Updated:
Get Form Now
A BSA permission slip is a form where a parent or legal guardian approves a Scout’s place in a specific outing or trip. BSA stands for Boy Scouts of America, one of the largest youth organizations in the USA, with branches such as Cub Scouting, Sea Scouts, Venturing, Exploring, and the Order of the Arrow. Scouting life means troop events and outings that build a young person’s mental and physical spirit.
The activity consent form, or Boy Scouts of America permission slip, records a parent’s consent to a Scout’s part in an event and the parent’s acknowledgment of the activity’s risks. The parent or legal guardian of a Scout who is a minor signs the slip before the planned activity.
Activities seen as having a higher risk of injury, such as shooting, rafting, or climbing, often come with their own BSA program forms and rules, so ask the unit leader which slips the event calls for. Not all activities require permission form, but all activity coordinators are encouraged to ask parents to sign the consent form for any activity to avoid any risks.
Scouting means expeditions, troop events, and crew trips, so a child has many chances to get hurt. Besides, all of these activities usually happen under the supervision of a Scoutmaster, a grown-up person who is not their parent or legal guardian, and they usually hold full responsibility for the child. A signed consent form tells the leader that the parent knows about the outing and agrees to the child’s part in it. BSA and the unit decide which slips an event calls for, so ask the unit leader.
As the boy scout who wants to participate in the outing or activity is a minor, the consent form must be signed by their parent or legal guardian on behalf of their child. After the parent or legal guardian is informed about the type of activity, they need to sign the document to authorize that they are aware of the risks involved in the activity.
The legal guardian or parent agrees that this activity is voluntary by giving consent. The signature records that the parent knows the risks; it does not take away every claim after an accident, and what a release in the form can cover differs from place to place.
The medical authorization part of a BSA permission slip lets the adult leader seek emergency care for the child if the parent cannot be reached. In Georgia, for example, any person temporarily standing in loco parentis, whether formally serving or not, may consent to treatment for the minor under his or her care (O.C.G.A. 31-9-2(a)(4)), and consent to treatment directed by a duly licensed physician is implied where an emergency exists (O.C.G.A. 31-9-3(b)). To hand over medical decisions more broadly, a parent uses a separate power of attorney for a minor. The form lets the adult leader consent to care on the parent’s behalf; whether a provider shares test results with that leader depends on the form’s health information wording.
Medical consent helps prevent any delays in getting medical treatment for the child.
Boy Scouts of America organization provides an official consent form usually used within all subdivisions. Due to many Spanish-speaking members within the Boy Scouts of America organization, the permission slip form is bilingual.
Read the form in the language you are more comfortable with and fill in each field. If any questions come up, follow the instructions below to complete it quickly.
Most questions about BSA permission slips come down to timing, accuracy, and record keeping. Fill in the slip well before the outing, double-check every name and number, and keep a copy where you can find it.
Templates for an annual BSA permission slip exist, and people debate whether separate slips are needed. It is much safer to ask the parent or legal guardian to fill out the consent form for a particular event, outing, or trip.
The annual BSA consent form usually lists down the number of activities the legal guardian authorizes for the child. The guardian may permit to participate in some activities and forbid the others.
A fresh slip for each event gives the leader the parent’s consent for that particular event. It can seem tiring or redundant, but it keeps the consent for each outing clear.
Go through these points first:
Then add your signature.
Use the restrictions section of the form. Name each thing the child should skip in plain words, such as swimming or climbing, and add a short note about the reason if you want the leader to know.
Keep a copy for your own records and give the original to the troop leader. Leaders can file each slip and any other forms with the event paperwork, so the info is easy to find during the outing.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
