Becca Polglase
With five years of youth programs under our belts, The Mountaineers has had an opportunity to experience what works and what doesn't, and the time has come to take a new look at our Youth & Family Policies.
Based on our experiences and things we've heard from branches over the past 5 years, Mountaineers Staff drafted a revised set of Youth & Family Policies to better meet the needs of our families and our volunteer leaders. These revised policies also make it easier for us to safely teach kids about the outdoors. The policies were reviewed by our attorney, our Board Executive Committee, our Managing Committee, and approved by the Board of Directors at the January 21, 2016 Board Meeting.
Here are some highlights from the changes:
- SIMPLIFIED THE LANGUAGE. We merged our "Youth Policies" with our "Youth in Adult Programs Policies", creating one set of easy-to-follow policies.
- INCLUDED YOUTH UNDER 14 in adult programs. Our previous policies prevented young kids to go on hikes with their parents, even with the leader's permission. We now have policies that provide access to all ages, at the leader's discretion.
- MADE IT EASIER FOR YOUTH TO TAKE OUR REGULAR COURSES. By requiring a minimum of one Qualified Youth Leader to be present when a youth participates in an adult-oriented program (e.g. Basic Climbing), we can provide a safe environment for the youth to participate without requiring our dozens of instructors from any given course to become Qualified Youth Leaders. (We do, however, recommend becoming a Qualified Youth Leader if you plan to work with youth).
View our new Youth & Family Policies
