Updated February 3, 2021
How to Restart Scouting
The safety of all participants, youth and adults, should always be the priority when looking at any Scouting activity. Restarting Scouting during the time of COVID-19 is no different. When looking at how to restart your Scouting program the mission is to keep the Scouting Program available, accessible, and flexible through observing health and safety measures – through a changing health/medical, legal, social and financial environment
Be responsible Scouts while mitigating risk
Everyone is ready to put the “outing” back in Scouting but we need to do so safely and while mitigating risk to all participants. It is equally important to make sure that we are following guidance and mandates of the location where the activity will be held.
Safe ≠ Risk Free
It is important that you communicate to all participants that safe does not equal risk free. Precautions and mitigation strategies are important, but they cannot eliminate the potential for exposure to COVID-19 or other hazards.
What You Need to Know To Restart Scouting
As Scouts, we have a duty to our country to follow the rules.
It is our honor to be respectful, obedient, trustworthy, clean and kind.
Resources
Checklists
MBC Pre-Event Medical Screen Checklist
Pre-Event Medical Screening Checklist – BSA National
Forms
Medical and Participation Form – Parts A and B
Reference Documents
Prevention of Communicable Diseases in Scouting
How to Protect Yourself – CDC Guidance
Phased Reopening Chart – Washington State – Updated January 2021
Washing Your Hands – The Facts
Pre-Event Medical Screening Guidance
Websites
NOLS COVID-19 Backcountry Practices
NOLS COVID-19 Backcountry Video
Mount Baker Council - Health Washington - Scouting Update
Updated February 01, 2021
The Mount Baker Council is reaching out to our Units, Charter Organizations, and other stakeholders to share our understanding and interpretation of the new “Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery” Plan. We believe that the new plan will have significant impacts on the outdoor program and daily operations of our units moving forward.
As always, the Guide to Safe Scouting should continue to form the foundation of your activity planning. When considering the safety of activities planned under COVID restrictions, the Charter Organization remains the ultimate authority on what program activities are safe and appropriate for their Scouting Unit(s). Our understanding and interpretation are offered to assist Charter Organizations in making those decisions.
The Roadmap to Recovery Plan offers no specific guidance to Scouting Units for how to operate, but we have been able to develop guidance for Outdoor Program activities that is equivalent to the guidance offered for Outdoor Sports.
In Phase 1, the Roadmap to Recovery Plan permits:
Low and moderate risk sports permitted for practice and training only (no tournaments). Outdoor guided activities, hunting, fishing, motorsports, parks, camping, hiking, biking, running, snow sports, permitted.
In Phase 2, the plan further permits:
Low, moderate, and high-risk sports competitions allowed (no tournaments), maximum 200 including spectators. – Read More –
Restarting Scouting Webinar - from July 2020
County Travel Announcements
Skagit County Update – July 14, 2020
July 14, 2020: Remember, it’s still safest to stay close to home this summer
Skagit County Public Health and the Washington State Department of Health are encouraging Washingtonians to limit summer travel plans to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Over recent weeks, Skagit County has seen a number of cases due to travel out of county and out of state.
The Safe Start— Reopening Washington plan details travel allowances under the different Phases. Phases 2 and 3 allow for more travel than Phase 1, but none are a green light for everyone to travel as much as they want or out of state. Skagit County is currently under Phase 2. Travel outside of the home or immediate neighborhood is allowed for essential activities and Phase 1 & 2 permissible activities such as outdoor recreation or drive-in movie theaters. The intent of this is for people to stay in-or close to- their home counties when they are doing these activities.
When you travel, you have more encounters with people outside of your immediate household, increasing the likelihood you will contract COVID-19. Further, we are seeing many people traveling to areas that have higher rates of infection than Skagit County such as the Yakima area, California, Arizona, and even Florida. Traveling to these areas increases risk of being exposed to infected people and bringing that infection home to families in Skagit County.
Further if you do travel or participate in any activity, including outdoor activities, its important to use proper precautions. Staying safe this summer requires you to:
- Stay six feet away from other people
- Wear a mask when you’re around others
- Keep your social circles small – less than 5 people per week total in phase 2
- Wash your hands frequently
- Avoid touching your face
- If you’re around other people, staying outdoors as much as possible
Also, participating in any activity is much safer when done with your immediate household rather than people you don’t live with.
We Western Washingtonians love our summers and our summer activities, but if everyone goes about their lives as normal this season we will see a resurgence of cases and need to increase restrictions. That is something we do not want to do.
Please, stay smart, stay strong and stay close to home this summer.