I agree with you and Mike. I used to help the Red Cross with the Bay To Breakers run in San Francisco. They sent me the form letter about background checks, which I ignored. Then they sent me an e-mail reminder. I told them I wouldn't give consent to the background check for several reasons (and spelled those out). I got a response that my note was being handed over to the chapter's volunteer coordinator who could better respond to my concerns. Then nothing. And I guess I won't expect that response now that it's been over 3 weeks. -- Andy Oppel, N6AJO At 04:05 PM 11/10/2006, w4ru@bellsouth.net wrote:
Mike-After years of doing public service work for Red Cross and others I quickly came to the conclusion dealing with the Red Cross si like pushing on a strand of cooked spaghetti---you push on one end and nothing happens on the other end. I agree that if they don't need the information then they don't need to be asking for it. I for one will not submit to this fishing expedition. If I got caught submitting to this snooping, they they wil tear up myy ACLU membership card. If asked, and i have, then I wil state my opinion. 73 Sandy, W4RU
From: "Mike Raisbeck" <k1twf@arrl.net> Date: 2006/11/10 Fri PM 08:56:45 EST To: "arrl-odv" <arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:14754] Red Cross background check
Below is a quote from Red Cross's Laura Howe, as presented in the ARRL letter today. Sure looks fishy to me. It's political BS, and, of course, you all know it ;-)
I think some VERY direct answers from the Red Cross are in order.
1 - WHY is it important that the credit check language be included? 2 - Since the credit check is apparently quite rare, WHY must the
consent be
given ahead of time? Why not request the permission only when there is an intent to run a credit check.
At this point, if I am asked by any ham what I would do if I were asked to give the consent requested by the Red Cross, I will respond quite directly that I would not give consent.
Lest you think I'm opposed to all checks, let me point out that as chairman and member of a charter school board, I have had to fill out annual financial disclosure forms, and to submit to criminal background checks (called CORI Checks here in Massachusetts.) These make sense in the context of the position held. No one, however, has ever asked me for a credit check in these contexts.
It seems to me that the "tread cautiously and read very carefully ..." pablum that we have been dishing out as advice to our members is an order of magnitude too weak.
Guess I'll be sitting out the next hurricane :-(
Mike K1TWF
PS - let's up the ante a little. I ask each of you to state to ODV whether or not you have or will sign up for this check. Please explain your answer, and please indicate whether you are willing to share your answer with your consitiuents.
-----------------------
"The Red Cross realizes some volunteers may have concerns about authorizing a credit check. Those concerns are understandable," Howe said. "But please rest assured that credit checks are only run in rare instances and are not a part of the routine minimum basic check the Red Cross performs on employees or volunteers." Howe told the League that the "standard minimum check" verifies the applicant's Social Security number and a search of the National Criminal File for the past seven years.
"While the Red Cross will never run a credit check on the vast majority of its employees and volunteers," she asserted, "it is important that this standard language is included in the consent form to protect our clients, volunteers and employees."
----------------------------------- Michael N. Raisbeck
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