Marty -
I'll work on confirming for you. But as the policy is written, you only need to ensure that those listed in the Youth Protection Policy have completed the required training. I believe we can / will provide a list to chapters of who has been vetted. I think the big one to look at is volunteers.
Volunteers who will work with youth in general:
- Four (4) hours or more at any one (1) time; or
- Four (4) times or more in any calendar year; or
- Four (4) times or more with any particular Youth.
- Note that “Volunteers” includes, among others, parents and legal guardians of any youth participant
Dennis Jenders, EAA #300475
Arguing against the need. Arguing against the implementation. Arguing against the attitude that the EAA BOD decided to treat members as employees while pointing out the fact that willfully ignoring the rules as laid out by the EAA is a bad idea for legal reasons is not even close to the same thing.
For example, I think it is stupid that I have to have a medical to fly my 7ECA when I can fly a Champ without one. I can bitch about how stupid that rule is and still make damn sure my medical is in date and suggest that before anyone flies a 7ECA that they have a current medical without being hypocritical.
Any protection is automatically lost as soon as you willing admit to not following the rules you said you were going to follow. Worse, it makes you LOOK guilty to a jury. And as for being able to demonstrate "the precautions you did take to protect the child were reasonable and prudent".... Mr Shyster is simple going to point out that the EAA YE HQ thought that (lets say) record keeping was "reasonable and prudent". But for some reason you decided not to follow the rules laid out, so you simply did not make "reasonable and prudent" effort.
You are toast.
So please don't confuse my suggestion that just cherry picking what parts of the program you will follow and will not follow as a bad idea legally with support of the program. Simply put, if you are going to call yourself a "Young Eagle" event. You had better make sure you are following the rules and procedures they put into place. Even if you think they are stupid.
1996 Quad City Challenger CWS w/503 - Sold
1974 7ECA Citabria - Sold
1986 Pitts S1S
I think you missed the point. If you or your chapter are involved in an issue involving a child enough to be talking to lawyers you're already toast. Doesn't matter what policy National has or whether you dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's regarding that policy. Following "the letter" of the requirements isn't going to get us off the hook if an incident happens. The best we can hope for is to avoid an incident. Policies like this are supposed to help us do that but the implementation of that here isn't the best I've seen.
EAA #51411
RV-12; First flight 06/10/2015
Thinking from first principles, why would a training requirement be useful? This is kind of like the box you have to check when entering the U.S. whether you are intending to commit terrorist acts, yes or no. Does anyone actually think that someone who really abuses children does it out of ignorance and will realize the error of their ways by taking a web training class?
If the training was about spotting what to look for to spot potential abuse, that would be one thing. But it doesn't sound like that's the case.
Just an IDEA. Less offending might/would be a short training session (could be done via an EAA video, the EAA is getting real good with the "Hints for Homebuilders" series). The EAA would know who watched the video by asking a few questions at the end of the video. Very, very similar to the sex offender training sessions offered in the industry. And a requirement for the chapter to simply check the state sex offender database (available to anyone via the internet). Hard to believe the background check would be any more thorough. (Hope the EAA asked the outside firm what they are paying for.) The cost to the EAA..... minimal!
Last edited by Marty Santic; 02-11-2016 at 05:46 PM.