Volunteer Onboarding

New Volunteer Onboarding

Step-By-Step, What You Need to Do to Get Started!

Welcome and congratulations on becoming an adult volunteer in Scouting America! This page is for new volunteers and current unit leaders. These are the steps a volunteer and a unit leader must take to fully ensure compliance with Scouting America membership standards. Thank you for playing a big part in shaping the leaders of tomorrow!

All New Volunteers Must:

STEP 1 - Create a My Scouting Account (Important: click each step for additional info)

STEP 2 - Complete Scouting America's Safeguarding Youth Training*

STEP 3 - Complete CA AB-506 Mandated Reporter Training

Link to Mandated Reporter Training

Using the link above, create an account on the California Mandated Reporter Training site. Under group, select Scouting Volunteers. Enter your email address, and click "Join Organization". Follow the instructions to complete the training.

Your Certificate will be automatically filed by the training vendor. You do not need to upload or send it to Council.

Returning Volunteers: If you completed the 2023 version or a newer version of the training, you are already compliant and do not need to retake it. If your training was completed before 2023, you must complete the current course, as the training was substantially revised.

Fee issue: If prompted to pay $7.99, you have accessed the wrong site. Click the 'Help' button and indicate you are with the Golden Gate Area Council to resolve the issue.

STEP 4 - Obtain LiveScan Fingerprinting

STEP 5 - Apply to Your Unit, Provide Verification

STEP 6 - Join the GGAC Communications List

STEP 7 - (Ongoing) Complete Position Specific Training

* You must complete Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) before your online application can be accepted. California AB 506 requirements must be completed within 60 days or your membership will be suspended until they are met. All volunteers must comply with Scouting America and California youth protection requirements. As AB 506 requirements continue to evolve, this page is updated regularly to reflect the latest guidance.

When a New Volunteer Completes an Application, the Unit Leader Must:

STEP 1 - Verify SYT and AB-506 Compliance

Confirm that the adult applicant has a currently valid Safeguarding Youth Training certificate, a Mandated Reporter Training certificate, and has completed LiveScan fingerprinting.

Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) is required for all Scouting America registered volunteers and is a joining requirement. SYT must be taken every year. If a volunteer’s SYT is not current at the time of annual registration renewal, the volunteer will not be re-registered. If the volunteer is applying online, the SYT status will be listed on their application. If submitting a paper application, check SYT status with the registrar.

California's AB 506 law requires all volunteers to complete Live Scan fingerprinting and Mandated Reporter Training before serving in a youth-serving organization. For AB-506 verification, leaders should review the AB-506 report for their unit here: AB-506 Report

STEP 2 - Accept the Adult Leader Application

STEP 3 - Address an Adult Leader with "Suspended" Status

If an application is processed for a leader that is not compliant with SYT and AB-506 requirements within 60 days, their membership may be moved into a 'Suspended' status until they become compliant.

If the unit leader has any questions or concerns about a volunteer's AB-506 compliance, please escalate to your district staff. We hope to have an automated process that allows a unit level search in the future and will update this page accordingly if the process should change.

Professional Staff Directory

Youth Protection

Adult Training

High Adventure Training