Auxiliary-Sea Scout Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
The following are questions about AUXSCOUT that have been submitted by Auxiliarists and Sea Scout leaders. If you are unable to find the answer to your question, please contact Bruce Johnson, who will research the question, find the answer, and post it here.
Public Affairs
Q: We've taken photographs of Sea Scouts participating in our local Safety at Sea event. Can we use the images for Auxiliary Public Affairs?
A: Yes, if you have received a ANSC-7020A: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Boy Scouts of America Joint Photography / Video / Audio Consent Form / Release form. The form must be signed by the Sea Scout's parent or legal guardian.
Q: Should we retain the ANSC-7020A locally?
A: No. Send it to Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, 9449 Watson Industrial Park, St. Louis, MO 63126. Do not retain the form locally.
Q: If a 7020A form has previously been completed and signed on behalf of a Sea Scout, is it necessary to get another 7020A form for subsequent Auxiliary or Coast Guard events?
A: No, provided that the original form did not limit the permission period to a single event or time period.
Membership
General information about Sea Scouting
Q: I don't know much about Sea Scouts. Where can I get a good overview of the program?
A: The best two places are the Sea Scouts BSA website and Sea Scouts BSA YouTube channel. You can also request information on the Sea Scouts website.
Q: The Boy Scouts of America seems to have an odd vocabulary. Is there anywhere I can go to translate their terms into language I can understand?
A: Yes. Two places: The Language or Scouting and BSA All Terms and Style Items.
Q: How can I find Sea Scout Ships in my area?
A: Go to Find Scouting Near You. Be sure to select Sea Scouts in the left-hand box before plugging in your zip code.
Q: How can I find my local Scout council office?
A: Go to Local council locator.
Sea Scout membership in the Coast Guard Auxiliary
Q: Do Sea Scouts and adults who are members of the Auxiliary enjoy the same rights as other Auxiliarists?
A: Yes. Participants in the AUXSCOUT program, whether Scouts or Scout Leaders, who are members of the Auxiliary enjoy the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as any other Auxiliarist and are subject to the same protections and obligations of federal law and regulation as any other Auxiliarist who is assigned to duty.
Q: Are Sea Scouts who are under the age of 17 and become members of the Auxiliary considered Federal employees for the purposes outlined in 14 U.S.C. § 3904(b)?
A: Yes. Nothing in 14 U.S.C. § 3904(b) addresses the age of an Auxiliary member deemed to be a federal employee in accordance with that statute. There is no bar elsewhere to the application of that statute to Sea Scouts who are 14 years of age or older who choose to become members of the Auxiliary.
Q: Sea Scouts (<17) joining the Auxiliary. If a Sea Scout under 17 years old is interested in joining the Auxiliary within the purview of the MOA (at least 14 years old), how is their membership application (ANSC 7001) annotated to DIRAUX that they are able to join (while under age of 17).
A: 1. AUXDATA will not allow member enrollment with a date of birth that is less than 17yoa.
2. To enable AUXDATA entry for Sea Scouts younger than 17yoa, DIRAUX shall enter in AUXDATA the following date of birth for every such member: January 1, 2002
3. Every Sea Scout younger than 17yoa should therefore reflect a birthdate of January 1, 2002 in AUXDATA (until the system can be programmed to accept any type of birthdate).
Q: Sea Scouts (<17) who are Auxiliarists but drop out of Sea Scouting. If a Sea Scout under 17 years old joins the Auxiliary and then drops out of Sea Scouting, how should this be handled?
A: If a Sea Scout under the 17 years old joins the Auxiliary and then discontinues their Sea Scout membership prior to their 17th birthday, they will be disenrolled from the Auxiliary and will be ineligible for Auxiliary membership until their 17th birthday. The Sea Scout-Auxiliarist's flotilla should re-confirm their current Sea Scout registration each year at the time that annual Auxiliary membership dues are collected. If the flotilla becomes aware at any other time that the Sea Scout-Auxiliarist has discontinued his Sea Scout registration prior to his/her 17th birthday, the Change of Membership status, ANSC form 7035 should be completed to disenroll the former Sea Scout.
Q: Sea Scouts as members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association. The SOP states that all Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders in good standing are automatically are enrolled in the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association (the Association). How is this accomplished? Does BSA send their names to the Association?
A: BSA does not share its membership information with the Association. All currently registered Sea Scout members are automatically members of the Association. No paperwork is required.
Q: What uniforms should Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders wear if they are also Auxiliarists?
A: They should wear Sea Scout uniforms at Sea Scout functions when not assigned to Auxiliary duty and Auxiliary uniforms when they are assigned to duty and at all Auxiliary functions.
Auxiliary membership in the Sea Scouts
Q: Are Auxiliarists who serve as BSA adult leaders covered by the Coast Guard? Are they considered assigned to duty?
A: A member of the Auxiliary is assigned to duty when engaged in an authorized Coast Guard Auxiliary activity in accordance with Commandant policy. The AUXSCOUT program is an authorized program of the Auxiliary, but whether an Auxiliarist who is also a BSA adult leader and a registered BSA member is assigned to duty at any particular time can only be determined with reference to specific activities in which the Auxiliarist is engaged and multiple other factors surrounding those activities. Auxiliarists who are registered BSA adult leaders and who are functioning solely in that capacity may be covered by BSA liability and accident insurance.
Q: What uniforms should Auxiliarists wear if they are also Sea Scouts?
A: They should wear Sea Scout uniforms when functioning as a Sea Scout leader at Sea Scout functions and Auxiliary uniforms when functioning as an Auxiliarist.
Training
Youth Protection Training
Q: Does an Auxiliarist have to be a BSA member to take Youth Protection Training (YPT)?
A: No. YPT is availablle to anyone working with Scouts.
Q: Does YPT need to be completed by all Flotilla members before a Sea Scout Ship's membership (+ parent/lco parentis for each Scout) could be invited to attend a Flotilla meeting?
A: No. There is no need for Auxiliarists to take Youth Protection Training for Sea Scouts to attend flotilla meetings.
Q: After completing training, is there a POC that completed training is provided to within the Auxiliary? Do FC/VFC maintain records of who within Flotilla membership has completed the training?
A: See this guidance.
Q: How often must YPT training be taken by an Auxiliarist who is required to do so?
A: YPT must be completed every 24 months. YPT certification information can not be entered into AUXDATA if the certificate is older than 24 months.
Q: I've completed the YPT training but I don't see how to get a completion certificate. What do I need to do to get one?
A: BSA has changed how their online training site shows course completions. There are 2 different ways to get a completion certificate. We recommend that you use the following procedure once you have completed the course:
- Log into my.scouting.org. This will take you to training.scouting.org/home
- Click the My Learning menu tab just right of center towards the top of the page. This takes you to your My Learning page.
- In the searchbox next to My Learning type YPT and press the Enter button on your computer's keyboard.
- This will show your YPT completion. Click on its title.
- This will show your YPT completion certificate including when you completed the training. You can either print the page or do a screen capture to save a copy of your YPT completion certificate.
- Give a copy of your YPT completion certificate to your Flotilla Commander so that s/he can send it in to your Director of Auxiliary (DIRAUX) for entry into your AUXDATA II training record. NOTE: Some districts handle YPT completion entry into AUXDATA differently. Check with your DSO-AS or DSO-IS to confirm how your district handles this.
Sea Scout adult leadership training available to Auxiliarists
Q: What adult training is available to Auxiliarists?
A: See Sea Scout Leader Training & Education
Q: Can Auxiliarists who are not Sea Scout leaders attend Seabadge?
A: Yes. There is a schedule of upcoming Seabadge courses at seascout.org.
Underway training
Q: How can I take Sea Scouts out on my OPFAC for training patrol?
A: See Providing Shoreside and Underway Training Opportunities to Sea Scouts
Q: The AUXSCOUT SOP states: For any mission involving an Auxiliary facility carrying Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders who are not enrolled in the Auxiliary, the Auxiliary mission leader shall ensure the order issuing authority is aware that the facility will be carrying them as guests (e.g., names and number of Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders aboard). Does the order issuing authority only need to be aware that the facility will be carrying Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders as guests?
A: The intent of the SOP is to assure that when a request for orders is submitted the OIA is aware that the facility will be carrying Sea Scouts and/or Sea Scout leaders. It is always within the prerogative of the OIA to issue or decline to issue orders for the operation of a facility and guests may not come aboard an OPFAC under orders unless OIA has granted permission for that guest to be aboard, and all guests' names and other information has been recorded as required by the Operations Policy Manual, COMDTINST M16798.3E, Chapter 4, paragraph E.18. If the Sea Scouts do not have life jackets, they should be lent appropriate PPE for the duration of the patrol.
Q: Can a Sea Scout vessel serve as an Auxiliary platform?
A: See Chapter 1 of the Auxiliary Operations Policy Manual.
Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense training
Q: Is Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense training available online?
A: Yes. See Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense training
Auxiliary performance standards
Q: If a 15-year-old Sea Scout wants to qualify to become Boat Crew Qualified, are the requirements the same as for everyone else?
A: Yes. Performance standards are not age-specific. Everyone has to meet the same standards.
Insurance
Q: Does the BSA have any liability insurance that covers Sea Scouts?
A: The specifics of insurance coverage offered by the BSA to its members and adult leaders should be obtained directly from the BSA. BSA provides a brief summary of insurance coverage on its website. A more complete discussion of BSA insurance is found in BSA's Guide to Safe Scouting manual.
Q: Is there any insurance policy in effect by the BSA, Sea Scouts, Coast Guard Auxiliary, or Auxiliary Association, Inc. that provides liability protection for Auxiliarists that participate in the AUXSCOUT Program?
A: Pursuant to 14 U.S.C. § 3904 Auxiliarists assigned to duty who are participating in the AUXSCOUT program are entitled to the same protection of the Federal Tort Claims Act under the same conditions as an Auxiliarist assigned to duty and participating in any other authorized Coast Guard Auxiliary activity or program. The Coast Guard Auxiliary does not maintain private insurance coverage of any kind.
Q: The AUXSCOUT states: Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders who engage in Auxiliary activities pursuant to this SOP but who are not enrolled as Auxiliarists shall be recognized and treated as guests in the conduct of such Auxiliary activities. When treated as guests are non-Auxiliary Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders covered by the
Coast Guard for any activities? Does the Auxiliary have any insurance. that would cover them? Does the BSA or Sea Scouts have any liability insurance that would cover them?
A: The Auxiliary does not own any liability or workers' compensation insurance. The United States of America (USA) may be liable for personal injuries to guests or for damage to personal property belonging to guests while on board vessels of the USA, including Auxiliary operational facilities (OPF ACS) operating under orders, depending upon the facts of the occurrence. Pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the USA may be liable to third parties for property damage or personal injuries proximately caused by guests on board vessels of the USA, including OPF ACS operating under orders, depending upon the facts of the occurrence. Guests on board vessels of the USA, including OPF ACS operating under orders, are not entitled to benefits under the Federal Employment Compensation Act (FECA) solely by virtue of their presence on board that vessel.
BSA requires them to carry BSA liability and accident insurance as a condition of BSA membership. BSA provides a brief summary of insurance coverage on their website. A fuller discussion of BSA insurance is found in BSA’s Guide to Safe Scouting.
Q: Do Sea Scout Ships charted by flotillas and/or divisions have the same liability protection as does a regular Auxiliary flotilla or division? If not, is there any insurance that covers them for any Auxiliary activities?
A: Sea Scout ships chartered by units of the Coast Guard Auxiliary are not deemed entities of the United States and therefore the statutes identified at 14 U.S.C. § 3901 have no application to them. Sea Scout Ships chartered by units of the Coast Guard Auxiliary would have the same insurance coverage as any other Scout unit.
Legal status of Auxiliary-chartered Sea Scout Ships
Q: Is a chartered Sea Scout Ship a corporation or association as that term is used in 14 U.S.C. § 3907(a) and (b)?
A: Sea Scout Ships are not incorporated. BSA's Fiscal Policies and Procedures for BSA Units at its Frequently Asked Questions states that Units should not incorporate or apply for their own tax-exempt status. Sea Scout units are not legal entities.
Q: Is an Auxiliary chartered Sea Scout Ship deemed to be an instrumentality of the United States for the purposes of the Statues identified at 14 U.S.C. § 3901(b)?
A: No. Sea Scout Ships are not legal entities and are not organizational elements or units of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Q: Are Auxiliary chartered Sea Scout Ships' property considered personal property of the United States pursuant to 14 U.S.C. § 3901 ( d)?
A: The BSA states that Sea Scout Ships are not legal entities but merely extensions of the chartering entity. As discussed herein, Sea Scout Ships are not organizational units or elements of the Coast Guard Auxiliary unless 100% of its members are also enrolled in the Auxiliary, in which case the Ship will become a detachment of the chartering unit. Given the BSA' s analysis, personal property of a Sea Scout Ship chartered by the Auxiliary would belong to the chartering unit and therefore considered property of the United States for purposes of 14 u.s.c. § 3901(d).
Q: Do Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders who offer their vessels, aircraft, radios or vehicles have to be members of the Auxiliary before they can make such offer?
A: The Commandant has conferred discretion upon Directors of Auxiliary (DIRAUX) to accept a proffered Offer for Use subject to 14 U.S.C. § 3907 and also subject to Operations Policy Manual; the latter requires individual owners of potential facilities to be members of the Auxiliary; however, a DIRAUX may accept an Offer for Use of a facility with multiple owners if at least 25% of the owners are members of the Auxiliary. Under that scenario, a potential facility owned by multiple Sea Scouts or Sea Scout leaders could be accepted for use if they met the 25% ownership criteria even if the majority of owners are not Auxiliarists.
Q: A Sea Scout Ship that is chartered by an Auxiliary unit and whose Sea Scout members enroll in the Auxiliary shall be processed in AUXDATA as a Flotilla Detachment." Does such a ship and its members have the same protection as would a Flotilla detachment or other Auxiliary unit?
A: Yes, when all of its members are members of the Auxiliary it becomes a detachment of the flotilla as well as a Sea Scout Ship.
Assignment to duty
Sea Scout-Auxiliarists serving as Food Service workers at active-duty assignment
Q: Can Auxiliarist-Sea Scouts work as Food Service workers in active duty sites? If so, who should have the adult training since they would be interacting with all the active duty?
A: For Auxiliarist-Sea Scouts under the age of 17 they are certainly allowed to qualify as Food Service workers and serve in that capacity at active duty site. The person(s) responsible for their training would have to complete the BSA Youth Protection Training (YPT) and have that completion recorded in their Auxdata record. (Once they’re completed the YPT training, they should provide a copy of their completion certificate to their FSO-IS or SO-IS for insertion in their Auxdata record.)
The individual(s) responsible for administering their work (e.g., SO-FS and VFC) are required to complete YPT. Additionally, the Auxiliarist-Sea Scout should be accompanied by at least 2 adults, at least one of whom is the same gender as the Auxiliarist-Sea Scout. The 2 adults need not be Auxiliarists (can be Sea Scout leaders or parents), and at least one must have completed YPT. This is to satisfy both BSA’s and the CG’s requirement that there never be a one-on-one situation with Auxiliarst-Sea Scouts under the age of 17.
Local collaboration
Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla works with a Sea Scout Ship
Q: What are some ideas for working with a Sea Scout Ship (unit) or council Sea Scout program?
A: See Sea Scouts
Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla or division charters a Sea Scout Ship
Q: What are the steps for a flotilla that wants to sponsor a Sea Scout Ship (unit)?
A: See Sponsor a Sea Scout Ship
Q: Can a division AND a flotilla within the same division both sponsor Sea Scout Ships?
A: Yes.
Q: Can an aviation flotilla charter a Sea Scout Ship?
A: Yes, but the focus would need to be on Sea Scouting, not aviation.
Q: Can a flotilla or division charter a single-gender (i.e. all female or all male) Sea Scout Ship?
A: No. The Auxiliary will not charter single-gender Sea Scout Ships. This Coast Guard Auxiliary policy was articulated by the Auxiliary National Executive Committee on 1 MAR 2023. Chartering a single-gender Sea Scout Ship would also violate Commandant Linda Fagan's 11 JUL 2022 Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy Statement. Although the AUXSCOUT SOP allows the Auxiliary to provide training and other support to all Sea Scout Ships, local Auxiliary units are not permitted to charter single-gender Ships.
Q: Is it necessary for a Sea Scout Ship to own a vessel?
A: No. Many Sea Scout Ships borrow vessels from private individuals or organizations. Many newer Ships are choosing to focus on Canoeing and Kayaking, which fits in well with the Auxiliary's AUXPAD program. Finally, many Ships receive offers of donated boats. Check with the local Sea Scout organization or BSA council service center to ensure that you are handling this correctly.
Hold joint training events
Q: Is there any training that my flotilla or division can provide to Sea Scouts aside from public education classes?
A: Yes. Safety at Sea Weekends are hosted annually by Coast Guard or Auxiliary units in a variety of locations. These events are popular with both the Sea Scouts and the Team Coast Guard personnel. Some areas also hold winter training weekends with the assistance of the Auxiliary. These events deliver Sea Scouts great training at times of the year when it may be too cold to get underway.
Logistics
Vessels for flotilla- or division-chartered Sea Scout Ships
Q: Is it necessary for a Sea Scout Ship to own the vessels it uses?
A: No. Many Ships borrow boats from private individuals, such as OPFACs used by flotilla members. Alternatively, vessels are often available from Scout camps, yacht clubs, and outside groups. Experience tells us that focusing on owning boats by new Sea Scout Ships often makes it difficult to run other aspects of the Ship program.
Q: Can a flotilla- or division-chartered Sea Scout Ship own its vessels?
A: Follow Auxiliary Manual instructions for requesting permission for this. This can be handled either through the Auxiliary Association (CGAuxA, Inc.) using AUXMAN section M.1.b, or through the district's Coast Guard Auxiliary corporation using AUXMAN section M.2.b. Check with the District Commodore to confirm how they want this handled. The point of contact with the CGAuxA is CDR Suzanne Herman, USCG (Ret.), Chief Development Officer.
Finance
Q: Where can I find information on BSA unit fiscal policies?
A: The Fiscal Policies and Procedures for BSA Units FAQs is available online.
Q: Should our Sea Scout Ship have a checking account?
A: Yes. Unit funds should be deposited in a checking account that requires two signatures on every check unless the chartered organization requires other procedures.
Q: Does our Sea Scout Ship have its own tax identification number? If so, where do we get it?
A: Most units obtain their own tax ID number by completing IRS Form SS-4. The current form and instructions are available on the IRS website. The chartered organization should be the “responsible party.” Contact your chartered organization for written permission. Contact your local council for more information. The Ship is not tax-exempt, and should not indicate tax-exempt on the SS-4. It should indicate that the EIN is for banking purposes only.
Recording AUXDATA hours
Q: Are we tracking the hours of Sea Scouts and Sea Scout leaders who are not Auxiliarists?
A: No. We’re only recording hours for Auxiliarists. We are not trying to capture names or hours of non-Auxiliarists on any forms.
Q: I delivered a talk about the AUXSCOUT program. In attendance there were approximately 20 Auxiliarists who were not Sea Scout leaders, and 5 Auxiliarists who were Sea Scout leaders. Exactly how would you code the hours?
A: Your hours would be recorded on the 7030 form using a 10B mission code. Add AUXSCO1 to the Operations Code box if you are NOT BSA-registered, and AUXSCO2 to the Operations Code box if you ARE BSA-registered. Auxiliarists in the audience should record their hours on their respective 7029 form, using AUXSCO1 in the Operations Code box if you are not BSA-registered, and AUXSCO2 in the Operations Code box for those hours if you are BSA-registered.
A: For the purposes of this discussion, we are only interested in capturing Auxiliarists’ hours related to working with Sea Scouts or administering the AUXSCOUT program. So, if an Auxiliarist is not a Sea Scout or Sea Scout leader, s/he will use the AUXSCO1 code ONLY when teaching Sea Scouts who are not Auxiliarists, or when administering the AUXSCOUT program. An example could be teaching a group of Sea Scouts man overboard drill.
Q: I am an Auxiliarist who is also a Sea Scout leader. Should I use the AUXSCO2 code for everything I do?
A: Yes. You will add AUXSCO2 to the Operations Code box for all Auxiliary missions.
