Counselors Print

Highlights:

 

Counselors do not lead meetings, our Scouts do

Counselors are always on hand to ensure health and safety

Counselors go through a comprehensive background check

 

Counselors are adults who volunteer to assist our Scouts and teams.

 

What a Counselor Does

 

Teams are coordinated by an adult who serves as Team Counselor.  The Counselors follow the direction of the Team Counselor who is in charge. Counselors serve in much the same capacity and should be ready to step up and serve as Team Counselor if the Team Counselor is ill or cannot attend a meeting.

 Our Counselors counsel the Scouts rather than dictating the activities and programs of the Team.  Our Team Counselors observe, facilitate, and counsel Scouts, and intervene when appropriate to ensure our Scouts’ adventures are safe.  Their first responsibility is to keep our Scouts and members safe and having FUN.  In fact, everyone involved with the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA has the responsibility for prioritizing health and safety.  

We believe our Scouts are not just the future, they are also part of the present.  Consequently, our Scouts have the opportunity during team meetings to determine what they want to do.  Our Counselors act as facilitators to help the Scouts achieve their desired outcome. As facilitators, it is the Counselor’s responsibility to skillfully assist their team's Scout leadership and Scouts to achieve what they choose, rather than what the Counselors might have chosen.  Our Counselors remind the Scouts of their objectives and only when necessary, for health and safety concerns intercede.  Our Counselors, since they serve as facilitators rather than as decision makers, introduce a heightened level of enthusiasm to the Scouts of their team. 

It is our Scouts and their personal growth that is the primary focus of our Counselors. We encourage our Counselors to share positive life experiences, thereby forging a stronger Scout-Counselor bond. There are few more rewarding experiences than for our Counselors to have an opportunity to play a part in developing the unique potential in each of our Scouts. To do so successfully they must be prepared to deal with the reality of their own character, interests, skills, and relationships. Looking deeply within one’s self permits helping others to do the same.

Training 

It is a requirement of the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA that all Counselors receive diversity, disability, and program training as a part of their normal leadership training.  Our Counselors also voluntarily participate in additional leadership training to further enhance their skills and talents.  Our voluntary and required leadership training permits our Counselors to better serve as positive role models and to encourage in our Scouts the value that character does count.  We encourage our Counselors to acquire new experience by acquiring new skills.

 

Our Counselors must:

·        Be of good character and want to positively inspire themselves and others;

·        Agree to uphold the Spirit and Promise of Adventure Scouts USA;

·        Agree to follow the policies, philosophies, and practices of the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA.

 

The membership application entails:

·        Completion of registration and application materials;

·        Payment of fees;

·        A signed consent form authorizing a comprehensive background check.

 

The Team Sponsor Committee shall consider individuals who will: 

  • gladly undergo a background check, if selected
  • be the best influence on the Scouts and Members of their sponsored Team,
  • have as their top priorities the health, safety, and protection of all Scouts and Members,
  • agree to report allegations of inappropriate behavior
  • agree to follow the principles and guidelines of the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA and the Team Sponsor,
  • regularly communicate with the Team Sponsor and their Committee,
  • regularly communicate with all levels of the Scout Program,
  • regularly communicate with the leadership of the Team, Parent Partners and volunteers,
  • demonstrate leadership and encourage others to develop their leadership skills,
  • earn the respect of others rather than demand it,
  • demonstrate good character and encourage others to act with good character,
  • encourage and be willing to involve family members of Scouts and others who might be interested,
  • appreciate suggestions and value participation by others,
  • properly delegate all tasks,
  • facilitate the activities of the Team,
  • undertake training to improve their skills and abilities, and
  • encourage and support the organizing, creating, and leading of the Team, including its meetings, programs, and activities by the Scouts.

  Background Checks

 For the safety of our Scouts, we have one of the most rigorous screening processes of any youth organization anywhere.  We require a background check for every adult working with Scouts, and no adult in our Scout Programs may be alone with one child ever, unless they are parenting that child. Advantages to Being a Counselor Serving as a Counselor is a rewarding experience which involves helping our Scouts to help themselves. Counselors find that as a result of working with our Scouts they feel younger and enjoy the opportunity to continue to learn.  Our Counselors receive support that enables them to have a fast start to help the Scouts.  The support our Counselors receive is also relevant to their life, and to their job or career.  They also appreciate the opportunity to network with others.

 Evaluation 

As a consequence of our Scouts choosing, organizing, and leading their own meetings, programs, and activities, we believe Counselors can and should be evaluated for giving their best by the Scouts in their team. Giving one’s best is the standard used to evaluate our Scouts.  Therefore, each of our Counselors are periodically evaluated by our Scouts of the team in a positive constructive way for identifying Counselor strengths and weaknesses and in what ways each might better have more to offer and to positively improve.