COVID-19 Update
National Statement on COVID-19
August 24, 2020
As always, the safety of our Scouts, volunteers, employees and communities is our top priority.
Our response to the coronavirus pandemic continues to be informed by the guidance of official bodies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose framework for mitigation for community groups is based on the level of community transmission of COVID-19.
The Boy Scouts of America is advising local councils to consult with their local and state health departments, as well as local chartered partners, in order to implement the appropriate protocols to help keep our members, volunteers, and employees safe. Units should look to their councils for guidance on whether to conduct in-person meetings and activities again. If a unit’s local council is allowing in-person activities but has restrictions in place (e.g., no more than 10, social distancing of 6 ft. etc.), the unit must meet and abide by those restrictions – even if the unit is traveling out of council/state.
We are taking similar steps as a national organization as we continue to evaluate the current environment with the best interests of our members, volunteers, and employees in mind.
We thank you for helping meet the needs of our communities throughout these difficult times.
UNIT PROGRAM
It is advised that all in-person unit programs be postponed until further notice. We strongly encourage scout units to use web meetings (such as Zoom, WebEx, or Skype) or group conference calls to keep scouts engaged and active. The Great Alaska Council has developed a mitigation plan to assist units with preparing and planning for in person unit activities below.
For Cub Scouts, this is a great time for your whole family to enjoy the Scouting program at home with you. See what adventures you can complete.
Should you have any questions or concerns about a specific upcoming event or activity, please reach out to your Team Executive or call (907) 337-9547. We will do everything we can to answer your question using the information available to us. These are recommendations, current municipal mandates should be followed at all times and can be found at https://covid-response-moa-muniorg.hub.arcgis.com/
STATUS OF COUNCIL EVENTS
You may monitor event updates here: https://scoutingalaska.doubleknot.com/app/calendar/month/4300
Decisions about unit meetings and activities should be made by unit leadership and chartering organizations based on the unit’s individual circumstances and current CDC and local health department guidelines.
BSA POLICIES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF ILLNESS
The Shop and Office will be open Monday through Friday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. To ensure the safety of our employees and customers, the following safety measures have been put in place:
1. Employees and customers must adhere to 6-foot physical distancing protocols
2. Only 5 customers will be allowed in the store at one time, after that limit is reached, customers will be asked to wait outside
3. Customers must wear face coverings when entering the store, otherwise a disposable mask will be provided
4. We would like to continue to encourage the use of calling or emailing in your orders for pick-up or delivery. All Scout Shop orders can be emailed to Gretchen.Kuhuski@scouting.org or called in to (907) 337-9547 x 0
5. Due to the limited capacity of operations, not all Council staff will be in the office during this time. For all specialized paperwork (i.e. Eagle workbooks or Recharter paperwork) please contact Brenda at brenda.bidwell@scouting.org or call (907) 337-9547 x 1.
We request that members conduct business with our staff via email and phone as much as possible. We anticipate that most needs can be served without the need to visit the Scout Service Center. Orders placed ahead of time can be prepared for pick up, or mailed to you, thus limiting contact.
To submit an order online, please email Gretchen Kuhuski at Gretchen.Kuhuski@scouting.org
The Service Center can be reached at (907) 337-9547.
Thank you for your understanding.
Resources:
- Scouting at Home
- Restart Scouting Checklist
- BSA COVID-19 FAQ
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization