BSA published (Oct, 2015, revised March, 2021) a Scouter Code of Conduct to guide adult volunteers during their tenure. Adhering to all aspects of this Scouter Code of Conduct will serve to assist an adult volunteer in meeting the requisite standard of care toward those Scouts during an activity.
For example, the BSA Scouter Code of Conduct requires an adult volunteer, among other things, to do the following:
- Remain current in, be familiar with, and follow youth protection guidelines;
- Obey traffic laws and follow safe driving practices;
- Be familiar with and follow the Guide to Safe Scouting;
- Be familiar with and follow the BSA S.A.F.E. criteria.
The Scouter Code of Conduct now resides at the front of the Guide to Safe Scouting.
Inherent in BSA’s Scouter Code of Conduct is an obligation to exercise risk management principles in the planning and conduct of the outdoor program.
Indeed, in the case of a 14 year old Scout who was killed by a tree which fell on his tent during a violent storm during June, 2018, in a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit filed by his parents against BSA and the local council, among other breaches alleged to have occurred (Guide to Safe Scouting, Weather Hazards, the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety, and the Camp’s own policies), it was also alleged that the defendants failed to follow the Scouter Code of Conduct.
Safe Scouting!