position. Youth Protection Training is online. The position-specific training is offered at multiple times and places so, with planning, you'll be trained to deliver a quality program to your youth as quickly as possible.

Youth Protection training:
Are there different requirements for different leadership positions in Scouting?

Yes, there is different Youth Protection training. The definitive answer is at the BSA National web site. The Training>Youth Protection link outlines all the current policy and methods for achieving our goals.

Log in to your myscouting.org account and take the online training. There are three E-Learning modules, depending upon the type of unit you are registered in:

Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, and Varsity Team: take Youth Protection Training course Y01. And no, Y02 or Y03 or Y00 will not count towards training of leaders in these units.

Venturing Crew: take the Ventuing Youth Protection Training course Y02. And no, Y01 or Y03 or Y00 will not count towards training of leaders in these units.

Explorer Post: take the Exploring Youth Protection Training Y03. And no, Y01 or Y02 or Y00 will not count towards training of leaders in these units.

There used to be a "web youth protection quiz" (Y00). It is no longer used. It does not count toward any current position being marked as YPTrained=Yes.

Who is considered the "Top Leader" for a Scouting unit?

The "Top Leader" is the single lead "direct contact leader" for a unit. For a pack, this is the Cubmaster. For a troop, this is the Scoutmaster. For a team, this is the Varsity Team Coach. For a crew, this is the Venturing Crew Advisor. For a ship, this is the Skipper.

For a complete list of the courses required for this position, see the BSA national training site.

Who is considered a "Direct Contact Leader"?

This is defined by your registered official position within the unit. If you are registered as one of the following, you are a "direct contact leader":

How do I find out what my BSA ID # is?

1 - Look on the bottom of your registration card. There are three numbers: "602" is the number of the Heart of Virginia Council, a one or two digit number indicates your District ("7" is Cardinal District), and then a number with as many as 8-9 digits: That's your BSA ID #.

2 - Find the person in your unit who has a copy of your recharter roster. The roster lists everyone registered to the unit and includes their BSA ID #.

3 - Call the HOV Council office and ask them to look it up for you. The phone number is: (804) 355-4306

BSA National has a database that records what training is officially registered. How do I find out what has been registered for me?

Go to www.myscouting.org and sign in with your username and password.

Then, click the link that goes to "Training Validation" and choose "All Training". Before you press the Search button, it should look like this:

BSA Training Validation

Fill in your username or your BSA "member ID" number.

The official database (above) is wrong. How do I make it right?

FIRST make sure your myscouting.org profile has your BSA membership ID number entered. Go to www.myscouting.org and sign in with your username and password. In the upper-left, click the link to My Profile > Update My Profile. Look down at the bottom of the window where it says "Membership Info". If it does not have a Council and/or Member ID, then Add it. Mine looks like this at the bottom:

ProfileMembershipInfo

If you've added new membership info, then you will want to re-search your training records.

OK, you've done the above: Your BSA profile is perfect, including your Council and member ID. But, the database still does not show all of your correct training records. Now what?: Download a the "individual training records" form, fill it in, and turn in a copy to the Council to have the registrar enter your corrected courses/dates.

PS: keep a copy for yourself. Every time you get new training you can keep it up to date.

Special case: You do have your BSA ID# in your profile, BUT you took online training without logging in to this account. That is, you have completed the online traing but it does not show up on your record. I think that these are your options:

    Did you print out a copy of your certificate? If so, write your name, address, and BSA ID# on the paper and bring or mail it to Council with a note: "Please enter this into my Training records". After a suitable amount of time, log into your account (with your BSA ID #) and check to see that the training is now registered online.

    Do you not have a copy of your certificate? Log in to the online learning center WITH your BSA ID#. Check your profile to verify that your BSA ID# is there. Retake the course. Print out a copy of your certificate. Just to make sure: Log off. Now, log back into your account (with your BSA ID #) and check to see that the training is now registered online.

I seem to have multiple entries in the database and need to combine the training records into one. How do I do that?

Phone BSA National and they can fix it for you. Phone the national help desk at 972-580-2489 say that "I need to merge two ScoutNet/MyScouting accounts".

Where can I download the form to record all of my individual training dates?

The form is available in two formats, a PDF form with fields to fill in or the original Excel file with similar functionality.

How often do I need to retake a course?

It depends. Below is a list of these courses and how often they should be retaken to be valid:

Most other courses need to be taken only once. (However, if it's been quite a while since you'd trained, it would help to retake the course. Things DO change.)

What is the [phone number] [email] [name] of [position] at the Heart of Virginia Council?

Go to the Council web page and click on About>Contacts.

Who is responsible for Training-related activities?

The training of adult leaders is primarily the responsibly of the Districts in the Council. Training falls under the responsibility of the Program Committee in the District. Contact the District Chair or the District Executive for more information.

The volunteer in the Heart of Virginia Council responsible for Training is Al Best (Al.Best3@gmail.com). Training falls under the responsibility of the Program group in the Council. The head of the Program group is Keith Hurley (kehurley@aol.com).

The Scouting professional with oversite for all training is Marcus Ragland (marcus.ragland@scouting.org). The Council Registrar (person in charge of the database) is Valerie Glazier (valerie.glazier@scouting.org).

Where can I find a list of the courses offered?

The most recent one is on the Heart of Virginia Council > Training web page

Do I have to take training at my district's training course?

Nope. Get trained using the courses offered by any District in any Council in the US. If you get trained in a different District or Council, keep your records (your "training card") and record the date in your own Individual Training Record form. Always keep your own records up to date.

How much does training cost?

A bargain! Usually the cost covers a meal and the paper handouts. If even this is too much for you then just tell the person in charge of the course and your fee may be covered in other ways.

How often are the courses offered?

The online courses are always available. The hands-on courses are usually offered by each District once or twice a year.

What about other training; First aid, CPR, ...?

It's strongly recommended that Scouts and Scouters always keep their first aid and CPR training up to date. There is no one place that I know of where you can go online to see what courses are available when. Scouters and advanced Scouts leading high adventure expeditions are strongly encouraged to take a Wilderness First Aid Course--what to do when your group can not expect that the rescue squad will show up in under 10 minutes.

Suggestion: have your older Boy Scouts and Venturers take the training for: Safety Afloat, Safe Swim Defense, Weather Hazards, ... Trek Safely, and Climb on Safely. THEY are the ones who are supposed to be leading your unit's activities and they will benefit from these training courses.

What about the new adult leader position "Scouter Reserve"?

Here are four positions that MAY be available for a Scouter who, for various reasons, are less than fully active. TThe only required training for these positions is Youth Protection training. In addition to college students, the positions aimed at younger Scouters will also work for those who are in the military service.

92U, Unit College Scouter Reserve, is available for packs, troops, and teams with a minimum age requirement of 18.

92V, Venturing College Scouter Reserve, is available for crews and ships with the minimum age requirement of 21.

92, College Scouter Reserve, is available for OA members who are at least 17. This position is not intended for use in a unit; These individuals should be registered as a district or council member. Both male and female Scouters are eligible.

91, Scouter Reserve, is available for OA members who are at least 21. This position is not intended for use in a unit; These individuals should be registered as a district member. Both male and female Scouters are eligible.

Training? Not gonna happen.

The first level response to this is: Youth Protection training.
If you seek to be a registered adult leader in the BSA you must be Youth Protection trained (see http://scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx). Period.

If you've recently joined, then you have done the online training already. You'll need to go back in to MyScouting to put your BSA member ID in your online profile or Council will not "see" that you are registered and the records will show you as "untrained".

If you do not appear on the Council database as Youth Protection trained, you will be dropped from the roll and not be permitted to appear on the Unit Charter.

Note: Youth Protection training must be retaken every two years. In HOVC, this means that if a volunteer's Youth Protection training record is not current when the registrar enters the recharter information (at the December turn-in date) the volunteer will not be reregistered (and will be dropped from the roster).

Are you an "inactive member"? Perhaps you're on the unit rolls but are away at college, stationed oversees, out of town for much of the year ... an old guy whose just gotta be in Scouting. Consider two primary options: Scouter Reserve positions, above or Recharter in a position that is not one of the Direct Contact leader positions. For example: committee member (MC).

All of the Direct Contact leader positions require Leader-Specific Training. Some of these can be done online; in person is better. Sign up and do the training. Not gonna happen? If you still wish to remain with the unit, recharter in a different position that does not require training.

Finally, are you one of the following: Old and untrainable, know it all, Want to do Scouting your own way, Want to do Scouting a different way, ... you get the idea. Without apology, I say "Every Scout Deserves a Trained Leader. Thanks for your previous service." Understand that the policy is that direct-contact leaders who are untrained in their position will not be rechartered.

Comments? Suggestions?

eMail Al Best (Al.Best3@gmail.com). Feedback is a gift! Every Scout Deserves a Trained Leader.

Disclaimer: These are my personal understanding of present policy and guidance. The comments above are not necessarily the official policy of the BSA, or of the Heart of Virginia Council. Any contrary information on the BSA website, or the HOVC website should supersede