[SJAAboard] ISC Insurance

[Rob Hawley]

Gary argues correctly that this needs to be presented to everyone on the
remailer.  The list below is slightly different than the list I ciculated
earlier tonight.

The plan to require background checks as proposed by Steve would gut the
entire star party program of SJAA.  Many people would simply determine it
was too much bother to participate (myself being among them).


Steve made an argument off list based on a conversation with ASP.  He is
missing a number of points that make the comparison to ASP irrelevant.

	1. ASP is an organization with paid staff.  As such it has to have
ISC insurance to protect it's managers.  Thus what ASP described to Steve is
an incremental addition to an existing requirement.

	2. ASP has a fixed list of people it knows are volunteering. It can
set the people's expectations that such a check will be performed.  

	3. ASP does a Megan's Law check. A Megan's law check only requires a
name. Thus ASP >>could<< do it without telling anyone. Our carrier requires
a full criminal background check. That is something that could not be
ethically done without informing the affected parties. Libertarians and
privacy zealots like myself will object and will not volunteer in the first
place.

	4. Attendance at our star parties is entirely adhoc. We don't know
who is going to show up for our star party programs.  They may or may not be
members of SJAA. How could we possibly maintain and enforce a list? 

	5. Our events are different because the parents or other guardians
are present when we are conducting a star party. Each astronomer is
basically chained to their scope for security reasons. Other astronomers are
set up next to them. That is not the case in a classroom.  

	6. We are likely at MORE risk at Houge since parents frequently let
their kids run loose in the park.  Also the density of clients is much less
at Houge than in school events meaning far fewer witnesses.

      7. Steve talks about these $100 checks being done on a few people.
Because the population of volunteers is very fluid it would likely require
more than 50 and possibly as many as 100 people to be cleared, not all of
them members of the club.

	8. The ISC program sold by our vendor is geared to employment
issues. If we had paid employees, we would have to have ISC insurance.  The
coverage would be priced for the risks involved in employment and not the
minuscule risk involved in our programs.  


My response to Steve is the same as in an earlier email. If you are
generally uncomfortable with our not having this insurance, as Bill was with
our not having D&O insurance, then the board would happy accept your
resignation.

Rob Hawley