Re: Youth and Stoves

Robert:

I agree with your statement:

> From my own experience, in general the young scouts, ie. under 13, should
> not own a backpacking stove........

In fact, our troop extends this to all large ticket camping gear except packs.
Our troop prohibits the use of Personal Tents, Stoves, and Liquid fuel Lanterns
by any scout under First Class. The troop provides the required camping
equipment for all scouts and insist that those under First Class use the troop
equipment.

By the time a scout reaches First Class in our troop, he has been thougly
indoctrinated with our troops Fire and Fuel Safety Policy. He has also had
time to look at gear he plans to purchase and make an inteligent decision on
what is right for him to buy. (size, weight, brand, style, material...)

When I think about it, we even discourage them from buying packs untill they
and their parrents have been shown what to look for and watch out for.

As for the safety of propane: Speaking as an lucky natural gas explosion
survivor:

Gasoline does not leap out of any opening in its container in a pressurized
jet.......BOOM

Its vapors can collect and explode, but they are not pushed out of the storage
container under pressure except when they are being used in the appliance.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS YOU AND YOUR LEADERS AND YOUR SCOUTS MUST UNDERSTAND
THE CHARACTERISTICS AND HAZZARDS OF ANY FUEL YOU USE INCLUDING WOOD.

AND

YOU MUST ENFORCE A TOTAL AND UNEQUIVOCABLY HARSH BAN ON THE USE OF ANY LIQUID
FUEL FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN FUELING APPLIANCES WHICH HAVE BEEN DESIGNED
TO USE THEM.

In our troop, if a person uses a liquid fuel to clean or light a fire, they
are PERMANANTLY BANNED from using liquid fuels FOREVER in our troop.
NO EXCEPTIONS, including SM, ASM, CC, CM, scout, guest, parent, ANYONE.

We have not had a single incident of abuse of liquid fuel priviledges in
four years. New people are completely trained in our policies by their
third campout. That means that we routinely have 11 year olds safely using
stoves and lanterns, both gas and propane, with proper supervision.

Yours in Scouting. Yours in Service. Westmoreland Fayette Council
I used to be an Eagle--Wood Badge NE-V-19-20 Eagle Scout Class of 1967
- Wagion Lodge #6 Vigil -

(Mr.) Gary W. Sherwin SM - Home - (412) 722-3476 -
BSA Troop 461, Box 342 - Work - 256-2563 -
Yukon, Pa. 15698 - FAX - 1412 -

sherwin@sunshine.pgh.wec.com http://(UnderConstruction)

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