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Forms & Resources

Varsity Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet (2 pages)
Venturing Application in English (7 pages)
Venturing Application in Spanish (7 pages)
BSA Scout Application
BSA Adult Application

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Tour Plans

Tour Plan Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
With every outing there is an opportunity for great adventure but also the risk that something could go wrong. Be Prepared… for the fun and the emergencies. Many changes have been made in the filing and processing of Tour Plans (previously called “Tour Permits”) recently. Here are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions related to Tour Plans for Units within the Orange County Council.

Q. Why should I complete a Tour Plan?
A. The tour plan is a checklist for best practices to be prepared for safe and fun adventure. Completing the Tour Plan may not address all possible challenges but can help ensure that appropriate planning has been conducted, that qualified and trained leadership is in place, and that the right equipment is available for the adventure. In addition, the plan helps to organize safe and appropriate transportation to and from an event, and defines driver qualifications and minimum limits of insurance coverage for drivers and vehicles used to transport participants. Please complete and submit this plan at least two weeks in advance to ensure enough time to review the plan and assist you in updating the plan if it is found defective. When the review is complete, the second half of the plan is returned to you to carry on your travels.

Q. When do I need to file a Tour Plan?
A. When any of the following apply:
•Trips of 500 miles or more
•Trips outside of Council borders.
•Trips to any national high-adventure base, National Scout Jamboree, National Order of the Arrow Conference, or regionally sponsored event
•When conducting any the following activities:
◦Aquatics activities (swimming, boating, floating, scuba, etc.)
◦Climbing and rappelling
◦Orientation flights (process flying plan)
◦Shooting sports
◦Any activities involving motorized vehicles as part of the program (snowmobiles, boating, etc.)
◦Any overnight camping

Q. My Unit is going to Scout Camp. Do we need a Tour Plan?
A. Yes, you will need a Tour Plan for any BSA Scout camp.

Q. We are leaving for summer camp on Sunday. Can I get my Tour Plan processed the Friday before we depart when I pick up uniforms at the Scout Shop?
A. In order to properly process a Tour Plan, you must allow two weeks (14 days) lead time on filing the Tour Plan. We cannot guarantee the expediting of Tour Plan approvals or letters for proof of insurance for late submissions.

Q. Do we always need a Tour Plan?
A. Tour Plans are not required if the activity is a one day event within the Orange Council boundaries unless it includes swimming, boating, climbing, shooting, etc. when specialized training is required.

Q. Why do I need driver information?
A. Driver information shows that each driver has the minimum required insurance coverage for the state in which they are licensed. If you have a list of all the drivers in your Unit, simply attach a copy and circle those who are driving for each event as needed.

Q. What training should I have for my Tour Plan?
A. At least one registered member of each group must have Youth Protection Training, updated within the past two calendar years prior to the date of departure, as well as the new Planning and Preparing for Weather Hazards training, also updated within the past two years. Other training may be required depending on the event for which the tour plan is requested (such as Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Wilderness first Aid, CPR, etc).

Q. Can electronic signatures be accepted on the Tour Plan?
A. Yes. Required documents may be faxed in or attached to email (see below).

Q. Do I need to hand-deliver my Tour Plan? Can I email it?
A. Tour Plans may be hand-delivered or mailed to the William Lyon Homes Center for Scouting at 1211 East Dyer Road, Santa Ana, CA 92705 or can be faxed from on the Scout Shops (Anaheim or Laguna Hills) or can be or faxed to 714-546-8706. Tour Plans may be sent via email to etourpermit@ocbsa.org. If you need to speak to someone call 714-546-4990.

Q. How do I receive my copy of the reviewed Tour Plan?
A. A review of your tour plan will be emailed back to you at the address you provided. (Please always include an up-to-date email address on your Tour Plan). We can also fax the approved tour plan if you provide a fax number.

Q. What is the most common mistake on a Tour Plans?
A. Missing signatures are the biggest delay factor. Please be sure to include the required signatures before submitting your Tour Plan.

Q. If we are using a professional tour company (climbing, rafting, canoeing, or other activities) what do we need to show on our Tour Plan?
A. Council will need the tour company to submit a Certificate of Insurance to ensure this vendor meets the minimum Liability coverage requirements

Tour planning worksheets can be sent to etourpermit@ocbsa.org or faxed to 714-546-8706.

Attached is the link to the new fillable Tour Planning Worksheet http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/680-014_fillable.pdf
If you have questions or need help, please contact Volunteer Services Desk at the William Lyon Homes Center for Scouting.

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Order of the Arrow

Meeting Place
Wiatava Lodge Meetings are the first Thursday of the month from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. The meetings take place at the Orange County Council’s William Lyon Homes Center for Scouting at 1211 East Dyer Road, Santa Ana, CA 92705.

Eligibility to become a member of the OA
A youth must be a registered member of a Boy Scout troop or Varsity Scout team and hold First Class rank. The youth must have experienced 15 days and nights of camping during the two years before his election. The 15 days and nights must include six consecutive days (including five nights) of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America. The balance of the camping must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps. Scouts are elected to the Order Of The Arrow by their fellow unit members, following approval by the Scoutmaster or Varsity team coach.

Purpose of the Order of the Arrow
To recognize those campers-Scouts and Scouters-who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives and by such recognition cause other campers to conduct themselves in such manner as to warrant recognition. To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit. To promote Scout camping, which reaches its greatest effectiveness as a part of the unit’s camping program, both year-round and in the summer camp, as directed by the camping committee of the council. To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.

History of the OA
The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934. In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA’s national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the national camping program of the Boy Scouts of America.

For More Information
Visit www.wiatava.org.

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Insurance Info for Volunteers

Comprehensive General Liability Insurance

This coverage provides primary general liability coverage for registered volunteer Scouters with respect to claims arising out of an official Scouting activity with the exception that the coverage is excess over any insurance which may be available to the volunteer for loss arising from the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle or watercraft. This insurance is only available while the vehicle or watercraft is in the actual use of a Scouting unit and being used for a Scouting purpose. Coverage is more than $5 million for bodily injury and property damage. Because of the high limits, volunteers should NOT be placed in a position where their assets are jeopardized because of a negligence liability claim or lawsuit. The insurance provided to unregistered Scouting volunteers through the BSA general liability insurance program is excess over any other insurance the volunteer might have to his or her benefit, usually a homeowner’s, personal liability, or auto liability policy. There is no coverage for those who commit intentional or criminal acts.

Automobile Liability Insurance

All vehicles MUST be covered by a liability insurance policy. The amount of this coverage must meet or exceed the insurance requirement of the state in which the vehicle is licensed. (It is recommended, however, that coverage limits are at least $100,000 combined single limit.) Any vehicle carrying ten or more passengers is required to have limits of $500,000 single limit. In the case of rented vehicles, the requirement of coverage limits can be met by combining the limits of personal coverage carried by the driver with coverage carried by the owner of the rented vehicle. All vehicles used in travel outside the United States must carry a liability insurance policy that complies with or exceeds the requirements of that country. The council’s automobile liability insurance is excess of the insurance the owner of the auto carries, providing insurance protection above the limits carried on the auto. A tour permit or a council short-term camping permit is required when units travel overnight or outside their district. National tour permits are required for all trips of more than 500 miles or more one way and all tours outside the United States of America. These permits should list the drivers’ names and limits of automobile liability insurance carried.

National Tour Permits

National tour permits are required for all trips of 500 miles or more one way and all tours outside the United States of America. Each local council establishes the parameters under which a local council tour permit is required. These permits must list the drivers’ names and limits of automobile liability insurance carried. Leaders should file local tour permits two weeks before the activity and national tour permits one month before the activity.

Council Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan (Health Special Risk) This accident and sickness insurance (which is secondary coverage to personal insurance) is provided for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers, Explorers, and adult volunteer leaders registered in the council (except LDS units who choose not to pay the $1 per person yearly fee), and covers them for accidents and sickness (as well as accidental death and dismemberment) while participating in any official Scouting activity. Additional information on coverage, limits, etc., may be obtained by contacting the council office.

PLEASE REPORT ALL SERIOUS INCIDENTS, ACCIDENTS AND/OR SICKNESS, OR IF A SUMMONS IS SERVED ON A VOLUNTEER, TO THE COUNCIL SERVICE CENTER IMEDIATELY.

Call 714-546-4990 and speak to the H.R. Representative if you have a question related to insurance.

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Health & Safety Resources/Forms

Guide to Safe Scouting

Go online to read or download the latest BSA Safety Guidelines. (online) | Download PDF Version

Health & Safety Forms & Resources

Policy on Use of the Annual Health and Medical Record

In order to provide better care for its members and to assist them in better understanding their own physical capabilities, the Boy Scouts of America recommends that everyone who participates in a Scouting event have an annual medical evaluation by a certified and licensed health-care provider—a physician (MD or DO), nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Providing your medical information on this four-part form will help ensure you meet the minimum standards for participation in various activities. Note that unit leaders must always protect the privacy of unit participants by protecting their medical information.

Parts A and B are to be completed at least annually by participants in all Scouting events. This health history, parental/guardian informed consent and hold harmless/release agreement, and talent release statement is to be completed by the participant and parents/guardians.

Part C is the physical exam that is required for participants in any event that exceeds 72 consecutive hours, for all high-adventure base participants, or when the nature of the activity is strenuous and demanding. Service projects or work weekends may fit this description. Part C is to be completed and signed by a certified and licensed heath-care provider—physician (MD or DO), nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. It is important to note that the height/weight limits must be strictly adhered to when the event will take the unit more than 30 minutes away from an emergency vehicle, accessible roadway, or when the program requires it, such as backpacking trips, high-adventure activities, and conservation projects in remote areas. See the FAQs for when this does not apply.

Part D is required to be reviewed by all participants of a high-adventure program at one of the national high-adventure bases and shared with the examining health-care provider before completing Part C.

Philmont Scout Ranch . Participants and guests for Philmont activities that are conducted with limited access to the backcountry, including most Philmont Training Center conferences and family programs, will not require completion of Part C. However, participants should review Part D to understand potential risks inherent at 6,700 feet in elevation in a dry Southwest environment. Please review specific registration information for the activity or event.
Northern Tier National High Adventure Base .
Florida National High Adventure Sea Base . The PADI medical form is also required if scuba diving at this base.