[22577] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] Insurance
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bob Amick)
Thu Apr 25 14:23:41 2002
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.1.20020425065039.034aea10@spot.colorado.edu>
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 11:32:22 -0800
Reply-To: Bob Amick <amick@SPOT.COLORADO.EDU>
From: Bob Amick <amick@SPOT.COLORADO.EDU>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.16.20020425002014.43c78534@mail.pyro.net>
Scott is correct concerning liabilitycoverage *when* you are at a BSA
council camp or other venue doing a service project or other activity on
the premises. You probably would be covered "secondarily" by BSA liability
insurance (i.e., secondarily to any existing liability insurance that
individual members might have or if the college provides any coverage for
them as an organization).
Otherwise, most APO chapters do not have and cannot afford to obtain
liability insurance. In light of the potentially high risk activities that
many chapters conduct in connection with their service venues (e.g.,
building houses for habitat for humanity, service projects for children and
youth, highway cleanups, etc.) where accidents and injuries could occur
resulting in litigation for injury or loss, it is prudent to have liability
insurance coverage. The only coverage that is sufficiently high and
concurrently affordable to APO chapters, is that provided concurrently with
chartering a Scouting unit with BSA. There are special advantages for your
Chapter in chartering as a Venturing Crew and/or Sea Scout Ship in that as
an organization, the APO chapter that charters a crew/ship is *primarily*
insured by the BSA for any exposure to liability on any APO event whether
Scouting related or not, rather than just when they are visiting a Scout
camp. Having such coverage in effect at all times (en route to, during, and
en route from) projects and activities is reassuring for both undergraduate
members and for advisors who work with chapters that might otherwise be
subjected to vicarious liability in the case of litigation resulting from
an accident, injury or loss in connection with an APO event.
A number of APO chapters (about 35 at last count) do directly charter
Venturing Crews/Sea Scout ships or other units, for the benefit of their
chapter members and thus receive this primary coverage for about $7/person
per year. This insurance is valued at about $15 million as an "umbrella"
coverage policy, so if you were seeking to get equivalent value liability
insurance privately, it probably would cost the chapter more like
$170/person per year, which puts it out of reach of most
chapters. Moreover, if you are doing service for other organizations that
require "certificates of insurance" from you in order to do service or
conduct an activity on their premises, the BSA local council can issue a
certificate of insurance on behalf of your chapter as a chartered
organization partner, for up to $1 million to that organization to directly
cover them as "an additional insured party." Our chapter often requests
such certificates for organizations for whom they provide service, such as
for the Merit Badge University. When University facilities are used, BSA
also provides a certificate of insurance to the University for use of their
facilities (the University is self insured, and thus does not have initial
coverage for loss of less than $600,000 before governmental immunity and
general liability umbrella coverage becomes in effect).
The only caveat of course is that it is essential to follow the BSA
"guide to safe Scouting (G2SS)" to avoid any prohibited activities (e.g.,
sky diving, bungee jumping, ultralight aircraft, etc.) and to invoke the
health and safety policies and procedures required for any high risk
activities that you might conduct. But this is just good policy for your
chapter as a risk management effort anway. By filing "tour permits" with
the Council when you conduct any high risk or routine events or activities,
you automatically provide insurance coverage and Council approval for the
event. Our chapter chartered an Explorer Post in 1988 and more recently
(1998) as a Venturing Crew and Sea Scout Ship in which members under 21 are
registered as Venturers or Sea Scouts (if they choose to be, and most
do). An added advantage of chartering as a Crew/Ship is that some of our
chapter members also occupy positions on the BSA District Committee
representing APO and as chairs for district events such as the Merit Badge
University and Klondike Derby. This has cultivated an excellent working
relationship with the District for Scouting events and has cemented
positive images and outreach efforts for the chapter with local Scouting
units and Scouts. Many Scouts know about APO and have gone on to become
members when they go to college. The APO Venturing Crew/Sea Scout ship
just won "best of show" at the recent Scout show for their educational
exhibit on emergency medical services and staging a "mock disaster" for the
Scouts at the Scout Show. The PR from this event for APO was quite
remarkable.
Bob Amick, Advisory Chair
Gamma Theta Chapter and Venturing Crew/Sea Scout Ship 492
University of Colorado at Boulder
member National Scouting and Youth Services Committee, APO
Venturing/Exploring/Risk Management/Training/Jamboree Committees, Longs
Peak Council BSA
At 12:20 AM 4/25/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>At 11:44 PM 04/24/2002 EDT, Mark Skidmore wrote:
> >Hello APO members!! I am the newly elected president of the Lambda Omicron
> >Chapter at West Virginia University. We have been unable to vist our local
> >scout camp recently, due to the fact that we do not have any liablity
> >insurance, as WVU does not cover us off of their property. Surely, we are
> >not the only chapter who has needed to get insurance. If there are any
> >chapters who have insurance, I would appreciate any information you can
> >supply that would help us obtain coverage, especially the name of your
> >carrier. Our chapter typically has about 60 active members, and 30 pledges
> >per semester. Any information would be helpful!!!
> >Thanks,
> >Mark Skidmore
> >Lambda O.
>
>Mark,
>
>What is the purpose of your visiting the local Scout Camp?
>
>If the purpose is recreational (fellowship weekend, etc..), my question is
>"Why aren't you doing a service project while you are there?" Scout Camps
>ALWAYS have something that needs to be done. Many camp project are great
>bonding experiences. See additional reasoning below....
>
>If the purpose is to hold your chapters annual Chapter Program Planning
>Conference (CPPC), make sure you include a service project while at camp.
>It breaks up the program, gets some service in, the bonding thing, etc...
>
>If the purpose is to perform a service project (even if the service project
>doesn't consume the entire time you are there) and it is a Boy Scout camp
>operated by a local Council of the Boy Scouts of America, you should be
>covered by the BSA's liability insurance. Check with the Council Scout
>Executive for the council to be sure.
>
>I base this on statements made by Jim Chandler, BSA Liaison to the APO
>National Board of Directors at a Scouting and Youth Services Committee, at
>National Scouting and Youth Services Committee meeting a few years ago in
>regard to BSA registration / chapter chartering of BSA units to get
>insurance coverage. He indicated that if a person is present at a BSA event
>and providing service to the BSA, that person is covered under the BSA
>insurance, even if the person is not registered with the BSA.
>
>Now, if when you contact the Scout Executive of your local council, you get
>an indication that, even if you perform a service project during the visit,
>you are not covered, contact Jim Chandler for a clarification.
>
>Also, if your local Scout Executive indicates you need to register your
>chapter as a Venture Crew at $7.00 per person to be covered, contact Jim
>Chandler for clarification / assistance. This may be caused by a Scout
>Executive that either doesn't understand the coverage or wants to pad the
>council's numbers.
>
>The only thing is that Jim Chandler doesn't have an email address. You can
>get his contact information from the APO National Leadership Directory
>(every chapter gets one at least annually) or directly from the APO
>National Office. He is the Director of Personal for the BSA, very
>knowledgeable about the BSA, and very knowledgeable about APO, having
>served as an Advisor and in other capacities before serving on our National
>Board.
>
>
>Yours in LFS,
>
>Scott Begin scott@thebegins.com Oak Forest, IL
>
>Epsilon Beta Alumnus, Central Michigan University
>Gamma Sigma Advisory Chair/Scouting Advisor, University of Chicago
>Region VI Rep. to APO National Scouting & Youth Services Committee
