YPT & Recharter

[BrendonHoch]

YPT certification is good for 2 years. But our council requires all volunteers to be YPT eligible at recharter for the entire upcoming calendar year. This has the adverse effect of essentially requiring all volunteers to repeat YPT training annually. I’m all in favor of YPT, but it does take time to go through the course, time that is valuable to many of our adult volunteers. It would be great if one or more of the following things could happen:

• Council allows any volunteer who is currently YPT trained to be eligible for recharter.

• Allow volunteers who have taken initial YPT training to take a shorter “refresher” course.

• Allow YPT training eligibility to last 3 years instead of 2.

Make no mistake, YPT is critically important. So is the precious time of our adult volunteers.

Brendon

[DougWright]

Another alternative would be to make YPT good for 15 months and require it to last throughout the registration year. Then everyone would take it between Aug and Nov for units that turn in recharters in December.

Yes, annual completion of YPT is a pain. But not nearly as bad as picking up the pieces after a predator.

[SteveCagigas]

I recommend you take this up with your local council, since it’s a council requirement. Getting everyone here to agree with you won’t influence National on YPT requirements, nor your local council.

[PeterHopkins]

@BrendonHoch, that is a decision your council has made with clear intent, They want every volunteer to take YPT every year, and they have instituted that rule to make it happen. This could have something to do with the council’s history or the composition of those charged with its governance. Once they’ve made a decision like this, any change you ask them to make will be viewed be them as compromising on safety. If they routinely “brag” to the public that all their leaders are YPT certified annually, how will they sell it, if they no longer require this? It’s very hard to walk something like this backwards.

It is also possible the council pays less for insurance by requiring annual YPT certification. If that’s the case, it is hard to imagine they would consider paying more for insurance or even going to their insurer to tell them they’ve relaxed the rule.