BD: Background Checks

[Rich Littleton]

If and when SCN gets involved (on a one-on-one basis) with special
populations, then we can certainly talk about the need for this.  We
certainly do have a choice about becoming yet another participant in
our own drift toward a police-mentality organization.

Until we actually get involved with special groups, I'd prefer to see us
RECRUIT vols and PLAN good programs for the community.



______________________________________________________________________

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On Sat, 23 Oct 1999, Sharma wrote:

> 
> 
> As a nurse I have been background checked pretty much every year for the
> last several years. You fill out a very short form, give it to the
> organization asking for it, and that's it.
> 
> Anyone who is in contact with a helpless population, i.e. kids, disabled
> people, anyone who might be vulnerable, must be background checked to make
> sure they are not a convicted sex offender or other type of predator. The
> law is quite clear about the responsibility of organizations to do this.
> 
> Now it may not apply to classes held in public libraries but would if
> anyone was going to peoples homes or in contact with kids in a not so
> public place. One school I was thinking of doing volunteer work at would
> have done a check on me before I could enter their building to do
> volunteer work.
> 
> In the police state we live in we do not have much choice about this and
> I found it more annoying to think about than to do.
> 
> -sharma
> 
> 
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 19:30:54 -0000
> > From: jdean <jdean at oz.net>
> > Subject: BD: Background Checks
> > 
> > Randy, et. al.
> > 
> > I volunteered with Washington Special Olympics (WSO) for many years as an
> > organizer (one of many) of the state-wide Summer Games.  For the last ten
> > years or so they have required background checks for certain classes of
> > volunteers.  The required background check is really perfunctory and is run
> > by the Washington State Patrol.  All they do is search their database of
> > arrests/convictions looking for a match on the volunteers name and render a
> > report to the requesting organization (ie WSO).  WSO has to have the
> > volunteer's consenting signature on the background check request form or the
> > WSP will not do the check.  No one goes around interviewing your
> > associates... it is not like getting a security clearance.
> > 
> > We were told by WSO that the check was required by state law and that WSO
> > would be in serious trouble if they employed a volunteer who had not passed
> > the check.  The law applied only to volunteers who would have "sole
> > supervision" of minors or other persons not legally competent.  No one I
> > know of really looked into this claim by WSO, nor did we look up the text of
> > the law.  We did all assume that it had something to do with screening out
> > known sex offenders.
> > 
> > There may well be other variations of the law WSO was reacting to, and some
> > of that may apply to the occasional volunteer job in SCN... but I think not
> > to most, only to a very few.
> > 
> > The Treasurer is another matter... bonding is the issue there.  It is
> > rudimentary prudence to have your Treasurer bonded, as much so in a
> > volunteer organization as in a commercial enterprise.  And the bonding
> > company will simply refuse to issue the bond unless their criteria are met
> > by the proposed bondee.  Disagreeing with their criteria, even if they will
> > disclose them to you (problematic), is neither useful nor relevant.  So the
> > answer for the Treasurer candidate is: do not stand for Treasurer unless you
> > are willing to go through the process of getting bonded.
> > 
> > Regards
> > 
> > John Dean
> > 
> 
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