[Ansteorra-announce] New Policy Regarding Background Checks

[Duchess Julia]

Greetings Ansteorra!

Below you will find information from Master Aaron Swiftrunner, Society
Seneschal and Vice-President of Operations, regarding a new policy
that will soon be put into place.  The confidential background checks will
be performed by a  third-party vendor at an estimated cost of $10 (each).
Specific details from the background check will not be shared or released to
anyone not even SCA Corporate by the 3rd party vendor, only a pass/fail
status.

By no means is this policy complete.  I will be forwarding more information
to the List as it becomes available.  In the meantime, feel free to email me
with any questions.

Julia
Kingdom Seneschal

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Background checks to work with youth

In response to repeated occurences of the SCA having to deal with abuse of
minors by SCA participants, risk to our membership from such predatorial
behavior, and legal liabilities if we fail to execute proper due
diligence, the SCA will be implementing a background check program to
minimize risk of harm to our people and the organization. This program
will revolve around conducting--via a properly licensed vendor--background
checks on all persons wishing to serve in a leadership or supervisory
position where minors are expected to be taking direction from--or be in
the direct control of adults who are not their parent or legal guardian.

An example of officials who must receive the background check are:  Youth
activities officers at all levels, Adults acting as youth marshals for any
martial activity, persons organizing/in charge of youth activities for an
event.

These checks will return a pass/fail status.  A pass status will cause the
corporate office to issue a card good for two years that must be presented
in order to be accepted as an official as described above.

It is expected that this process will be streamlined and simplified as
much as possible without invalidating the value of the background checks
themselves.  The cost of the checks will be billed back to the Kingdoms
whose programs these volunteers are supporting.

It is worth noting that these measures are less stringent than those being
used today by the Boy Scouts of America.

Further details, to include the actual process and an implement-by date
will accompany the implementing guidelines to be issued after the April
Board Meeting.

Aaron Faheud Swiftrunner of the Stone Keep OL OP
c/o George L. Reed

Society Seneschal and Vice President of Operations
SCA, Inc.
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