OUR CONDUCT POLICY:

The Boys & Girls Club of Aberdeen Area conduct policy is as follows and will be enforced. All consequences are based on staff desecration and severity of behavior exhibited by the club member.  The number of the offenses will accumulate in a 30 day period of time. Therefore, if a member goes 30 days without being written up again, he or she will begin over at the 1st Offense. The following pertains to behaviors that will result in suspension.

Safe Passage Policy:

We encourage members to remain in the building or other supervised areas. We require members to check in and check out. Failure to check in and out will result inpossible suspension. If a member chooses to leave, we are not responsible for accidents orincidents outside the club. To assist us in this, we require that parents and guardians come inside to pick up their club member(s).

Conduct Policy:

BGCAA conduct policy is as follows and will be enforced. The following pertains to behaviors/incidents that will result in suspension. Member will be sent home with a written, detailed incident/behavior report.

Level 1 - Conduct Problems/Offenses:

• Name Calling
• Repeated Badgering and Ragging of Staff
• Excessive Disruption of Activities (Repeatedly refuses to follow rules)
• Refusal To Follow Disciplinary Measures Given
• Swearing
• Inappropriate Behavior
• Lying
• Violation of Club Rules (Club Policy)

Level 2 - Conduct Problems/Offenses:

• Teasing/Bullying *
• Hitting/Fighting/Threatening *           
• Stealing *             
• Defacing/Breaking Club Property *
• Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Use/Possession Use/Possession of Harmful Weapons or Prohibited Items *

Level 2 Offenses: These incidents will result in the member being automatically suspended if they have not received a teachable moment in the last 30 days. If member has received a teachable moment in the last thirty days, these offences will add an extra day to their suspension.

All conduct problems/offenses consequences depend on the severity of behavior/incident and are all subject to meriting suspension under staff discretion.

Teachable Moments:

Members will receive a copy of the teachable moment or incident report that will be sent home to their parent or guardian stating their name, date, time, activity/area, incident details & staff response. If suspended, the consequences and return date to the Club will also be listed on the report. We use teachable moments as a tool to help members improve their behavior.

Consequences:

• 1st Offense: Warning note sent home with parent/guardian 
• Possible Suspension depending on severity of behavior/incident
• 2nd offense: 1 Club day suspension
• 3rd offense: 2 Club day suspension
• 4th offense: 3 Club day suspension
• 5th offense: 4 Club day suspension
• 6th offense: 5 Club day suspension

and so on & so forth considering the number of offenses

Club days are days the club is open (weekends, holidays & snow days are excluded from suspended days)

Level 2 Offenses: These incidents will result in the member being automatically suspended if they have not received a teachable moment in the last 30 days. If member has received a teachable moment in the last thirty days, these offences will add an extra day to their suspension.

All conduct problems/offenses consequences depend on the severity of behavior/incident and are all subject to meriting suspension under staff discretion.

General Club Rules:

• The below list is not all inclusive of Boys & Girls Club Rules & Policies. Please refer to the Membership application that was signed at the time of membership for additional information.
  
• The club is not responsible for lost, stolen, broken, damaged or missing personal items.
  
• Zero Tolerance Bullying Policy. Bullying = automatically suspended from our Boys & Girls Club.
• Fighting is not allowed at the Club. Any member that engages in this type of behavior is subject to disciplinary action.
• Membership cards are required to be admitted into our Club. The membership card is an item of responsibility for a child that should be valued, remembered & respected when they attend the Club. If a child does not have their card when the attend the Club, the parent/guardian will be notified.
• All Club members must have their membership cards daily to sign-in and sign-out with. Cards are required for certain activities, games & programs. New cards can be purchased for $2.00 per card at the Control or in the Administrative Offices.
• Club members must sign themselves in daily and sign out upon departure. If Club members leave the Club, it is their responsibility to sign themselves out and then leave Club property. Members are not allowed to wait outside for their rides while being signed out of the Club.
• Club hours must be followed as posted by the Club; Club members are not allowed on Club premises outside of the opening & closing hours of operation.
• Parents and Guardians are required to come into the Boys & Girls Club building when picking up their child/children. We do not allow parents or guardians to call into the Club and ask for their child/children to be sent outside. This is our policy - no exceptions.
• No personal toys, equipment, or large sums of money from home are allowed at the Club. We are not responsible for any lost, stolen, missing, broken, damage, etc. personal items.
• Any food or drink items must be consumed in the dining room area of the Club. Teens are allowed to have food and drink in the Teen Center under discretion of the Teen Director.
• No Club members, with the exception of trained Junior Staff are allowed behind the Control Center, Administrative Offices, Game Check-Out.
• Club members must stay within the boundary lines of the Club’s property while outside.
• Club members are not allowed to be outside unless accompanied by a staff member or unless the playground area has been opened by staff.
• Club members may not throw balls or other items in the gym area unless it is for a structured game or specified purpose due to safety reasons.
• For our Summer Program, we strongly encourage closed toed shoes to be worn for safety purposes. We ask that members bring a backpack (labeled with their first and last name) with a water bottle, sunscreen and bug spray. Please label all items with first & last name. We do NOT provide bug spray and sunscreen to Club members. Water fountains are located throughout the Boys & Girls Club.
  

Child Safety is Our #1 Priority

• The Safety and Well-being of Young People is Our Number One Priority: We work every day to create a safe, fun environment kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life. We have ZERO tolerance for inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct, and we provide significant resources to ensure this priority is achieved.
• Culture of Safety: Boys & Girls Clubs of Aberdeen Area continually update robust safety policies, programs, and training for our staff and volunteers. These policies are designed to promote child safety and protect young people from threats that are present in our society.
• Safety Policies: Boys & Girls Clubs of Aberdeen Area have comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, and communication and prohibiting one-on-one contact with anyone under the age of 18.
• 24-hour Toll-Free Child Safety Hotline: We require all staff, members, and families to report any incident or situation they feel is unsafe. Through our national partnership with Presidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Aberdeen Area members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour, toll-free Child safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com
• Mandatory Background & Drug Testing Checks: Conduct criminal background checks every 12 months on all employees, as well as all volunteers who have direct, repetitive contact with children, through the South Dakota Department of Children & Families Background Screening Clearinghouse. Background checks must also meet Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) membership requirements. In addition, BGCAA is a “drug-free” workplace. All prospective employees and volunteers are pre-screened and subject to random drug testing throughout the year.
• Safe Passage Policy: BGCAA requires all members to scan in and out each day with their KidTraxcard. In addition, members may not leave the club unescorted unless they are 12 years and older and have included in their membership application written parent/guardian consent.
• Required Immediate Reporting: Boys & Girls Clubs of Aberdeen Area staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required to report any critical incident/safety concern to local authorities immediately. We are also required to report any critical incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.
• Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments: We conduct a safety assessment each year to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our Clubs.
• Safety Training: Ongoing training and supervision of staff are critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training each year. We also engage leading third-party safety experts to guide our policies and procedures.
• Safety Committee: Boys & Girls Clubs of Aberdeen Area has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.
• State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state, and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.
• Safety Partnerships: Locally, we partner with local law enforcement agencies where our clubs are located(Brown County Sheriff’s Office and Aberdeen Police Department.) as well as 3rd party Safety Consultants and various outside agencies committed to the protection of our youth.

Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America works with leading experts in the areas of safety,

security, and technology to develop state-of-the-art solutions for Clubs. Partners include:

• National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, made up of leading experts and organizations.
• Blue Ribbon Task Force comprised of local Club leaders charged with providing input on the safety direction and key safety initiatives.
• Mental Health First Aid, a national program that teaches skills to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse.
• Crisis Text Line, a confidential text message service for youth in times of crisis.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America has advocated the passage of the U.S. PROTECT Act, which improved background screening systems and access. The national organization has also partnered with the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the Centers for Disease Control to contribute to the development of safety practices that benefit ALL youth-serving organizations.

America’s young people deserve nothing less than our constant focus on their safety and our firm commitment to protecting every child who is entrusted to our care at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Aberdeen Area. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, https://www.bgca.org/about-us/child-safety.