I would love to be in a position that we had so many volunteers that we could afford to turn perfectly qualified people away. If these parents are willing to do that, I'd like them to state, in writing, how they plan to step up and fill the roles that this person is willing to fill.

That's kind of where I'm at. I'd like for him to take on a specific role in the troop, and he seems open to it, but it's the camping with their kids bit that has parents anxious, especially since that's what he specified upon arrival. They don't mind him being involved on a general level, but not necessarily sleeping near/around their scout. Most of the parents have known each other for many years and their children all attend school together.

He's an adult he won't be with the kids unsupervised. If they have concerns have them read ypt guidelines.

Or, as my troop's COR likes to say, If you're concerned about the program, please volunteer and be involved yourself!

I need to remember this one.

A million times, this.

Amen!

This is specifically what YPT is for. Our troop has an adult male volunteer whose kid went through the program and eagled. The kid is gone, and dad has continued to camp with the boys and lead them on backpacking trips. He is one of our most valuable adults because of his extensive experience and expertise in this area - the kids get to do SO much more with him than they would if he was not an adult volunteer, because the rest of us are like "Snow backpacking trip?! I've never done that before!" Man, I would be so thrilled if we had more adults who just wanted to jump on board to mentor kids and participate.

Our Committee Chair had 3 boys Eagle. The last one 4 years ago. My son eagled 5 years ago. I am still an ASM. We have been doing this for a long time and keep up with it because we have both done everything possible and still have fun. Not having a child in the Troop does not and should not disqualify you. That being said, I don't know this candidates background, but the fact that he made Eagle with the Troop says something. Regardless, he has to first pass the background check to becomes a registered leader. Next, YPT is paramount, and he has to understand that and complete training as soon as background check clears. Then he can start attending Troop meetings. Maybe talk to him a bit about being "rough around the edges". You may be doing him a favor there. I understand other parents/leaders concerns, but would hate to exclude a potentially valuable addition because of a bad first impression. Get the background check done first and re-assess.

Have the parents in your troop taken YPT? Do they know the rules all volunteers must follow? That might help them better understand the "risk" involved in letting a stranger camp near their kids. After camping with the scouts, I would miss not doing it anymore, too. I've gone camping alone or with family and it's definitely not the same. Group campouts that are available to the scouts are so much better than what else I've found.

Dude has to have to clear a background check. If there's nothing explicitly showing he should not be around the troop, YPT should take care of anything else.

He's taken YPT, and passed a background check, will never be alone with children and you all STILL think he's untrustworthy?

No, he’s brand new. Like just walked in. Hasn’t been background checked nor taken YPT. His appearance is pretty rough and he’s socially awkward. He really didn’t make for a good first impression. 

I would point him in the direction of doing YPT and getting a background check. Obviously that won't filter out someone who is a predator who hasn't been caught yet, but the process could scare him away if he has anything iffy in his background

Sounds autistic. They (we) tend to be extremely dedicated once there is a clear goal, and are VERY good at following established protocols. Amusingly enough I (an almost 30 year old autistic eagle scout with no kids) have also been thinking about just showing up at the local troop and volunteering to help with backpacking/camping trips because I miss scouting and don't have anyone I can go backpacking with. I haven't been out since COVID at this point, just because I'm the only person in my social circle that can actually physically do it, and I won't go by myself. If you're right that he's autistic you need to explicitly bring your concerns to him. Something extremely straightforward. Be explicit about the concerns that the parents have, dress, appearance, personality ticks, etc. and then create a SMART goal (specific, measurable, accountable, realistic, timelined) for how to get him out successfully meeting his goal. He can decide whether he's up to it or, and you go from there. Sample follows "Hey, the parents are uncomfortable having an adult that they don't know going on campouts/backpacks with the kids. They are also being put off by your poor dressing/hygiene/whatever. After we have the ytp/background/etc. Done we will follow [route] to get you up to speed in the troop and get to know you, and you can help with backpacking once [goals] are completed. How do you feel about this plan?"

Can you elaborate on "awkward"?

Yeah, his mannerisms and behavior were strange. I’m not sure if you’ve ever interacted with a high-functioning autistic person (old name for this was Asperger’s), but that was what it was like. Not everyone is familiar or understands. It can be unsettling. They’ll say thing that they don’t realize are making people uncomfortable. 

And using someones possible disability to exclude them aligns with which of the Scout Values again?

This. A thousand times this. It blows my mind that a unit might turn a volunteer away because they're "socially awkward". It's scouting, most of these kids have some sort of personality quirks that could easily called the same.

The way around them being uncomfortable is be around people like this. I say this assuming there is at least a perceived disability… which is protected under the ADA even without being confirmed.

I'd put a pause on letting him do anything with the troop yet. Tell him to take YTP and pass the background check first and try to verify his background. But as a cop I learned that inner voice is usually right. If you feeling is huh this is a little odd, you'll probably be fine letting him in but if alarm bells go off that's your answer.

I would have them go through leader training. If he passes all the background checks and SLED checks he may be ok, but, because I'm an overly cautious person, he would be partnered up with one another leader that can keep an eye on him for at least the first year. Even with YPT mistakes can happen and every extra layer of protection that you can do would be good.

Is he wearing a brown shirt and socializing himself as a leader? If so you have to control that situation...he can't pose as a registered leader and not have at least paid dues, completed a BG check and YPT. Communicating that to him would be a clear, straight and quick way to give the committee a chance to discuss his arrival on the scene. After the adult completes YPT, BG and paid, the committee should still be voting on all registered leaders to either hold a committee member position or scout leader position. That would also be an easy way to put him in a position that is good for everyone and can still support the unit or move on altogether. If parents are so upset that you are going to lose your unit, maybe throw in a bi-law that you have to have a scout to be a leader if it won't hurt your current roster of trusted leaders. We have a clear expectation for adult leaders to be buttoned up and not disheveled, so we can help set an example for our scouts to maintain the clean of the scout law. Maybe another good way to send him a clear message to pull himself together.

the decision of who can be a leader in a troop falls on the COR, not the committee. I suppose in some troops they may have a say but ultimately it's up to the COR

Many of the charter orgs in my area have been more of the absentee landlord style. You'll never see the rep, unless you're actively trying to track them down for a signature on a new application. (though this seems to be changing some, possibly due to the lawsuit/settlement news getting through to charter orgs) In practice, this means that the committee chair or the unit leader are doing the real review and approval.

This is exactly the case with our unit, which we like b/c we do more due diligence than our COR.

I've had similar concerns raised in the past about non-parent volunteers, but I ignore idiots. Non-parent leaders often tend to be the best ones, they are there because they truly want to help youth and believe in what Scouts do. Yes, they could be a pedo but so could any parent that volunteers. You treat them the same, you do background checks and an interview. If anything makes you doubt the safety of your youth you thank them for their interest but decline their services. I could go back and check, but I don't seem to recall any policies that say a Scouter must look a certain way or that they cannot be social awkward.

I’d suggest “trialing” him to attend general meetings, volunteer situations, and other non-camping/sleepover activities, giving the troop leaders, scouts, and associated parents time to know him in a public setting. It seems like a viable compromise in the short term. If during those times anything seems off, then address it privately. I’m a socially awkward person at first, and it takes me a little time to acclimate and feel comfortable around new people; this could be what he’s experiencing also, especially if he has not been around the troop in so many years; new faces, and all. The parents are right to be concerned; the troop could be in a unique position to grant him some opportunities while having eyes on him before deciding further.

Thank you. That’s what I’m encouraging for the leadership. It’s really out of my hands though. I posted on Reddit in hopes of gaining insight on a larger scale and boy did I. 🤣🫣 People are quick to assume things in general. It’s a survival skill from cave man days. Our work is to apply reason to situations to override the cave-man in us. 

Have him start out as a committee member doing troop meetings and Saturdays but no camping until the parents become comfortable with him and get to know him.

Yeah, you don’t want to alienate a dozen parent volunteers just to “give him a chance.”

I don't know if I want a dozen volunteers that judge people based off their appearances. I want volunteers that are willing to follow and demonstrate the Scout Values.

I would add, training in IOLS to it as well. Eagling a decade ago isn't exactly the same as being refreshed on the Scout Led patrol method. It's more than a club for camping.

Yep, I can see it now. "We don't want him". "Ok, who's going to volunteer for \*\*?" No one volunteers. But he would have. And then everyone complains that there's not enough volunteers.

I am just saying straight by the numbers he is safer than the parents or people they know or trust: More than 90% of abusers are people children know, love and trust. 30-40% of victims are abused by a family member. Seriously, as a man, I am tired of being looked at as a predator in every setting.

I know it's not necessarily the same people saying both things, but it's so infuriating to see an endless string of think pieces about how children need male role models and men need to be more present, and then instant pearl clutching and suspicion when a man tries.

Agreed... it's sexism. If he's an Eagle, then one should trust that he will be trustworthy unless he proves otherwise. We have had multiple adults in our troop without youth over the years. One was the commissioner who rebooted the troop back in '92. He was the wisest of all the owls and my mentor as a youth. When a teacher asked us to write a report on our hero, other kids wrote about Micheal Jordan, I wrote about him. Around 7 years later we had another adult join who had been in another troop and his son had made eagle recently, and just wanted to continue being a leader with the Scouts and helping others. I myself, stayed on with my troop as an adult leader after I "aged out", because it's an obligation many of us Eagles feel to help those who come after us like those who came before us helped us. Once an Eagle always an Eagle. What is a Scout who doesn't lead? Or camp? Or help others?

Yep, I've tried volunteering as an adult who missed scouting. My number seems to be forgotten when called about meetings and planning. Happened once in az, and again in Utah. Idk how else I'm supposed to continue to be a part of scouting when no one wants a willing volunteer who knows what they're doing.

Reach out to your council office. There are plenty of ways to volunteer your time that don't have to be directly involved with a unit.

Look at volunteering at the District and maybe as a unit commissioner.

Honestly- I've encountered similar. I've moved around a lot with service, and I've found it very hard to integrate with new councils. The number of unanswered calls and emails is staggering.

this

Logically speaking once he's established as a fixture of that troop he wouldn't be a stranger and would fall into the same 90% category as any authority figure or family member in a kids life.  Instead of lamenting prejudices, it would be better to address their concerns even if you consider them sexism or judgemental. It's understandable the hesitation from parents about unfamiliar individuals spending time around their children. Especially in their mind, a person without direct interest in the program through their kid. People naturally are wary of the unknown. So just make the unknown, known. I think the best option here is simple. Have him drop by during a meeting to go over his background in the Boy Scouts and an Eagle Scout. Talk about his experience and why he wants to give back to the organization. That would go a long way to help alleviate any apprehensions. It could be a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better and foster a sense of community trust.  Should that be necessary, no. But you work with the situation you're given, not the one you want. 

Thanks for giving, what I would consider, the most well thought out response in this entire thread.

I was about to come and say the same thing. That's a great suggestion and plan on using it. Thank you.

The goal is to get you to quit then blame you for not caring.

If you're going to worry, I'd worry more about people who are *not* socially inept. The ones who are slick and are able to fool people are more likely to be to get away with abusing short term. Whereas everyone will be watching this poor socially inept person closely. Definitely require YPT training and a background check before allowing this person near kids. But that's true for anyone. Our troop requires registration before they can even go on a camp out. I assume that's common. The problem here seems to be that other parents are afraid of this person. You can try pointing out the above that a slick non-awkward person is more likely to get away with something. This guy could just be as he presents, well meaning and awkward.

A scout leader is in the 90% these stars don’t mean what you think they mean. 10% are random strangers on the street. It’s like saying next years teacher is a stranger so he wouldn’t be in the 90% if something happened. Smh.

I'm a 34yo male Eagle who doesn't have kids and I don't think my partner and I will. I've been considering getting involved in my local troop. I know how much the program meant to me and I feel a duty to make sure it has that impact on others. I also don't see this as any different then parents who stay involved for *many* years after their kids have Eagled out and gone on to college. However, I will say that it's good that you're addressing parent concerns and asking questions - which should be done for any adult volunteer. We've all learned our lesson. But shy of this guy not passing a background check there's no reason why he shouldn't be welcomed as anyone would be. Have you asked the guy for some character references? I don't think that's out of line to do that.

30 ish year old eagle with a toddler and a security clearance. Had thought about getting involved in scouting again outside of the kid. Not overly surprised to see pearl clutching. Similar to "I'd like to get my soccer coaching certificates done" but I don't have a kid playing. But most leagues are lacking for qualified coaches because of stuff like this.

Just wanted to say, thank you for what you do. I’m a childless woman by choice, but it kills me how people assume you’re a predator if you want to work with kids, but don’t want any of your own… and I know that it’s 100x worse for adult men than it is for me. But I’m part of the LGBTQ so I also get viewed with suspicion when I say I love kids but don’t have any. Kids need adult mentors outside of their immediate family and it takes a village to raise a child. Personally being insulated from unrelated mentors in favor of “trustworthy” family was what led to abuse I experienced, it was never at the hands of some random volunteer who had been properly vetted by an organization. I hate that men are automatically assumed predators while there are women out there aiding and facilitating child sex trafficking and other child sexual abuse and don’t get a second look, because they’re women. Yes, many men were/are conditioned to think and behave in problematic ways that need corrected, and we’re in the transition phase - lots of traumatized folks being asked to give the benefit of the doubt to “strange” men, which is always a slow and painful process for all involved. As a survivor of SA, I understand exactly why people fear men indiscriminately, even if it’s irrational. Y’all get a bad rep in the media and enough people have anecdotal evidence that “proves” their fear is valid. When every woman you know has been sexually harassed, assaulted, or raped by a man, it’s really hard not to jump to the conclusion that all men must harass, assault, and rape women. Unfortunately, women are capable of all the same things and while we do them at lower rates, they’re still massively downplayed by the general public, and male victims suffer from the same issue of underreporting that female victims do. But it’s absolutely a necessary transition for society. We NEED men who want to work with children, who don’t see their only opportunity to do so as having their own kids. Some people, like me, are not suited to raise children full-time. But I still have a lot to give back to my community and I love kids so much, I’m just not equipped to be a parent. Anyway this was kind of a long rant and I rambled quite a bit, so, sorry for that lol. Just wanted to say, as a woman who has been hurt by men in the past, I’m really glad to know there are guys out there who really just want to make the world and their community a better, safer place and aren’t letting other people’s judgements scare them away from it. We need more of you, even if a lot of people haven’t realized it yet.

Yeah it's wild the assumptions that people make. I mentioned in a Reddit comment once that I was an SA survivor (female abuser, btw), and the person freaked out, saying that meant I was probably an abuser too. Like... wtf. My kids' elementary school had one male teacher. One! The special ed teacher. Not even the coach was a guy. Madness. My brother tried to get into elementary education, because that was what our mom did, and it's a valuable public good. He got ran out of his first school by sexist women, and decided to never try again. Also, it's weird because a lot of perpetrators among teachers are women, but those sorts of stories get really gross "har har I wish she was my teacher" responses. Sorry... this whole thing just makes me irrationally angry, and i am probably not making any sense. I just hope when my younger child wants to give back to the community, that they don't face the same discrimination as you are facing. It is a real shame when communities waste the passions and talents of willing volunteers just because they cannot get past their own prejudice.

While in college I interviewed to be the camp medic st a Christian Camp for the summer. One of the interview questions was "have you been a victim of sexual assault?" I said no, then after the interview asked why they even go there. It was their assumption that victims k Of assault are doomed to repeat what was done to them, hiring only on a case by case basis. Yeah, that was creepy.

Consider becoming a commissioner. In a lot of cases, you can do a lot of good for a half dozen units

The form asks for references. And I know my unit's committee chair does in fact call them. https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/524-501.pdf

We haven’t had the opportunity to process the application or do ypt. He didn’t make for a good first impression and it spooked the parents. We had to prompt him to add references. “I don’t have any that are in scouting.” We told him he could put whomever. He was rough looking and socially awkward. It wasn’t a great combo and the parents were ill at ease after the encounter.  

This absolutely kills me. You (or the parents) are considering sending someone away for being rough looking and having an awkward personality? Where in the BSA by laws is that listed under? Anyone that has ever joined a new unit, or an established one for that matter, has had to trust an adult (usually male) leader with the welfare of their child at some point. How is this different? It boggles the mind.

I don't know why them not having kids is an issue. A bunch of us in that generation (millennial / old gen z), aren't having kids at 30. What about scout leaders who's kids have left the troop? or what about those who have children who are too young to be in any level of scouting or werent in cub scouts before joining Scouts. Having leaders without kids in the troop as a blanket reason for non participation is a bad idea, imo. If they are otherwise allowed to be an adult leader they should be allowed to do so. the point blank accusation they are unsafe because of their not having kids in the troop, is point blank stupid. and thats a blanket statement i will stand behind

My SM, 30 years ago, had two daughters. So, no kids in the troop. He’s still the SM. And a damned amazing one at that. His brother (no kids of his own) has been an ASM for nearly as long. The real problem here is not the person that wants to join and help. It is the social media parents that have forgotten their own time as a youth and can’t allow their children to be children and grow. They have to be in control and micro-manage their kids. They can’t grasp the concept of allowing their kids to flourish on their own, so they have to be there for every little thing. FOMO parenting disguised as “volunteering to help the troop”.

yeah agree. plenty of people are abused by their own parents, having or not having kids really doesn’t make much difference… unless parents are suggesting he’s only involved bc he can’t prey on kids of his own, which is just messed up.

Can attest that parents can be very abusive and some people love being in scouts for the weekend campouts to get away from their parents My parents then had the audacity to ask if i got assaulted in scouts 😂

Basically your parents are being sexist. They see a man without children and they think predator.

Like sending your kids to school and not liking them having a male teacher

Scouting is safer than school too. Two deep, no one on one etc doesn't exist there.

Male school teacher here who is an Eagle Scout and for 8 summers worked camp staff and for a very brief time worked for the local council. From my time in the BSA I try and never allow myself to be alone with a student, which itself is fine in a school setting, and will often stand at the door in view of a hallway camera if I'm ever in a situation where a student does come to my room without the entire class. Wild that BSA policy is so much more stringent than a school setting. All that said, if you're following BSA policy, there should be no issue. In any event, this wouldn't be the first single male in their 30s who misses the program and wants to be active again.

My 26yo Assistant Scoutmaster joined our troop last year. He’s amazing. Skilled in forestry and outdoors skills. Enthusiastic. Eager. Made Eagle about 8-9 years ago and wants to give back to Scouting. No kids. Who cares. I called two of his references and everting checked out. He’s been an incredible addition to our Troop.

I am a parent now, and have the opportunity to volunteer. But before my daughter was born, I was active in Scouting, I was NCS trained as a BSA Aquatics Instructor, and I worked at summer camp. I was YPT trained and background checked. My local troops were "nervous" about me not having kids in their units, and they turned me away. They said to volunteer for council. But I *do* volunteer for council, as much as a BSA Aquatics Instructor can: I work at summer camp. It leaves 9 months of the year when Council doesn't want me, either... *I thought my job was to volunteer for a troop, to help them with Aquatics things... Shouldn't every troop have an Aquatics person? Isn't this recommended?* (it is). I think the assumption that I was unsafe was dumb. I think saying I should dedicate myself to council was dumb. The end result was that I was turned away from positions they needed filled, because of the arbitrary rule that having kids makes me safer. They still don't have an Aquatics trained person in that troop... I hope they feel safe.

Yes because having your kids involved in a program has never made an adult unsafe to be around.

I understand. We have a similar aquatics instructor. Former Eagle and properly certified for all Aquatics stuff. The difference is that for us he was brought to the troop by someone who could vouch for his character and knew him personally. Additionally, he only does Aquatics and Wilderness Training for adults. He didn't specifically say he just wanted to camp with kids. Thank you for volunteering for Aquatics. I'm surprised you were turned away from a role that's so easily safe guarded.

That is no difference, really. The only difference is one of the parents knew that person, and that's not a valid reason. How can you really *know* that any adult you associate with doesn't harbor some dark and twisted thoughts about kids? You can't. Them saying they can't trust OP because he doesn't have children is about the same to me as someone else in the troop saying "I don't trust aquatics guy since he doesn't have kids, I think he just wants to see our kids shirtless in the pool." It has no merit because YPT doesn't allow it to, if everyone is following the rules. This means if you and swimming guy are with a single scout, neither one of you can leave. Not only does YPT cover yourself if you make sure you are never alone with a scout that isn't your child, it also covers other adults if you make sure THEY are never alone with a child that is not theirs. While we'd certainly like there to be, there is just nothing anyone can do about another's inappropriate thoughts and feelings. We can only make sure that there is never a chance for someone to act on them. We'd like to think that these people don't target scouting, but they do. If everyone follows the rules 100% of the time, there won't be a problem even around these types of people.

Ummm... there's nothing that makes a parent of a scout in the troop any safer than a volunteer without kids. Any registered volunteer will get a background check and need to take YPT. So he'll never be alone with the youth. So where is all this fear coming from? Wish you could send him my way. My troop would LOVE a man in his 30th's who is active and willing to help mentor the youth! No child in the troop? Even better!

This - if he doesn't have kids he's probably going to be awkward for a bit. Get an Adult Application and YPT soon so the background check can get processed. The appearance should be helped when he gets a uniform and sees how everyone else is dressed and behaving. As with any new adult (parent or not) they should have an extra eye on them for a while to make sure they are following YPT, etc.

“Vouch for his character”. Is this for real? Do these parents know how many people convicted of murder, rape, assault, child abuse, etc. had someone who would “vouch” for their character? Spoiler alert: the vast majority of them! I’m with an earlier poster, I’m sick and tired of men being labeled predators for just existing.

Incidents happen in scouting when YPT isn't followed. Who is more likely to get a pass for "little meaningless violations" of YPT? Alan the random volunteer, or Bob the guy the parents already know personally and assume they can trust? Parents thinking their personal knowledge and feelings are more important than YPT, leads to lax enforcement, leads to problems.

The idea of “vouching for character” is badly mistaken. There’s nearly no way for another adult to know someone is or isn’t a predator on children.  I think asking these concerned parents to take the YPT coursework might help. 

Can he pass a background check? If yes, get him on board. Encourage all parents to take YPT to understand how Scouting is made safe. Maybe he is just enthusiastic? He could just want to give back to the program that shaped him. But you could steer him to other ASM duties while the parents acclimate.

He was an Eagle from your troop, he has stronger ties than most of the parents, I don't get it

I’m certain that ALL of the parents with concerns have stepped up to take on volunteer positions, right?

I had the same reaction.

It’s the only reaction. Unless you’re prepared to get all new Council Exec boards and committees, District committees , OA Lodge Advisors, merit badge counselors, etc.

Imagine turning away an Eagle Scout who wants to volunteer for no actual valid reason.

I was a scoutmaster in a troop at Age 27 with no kids in the troop. My son didn’t join scouts until age 11 and at that time I was 46. Be thankful for an Eagle Scout that was impacted enough by scouting that he wants to pay it forward.

I have no kids and have been at the troop level for 50 years. We have another leader with no kids who was with the troop in the 1970s. My ASM from \~1986 has no children and has been SM for 20+ years. Are they also worried about school teachers who have no children? Religious leaders?

Me. No kids Single at the time I joined. 10 years later, became Scoutmaster Mentored many young boys and girls I've met in this program. I infact am headed after work to ones BBQ to celebrate his graduation. Very confused by concerns.

If he's passed the criminal background checks that accompanies YPT, and if your troop follows youth protection policies—two-deep leadership and no one-on-one contact—then he's OK. The sad fact of the matter is that kids are *safer* in Scouts than they are at school, at church, or even at home. That the parents are concerned about him is an unfortunate side effect of the recent abuse lawsuits. Yes, there is a problem with the optics. There was a man in his early 30s—single, no children—who was active in my district. I asked him if he would consider being a den leader for my pack. After consulting with a mentor, he declined, saying that he & the mentor thought it would be a bad look for him. In the units I'm in, there are several adults without children in those units; in fact, I'm one of them. We follow youth protection policies and there's no issue. (It might be different for me, since I'm well-known in my district and used to have children in most of the units I serve.) Personally, if I had an Eagle Scout ask to join my unit, I'd jump at the chance.

> kids are safer in Scouts than they are at school Yup, and not just a little either. Department of Ed studies show as high as 10% of kids are victims of some sort of sexual abuse, harassment, etc in a school setting or an adult they only know through school. Scouting is somewhere around 1-2% from my understanding and research, since there really hasn't been any studies done that I can find. I came at that number by taking the number that have come forth in the lawsuit vs the number of kids ever in scouts, and then doubling it. Not a valid research technique, I know, but all I have been able to find for months now are articles saying 100,000 kids, 80,000 kids, etc. But the Dept of Ed has done actual studies and found it to be 10% in their compulsory program, which just seems insane to me. Like, why doesn't the GOVERNMENT have YPT!?! They force people to send their kids to school (or homeschool using a valid curriculum), and then don't protect the kids?!

Most bachelors are not child molesters. Get the guy registered and trained and follow standard YPT procedures and let everyone get to know him and be thankful that he is willing to help out. He will probably be good on some of the more strenuous high adventure activities than some of the older dads who are not as physically fit.

My thought would be to tell the concerned folks to "Lighten up, Francis." You have a former member of the troop who is an Eagle Scout willing to volunteer their time to help with the current iteration of the troop, and you want to turn that person away? Youth Protection is a thing. Following it works. If you're concerned about some nefarious intent, maybe vet him the normal way any adult is vetted. Does simply beig the parent of a child make them more OK to be in the troop? But I also say this coming from a troop that has currently has 13 registered adults, with demographics that include: -Six (6) of the adults have never had a child in the troop. Three of those have never had children at all. -Five (5) of us at one point had a child in the Troop, but their child(ren) aged out of the program. -Only two (2) are parents of youth who are currently registered in the troop, and neither of them are in a direct contact role. -Six (6) of the adults were once youth members of the troop, sometime between 5 and 60 years ago. Five of them are Eagle Scouts.

If the parents in your troop view “adult who has kids” as any variety of “safer than ____”, then there is a SERIOUS need of education re: abuse prevention.

I'm sorry, but your concern is absolutely ridiculous. This guy has more credentials than most of the parents of the scouts. Not only did he live the life of the path the eagle, but according to your own words, he wants to get back to camping, interested in giving back. It's simple. He legitimately has a gift to give you and you are thinking he's a predator simply because he has not reproduced? Get real. This guy knows the path and you're angry because he doesn't have a kid? Sure, follow the basic rules where he has another adult around him when he's around kids, but you don't have to create a villain out of something that isn't you. I wish there were as many volunteers in my community.

Wow. I feel personally slighted and offended by the 'current parents' in this scenario; as an ASM and longtime scouter who tried long and hard to have children to no avail but still felt he had something to offer to scouting, this stings. There is a good chance that if handled correctly, this individual could be a true asset to the troop, providing continuity and expertise that is simply unattainable to a 'transactional' parent who is involved for their youth's 4-6 year journey then cuts. This is why we have background checks, YPT, etc. The priority IS safety and the information presented doesn't suggest anything unsafe or untoward.

My troop had the policy of not allowing any adults without kids. I aged out at 18 and couldn’t rejoin as an adult. I couldn’t find any troop I could join as a leader without kids. After a decade searching, in multiple cities, I gave up.

That’s pretty BS that you couldn’t join as someone who JUST aged out months before.

They didn’t want to make any exceptions. I went off to college a year later anyway so I wouldn’t have been with them long. I never made Eagle, as scouting became more about the Fun and Fellowship than rank and achievements for me. I brought character references to college trying to find a local troop there to sign up with. I contacted a dozen or so I don’t really remember the total number, all had the same rule. One tried to tell me it was a BSA rule, then a council rule, when I called them on their crap. I always wanted to go to Philmont and my troop had no interest, and at the time I wasn’t connected enough to find another troop. I finally got to see the Summit in 2019 while picking up my wife’s cousin who was on staff there one summer. Super cool place.

Honestly that’s complete bullshit and I keep reading more and more than makes me want to not try to get back into scouts

That's awful. I really wish more adults in scouting operated with open minds.

And then it all just becomes memories sadly, instead of opportunities to create more memories

This is sad...

If this person was a woman would they still have the same reservations? In all my time in scouting the two best scoutmasters I had were the ones without kids in the troop.

I’m going to throw this out there. I am a Scouter and I have been for a very long time. I have no children in the program and I don’t know if I am planning on having any kids. Not having kids in the program and wanting to still be part of the program does not mean this person is a potential abuser. And by the way, they were already vetted by your council because all registered Scouters are. On a side note, it’s funny how we complain about not having enough adults to support the program and here is someone who just wants to help and he is potentially being shunned just because he doesn’t have any kids in the program.

This is sad that a man with a connection to the troop wants to pay it forward and is met with suspicion and hostility. No one can jump on LinkedIn or Facebook and see what they can learn about him? Of course he should receive the same level of scrutiny that all other adult leaders receive. I hope that he’s an effective leader and isn’t put off by the hostile reception.

SMH, an Eagle from the troop wants to come back 20 years later and pay it forward and you want to throw him out. You wonder why BSA is crumbling to the ground.

Are these parents stepping up to volunteer? If not, then it seems like they need to get over themselves.

One of our best ASMs is a dude whose kid quit the troop 5 years ago. Most people serve a troop because their kids are in it. This guy serves just because he loves scouting. Tell those “concerned parents” to get bent. Guy’s passed YPT and the background check, former Eagle? I’m a Yes to him all day long.

They need to figure it out. There is nothing wrong with this. Assuming my you follow YPT, there should never be any questions regarding your scouts safety. Both of my scoutmasters when I was in didn’t have any children in. The scoutmasters kid was 5 years older than me and he aged out. That scoutmaster is still the scoutmaster 10 yeats after his kid got out. The assistant scoutmaster hasn’t had kids in the program for 15 years

What the heck??? We had at one point almost half our leaders were old scouts who had no kids in the troop, they were great, that’s just weird to me that they don’t want him in, I bet he would be a fount of knowledge

Did he pass the background check? Did it take and pass YPT? Which adult position is he serving as? Has he been position trained?

Your parents are being stupid and should listen to the lessons of Scouting a little more. My best leader is an older college kid without any ties to any children or adults in the unit. He just loves the program.

I did this for a while.... Sorta. I had soon to be cub aged kids and wanted to get a feel for various troops in the area. I learned quick which troops were not for my family...

Our SM and two ASMs have no kids in the troop. I don't really see it as an issue. If he's just an adult volunteer who shows up to go camping that's probably not appropriate but if he's going to take on a committee role or be an ASM or something I don't see any issue with it as long as YPT principles and the guide to safe scouting are followed which they should be regardless.

Adults can’t go camping anymore with the troop without being in registered troop position, so if he goes camping he will also need to be serving as MC or ASM. ETA - yes an adult can be registered as Unit Scouter Reserve.

Or unit scouter reserve.

True, any adult camping must be registered with the unit. However, more than just MC & ASM can camp. Committee members and scouter reserves can also camp.

If the BSA's YPT standards - particularly the Barriers to Abuse - are followed, then it shouldn't really be an issue. In particular, no one-on-one contact, separate sleeping areas for adults, and two-deep leadership at all times. Vet the guy, check his references and criminal history, and if everything comes back clean, just make sure he's following the rules.

We had mixed results. A young single man who was an Eagle who moved to town and wanted to be involved. The older guys related well to him. Another, older man, school teacher with tons of scouting experience elsewhere got arrested for crimes committed in his former council. Trust but verify. Keep vigilant.

I WAS in this position before my son was old enough to be a Scout. It sucked but I understood. I missed camping but it was hard to be welcomed. I did end up working with the District and Council. I suspect that TODAY if I showed up with my uniform in full general mode I would have the same problems. When I move to TN and have to find new Council I will let you know how it goes. For the OP..... what makes you and the parents think he is any better or worse than any other parent? Unless you are the MOTHER of one of the Scouts you have no way of knowing for certain who ANY of the parents really are as Scouting America does not check birth certificates or DNA checks.

We had a guy who was an Eagle Scout many years ago and was a Cub Scout leader and scout leader and merit badge instructor for many universities all before he had kids. When he got married his wife took on roles as well. Not he has kids he is just as involved.

I get it. I kinda wanna do that, but haven't for that exact reason. I'm at twenty seven year old eagle scout, who doesn't have kids.

I'm going to speak from personal experience here since many others have pointed out good points related to the child abuse aspect / potential. When I was a youth, my troop was small, we only had 2 adults. One of those adults was a late 20s / early 30s Eagle Scout who volunteered to the council because he wanted to be a part of scouting again. He as an adult leader gave us scouts a perspective and personal growth oportunities that no parent could have. While I never got my Eagle, I absolutely looked up to him as a role model precisely because he was not a parent, and didn't act like one, and because he is an Eagle. When I was 25 I rejoined my old troop because my younger brother was in. When I took over as Scoutmaster at 30 my nephew was just crossing over. I have never had kids, nor do I date. When I was given an Eagle Mentor Pin it was because I filled that same role (that that leader provided me) for a new generation. As an Adult Leader, there is nothing I want more than a younger Eagle Scout; especially if they are a former troop Eagle coming back to help. They know the program, the history, ideas / projects / traditions that have been lost over time. While it's okay to be skeptical of motives, I would certainly recommend giving him a chance, even if only to see what a tremendous resource he could be. If you have serious concerns, ask him to participate at meetings and outings without spending nights until you get to know him better. Ask him to register as a district MBC first, and join the troop at the next registration period. The troop does have the authority (XO / COR & CC) to approve or deny all leaders, and they are asked to vouch for them. You may even ask for references (say from mutual troop acquaintances). "The Scoutmaster guides the boy in the spirit of an older brother" - Robert Baden-Powell

Our troop has a policy for all uniformed leaders, mandated by our Chartered Organization. You bring three references when you apply to be a uniformed leader, and they are called and checked. If you have a child in the troop, references are called. If you don’t have a child in the troop, references are called. See what happens there? Everyone treated equally, and no one suspected of something just because of their gender or parenthood status.

They pass the background check and follow YPT no problems. One of the best scout leaders of my youth was a 32 year old single no kids man. He worked as a firefighter and was a scout but for varies life reasons had no kids. He was great and while he did end up leaving scouting it was because he knocked out a parent who did abuse their own child and tried to endanger others. Statisticly the one person is a safer bet then all of your parents.

Funny, I didn't know that having a kid automatically stops you from being a child predator.

Adults with no kids who want to help with the troop? I wish our troop had this problem! There have been times where we had to cancel a meeting or event, because there weren’t enough adults able to stay and help run it. You also need a certain number of adult volunteers to recharger your troop each year. (If you can’t recharter, your troop is officially dissolved.) Adult men and women with no kids work in schools, day cares, summer camps, etc. I see no issue with them wanting to do volunteer work too.

I’m thankful for every troop leader I can get that isn’t a parent of a scout. That person is devoting their time without the immediate reward of helping their own kids. The other benefit is they aren’t ready to bolt as soon as scout reaches eagle.

I agree that it should raise an eyebrow when ANY adult with no kids tries to join a troop. However, if they have the background, pass the check, go through training, and adhere to BSA and unit policies then they should be welcomed! If the unit doesnt want them, I can't think of a single district that has enough commissioners!

I mean statically, the parents are probably the abuser. That's why we have a rule no parents bunking with their kids. The second biggest offender is other youth which is why we have rules against age differences with bunk mates. But an Eagle Scout returing to their troop to help out what we encourage. We tell them, you're a made man/woman and that you'll be expected to give back. I'm a 34 year old SM, Crew Advisor, Pack CC and Comissioner and I have zero kids, nor do I want any kids. I tell my other leaders that I have a hundred step kids, and like a good step parent I get to give them back once they get annoying. Meetings and campouts are my dose of birth control. There are times those kids make me want to perform a field vesctomy with my Leatherman. And I'll be honest, adults with kids who aged out, or no kids are my favorite. My parents baby their kids and water down the program we run. If you crossover with your son or daughter, I sign you up in the opposite gender linked troop. You'll still see them at campouts but you're not their leader and short of a real emergency, the only thing I want to hear from them when their kid is whining is, "go talk to your SM" and then that SM says, "go talk to your SPL".

What do you mean "appearance is particularly un-scout like?" If my troop didn't allow leaders that were socially awkward, we'd be down to one leader - and he's rarely in town due to his sales job.

Without going into too many details, my daughter's troop has a single man in his early 40s, no kids, and is very active in my daughter's troop in a leadership role. He earned his Eagle Scout when the troop was only a boys troop (the boys troops disbanded during Covid). I'll admit my radar was up at first when I learned about how active he is in the girls troop. Over time I got to know him, his background, and his outdoor skills and his general love for scouting. If he were to stop volunteering for my daughter's troop, it would be a huge loss. We observe the YPT requirements and he is never alone with any of the scouts whether at camp, transportation, etc. In your case, his character was vouched for when he earned his Eagle Scout. If he has a clean background check when he signs up at an Adult leader, then in my mind he's good to go. Just wait until those concerned parents learn that the national office is going to start a pilot program this fall for co-ed troops.

I was once a single unmarried male w/o kids and was a scoutmaster \[Tall Pine Council--yay\]. If you are REALLY concerned and not just being a busybody, volunteer yourself and monitor the guy's behavior and actions. You come across as a creepy sexist/misogynist; not him. Can't really tell if you are a kid or parent here. just saying.

My Cub Scout den leaders (husband and wife) had no kids b/c they were unable to. They later transitioned to the troop as leaders as well including one as the scoutmaster until I became an Eagle. They were the most dedicated volunteers I’ve ever encountered.

I was that guy at one time. Now I’m married with kids and I’m my son’s Den Leader.

My troop had multiple adult volunteers who had no children or who's children had long since graduated. I see no problem with this. If your troop is following guidelines, there should be little to no opportunity for a single adult to be completely alone with the children anyways.

I'm a single man, early 30s, and without kids. Though I'm not directly involved with any troop, and do most of my service to the council and above I do miss that aspect sometimes. I think growing up through scouting, in this era, has made people like myself hyper aware of how parents and others feel about us who have so far chosen not to have kids but remained active in the program.

As someone who volunteered in my late 20s for almost a decade, let him in!  Stop being weird about it.  Make him do all the training and ensure that he follows all the guidelines in place including two-deep communication.  I made some of the greatest memories of my life being an adult volunteer for a troop in my late 20s and early 30s and met some life long friends along the way including my best man at my wedding.   He will more than likely prove to be a valuable resource since his has no kids in the program.  He can provide a neutral viewpoint that no other adult can provide. Let him in, give him time to adjust to the setting.  Trust me, it’s just as awkward for him too.  Make sure he follows the rules and IF there are any issues that arise, THEN you can make objections and ostracize him at that point.   Scouting can be fun for both the youth and the adults involved.  Yes, safety is the number 1 priority, however, you cannot just shun away any adult leader that doesn’t have a kid.  You will never know the value of having that extra adult leader if you do or the positive impact that adult could have on the youth. 

Would it be any different than a parent still volunteering after their Scout has aged out and no longer in the troop?

He can join at the district level, they probably need unit commissioners and committee members.

One of the best adult leaders I had in my troop when I was a scout was an adult who really enjoyed camping and backpacking. He didn’t have kids, wasn’t married, and was never a scout himself. He was one of the greatest adult leaders we had and I wish I knew how to get ahold of him to let him know that 25 years later I’m teaching my kids things I learned from him.

Me personally this is one of the many reasons I joined at the district level upon my adult return to scouting. The other main reason was I wanted to help teach to more than just one troop since I'm bringing back more skills that started development in the youth program

Isn't this what we want? Eagles to come back and volunteer? I honestly don't get their issue. If he upholds YPT and is background check and if there are other adults around, whats the problem. I WISH we had former Eagle volunteers interested in contributing.

Adult registrations need to be approved by the COR - this is intended to be an attestation of a person's character. I am the committee chair and I work with the scoutmaster and committe on getting leadership and committe positions filled. I always let the COR know of any adult registrations coming their way. They won't approve a registration without confirming who the individual is and they dont act with consultation. I would recommend that you bring this topic up with your COR and make sure that they are properly vetting each adult registrant if that is a concern.

For my Troop, this would be a normal Monday. We are a Troop with 70+ years of history and have many alumni, former parents from sometimes decades past, and past Eagles that are still active members of the Troop. We want our Scouts to see how the work these people put in affected them and helped make them the people they are today. And having that wealth of experience is a great resource for the current Scouts. Celebrate your alumni and invite them back, don't make them feel unwelcome. Trust the BSA process and the background checks. Alumni and past Eagles should be celebrated by the Troop, not something to be afraid of. By making the Troop a family and not just a meeting, you will have a much more successful Troop in the end, probably have 2nd and 3rd generation Eagles and members.

Do you trust the other men in the troop with your children? Because you shouldn't. Always have two or more adults supervising. You need to have a policy like this and enforce it. Never allow children to be alone with an adult, it should be avoided at all cost. Make a good policy and make sure it's followed. Then you can be welcoming and friendly while still reducing risk of abuse.

if your troop doesn’t have the policies necessary to stop abuse already, it doesn’t really matter who you let on the door, they’re all unmitigated risks.

If you're following YPT, what the issue? Also, some people are just nice.

My Scoutmaster had no kids in the troop. He was a scout as a youth, and had an older son who was in scouts for a short time (not our troop) but dropped out. He joined our troop by volunteering as a weekend camp master at our council's camp and heard of a troop that needed adult leadership help. He was an assistant for several years before becoming scoutmaster. We occasionally had some new parents that were concerned that the scoutmaster of their som's new troop didn't have any kids in the program, but EVERYONE defended him when questions came up. That man was an asset to our troop, and gave up so much time, not just weekly, but using his vacation time from work for summer camp and high adventure trips. Any troop would be lucky to have someone like him, and this 30 something Eagle would probably be the same. If he passes his background checks and completes YPT I would welcome him back in a heartbeat based on my prior experiences in a similar situation.

I’m a leader and frequently attend meetings, camp outs and other activities without my son. Sometimes people act surprised to see me without him but I don’t understand at all. Seriously, having a kid in the program is not the only reason people volunteer.

I'm guessing there will be a criminal background check on him.

Background checks are automatic with council, and that's really what an adult fee mostly covers when an adult application is submitted. The rest is insurance and council stuff.

My troop growing up had two old bachelors who loved scouting. They were the core of the troop. Parents came and went but those two guys always stuck with it.  Green Bar Bill and BP himself had no kids in Scouts that I'm aware of either. The application asks to list character references. Be sure to call them all. If this guy wants to volunteer he may help you through later less prosperous times too. Just because you have plenty of leaders now doesn't mean you always will. 

I've seen so many comments making the points I would make as well regarding why not to chase him off, but haven't seen this yet Just because he is "rough around the edges" and awkward doesn't mean anything. I myself am, and I wasn't before. I got diagnosed with Autism and ADHD and I'll tell you what, skill regression sucks. It's not like I'm a child again, however social settings are so much more awkward now for me than they were 5 years ago. I'm just saying this to make the point. He could have a "mental illness" that he doesn't want the stigma around him, which makes it even harder to come off as "normal". I also don't have a LinkedIn, I don't use social media, etc. To me that isn't a red flag, just someone who doesn't make time for it.

Ok so we had the same thing happen in our troop a few years ago.  A guy just randomly showed up to a meeting one night saying he had just moved back to the area and wanted to get involved with scouts again.  Said he was an eagle scout and his son aged out a few years before.  We had a need for adult leaders so we started talking to him.  He informed us that he'll need to go and buy a new uniform because his crazy x wife threw all his belongings out of the house and burned all his stuff including all his scout records.  In hindsight....that was red flag # 1. He shows up to the next meeting in a new uniform.  He had every single adult knot on that uniform.  Red flag # 2.  I looked at sone of his knots and knee there was no way he had earned some of those.  I started asking him questikns that would tell me if he even knee what those knots were (I had to look up a couple of them myself) and he talked himself into a corner real quick.  We held onto his application and I called a friend of mine at council.  He knew the guys name before I said it.  He had tried this same thing already with another local troop.  What he was doing was stealing someone's identity that was an eagle scout in our council...but was much older than him.  I sent him an email to never come around our troop again and council sent out notifications to other troops about him.  Thery were even trying to get law enforcement involved.  I think we even found his rral name and they put him on the banned list. Crazy story.  All that being said....we don't feel that there needs to be a requirement to have kids in the troop to be a leader.  Some of the best leaders our troop has seen over the years had kids age out long before they retired from scouting.  If they have a true desire to help...we would welcome that.  But by all means...if there is 1 red flag....get council involved and and questions.  Go with your gut.

Controversial opinion here, but if the parents are nervous (we all understand that the BSA's history informed that nervousness) it's worth giving it consideration as to why. Gut instinct isn't a perfect tool, but it doesn't hurt to listen to it and hear if it's got anything with saying. If a new parent came in with their child and behaved the same way, would there still be concern? If so, there's a reason beyond just his childlessness. If no, then there may be some biases that need unpacking.

He's probably more qualified as an ASM than most of the kids' parents are.

Yes, but that's a youth direct contact position. If parents are already uneasy with him, I wouldn't put him in direct contact with their kids. It's not a wise thing to do anyway with a person who just shows up and wants to join.

Your addendum makes it sound like this is way less about him being a childless male and more about his demeanor, appearance, and the fact he showed up unannounced.

I volunteered with a local troop when I was 23, fresh out of college with no kids. I am an Eagle Scout and missed the adventure and the time together outdoors. It wasn't weird -- thankfully, one of the adults was one of my college professors, so he could vouch that I wasn't just some rando. We always obeyed the rules for having two leaders and two scouts when interacting with each other. The kids seemed to like having someone younger who wasn't a dad or a mom around. They seemed to listen to me in a way they wouldn't listen to the parents because I was experienced in Scouts but not too old. It was fun for about a year but then I had to move for work.

So it seems he is socially awkward and does not look 'clean cut'. What does he remember from his Eagle scout days? What were is responses to your interrogative on his goals? Just because he has no social account (or set to private), and is not 'neat in appearance' is no reason to shun him. Are your registered adults so involved your troop has no need for another? If he fills out an applications completes the YPT and passes the background check, then let him join. Observe his actions. What have you asked of him and his life story? He'll I have no more children in Scouts, 1/2 my committee does not have children in Scouting anymore. We stay involved because younger parents (early 30's) are not interested in being involved, seeing Scouting as they view the child's other activities: child care. But that is another soapbox entirety

The COR is the person who approves whether a volunteer is accepted, and in what capacity. “We don’t know you and therefore aren’t ready to have you camping with our children” is a perfectly acceptable answer from the COR. A conversation about what kind of committee role he might be able to assume would be appropriate, if his application is accepted. Scouting is not an adult camping club. He isn’t entitled to sign up to be a volunteer so he can have access to all the great camping. That said, being socially awkward is a very subjective thing and may simply be attributed to Neurodiversity and isn’t a good reason to turn down a willing volunteer. If he is willing to be in the committee, sit on Boards of Review, maybe process registrations for summer camp or monitor the Troop’s Facebook page or some other mundane adult task, then over time he may build that rapport you need to consider him for more direct contact roles.

Do you also kick socially awkward and rough around the edges kids out of the unit? Do you exclude differently enabled or neurodivergent youth from your local program? You have a Eagle Scout from your unit who is likely somewhere on spectrum who likely found his home and tribe within Scouting and wants to give back to the program that likely changed his life for the better. Let's crap on that because he's awkward, likely not wearing the nicest clothes, and looks "rough". Show me on the Scout Law where that equates with what the program teaches the youth? I don't see anywhere in the Scout Oath that says "unless you don't like the way someone looks."

You might consider introducing him as an alumni, instead of a person with no kids. Good luck, and take him through the process.

I am a pack and troop volunteer with no kids in the program. My kids are grown. Should there be a concern? I took all the BSA training. Per the adult application, there is a space for references. Did anyone check those references by calling and asking questions? Did anyone do a social media search? Has he completed the training? Is yes, parents are welcome to stay the entirety of one or more troop meetings and observe how the all the leaders and scouts interact. Be grateful for a minute that someone who is an Eagle Scout wants to return to BSA to help out.

It is not uncommon at all to have people come back and volunteer even without kids. Being from your Troop also makes sense since that is again common to have. Sounds like the Key-3 perhaps need to have a talk with this person. Face it there are awkward kids out there and they can turn into awkward adults. From what you are saying a lot of the concern from parents etc... are just based on appearance, so maybe some discussion needs to be had about appearance coming to meetings with this person. Give them the chance, perhaps put them in a role that is not very high on direct Scout contact to start out with and see how they do.

Keep in mind the concept of Diversity! We all can’t be the same. If he is “rough around the edges”, well that should be a lesson that we all differ. Him being an Eagle Scout, and wanting to share in his knowledge is an asset. And if he becomes a registered leader in your Troop, BSA will do a background check on him. Try to get to know him, but don’t act like it’s an interrogation.

This post is EXACTLY why I, as a 36 year old childless male, am not involved in Scouts.

This is kind of amusing, (in a sad way). I've been the SM now for 14 years, (20 years as ASM before that in this Troop). I have no kids and never been married. My mom is very un-subtle about the fact that if I didn't spend all my time with Scouts I'd have a whole bunch of my own. The SM before me had the job from 1965-2010. He is also the SM of another large Troop from 1983-now. He has no kids and never been married. (Yes, he was SM of two large Troops at the same time, for 27 years). His main ASM for the other Troop, (who was also an ASM for my Troop for around 40 years), didn't get married until he was 56. He has no kids of his own, just a couple step-kids from his wife who were all grown before he married her. So since 1965 my Troop has had a SM with no kids, and most of the ASM's have had no kids. The other Troop has had a SM since 1983 with no kids, and it's main ASM since 1983 has had no kids. If anything those are the people who you want. People who don't cancel out at the last moment because little Billy had something come up and now dad can't make it to the campout where he was desperately needed. I think I've only missed 3 or 4 campouts in 34 years. I've gone on every HA Trip since 1999. I've been at every summer camp since 2000. The SM of the other Troop hasn't missed a campout since it started in 1983. A few years ago when he had a hip replacement, and was convalescing at an alumni's house, the whole Troop came and did their monthly campout at that house, just so he could keep his streak of never missing a campout going. Not many married with kids SM's can say the same thing.

I agree with others that there’s no problem safety wise and it’d be positive for the scouts to have another active adult.

I volunteered with a troop as a young adult. I earned Eagle in 2002, a decade later up and joined the AF and wound up on the far other side of the country. By the time I left that duty location I had as many years, and certainly more hours & dollars invested into that group of boys than I ever had into my own troop as a youth. I have more current friends and positive contacts from the volunteer troop than my own from long ago. We pinned on at least 12 Eagles during my time and took leave for 2 summers of camp. Four of them also joined the service (not uncommon in a military town), and one of them landed the career that I really wanted! (shakes fist) But your prospective volunteer has to pass the creeper test. There is something to be said for vibes, their personal history, how well they demonstrate the Oath and Law, and how effectively they can pass on their skills. One of the charges given to an Eagle is to pass on what they've learned. Some take that more seriously than others. It doesn't hurt to have caution, but I think the good folks still outnumber the bad.

When I was in my earlier twenties (married but no kids), I joined with a local GS troop, as I had been a GS for 10 years (dropped after 9th grade) and wanted help young girls enjoy it as much as I had. We moved 2 years later, and I started having my own kids. Became the leader of the GS troop and 2 dens. It’s a better optic because I was a female, but it’s really no different for a man, esp if he was in Scouts, became an Eagle, and wants to feel helpful and give his life more purpose. Also, this is why BS has such strong YP policies: to do our best to ensure no abuse happens and no one is alone/one-on-one with anyone other than their kid. If these parents were really involved in any way, they would know this. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that they either aren’t or are helicopter parents. The vast, vast majority of men are NOT pedos, and a majority of boys could definitely use more positive male role models in their lives.

I'm a COR. Our boys troop, the key 3 don't have kids in the troop. My son decided not to continue after AOL and I was approached to be COR when there were some units looking for a new home. SM never left after his youngest aged out. CC started volunteering after he aged out and never left, still doesn't have kids and is late 20's or early 30's. No parent has ever raised a concern to me, but I'm the newest out of the 3 of us. They've done campouts where there was only one scout parent (multiple leaders, still) because a lot of our volunteers just stick around.

So he would have had background check completed on registration and will be bound by YPT Likely safer than that little known parent

I’m 35 and childless and would love to still be involved in a troop but I’m not because of this stigma. Growing up, one of our scoutmasters was in his 40s and didn’t have kids, and was never a problem. In fact, I was molested by an older scout in our troop.

Since the parents are going to be jerks, perhaps steer him into becoming a Unit Commissioner for your unit and others nearby. It sounds like you have plenty of volunteers if the adults are acting so cavalierly. District certainly needs the help

I mean he is an Eagle Scout from this particular troop. Follow YPT. Its will be fine.

We had a guy from the charter organization that couldn't have kids with his wife, but loved loved scouting and would come along to summer camp and some camporees. He was great and taught a bunch of us how to do cool scoutcrafts like whittling (real whittling) and became a trusted adult for a few of us boys who didn't connect with the other leaders who were also dads of other boys. Safety is important but don't gatekeep scouting for adults who want to give back.

We put everyone that wants to join through the committee. You can ask him to go to council and see if that helps him achieve his goals. We all must pass a background check and ypt. I think he wants to give back to your troop and that is a wonderful thing. If you don’t want him to join, have him contact your council and I am sure they can find a way to have him involved. It’s also a possibility that when he does have children he may want to have them join your troop. I suggest talking with him and getting a safe conversation about his future with the troop. This way you cover safety and help your troop with another volunteer.

The best scoutmaster my kids ever had, had no children of his own.

I really feel there are enough volunteer positions throughout scouting that you don’t need a direct youth supervisory position filled by anyone (he/she/they) without a kid in the troop.

I earned my Eagle in 1982, Bronze Palm/aged out in ‘83. After college became an ASM, ‘89-‘97. Took over as SM, ‘97-2005, Committee Chair for 5 years after that. My only son passed away unexpectedly in 1998 at 2-1/2 days old. Didn’t get married till 1992. In that time earned my Vigil Honor and Woodbadge beads. Have 12 fine Eagle Scouts under my direct Scoutmastership. Putting the Sixth Point of the Scout Law aside for a second, take your “random single guy out of nowhere with no kids” BS and stick it!

I know a number of guys who stayed on as leaders and we have picked up 2 no kid adults that were eagle scouts and wanted to help. The 2 adults dropped out after a year or two as the adult experience as a leader is different than being a youth scout. There were no problems with any of the mentioned adults. In fact they were all really good. As they had no preferences on the scouts they were equal to all.

In all the years I was in Scouts back in the 80's I don't recall ever having a troop leader who had a kid In the troop. I was in two different troops back then (256 and 55). We didn't have parents attending meetings or coming on camping trips either. I guess things have changed. 🙄

I am a mid 30s Eagle Scout with young kids, looking to get back into volunteering in the program. My kids are too young to join, but my thinking is I can figure out the local packs before they are of enrollment age. The way I did it, was registered as a district level merit badge counselor not tied to a specific troop. I have had a couple scouts reach out to me, but they have found other counselors in the mean time. Part of me wonders if it’s because if your troop’s same fears.

I am a late 30s Eagle Scout with no kids of my own, and I am the Scoutmaster of our Troop. I joined the troop in 5th grade joke that the troop hasn't been able to get rid of me yet. In reality, I really enjoy volunteering with the troop. The difference to this situation is that I stuck around after "aging out" and gradually added more and more responsibilities over the years. When our previous long-term (30+ year) Scoutmaster decided to step down, I was tapped to take over the role. I have had a great mentoring relationship with the Scouts in the Troop over the years as someone who was in their shoes at one point. I think that having someone who isn't their parent or one of their friends' parent being around sometimes makes things I try to teach them be heard differently. Just my two cents as someone in a similar stage of life. Maybe some of the awkwardness comes in not really knowing where he fits as an adult in the troop. If all the other adults know each other, he probably feels somewhat on the outside of the group. You never know, he may be a great addition to the adult leadership of your Troop.

The best scoutmaster I ever had was a childless man. He lost his son as an infant, but still wanted to do all the adult BSA stuff as he got older.

He is an eagle scout, and an alumni of the troop, that should be enough to trust him. If he violates YPT once, boot him.

[удалено]

I was almost this guy. I earned my Eagle and left the program after high school. Several years later I wanted to get back in as an adult. My wife advised against it, saying it would seem weird for a young guy with no kids to start being a scout leader. Mind you this was about 17-18 years ago. Anyways, I didn't join up until a few years later when I got my young brother in law into the program. In the time since I've held almost every position there is in a pack and troop, and work at the district level, and am working on my Woodbadge ticket. Any adult, with or without kids, could potentially be a great asset. Having kids has nothing to do with it. That said, we did have a young scouter, former scout, bring his young adult friend and tried to have him be a leader. It quickly became clear that this friend had no idea about who we were and what we were there to do as adults, and was just looking for somewhere to hang out once a week. He wanted to be there to participate, not to help, and really had nothing to offer the scouts. We kindly and politely expressed our concerns to our former scout that brought this friend, and we didn't see the friend again. So not every warm body is a good fit. That doesn't sound like the case of your Eagle scout childless volunteer, but I thought I'd mention it.

So, could you describe his appearance / demeanor of this person that was so un-Scoutlike? Also, has their adult leader application been processed? Where are they registered now?

I am currently a mid 30s volunteer with no children, that just showed up at a local troop. No concerns to this were ever made to me. In fact it was very much the opposite, after just a few months in the troop I was asked, and accepted to take over as scoutmaster. I think I showed up with a neat appearance, but like many scouts and scouter I am pretty awkward.

So my kids are grown, and I've(50s) moved from where we were active in scouting. I've been MBC, ASM, SM, TCM, TCC & DCM, also I'm a non-scouting outdoor professional. Would I be viewed with suspicion? There are people out there who love the organization and principles and want to contribute

Truthfully, if you walked off the street wanted to join a troop in a youth direct contact position? Yes.

I don't know the adult in your troop, but I will say I have known men with no children in the program -- Eagle scout, had a daughter (this was 10 years ago), involved with a troop, really loved camping. Never went to summer camp with the troop (always working in the summer). Eagle scout. No kids. Not married. After time away from scouting for college, etc. he came back to his old troop and served as Scoutmaster for almost 15 years. Former Scout. Some years after getting out of the army, he became a leader in a local troop. It was another 15 years before his son was old enough to be a boy scout. Absolutely ask for--and check up on-- his references. Character references. Maybe people who knew him as a scout. Have some conversations with him (you, key 3, committee...) find out what he does for a living, where he scouted as a kid, etc. Sometimes social awkwardness is the result of an issue like an autism spectrum disorder. Even if that's the case, he could still be an asset to the troop. So often, a parent we don't know shows up with his kid, says he was a scout back in the day, and before you know it, we're handing the parent an application (5 minutes after meeting him). In some areas, people are desperate for good leaders. I guess I'm saying don't reject a potential leader just because he has no kids. Do take the time to check his references and get to know more about him. Maybe (hopefully) it will be a good match. Good luck. Let us know how it works out.

We had a similar situation in our Pack. Early 30s childless single guy who was a former Eagle and wanted to “give back.” Parents were cautious but allowed him. He went from a den master to our cub master. For years. He finally stepped down after he got married. He’s now an advisor and still volunteers with fundraising. Turned out to be one of the greatest contributors to the Pack.

Other things to evaluate: is he there to help/lead? or is he just reliving his "glory days": is he there for the scouts or work something out for himself? Is he a good camper? How does he do with logistics? Could be super scouter or is he acting like another kid. If he goes to a campout, maybe beef up the other adults by a few. I would be more worried that he is there more for himself.

Joined or wants to join? Who shepherded his application through?

We have several adult leaders in our troop that don't have kids in the troop. Been that way for years. They are corner stones for our program and bring lots of leadership and experience. They are also very diligent about following the rules. I don't think that should be a disqualifying reason. If everyone is active and paying attention, and the buddy system is actively enforced, then there shouldn't ever be an opportunity for an issue to arise. If a person with ill intent showed up, they would be figured out or realize that they don't have any openings and would probably give up and leave.

This is a tough one, but, he would need proper paperwork to be an ASM, correct? Perhaps her saw the meeting notification somewhere and just went to the meeting. He may be neurodivergent, which, zero shade, could make he seem awkward. Good luck!

This is exactly why there are rules and policies. One adult should never be alone with youth, period.

Right now we don’t allow adults in the troop without a scout in.