The Boy Scouts of America takes the protection of our youth members as of utmost importance. Accordingly all registered adults MUST complete, and regularly update, Youth Protection training. The training is periodically offered as a classroom course by our council and district. However, it is also available online at http://my.scouting.org.

Youth Protection training is now required before adults can be registered for any position in the BSA! A course certificate of completion must be submitted along with an adult membership application.

Check out the BSA's policy on youth protection at http://www.scouting.org/training/YouthProtection.aspx.

All adults applying for postitions withing a troop in Pennsylvania, or members holding adult positions must now possess the following clearances:

• Criminal History (Pennsylvania State Police): https://epatch.state.pa.us

• Child Abuse Clearance (Dept. of Human Services): https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home

• FBI Federal Criminal History Clearance (Volunteers with less than 10 years continuous residency in PA):
  https://pa-aps.3m.com/perlpub/registration_welfare_pci.pl
  
• OR Affidavit of Residency (Volunteers having held continuous residency for 10+ years): http://bsatroop480.org/Forms/Volunteer_FBI-Clearances.pdf

• Youth Protection training: https://myscouting.scouting.org

Check Westmoreland-Fayette's policy statement on Required Clearances.

Our charter organization, the Church of St. Paul, also requires that all adult volunteers working with youth have completed the Virtus training "Protecting God's Children".

Please submit copies of your clearance documents along with new adult applications. Existing members should submit the documents to our troop training Coordinator, Tom Demoise.

For those who prefer to submit their information via the US Mail, you can find print copies of the applications in the FORMS section of this web site.

The BSA offers the following online training courses through http://my,scouting.org:

• Youth Protection
• Varsity Leader Fast Start
• Fast Start: Boy Scouting
• This is Scouting
• Physical Wellness
• Safe Swim Defense
• Safety Afloat
• Climb on Safely
• trek Safely
• Weather Hazards
• Scout Parents Unit Coordinator Fast Start
• troop Committee Challenge

Upon completion of any courses, please turn in a copy of your certificate of completion to the troop training Coordinator.

Westmoreland Fayette Council periodically offers the following training programs in a classroom and/or camp setting:

• Youth Protection
• Scoutmaster Fundamentals
• Outdoor Skills
• CPR
• Wilderness First Aid (usually required for high adventure activities)
• Leave No trace
• Leave No trace trainer
• Woodbadge (advanced adult leader training program)

Troop 480 provides the first level of leadership training to our members during it's November Cabin Camp each year. Scouts who have joined the troop within the last year are encouraged to take this Junior Leader training course to earn their 'trained' patch.

The National Youth Leader training (NYLT) program is offered annually by Westmoreland Fayette council and is a whole week program at Camp Conestoga. The content of this course is sometime considered as the youth equivalent to the adult Woodbadge program.

Guidelines for recommending who should attend NYLT training:

• Scouts 14 years of age and the rand of first class
• Scouts currently holding leadership positions or scouts wanting to become future leaders
• Highly recommended all SPL and ASPL have the NYLT training
• Recommended that all Patrol Leaders ages 14 and above have NYLT training
• Any youth in the troop that demonstrate a leadership potential