Young Eagles and Background Security Checks

[combahee]

Mark you just aren't getting it.
For some the SSN was a major stumbling block. However it isn't the only stumbling block. According to your own poll only 12.8% who answered the poll said that it was the major problem with the background check. 52% to again use your poll, still have problems with the background check without the SSN debacle!
It isn't just one thing, it is the WHOLE PROGRAM that is in shambles. As I have pointed out numerous times, every part needs scrapping. About the only part that I haven't seen any opposition to is the review of the video. Take that as you will.
Many of us have a real concern about this program. You don't fine, then do as you will. But don't think most or any of us are anti-EAA. That is a false assumption. Why do you think we belong to the EAA? The magazine? No it's because we believe in the core values and see the importance of the organization. Doesn't mean we will sit idylly by as something we are passionate about hemorrhages.
Finally Mark since you are such a passionate devotee of the program, how many kids did you fly last year? I couldn't find you on the 10 for 2015 or even the 10 for 2014 list. Do you even fly YE's?

[lyleapgmc]

I went to Beenverified.com and did a $1.00 search of my name. The results only go back a few years. This was a trial subscription. Perhaps the $22 search would reveal more. I am not about to spend the bucks to find out. There was an option to search more police records but it only goes back seven years. I was only asked for my name. I was then given a long page of possibilities and had to chose mine from the list.

They show my mother as being 106 years old. She passed when she was 93. According to them my wife is 71. She passed at 66.

There is a disclaimer/agreement about the use of the information:
"I will not use information provided by BeenVerified for decisions about employment, insurance, tenant screening, consumer credit or any other purpose requiring FCRA compliance." EAA volunteers are none of these so that may be how they can use the information to disqualify us.

It was interesting,

Lyle

Beenverified is the fourth party company that is processing the background checks.

[gdskoog]

I sent the below letter to all the members of Chapter #1374 of which I have been the President for the past nine years.
-----------------
Chapter members,

I find membership the Experimental Aircraft Association is no longer a priority in my aviation life. The motivation to step away from this organization stems from the recent institution of the new Youth Protection Policy. In a nutshell I do not feel compelled to prove I am not a threat to the safety of children to all of the Generation X mothers and fathers out there. It is well within their rights to protect their children and hold suspect all strangers as they see fit. I on the other hand am well within my rights to stay as far away from their children as I see fit in order to not suffer the consequences of a false accusation. The mental seed has been planted by this new policy.


The Experimental Aircraft Association has taken the last step into the realm of International Corporation by allowing the fear mongers to take hold at the highest levels without offering tangible evidence of any incident of child endangerment by a Young Eagle volunteer to the membership at large. At least I haven’t been able to find any evidence of wrong doing. If the million plus Young Eagle flights were rife with such abhorrent behavior as was the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic priesthood of years past, this Youth Protection Policy would be a reasonable and financially justified step. As it stands, without such evidence, this is just a corporate C.Y.A. move to present the illusion of youth safety to protect the corporate brand. A fifteen minute “training video” and a background check is not going to flush out individuals who prey on children. Those people are insidious and consummate liars who make themselves invisible and commit their evil acts for years prior to getting caught, if they get caught at all. That is the horrific truth that must be acknowledged.

If there have been incidents in the past, why have we not been notified immediately at that point so that we, the local membership, could determine what changes we could institute to make our Rallies safer and/or decide if we would want to remain aligned with this program and organization? I am confounded as to how an organization that is overwhelmingly populated by the best risk management people on the planet (pilots) could make such a flawed assumption about its local memberships’ ability to police itself. Do they really believe we at the chapter level have never thought about “Youth Protection”; that we have blithely gone about organizing Young Eagle Rallies with no regard for the protection of the children we fly; not only in the air but on the ground?

The question I have struggled with since receiving the letter of January 15, 2016 is do I want to pay dues to a corporation that has made the decision to view me as a potential threat to the children all around me? Do I want to donate my time, my financial resources, and my aviation skill set to that organization that holds me in such low regard? Not only do they view me as a threat, but they assume it is my destiny to become a threat, else why continue to check up on me every three years? After reading the Youth Protection Policy it is obviously so Draconian in nature that what reasonable person would choose to subject themselves to such a policy just to give a total stranger’s child a twenty-minute airplane ride?

I strongly encourage all of the chapter members to read the policy and decide for yourselves your level of continued involvement. As for me, I will continue to give the children of my friends, family and people whose trust I have earned by their familiarity with the nature of my character airplane rides. I’ve even created my own certificates that I will sign for their refrigerators.

I will preside over the March Chapter 1374 meeting in order for the chapter to decide on a new president, then I will be leaving the EAA behind with the expiration of my membership in April. I very much appreciate your support over the past nine years, but this is a non-negotiable point. I have been vetted and cleared by the Boy Scouts of America for the last few years, so I certainly believe I have nothing to hide. I will be stepping away from that organization as well for the same stated reasons. I find it disheartening that our society has degraded to such suspicious and totalitarian behavior as the result of the heinous and reprehensible acts of a minuscule subset of clergy, educators and youth volunteers.

To the Young Eagles staff I wish you the best of luck with your Young Eagles program and I understand you are between the rock and the hard place with the policy handed down to your program. To the EAA corporate leaders it was fun while it lasted.

Regards,
Duane Skoog
President, Chapter #1374

[Mark van Wyk]

Mark you just aren't getting it.
For some the SSN was a major stumbling block. However it isn't the only stumbling block. According to your own poll only 12.8% who answered the poll said that it was the major problem with the background check. 52% to again use your poll, still have problems with the background check without the SSN debacle!
It isn't just one thing, it is the WHOLE PROGRAM that is in shambles. As I have pointed out numerous times, every part needs scrapping. About the only part that I haven't seen any opposition to is the review of the video. Take that as you will.
Many of us have a real concern about this program. You don't fine, then do as you will. But don't think most or any of us are anti-EAA. That is a false assumption. Why do you think we belong to the EAA? The magazine? No it's because we believe in the core values and see the importance of the organization. Doesn't mean we will sit idylly by as something we are passionate about hemorrhages.
Finally Mark since you are such a passionate devotee of the program, how many kids did you fly last year? I couldn't find you on the 10 for 2015 or even the 10 for 2014 list. Do you even fly YE's?

Yes, I do fly YE's, and I'm trying to save my home-base airport open house, thank you very much. Thanks for checking up on me. In 2015 I flew eight kids in my C-150 via Young Eagles at our local airport open house, and then a dad showed up late and I flew his two kids outside of YE so that they did not go home disappointed. Previously I flew eight or ten kids a year or maybe two years ago prior, I don't remember. I have received thanks letters from EAA, and I believe a pin, for my participation in YE. I also met with Sean D. Tucker, who was YE chairman a few years ago, at a local YE Christmas Dinner in San Jose, CA. I wonder what Sean thinks about all of this.
Again, I support EAA in instituting some sort of Youth Protection program. So, with the SSN requirement eased up, that means about 25 percent will comply. Maybe a portion of the 54 percent will re-think their opposition to a youth protection program. I think if we can get 50 percent, maybe more, to comply, then YE can survive. So, hopefully, EAA can fix this to the point where we can get 50 percent, maybe 75 percent comply, and the 20 percent that absolutely will not comply with any background check, so be it.

[Wirsig]

Agreed... I think the communication, or lack thereof, and the way this was presented to the membership is, frankly, the bigger concern for me... The letter accompanying the policy was condescending, and the way this policy was/is being presented feels like something being slid under the door in the middle of the night.

Jim

Bingo!

[flytoboat]

I just saw in the EAA Hotline that a Young Eagle pilot was younger than his Young Eagle Passenger. Who should have the background check in this scenario?
I've only flown YE's for 2 years, but I think this will be it for me. I'll will still enjoy giving rides to young people (and old) but it will be on my terms. After reading the 10 page policy, I don't see how our chapter is going to find enough volunteers to conduct them. The documentation requirements alone will suck all the fun out of it. We usually provide 250 or more rides at our annual airport open house. There will be a lot of disappointed kids at the next open house.

[lyleapgmc]

Bingo!

++Bingo!

[TomBush]

I sent the below letter to all the members of Chapter #1374 of which I have been the President for the past nine years.
-----------------
Chapter members,

I find membership the Experimental Aircraft Association is no longer a priority in my aviation life. The motivation to step away from this organization stems from the recent institution of the new Youth Protection Policy. In a nutshell I do not feel compelled to prove I am not a threat to the safety of children to all of the Generation X mothers and fathers out there. It is well within their rights to protect their children and hold suspect all strangers as they see fit. I on the other hand am well within my rights to stay as far away from their children as I see fit in order to not suffer the consequences of a false accusation. The mental seed has been planted by this new policy.


The Experimental Aircraft Association has taken the last step into the realm of International Corporation by allowing the fear mongers to take hold at the highest levels without offering tangible evidence of any incident of child endangerment by a Young Eagle volunteer to the membership at large. At least I haven’t been able to find any evidence of wrong doing. If the million plus Young Eagle flights were rife with such abhorrent behavior as was the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic priesthood of years past, this Youth Protection Policy would be a reasonable and financially justified step. As it stands, without such evidence, this is just a corporate C.Y.A. move to present the illusion of youth safety to protect the corporate brand. A fifteen minute “training video” and a background check is not going to flush out individuals who prey on children. Those people are insidious and consummate liars who make themselves invisible and commit their evil acts for years prior to getting caught, if they get caught at all. That is the horrific truth that must be acknowledged.

If there have been incidents in the past, why have we not been notified immediately at that point so that we, the local membership, could determine what changes we could institute to make our Rallies safer and/or decide if we would want to remain aligned with this program and organization? I am confounded as to how an organization that is overwhelmingly populated by the best risk management people on the planet (pilots) could make such a flawed assumption about its local memberships’ ability to police itself. Do they really believe we at the chapter level have never thought about “Youth Protection”; that we have blithely gone about organizing Young Eagle Rallies with no regard for the protection of the children we fly; not only in the air but on the ground?

The question I have struggled with since receiving the letter of January 15, 2016 is do I want to pay dues to a corporation that has made the decision to view me as a potential threat to the children all around me? Do I want to donate my time, my financial resources, and my aviation skill set to that organization that holds me in such low regard? Not only do they view me as a threat, but they assume it is my destiny to become a threat, else why continue to check up on me every three years? After reading the Youth Protection Policy it is obviously so Draconian in nature that what reasonable person would choose to subject themselves to such a policy just to give a total stranger’s child a twenty-minute airplane ride?

I strongly encourage all of the chapter members to read the policy and decide for yourselves your level of continued involvement. As for me, I will continue to give the children of my friends, family and people whose trust I have earned by their familiarity with the nature of my character airplane rides. I’ve even created my own certificates that I will sign for their refrigerators.

I will preside over the March Chapter 1374 meeting in order for the chapter to decide on a new president, then I will be leaving the EAA behind with the expiration of my membership in April. I very much appreciate your support over the past nine years, but this is a non-negotiable point. I have been vetted and cleared by the Boy Scouts of America for the last few years, so I certainly believe I have nothing to hide. I will be stepping away from that organization as well for the same stated reasons. I find it disheartening that our society has degraded to such suspicious and totalitarian behavior as the result of the heinous and reprehensible acts of a minuscule subset of clergy, educators and youth volunteers.

To the Young Eagles staff I wish you the best of luck with your Young Eagles program and I understand you are between the rock and the hard place with the policy handed down to your program. To the EAA corporate leaders it was fun while it lasted.

Regards,
Duane Skoog
President, Chapter #1374

Duane,

A brilliant letter, and much more eloquently stated than my own. You hit the nail on the head. My own Private Airport Community Association (TS07) - which has flown 120ish YE each year - will no longer conduct flights under the YE banner for the same reasons you speak of. As for me personally, I cancelled my EAA membership a few hours ago due to this abomination of a policy. They need us. We do not need them. Take care, Sir. . .

[Bob H]

SSN was optional, not mandatory. I filled out form without disclosing it.

[Mark van Wyk]

SSN was optional, not mandatory. I filled out form without disclosing it.

Outstanding. It appears as though EAA has changed the security background check to make SSN optional. That means more people are complying.
Bob, If you take the poll:
http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?...ecurity-Checks
You would probably go under the second choice:
"Yes, I will comply with YE background security checks but only if SSN requirment is removed."
I'm hoping more and more EAA members will come around and comply with the new background check and youth protection policies. I certainly hope EAA does not back down.