SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND MBC APPLICATIONS

Disclaimer: The following does not necessarily represent the viewpoint of anyone in leadership of Troop 220; I'm speaking only for myself. ~Julie

For some people, giving out a Social Security number isn't a big deal. If that's you, hit the back button because this will be uninteresting. For many others, however, the disclosure of the number is a violation of privacy, an unnecessary intrusion, an opportunity for identity theft, nobody's business, an illegal use of the number, or a government conspiracy. Take your pick. The problem is that the new merit badge applications list the number as required (things like this always START as optional, but quickly move out of the voluntary realm). Applications turned in without them are returned as incomplete.

Because we're prior military, our numbers float around in government computers with every paycheck, medical visit, or commissary purchase. It didn't mean I wanted to give it out again, though. I'm of the opinion that the current safety protections work. Anyone with a negative history isn't going to give real information anyway. The best protection against abuse is supervision -- period. But I spoke with our district council because I'm apparently in the minority view as far as BSA National is concerned. Below is a paraphrase of what was said.

*The SSNs are kept in a locked cabinet in the district office. Only staff have access.
*The system they're using for background checks is a branch of Equifax, the credit reporting agency. Equifax already has information on anyone with a social security number. They're simply retrieving it.
*Yes, the whole criminal history shows up, not simply the child protection issues.
*Returned applications are on a "request for more information" status. It's up to the Advancement Committee whether to use the MBC while the application is on hold. The blue cards for the Scouts *are* valid when signed by a counselor whose application is pending. There's no time limit for "pending".
*There is a procedure for National to grant a waiver of the SSN requirement. This happens often, especially with military members, legal aliens, and people without social security numbers.

In order for an application to be processed without the SSN (for whatever reason), the applicant needs to write a letter to the DISTRICT office stating that they do not wish to disclose their SSN (or that they don't have one). Include your full name, address for the past five years, employment for the past five years, and a copy of the Washington State Background Check System report (WATCH). Most churches use WATCH for their volunteers and yours should be able to run one for you - they are free for non-profits. Otherwise, you can request one from the state for $35. Mail that to the district office, and they will copy it, file it, and mail the original to National. National reviews these on a case-by-case basis.

Your decision what to do.