As the summer months approach, the Scouting program is alive and well in Northeast Ohio. We have been receiving questions and requests for guidance about when our units can start meeting again. We are happy to announce that we have received guidance from the CDC as well as the State of Ohio to release guidelines for units to begin meeting and to participate in non-camping activities.
Safeguards for restarting:
1. If the unit is not yet ready to meet, we continue to encourage virtual meetings. There are several free media platforms that accommodate virtual meetings. You must follow all youth protection policies and guidelines for online meetings including having multiple adults over the age of 21 present the entire time. If both male and female youth are on the same conferencing event, one adult of each gender must also actively participate. As a reminder, make sure youth are never being recorded or filmed.
2. It is important that your unit committee develops its own COVID-19 safety plan and it is shared with your Chartered Organization in order to receive further guidance and permission to begin meeting in person. Your Chartered Organization may have its own policies and requirements on meetings. At a minimum, this plan should address the guidelines listed below including but not limited to transportation, maintaining social distancing, wearing face coverings, taking attendance, and sanitization. It is important this plan is communicated to each of your Scouting families. Although not required, it may be an excellent learning opportunity for the Patrol Leaders Council, Crew Officers or Ship Officers to participate in drafting and preparing the plan.
3. Be sensitive to all families and consider offering a hybrid (both in-person and virtual) program opportunities to ensure all Scouts can participate. Parents should only resume Scouting when they are comfortable. Scouts must be able to continue to be members in good standing and accrue tenure by participating in-person or virtually with the unit if parents state they are not yet comfortable having their youth participate in-person. Parents are highly encouraged to ask their unit leadership questions about the unit's plan to restart in-person Scouting safely and a unit should ONLY begin meeting if social distancing can be ensured.
4. The plan should include a COVID-19 communication strategy. It should include a plan for if a member of the unit or their family tests positive for COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone who has tested positive and also a contact tracing plan. Despite all precautionary measures, there is always a risk of exposure to communicable diseases. For guidance, please refer to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/open-america/contact-tracing/index.html
5. Please follow local, state, and federal guidelines as it pertains to participation in activities. There are specific guidelines that continue to be set for activities such as museum visits, national, county, municipal, and state parks, zoos, and amusement parks. These guidelines can quickly change, so always check local, state, and federal guidelines before you participate in activities.
6. When transporting Scouts, carpooling is not yet allowed as only families can travel together. If a unit is planning an activity outside the State of Ohio, please also be aware of certain travel restrictions other states may have including the need for self-quarantining. Learn more about travel guidelines here.
7. While non-camping activities and meetings can resume, there is NO overnight camping allowed outside of Beaumont Scout Reservation Resident Camp or other BSA Camps authorized to be open by the rules of their State or other jurisdiction. We will communicate with our families with procedures and guidelines once those restrictions are lifted. Unit's who choose to camp independently when it is not permitted by the State, will not be covered by liability insurance that normally covers leaders and the supplement health insurance that covers leaders and Scouts will not be in effect during those camping activities.
8. Units may not provide homecooked meals or serve commercially purchased food. Outside of resident camp, food for activities should be purchased and prepared by the Scout's individual family.
9. When meeting as a group please remember:
· To maintain social distancing and limit group sizes to 10 or fewer. As with summer camp, we encourage troops to follow the patrol method and split large groups into patrols of under ten people and maintain social distancing between patrols. Packs can split into smaller dens of 10 or under while meeting in large groups. With summer approaching, large outdoor spaces are a more ideal place to meet. Again, please make sure there are no restrictions with your desired meeting venue.
· To wear face coverings.
· To sanitize the meeting area as well as the equipment used for each activity.
· To keep attendance for both youth and adults in case contact tracing is needed.
· To adhere to Youth Protection Policies.
· To ensure hand sanitizer is available (either supplied by the unit or requiring each person to bring their own) with unit and youth leaders encouraging regular use.
· To encourage everyone to wash their hands with soap and water if available for at least 20 seconds.
There is also additional guidance that can be found at:
· https://www.scouting.org/coronavirus
While we know these guidelines make Scouting look a little different than normal, we must adhere to these changes for everyone's safety. We look forward to helping our units begin to meet and participate in activities again. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you need any help. As more updates become available, we will continue to update you accordingly.
Yours in Scouting,
Greg Voyzey
Director of Field Services
Lake Erie Council
Don Groszek
Council Commissioner
Lake Erie Council
