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providing_shoreside_and_underway_training_opportunities

Sea Scouts learning firefighting techniques

Providing shoreside and underway training to Sea Cadets and Sea Scouts

The following gives guidance for providing shoreside and underway training opportunities to Sea Cadets and Sea Scouts in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, and the Memorandum of Agreement between the Auxiliary and the Boy Scouts of America.

The scope of training is a subset of standard Auxiliary boat crew and coxswain qualification tasks. It is recommended that Auxiliary boat crews be selected for their ability to mentor boat crew and coxswain trainees, as well as having prior experience working with youth or younger trainees through the Coast Guard Auxiliary or other youth-serving organizations.

Getting started

  1. All members of the Auxiliary crew (including the coxswain) must carefully read the Memorandum of Understanding (if working with Sea Cadets) or Memorandum of Agreement (if working with Sea Scouts) and understand what the agreement says. Further, the crew and coxswain must carefully read the information provided on this page.
  2. All members of the Auxiliary crew (including the coxswain) must successfully complete the Venturing Leader Youth Protection Training available online from the Boy Scouts of America. Visit Youth Protection Training for additional instructions for accomplishing this task. Your Director of Auxiliary (DIRAUX) may require that the completion certificate from this course be added to your AUXDATA record.
  3. For underway training opportunities, the Coxswain must alert the order issuing authority that the facility will be carrying “x” number of Sea Cadets or Sea Scouts. If the nature of the patrol does not lend itself to training, the order issuing authority will make that determination and let the Coxswain know.
  4. For underway training opportunities involving Sea Scouts, the Scouts or their leader must provide evidence that a Local Tour Permit has been issued by the local Scout Council.
  5. The final, absolute admonition is that no Auxiliarist shall ever put themselves in a one-on-one situation with a Sea Scout or Sea Cadet youth member. This is for the protection of both the youth and the Auxiliarist.

The process for bringing Sea Scouts and Sea Cadets on board OPFACs under orders is the same as bringing any guest on board, and is covered in the Operational Policy Manual, COMDTINST M16798.3E, Chapter 4, paragraph E.18. Sea Scouts and Sea Cadets should be provided with life jackets with appropriate impact ratings, and equipped with the same PPE as Auxiliarists.

OPFACs with Sea Cadets or Sea Scouts on board should not be tasked with search-and-rescue duties. In the unlikely event that an OPFAC with Sea Scouts or Sea Cadets aboard must respond to an incident, the youth must not be involved in the operation.

Ground rules

Sea Cadets train with District 11 Northern Auxiliarists

  • Auxiliary facilities used for Sea Scout or Sea Cadet training must be operated under orders with at least the minimum crew on board.
  • The number of Sea Cadets or Sea Scouts aboard must not exceed the number of crew. For example, if there are two Auxiliarist crew aboard, there should be no more than two Sea Cadets or Sea Scouts aboard.
  • At no time is it permissible for one Auxiliarist to be alone with one youth.
  • The Coxswain has total discretion at all times to determine whether Sea Scouts or Sea Cadets are participating appropriately in a training opportunity. If the Coxswain determines that any youth’s behavior is inconsistent with carrying out the mission, the Coxswain is encouraged to return the youth to the dock or abort the mission as appropriate.
  • Providing underway training to Sea Cadets and Sea Scouts will be determined by the local Coast Guard Auxiliary district (i.e., District Commodore and Director of Auxiliary).

Implementation guidelines

References

Youth protection

Contributed by

Bruce Johnson, DIR-B - Flotilla 22-02, 5th District (Southern Region)

providing_shoreside_and_underway_training_opportunities.txt · Last modified: 2018/04/28 07:20 by bc-bri