The Southern Crescent District is in the Atlanta Area Council, serving Scouts, Leaders and Parents in Clayton County and South Fulton County. See the BeAScout website for location and contact information for Cub Scout Packs (Kindergarten through 5th Grade are Cub Scouts), Scouts BSA Troops (end of 5th Grade to age 18), and Venturing Crews.
Next time you log into your my.scouting.org account, you won't see "Youth Protection Training". You'll see a link to "Safeguarding Youth" training.
This +/-90 minute training replaces Youth Protection Training. Your existing YPT is valid through the earlier of (a) your YPT expiration date or (b) May of 2026 (one year after the launch of this new training course), but when you approach that date you'll need to take complete the new "Safeguarding Youth" training and pass the quiz.
Another new element: "Safeguarding Youth" training must be taken every year. Or an announcement from Scouting America Commissioners on FB says that after taking "Safeguarding Youth" training a 15 minute refresher course and quiz must be successfully completed annually thereafter.
Three likely FAQ:
Q: I'm registering to be an adult leader for the first time and they told me to "take YPT" ... but I can't find it. What do I do?
A: Take "Safeguarding Youth" training instead, through your my.scouting.org account.
Q: I'm currently an adult leader and my YPT is good through December of 2025 - do I need to take "Safeguarding Youth" training now?
A: No. You'll need to take it by your expiration date in December of 2025. But you can take it early.
Q: I just registered as an adult leader in April so my YPT showed it was good through April of 2027 - when do I need to take "Safeguarding Youth" training?
A: By May of 2026, or one year after the launch of this new training course.
Parents of Scouts over this last school year may have "watched" you lead -- now you should pull them into leadership roles.
You’ll need the essential roles of Den Leaders, Assistants and Committee Members of course, but you’ll also want many different roles and small jobs so that every parent has a path to helping. The best Packs and Dens create a culture of collective leadership, one where Every Parent Helps and through this process you turn parents into helpers and helpers into leaders.
Do This Now. Don't Wait Until The New School Year.
To help with this step, see www.atlantabsa.org/RecruitingLeaders. There are many ideas there -- and many videos there -- about how to create a culture that leads parents to answer “yes” when asked to help, from planning a menu of jobs and setting expectations to ways to ask for help to succession planning and more. No one tool works for all – but all tools work for some. Pick ones you like.
Once you’ve drawn a Calendar of Fun Activities – jump to Recruiting Step Two: Promote Your Pack Program. The Perfect Pack Program is wasted if your Pack families don’t know the plan or if new families don’t hear about your Plan – and even a “pretty good” plan (like maybe just projecting key activities through the end of the calendar year) is excellent if your families get excited about it. Here’s the Who/What/When/Where/Why about your Pack Program Promotion:
Who Can Promote? Anyone in your Pack Community. Not just Leaders – Pack Leaders should empower Parents to Promote to their friends and fellow parents at school. Kids can call kids. Peer to Peer is the most successful way to recruit – both Parent to Parent and Kid to Kid.
What Can You Use / How Can You Promote? For sure, use BeAScout, plus write up your Pack Program (and other relevant information like calendar and contacts and dues and other Pack policies) in a website or flyer handout you can share easily – maybe have one as your “pack packet” of key information and how to join. Don’t forget pictures and video of your Scouts and Families. Share using methods that work for you, from Facebook to Instagram to Pinterest to emails to websites to local news to U.S. Mail to websites to whatever your families use. A “one page” (two sided) flyer with photos, key dates, contact information and a QR Code/link to your Pack website or to a Pack Leader's email (so they can reply with handouts, calendars, etc.) is a key piece you want to share widely at any time and in many places.
When Can You Promote? For best results, as soon as you have some Pack Program Plan that lets people know what they will do when they can join. And any time you have updates to the plan, winter, spring, summer or fall. Or just to remind of “what’s next” in the next month or two or three.
Where Can You Promote? Neighborhood, Church, School, Community, Restaurants, Stores, Places Kids and Parents Go, Den and Pack Activities, Social Media – and use whatever methods available to share information: website blurbs, flyer handouts, bulletin boards. Got families that like Scouting? Encourage them to promote on social media.
Why Promote Now? When you have a Pack Program Plan, share it! No need to wait until school starts back up, because families can join now (easier if you use BeAScout and Online Registration). If you have a fun, simple, easy and laid-back set of summer activities – like swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, parading, picnicking, games, cookouts, s’mores and more – you can invite families to join you at any and all of these events before the rush of a new program year.
The Southern Crescent District is in the Atlanta Area Council, serving Scouts, Leaders and Parents in Clayton County and South Fulton County. See the BeAScout website for location and contact information for Cub Scout Packs (Kindergarten through 5th Grade are Cub Scouts), Scouts BSA Troops (end of 5th Grade to age 18), and Venturing Crews. 
