Providing Shoreside and Underway Training Opportunities to Sea Scouts

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Sea Scouts learning damage control techniques
The following gives guidance for providing shoreside and underway training opportunities to Sea Scouts in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association.

Any public education or member training is potentially available to Sea Scouts, though some training may not be related to Sea Scout advancement requirements. Local Auxiliary units are encouraged to reach out to local Sea Scout units to offer both public education and member training opportunities to Sea Scout youth and adults. For underway training, 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

  • All members of the Auxiliary crew (including the coxswain) must carefully read the MOA and understand what the agreement says. Further, the crew and coxswain must carefully read the information provided on the AUXSCOUT Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
  • All members of the Auxiliary crew (including the coxswain) must successfully complete the “Youth Protection Training” available online from the Boy Scouts of America. Click here for additional instructions for accomplishing this task. Your Flotilla Commander must forward your YPT completion certificate to your Director of Auxiliary ("DIRAUX") for entry into your AUXDATA record.
  • For underway training opportunities, the Coxswain must alert the order issuing authority that the facility will be carrying Sea Scouts and provide their names. 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.
  • The final, absolute admonition is that no Auxiliarist shall ever put themselves in a one-on-one situation with a Sea Scout youth member. This is for the protection of both the youth and the Auxiliarist.

The process for bringing Sea Scouts on board OPFACs under orders is the same as bringing any guest on board, and is covered in 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.

OPFACs with Sea Scouts on board should not be tasked with SAR duties. In the unlikely event that an OPFAC with Sea Scouts must respond to an incident, the youth must not be involved in the operation.

Ground Rules

  1. Auxiliary facilities used for Sea Scout training must be operated under orders with at least the minimum crew on board.
  2. The number of 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 2 Sea Scouts aboard.
  3. At no time is it permissible for one Auxiliarist to be alone with one youth.
  4. The Coxswain has total discretion at all times to determine whether Sea Scouts 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.

Implementation Guidelines

Recommended Training Activities

Following is a table that shows which Auxiliary public education and member training opportunities are relevant to the Sea Scout advancement program. A detailed concordance is available for download HERE.

Advancement requirements covered by Auxiliary courses.jpg
Sea Scout Advancement requirements covered by Coast Guard Auxiliary Auxiliary courses