Re: Adult Leadership - Coed Activities
(no name) ((no email))
Sun, 18 Feb 1996 21:47:23 -0600
Professor Beaver (Mike Bowman) wrote:
>I've just looked over my copies of YPP, the Guide to Safe >Scouting,
literature on several High Adventure Bases, and >Exploring literature and no
where does BSA require that an >Explorer unit have two male and two
>female leaders for a coed activity.
Sure it does. I've looking at page 4, from the 1995 version
of the Safe Guide to Scouting:
"No fewer than four individuals (always with the minimum of
two adults) go on any backcountry expedition or campout."
This appears in bold on the second column at the top of the
page, under "Safety Rule of Four".
Under "Leadership Requirements for Trips and Outings", same page, under
"two-deep" leadership", the last sentence reads "Coed *overnight* activities
require male and female adult leaders."
Using a little "Scouters' Sense", and knowing that if you take
two male leaders normally on an overnight trip WITHOUT female members, if
you take one female youth member, you MUST have dual
female adult supervision. Therefore, four adults. And since the
ONLY part of our program that has both male and female youth members is our
Exploring program, it has to apply to them.
>If BSA had meant to double the leadership requirement, it would >have done
so explicitly, but it has not. And while there >advantages to having
back-up leaders of both sexes it is not >required by National.
Everything I've attended over the past four years (with the
exception of the Philmont Conferences) with regard to Exploring
have stated this policy, although I've only seen the references I've given
here. I'll call and find out for sure on Tuesday (Monday's a federal
holiday in the USA, for those unaware)
because again, we have one book saying one thing, and some local
Councils saying the same things, and other Councils saying
other differing things.
>There are three circumstances where an exception to this may >occur and
where four adults may be required:
>
>1. When the local Council Risk Assessment Committee recommends a >more
stringent standard and it is approved by the Council >Executive Board and
Scout Executive.
>
>2. When a chartering organization requires more leaders.
>
>3. When a host location; e.g. another organization's camp or a
>specific Scout activity requires a higher ratio of leaders.
>
>But remember these are the exceptions and not the rule. If we >had to have
four adults for every Coed Explorer activity, we >would soon see the death
of Exploring in some areas.
I don't see it that way, Mike. If I know that my Post is going to
go on an overnight camping event (a superactivity), I will insure that I
have myself, my Associate Advisor and at least two other
adults (not neccessarily registered Exploring leaders...it can
be parents of the Explorers involved, or an older brother or
sister of one of the members...as long as they are 21 or older)
attending BEFORE the event is conducted.
Exploring takes some planning on the part of the youth involved
as well as the chartered partner. I don't think that OVERNIGHT
events will come to an end just because they can't find two more
adults to come along. If that was the case, then we have more
of a problem with our Posts and Ships being run by one or two adults than we
think we do!
The string started with Utah asking about the "bare minimum" adults needed
to charter (recharter, in his case) an Explorer Post. We really shouldn't
be emphasizing the "bare minimum",
although we answered the question; we should instead be emphasizing that ALL
POSITIONS be filled by adults so that it will
allow the unit to participate in any activity or event without
trying to "gather two males and two females". This involves some
communication between the parents of the Explorers and the Advisor
that "I'm not here to take your teens on trips....WE'RE here to
help your son or daughter to explore a career or hobby area. As
parents, you have a role in this process as well...and believe me,
we will be asking you to play your role."
I'll give a call and find out for sure if we're talking "two adults", "two
adults and one more if we're taking females", or
"four adults". While I'm at it, I want to get an answer on the
proper device for our Commissioner staffs (Cub and Scout)to wear now that
we're not recognizing them as "commissioners".
Thanks for the additional information, Mike!
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Servics of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
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