Re: 50 miler Award
Woltz, Al LTC (woltza@SHAFTER-EMH3.ARMY.MIL)
Thu, 7 Jul 1994 14:30:00 PDT
Concerning the "10-mile per day requirement," Kathie writes:
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From: owner-scouts-l
To: Multiple recipients of list SCOUTS-L
Subject: 50 miler Award
Date: Thursday, July 07, 1994 3:10PM
-- it is current and has been the requirement that I know about since 1982.
-- if you knew about the award, BSA assumes that the leadership also knows
to look up the application (all applications even tour permits carry
summaries) which always details the exact requirements. This is to be
taught in basic training, and at any activity where the award is presented.
Again, not new.
-- everything is printed. BSA runs the biggest printing press in the sky!
I agree with all that you said. However, my contention still remains - why
wasn't that particular requirement included in the 1993-95 Boy Scout
Requirements Book or the BSA Handbook? It's this type of inconsistency that
leads to misunderstandings and rumors.
-- Did you file a tour permit for this hike with your local council? That
is also required. The council then should have caught that what you were
planning was not within our safety guidelines. However, even if they did
not -- the BSA movement assumes and gives its' leaders credit to be able to
seek out totally
all information before taking the boys into situations that could be
hazardous.
You bet we submitted a tour permit. We do for all of our activities (which
have included cross island bicycle hikes, ocean kayaking, rock climbing,
snorkeling, etc.) But are you saying that there are BSA safety guidelines
that restrict hiking to no further than 10-miles per day on any activity?
As part of our planning process, the "out-venture" trip was brought up and
discussed at our District Roundtable. The only "flag" that was flown was
concerning the erroneous concern about repeating/retracing steps. Our DE
thought the plan was super, well thought-out, safe, and he wished he could
go himself.
You seem to have had no disaster -- good. We have high adventure bases too
which have stringent safety rules, but which are not printed in a general
manner. You need to seek out the particular information before acting.
That is part of the training that is to be taught in basic training.
However, there is no
way to know what is being done where.
-- the BSA movement assumes and gives its' leaders credit to be able to seek
out totally all information before taking the boys into situations that
could be hazardous.
We have an expression in the Army (that's who I've worked for over the last
20+ years). When someone ASSUMES something, they tend to make A _ _ es out
of U and ME. Bad thing to assume anything.
-- Boy I'd love to live in Hawaii!!
Hawaii IS a great place to live (if you can afford it). Unfortunately for
me - I can't. I had hoped to retire here, but with a STARTING home costing
between 340 - 430 thousand dollars, I'll have to settle with somewhere on
the mainland. Anybody got a job out there for a 43 year old retired army
LTC? <chuckle>
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
