by Joseph P. Tartaro
Executive Editor
Reasonableness is a very subjective concept, especially when it comes to guns.
The youth mentoring programs conducted under the auspices of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America takes such a dim view of firearms ownership by its adult volunteers that it wants all firearms they own reported to local chapters and seeks to have coordinators visit the volunteers’ homes to inspect how the firearms are stored.
And this may be costing them volunteers who do not consider such outside supervision reasonable as TGM has learned that some adult volunteers, at least in the Greater Rochester chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters (RBBBS), are withdrawing from the mentoring program.
This program pairs up an adult with a kid from a broken home or dysfunctional family so the adult can act as a mentor.
The RBBBS wants to come into houses of the volunteer participants to inspect how they store their guns and ammunition. They want all guns owned disclosed to them.
The firearms and weapons policy reads more like one written for George Orwell’s “Big Brother,” even if it seems reasonable to the mentoring organization.
RBBBS policy guideline documents TGM obtained say:
“Firearms/Weapons – the BBBS match coordinator and parent/guardian must have prior notification of any firearms/weapons owned by a volunteer or obtained during the course of a match, and a visit to the volunteer’s home by the match coordinator is required. Firearms/Weapons are not to be carried by a volunteer while with a Little Brother/Sister. If a Little is a visitor in a volunteer’s home in which there are firearms/weapons, the firearms/weapons must be kept unloaded in a securely locked place. Ammunition should be locked in a separate place from the firearms/ weapons. A form will need to be discussed and signed by all adult parties acknowledging. While the use of weapons for target practice and hunting are legal, in the consideration of our Littles’ safety we do rarely permit matches to participate in activities that involve firearms together, any such activities need to be approved by your Coordinator and additional paperwork will be signed by all involved.
“Note: If you are required to carry a firearm at all times by your employment (i.e. FBI agent, police officer) this fact must be disclosed to our agency and to the parent/guardian. The agency may ask the parent/guardian to sign an additional liability waiver.”
The RBBBS documents also say: “For purpose of this policy weapons may include all firearms, handguns, rifles, air rifles, zip guns, BB guns, bows, knives (except for kitchen knives and small pocket knives not used or intended for use as a weapon) and explosive devices.”
The policy documents are given to volunteers and are considered a key part of the basic enrollment. The volunteer enrollment procedures are as follows:
– • During enrollment, the assigned Coordinator will discuss the types of guns/weapons owned, as well as safe and separate storage of firearms and ammunition.
– • Assigned Coordinator will conduct a home visit to ensure safekeeping of the weapon.
– • If the volunteer is eligible to be matched, a Coordinator will disclose the knowledge of any firearm and/or weapons ownership to the child’s parent/guardian during the offer stages of a pending match and as needed within an active match.
– • All discussions regarding gun/ weapon ownership will be continually documented and recorded within the match file by the assigned Coordinator.
All approved volunteers are expected to agree to: Disclose any existing ownership, presence of weapons in the home, or newly acquired firearms and/ or weapons at inquiry, enrollment and throughout the life of the match; discuss with BBBS the ownership of the firearms and/or weapons during the volunteer interview and update that status for the life of the match; ensure that weapons and ammunition are inaccessible to the child assigned to while the child is under your supervision; adhere to the policy that a volunteer will not carry a concealed weapon at any time while accompanying the child; understand that RBBBS will disclose to the parent/guardian of the child assigned to the ownership or the presence of a weapon in the home, and volunteer and parent/guardian must sign off on the gun policy at the time of the pre-match or match.
