content/uploads/B-Waiver-Maryland-Volunteers.pdf. Leave the BSA Member ID Number blank if you are not registered. Leave
Unit Type, Unit #, and the Unit Verification section blank if you have no association with a Scout unit. This waiver covers all three
requirements of PA Act 15 (formerly Act 153).
If you live in Pennsylvania you must complete 3 parts of the PA Mandated Background Check Certifications:
A) You need to get and submit a Report of criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). This is free for volunteers
and you can get this online at https://epatch.state.pa.us/TandCVolunteerAction.do. Click on New Record Check (Volunteers
only). The Organization Name is Boy Scouts of America and the Telephone Number is 610-696-2900. You first enter
information on who is requesting the information (you) and then on the person whose record is to be checked (also you). Once
you Enter This Request and Submit, be sure to write down your Control #. The results usually come back in seconds. Click on
the Control #, then Certification Form. Print and save the “Response for Criminal Record Check” (with the keystone
background). This free report is valid for 60 months and you cannot get another one free for 57 months, so keep a copy in case
you need it for another organization. If you have already done this for another organization, submit that report. You do not
need to repeat the process. A copy of this report needs to be submitted with your merit badge counselor application if it is not
already on file with the Council.
B) You need to get and submit a Child Abuse History Clearance from the Department of Human Services. This is free for
volunteers (only once every 57 months and when submitted electronically) and you get it online at
https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS. You will need to CREATE INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT. A temporary password will be
emailed to you. Change it to something you can remember. Be sure to record your User ID and Password once you set your
Permanent Password. LOGIN, ACCESS MY CLEARANCES, CREATE CLEARANCE APPLICATION, Volunteer Having
Contact with Children, Volunteer Category=Other, Agency Name=Chester County Council, BSA. Enter the information
requested including Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Social Security Number, previous/nick/maiden names, Phone number(s),
Current and previous addresses since 1975, household members you have lived with since 1975 (parents/siblings/children, not
everyone in your military unit or college dorm) and electronically sign the application. As a volunteer you do not need an
authorization code and do not have one. Submit the application and you will receive an email confirmation. If there are no
problems with your clearance, you should receive another email in 45 seconds to several weeks saying the results are available.
Click the link to the CWIS website, ACCESS CLEARANCES, login, click on “to view the result click here”. Print and save
the PENNSYLVANIA CHILD ABUSE HISTORY CERTIFICATION. A copy of this report needs to be submitted with your
merit badge counselor application if it is not already on file with the Council.
C) If you have been a Pennsylvania resident for the entirety of the last 10 years, download the waiver from http://www.cccbsa.org/
filestore/membership/Act153/A-Volunteer Disclosure Statement in place of FBI Clearance.pdf. Print and sign the waiver. Any
adult can witness the document. If you do not know your BSA Member ID Number, leave that blank. If you are not associated
with a unit, leave the unit information blank.
If you have not lived in Pennsylvania for all the last 10 years, you will need to obtain and submit the fingerprint-based FBI
criminal history clearance submitted through the Department of Human Services at a cost of about $21.35. Go to
www.identogo.com, click Get Fingerprinted, select your state, click Go, click Digital Fingerprinting, enter Service Code
1KG6ZJ, click GO, click Schedule or Manage Appointment, fill in the requested information on 6 pages and click Next for
each, enter zip code and click Search, choose location and click Next, choose date/time and click Submit. Go to the location at
the appointed time for your fingerprinting. Results will be sent to you in about two weeks. A copy of this report needs to be
submitted with your merit badge counselor application if it is not already on file with the Council.
5) Submit all the above forms to the council registrar at registrar@cccbsa.org. This includes the MERIT BADGE
COUNSELOR INFORMATION form, both pages of the ADULT APPLICATION/Background Check Authorization, a copy of
your Youth Protection Training certificate, the three PA Act 15 certifications unless they are already on file at the Council, and
any required qualification certifications. See the next page for certifications for specific merit badges that must be submitted with
your application. If you are just adding additional merit badges and everything else is current, all that is needed is the MERIT
BADGE COUNSELOR INFORMATION form and any required qualification certifications. The best way to submit these forms is
to email them to registrar@cccbsa.org. DO NOT GIVE THE PAPERWORK TO YOUR UNIT.
You should receive a confirmation within about two to four weeks that your application has been processed and you can start to
serve as a merit badge counselor.
THANK YOU for your commitment to Scouting!
Available Training: Many on-line training courses are available at http://My.Scouting.org, the same site where you took the YPT
training. This includes various optional trainings for Merit Badge Counselors if you want to know more. After signing on, click on
Menu, My Training, Training Center, Scouts BSA. Under Scouts BSA – Merit Badge Training click + Add Plan to put these
courses in your training plan. Then click on Scouts BSA – Merit Badge Counselor Training and Scouts BSA – Merit Badge
Counselors – Before the First Meeting. From this screen you can click Launch Course for each module of the training. You can
repeat the process for Scouts BSA – Merit Badge Counselors – Position Trained. These are not required trainings.
A useful reference about the job of merit badge counseling is “A Guide for Merit Badge Counseling” available from
https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-065.pdf.