Atlanta Area Council Advancement Committee
Guidelines and Procedures for Lifesaving and Meritorious Action AwardsApplication Processing:
1: All Applications for the Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Awards are to be submitted to theVolunteer Service Center (at the Program Center). ALL Submittals must be originals and not copies or Scanned versions.
2:All applications received at the Volunteer Service Center (at the Program Center) will need to have the applicant Scout/Scouter’s BSA registration verified as active at the “time of the action”. The Scout/Scouter’s ID #, Unit#, and District, will be added to the packetvia a cover sheet containing this information. The Program Center will give the original application/package to the appropriate Program Center Assistant,who will log in the application and make an electronic copy. An electronic copy will be sent to The District Advancement Chairman of the District the Scout/Scouter Applicant is from and the Council Lifesaving and Meritorious Awards Chairperson (Currently Mark Kopel).The physical paperwork (hard copy) of the original application packet, after verification, will either be sent to or picked up by the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson.
3: The Council Lifesaving and Meritorious Awards Chairpersonwill contact andadvise the District Advancement Chairman or Advancement Committee Representative of the Scout/Scouter Applicant’s “home district” as to what otherinformation might be needed, or investigations that remain to be done by the District.
4: The District Advancement Chairman or Representative is responsible for leading the committee and investigation, as well as documenting and verifyingthe facts of each individual potential case of Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Award forwarded for processing to theirDistrict. The Council Lifesaving and Meritorious Awards Chairperson is available to provide any assistance the District requests, i.e. from explaining/guiding the district through the process to handling the whole investigation and recommendation process on behalf of the District.
5: The investigative committee shall consist of members of the District Advancement Committee (a minimum number of three), or asubcommittee of a least three qualified Scouters that are named by the District Advancement Chairman. The District may opt toIncludethe Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson, or his/her Representative, in this committee.
6: The Investigative Committee needs to ensure that the application is legible and complete.
Complete being defined as:
a)All requested information in the Applicant and Rescued Person sections are completed. Please leave no space unanswered
b)The pertinent section on pages 3-5 are answered completely. Note only answer the section relevant to the Meritorious Action, that is; was it a Fire, Ice or Water Rescue. If it was an action not relevant to Fire, Ice or Water please fully explain in the Miscellaneous Cases Section.
c)If any First aid was administered. Answer all blanks in the First Aid Section on page 3
d)Note the Summary of Action is NOT to be filled out by the applicant and should be blank. This space is for the Investigative Committee and is explained later.
e)All statements from the Applicant, Rescued Person are dated and signed. Note the Applicant and Rescued person may submit their statements on a separate page but that separate page must be dated and signed
f)All witness statements are dated signed and have address, email, phone number information included. Note the Witness Statements and information may be on separate pages but must contain all the contact information.
g)Any other information such as diagrams, maps, photographs, etc. to help describe the action are included
h)Council Nomination Section (page 9) is to be left blank and the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson will complete this section
i)The choice of award (on page 1) is not checked off. That box is to be filled in by the Investigative committee and explained later on.
7: The Investigative Committee should interview each of the principals and witnesses, however if this is not possible or impractical, telephone or e-mail communication with the witness(es) by the Investigative Committee Chairperson, verifying the facts and then reporting this validation to the Investigative Committee is acceptable. If the witness(es) are not available for communication then the Investigative Committee may solely rely on documented, signed statements, if that is their only alternative
8: After the Interview/Investigative Phase,The Investigative CommitteeChairperson will pollthe Investigative Committee for itsrecommendation of which level of the Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award (if any) it will nominate the Scout for (i.e. Honor Medal with Crossed Palms, Honor Medal, Heroism Award, Medal of Merit, National Certificate of Merit, Local Council Certificate of Meritno.606760 or Local District Commendation (which is handled on the District level)). This decision is arrived at by consensus and does not require a unanimous positive/negative vote. Rules governing the Investigative Committee, its makeup and its voting are to be determined by the Local District Advancement Committee.
9: After the decision is made on whether the Scout should be nominated for a Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award; and if so which level of recognition is appropriate, The Investigative Committee Chairperson will mark the appropriate box on the Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award Application stating which level the Investigative Committee is recommending (i.e. Honor Medal with Crossed Palms, Honor Medal, Heroism Award, Medal of Merit, National Certificate of Merit, Local Council Certificate of Merit no. 606760) (on page 1)
10: The Investigative Committee Chairman or the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson (or his/her Representative)will then complete a Summary of Action Statement as required on Page 2 of the Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award Application.
NOTE: that even if the award is not going to be recommended, the summary on page two needs to be filled out so that the application can be closed. Please include specific reasons for choosing the specific award or reasons for denying any award.
11: After reviewing the actions of the Investigative Committee as well as Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award Application and its supporting documents, including the Investigative Committee’s Summary of Action, and ensuring that all necessary documentation The National Court of Honor will require is included, The Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson will sign on the appropriate space on page nine. If the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson, was not included in the District Committee, the District may forward, either electronically or actual mail, the completed packet (including the Summary of Action Statement) to the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson. If the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson disagrees with the particular selection of award, he/she will discuss this difference with the District Advancement Chairman (of the applicant’s District). If the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson and the District Advancement Chairman cannot come to agreement the matter will be referred to the Council Advancement Chairman for his/her decision on which award, if any, is appropriate).
12: Once signed by the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson, the Original Application and all supporting documents (originals)will be submitted to the appropriate Scout Executive for approval.
13: Upon the Scout Executive’s Approval the packet will be sent to the National Court of Honor for final review(except in instances of only a Local Council Certificate of Merit no. 606760). When sent to the National Court of Honor, the Council Lifesaving and Meritorious Awards Chairpersonwill receive a cc e-mail as confirmation of the packet being sent as well as what was sent to the National Court of Honor.
14: Any questions/issues raised by the National Court of Honor, in reference to the application and its submittal will be referred to the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson
15: When the award items are received by the Atlanta Area Council office, they will be processed, as per Council Procedures and the Council Lifesaving and Meritorious Awards Chairperson as well as the District Advancement Chairperson and District Executive of the Nominee’s District, will be contacted, via e-mail.
If the award was denied, the Council Lifesaving & Meritorious Awards Chairperson will becontacted and he/she shall contact the Nominee’s District Advancement Chairman
16: In the event that the Recommendation was for only a Local Council Certificate of Merit no. 606760),the appropriate Scout Executive who approved the application will forward the application to the appropriate section of the Local Council for printing ofa Local Council Certificate of Merit no 606760, and appropriate signatures. The signed Local Certificate of Merit no. 606760 will then be brought to the Volunteer Service Center for distribution. Upon Receipt of Local Council Certificate of Merit no 606760, The Program Center will notify the Council Lifesaving and Meritorious Awards Chairperson as well as the District Advancement Chairperson and District Executive of the Nominees District, via e-mail.
17: The District Advancement Chairperson is responsible for the distribution of the award as that District sees fit. The Volunteer Service Center may release the award to a person designated by the District Advancement Chairperson. It is highly recommended that the Recipient receive the award at an appropriate ceremony or before an appropriate audience
As Approved by the Atlanta Area Council Advancement Committee
On ______
______
Randy Yates: Atlanta Area Council Advancement Chairman