You are receiving this message because you are (or have recently been) listed as a volunteer or employee providing support to Western Region or Manitoba Scouting as a:
  • Group Commissioner or Registrar
  • Group Treasurer or Administrator
  • Group Support Scouter
  • Scouting Relationship Manager
  • Member of a Council Key3 or
  • Member Services Administrator or Registrar

Please share this if you think someone who should have received it may have been missed. (e.g. someone with a recent role change, or who may have previously unsubscribed)

Tomorrow (16 September) new member "Sign Up" opens for Free Trial

Coming soon: Participant Registration for 2021
In This Issue
  • Setting Group Fees
  • Registering Volunteers under 18
  • Sending PRCs
  • Transferring Participants
Action Items
Details explaining these Action Items follow in the newsletter


If you have not already done so, on or BEFORE 15 September, please...
  • "Sign Up" your own continuing participant-children to extend their program year and/or get in on early registration for 2021

  • Be aware Participant status updates for 2020 extensions occur nightly (not immediately)

  • "Sign Up" yourself to renew your Scouter roles

  • Read and accept the new Code of Conduct - noting the addition of Covid-protocol information

  • Check Scouter Approval feature for Scouters pending "GCap"

  • Be aware there is a time-delay after meeting requirements before roles are "Active"; updates are hourly

  • Check your Section details including (especially) "Max Participants" numbers 2020 and for 2021

  • If you plan to charge a Group Fee, set it up

  • Get parents to register youth volunteers under 18

  • Run "Membership Listings" reports to see who is confirmed and who is not yet; follow-up as appropriate

  • If appropriate, transfer participants between Sections in your Group

  • Run "Volunteer Readiness" reports to ensure your volunteers are registered/renewed and Ready to Serve.

  • Help ensure Police Records Checks (PRCs) are completed and sent in within allowed time-frame

  • Get your annual financial reporting started, completed, reviewed and ready be submitted before the end of November 2020
[email protected] is the shared email address for Member Services Registrars in Western Canada.

Please:
  • Use [email protected] to seek support with Registration, Readiness and MyScouts
  • (Do not use the individual email addresses of MS Registrars unless replying to a message sent to you by one of us using our own email addresses)
  • Note that the email address now directs through the Helpcentre - making it easier for us to track your inquiries
  • Use clear subject lines to highlight your needs (e.g. "BackCheck Invitation request", "Scouter training status inquiry", "Youth volunteer registration help", "Group Committee role change needed", "References status check"); indicating your Council and Group can be helpful too
  • Include names if you're asking about or inquiring on behalf of a particular Scouter, parent or youth
  • Trust that we do our very best to respond in a timely manner and in the order received
  • Be aware that you may receive replies from Member Services Registrars in other parts of the country (and that we in turn may provide support to other parts of the country) depending on regional volume. The aim here is to equalize support to all of our members and prospective member-families.


A note about using our individual email addresses:

We are forwarding to [email protected] messages received through our individual email accounts. If you send directly to WestReg, you'll likely get a reply sooner than sending to us and being forwarded.
Group Fees
Reminder: Groups will receive $15 from National fee for 2021
If you'll be expecting Group fees, please set yours up now
Groups may opt to charge additional fees to help off-set their program costs.

If you will not charge an additional fee to be collected with registration, you do not have to set up the Group fee. It is no longer necessary for the fee to be set for Volunteers, nor even for Participants unless your Group decides to charge and sets up an additional fee.

If you choose to do so, here's how to be sure you're set up properly and ready for registration:

Group Commissioner, Registrar or Treasurer:
  • Log into your MyScouts account
  • Access your Group profile by clicking on the Group name on either your "My Roles" tab or in your "My Organizations" box in the lower left of your dashboard
  • In your Group profile > left side menu > under "Org Options, click to "Add Fee"
  • In the popup window, set:
  • Member Type = Participant
  • Registration Year = 2020-2021
  • Amount = your choice (only the extra amount; do not include the National fee)
  • From = current date (the date you're doing the set up)
  • To = the last day someone who registers should be charged your fee

Using the current date doesn't mean that anyone who registers or "signs up" now will have to pay; it just ensures that when registration opens, your fee will be ready to go.

If you'll charge different fees at different times of the year, be sure the Member Type and Registration year are consistent, and be careful with the date ranges. (Paying special attention to the years.)

Fees collected through registration will be deposited from the National "One Scouts" account by electronic fund transfer (EFT) in the latter part of the month after the registration was completed. (e.g. Registration completed in November > Deposit in December)
Register a Volunteer under 18
This youth Scouter can't renew.
Youth under 18 require annual parental consent to volunteer so they cannot renew the way adult volunteers do.

Before beginning a volunteer application for a youth under 18...

Parents of prospective new youth volunteers (including youth who are already registered as Participants) must have:
  • The email address their youth want to use for Scouting (which must be unique - as in: not already in use on another account in MyScouts)
  • A list of five people, their email addresses and relationship to the youth indicated - none may be a relative of the youth - for additional details about suitable references, please see our Volunteer Screening Procedure Item 5 (all) and Item 4d.

Parents of previously screened youth Scouters joining another Group (or Council team) as a volunteer must have:
  • The name, email address and preferred phone number of the youth's (previous) Group Commissioner - unless the GC is a relative, in which case Section Scouter - to serve as the (only) required new reference.

To register new and continuing youth volunteers under 18, parents:
  • Log into their own profiles
  • Click the "Register as Volunteer" button from the left side menu or "Volunteer" in the upper right corner of the dashboard
  • Use the Find a Group search to locate the Group/Section with which the youth will work (If role will only be with Group Committee, parent may choose any Section; youth will have to be moved to Group Committee by [email protected]).
  • Select the Section by clicking to "Register as Volunteer"
  • Confirm the Scouting year
  • When prompted for who to register, choose the youth OR if the youth hasn't previously been involved with Scouting, choose "New Member"
  • Review the existing on-record information about the youth, updating as may be required (particularly important: email address)
  • Read and accept the Terms and Conditions of Membership, and Scouter Agreement
  • For new volunteers and new-to-team volunteers, enter reference(s).

As indicated above, it's not possible to register directly to a Group Committee or Council team, so role changes may be needed. For help with this, contact [email protected]

Once registered, the youth:
  • May need to use "I Forgot My Password" to gain access to the account
  • Should make sure the account into which the youth is logging it actually the youth's account (i.e. youth's name appears under Scouts Canada logo)
  • Will be prompted to accept the Code of Conduct (unless it has been previously accepted for another role)
  • Will be able to access the David Huestis Learning Centre to complete or review training

Reminder:

As Group Commissioners and Registrars, you must not "Register a Volunteer" - neither for youth nor for adults.
Transfer Participants
What's this: a "Transfer Participants" tab?
As just about everyone who's been in MyScouts in recent weeks knows, we've had some troubles.

This morning I got some of the best MyScouts-related news I've heard in a while: Participants tabs are again showing "Active" Participants and most Sections are able to access/use the "Transfer Participants" tabs to move youth between Sections in their own Group.

Transfers to other Groups still require assistance from [email protected].

Requests for Group-to-Group transfers are preferred from the Group accepting the youth.

To use the "Transfer Participants" tab:
  • Access the Section profile where the youth is/are registered either via "Find an Organization" or the "Child Orgs" tab in the Group profile (or on your "My Roles" tab if you're also Scouter in the Section)
  • Click on the "Transfer Participants" tab
  • Locate the youth you need to move (You can move multiple youth to different Sections as part of the same batch)
  • Change the Action to "Transfer Only"
  • Change the Section to show to where the youth should be moved
  • When all selections have been made, click to "Submit request" at the bottom of the list tab

Be aware:
  • You do not have to change your "Max Participants" numbers to move Participants between Sections in your own Group (nor if you request moves to your Group by [email protected]), however...
  • Space(s) vacated by the youth transferred out will become available as soon as the transfer has been completed in MyScouts. If Waitlists exist, the next person on the list will be notified of the space.
Volunteer Readiness Reports
Are your Scouters "Ready"?
In recent weeks, you may have heard a lot of advice pointing to the Membership Listings report.

Now it's time to get to the real powerhouse of MyScouts reports: The Volunteer Readiness Report. This report is an essential administrative tool. It helps you track new and continuing volunteers, and their screening and training including:
  • Whether they meet the basic requirements
  • When certain items are due to expire (e.g. Police Records Checks, Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders training, Child Abuse Registry checks)
  • Who is in which Section and role
  • How many years of Service they've provided
  • and more.

Right now, we encourage you to run and check your own Volunteer Readiness Reports keying on:
  • Status: "Not Renewed" (If there isn't also an "Active" or "Pending" 2021 role) - these folks need to be nudged to renew or re-register
  • Anything that shows "Expired" or expiring soon needs attention
  • Any role showing "Yes" for Compliant but "Pending" status - check the "GCap" column further to the right to see if you need to action something in the Scouter Approval feature**

**Reminder about approvals of Group Commissioners: these have to be done via the Area's Scouter Approval feature. Tip: the Hierarchy column on the Readiness report will tell you the Area with which the Group is (still) associated in MyScouts Hierarchy.
Police Records Checks (PRC)
Originals are still preferred but Scans may be Accepted
For Mail - AB, MB, NWT, SK

Scouts Canada - Prairies Service Centre
2140 Brownsea Dr NW
Calgary, AB  T2N 3G9
For Mail - BC, YT

Scouts Canada - BCY
PO Box 97206 Stn Main
Richmond, BC  V6X 8H3
Both addresses will accept PRCs from any of the Western Provinces, but these are the recommended destinations. Mail is checked regularly (though not necessarily daily).

Please do not mail to or drop off screening documents at the Edmonton office.
For Scans:

Scans of paper Police Records Check (PRC) results certificates may be accepted from “Active” Council/Group Commissioners, Council-assigned Group Support Scouters and Relationship Managers provided:
1




2.


3.
In the email to which the scan is attached, they include:
  • The statement that, “I have viewed the original police screening document, and the attached scan was created from that original.”
  • The sender’s name, role and applicable Group/Council.

The scanned document is not for the person sending it; individuals cannot verify their own scans. (i.e. If the scan is for a GC, it has to come from a GSS or RM.)

Where multiple pages are indicated, the applicable pages must be included - ideally as part of the same scan rather than individual pdfs. (i.e. If the bottom of their first page indicates, “Page 1 of 2”, there must also be one that shows “Page 2 of 2”.)
Where PRC results are sent as scans directly to applicants, please reply to the email and ask the detachment to forward your results to [email protected].

This does not apply to PRCs:
  • Completed through online systems like Calgary and Winnipeg Police Service's ePIC, or BackCheck; we access these services directly.
  • Sent as a link that provides downloadable and verifiable results (as used by Edmonton Police Services and some others); forward the original email with link to us
  • Completed through the BC Ministry if the applicant chooses electronic results sharing. (If you opt for paper, mail or the scanning procedure applies.)

About BackCheck:

People should not be applying on their own. Using a Scouts Canada link (found in an Expiring PRC email sent to that individual) or an invitation (requested from / provided by [email protected]) ensures that the:
  • Applicant is eligible to use the service
  • Fee charged is reduced (total is approximately $20 plus tax)
  • Appropriate searches are completed
  • Results are accessible to us
Please note:

  • Pdf scans are preferred over photos/jpegs

  • Scans will be rejected if incomplete, not easily legible, received at Service Centre more than three months from search results date, search was completed for another organization, or otherwise does not meet Scouts Canada PRC standards as outlined in item 7 of the Volunteer Screening Procedure.

  • Sender will be notified if a scan is rejected and the reason(s).


Please help us by:

  • Ensuring that the name (or alias) on the document matches the name on the person’s MyScouts profile. 

  • Where the names are significantly different, contacting the individual to confirm match-to-profile and making the person aware that the name on the profile must be edited to show legal name. 

  • Editing the name on the person’s MyScouts profile to show legal name (plus preferred name in all caps, if applicable) OR by providing the name as listed in MyScouts in the email verifying the scan so that we can assist with the edit.
  • E.g. Member goes by “John Doe” but given name is “Gordon Jonathan Doe”, in Contact Info > First name field: Gordon JOHN
  • E.g. Member goes by “Jenny Lee” but given name is “Jingyi Lee”, in the Contact info > First name field: Jingyi JENNY

  • Using a clear subject line when sending scans (e.g. PRC - DOE, John *attached*, or perhaps better still by indicating council: FVC - PRC: DOE, John *attached*)

Final Notes:

When scans are accepted, Group Commissioner should be returning original documents to applicant or shredding them at the applicant's request. Groups should not be holding on to these personal documents.

This procedure is new as are many of the ways in which different jurisdictions process PRCs and provide results, so the procedure may be subject to change.