Re: BSA Rangers?
(no name) ((no email))
Sat, 30 Jan 1999 14:30:31 -0600
"Thomas H. Harbold" <tharbold@NS1.WMDC.EDU> asked a dual question
in one, and he didn't even know it yet!!
He asked:
>I keep hearing about BSA Rangers, and even met one, briefly, but I
>still know little about them. What are they, what do they do, what
>are the requirements/prerequisites if one wishes to become one,
>etc.?
There are TWO definitions to the word "Ranger" as presently used in
the BSA's vocab:
[RANGER: 1. An specially-trained employee or
professional-technician of the Boy Scouts of America or of a local
Council entrusted with the care and upkeep of outdoor or wilderness
facilities owned by the Boy Scouts of America or by a local
Council. Rangers are 21 year of age or older, have completed both
a residence course on the grounds of the camping or wilderness
facility and a Camp Ranger's Course at Philmont Scout Ranch, and
first aid and emergency responder training locally. Many Rangers
are also sworn as deputy sheriffs, fire marshalls, or state park
protection employees, and therefore have the right to carry and use
a firearm during their course of duties. 2. A special rank given
to those Venturer youth members whom undergo a rigorous period of
outdoor training in several phases and over a period of months
along with a period of time in which this training is executed and
evaluated by Venturing leadership. The Ranger Award is a special
award which ANY Venturing youth member up to age 21 may complete
and does NOT require the attainment of the Venturing Silver Award
prior to earning. The Ranger Award was reintroduced in the fall of
1998 after a dormant period of more than 40 years. ]
To answer your specific question on "how to become a (Camp)
Ranger", you need to contact your local Council or a nearby Council
that may have a vacancy for a Camp Ranger. Note that many of the
Rangers stay in this position literally for the rest of their
lives. Camp Rangers live on the grounds of the Council camp or
facility, and are responsible for taking care of the grounds and
the buildings during the times that Scouting units (or other
organizations using the facilities) are not present. They provide
an important service for our Councils and help to keep the costs of
camping down significantly. After you complete an employment
application, you are then given some basic training (and if you've
never been a part of the BSA before, some BSA basic training
courses too) by the Camp Director or the professional with
responsibilities for camping and outdoor programming. I don't
recall right now what the time limit is, but my memory says that
within your first year, you have to attend the National Camping
School for Camp Rangers that's put on at Philmont or at one of the
six regional locations. You may also be required to attend EMT
and/or firearms training at a state law enforcement academy and to
be certified. Naturally, as part of the "full staff" of the
Council, you're expected to participate in full staff meetings,
activities and other programming of the Council.
There's a set of requirements that's out for the youth Ranger
Award, but I can't remember wher the link is to that page that has
that information. Note that since the award is relatively new,
many Councils still don't have the information that they can
provide to you. You might want to check out the BSA's Venturing
website to see what information they have on the award. There's a
lot of really anxious youth that are wanting a challenge, and from
what I understand, this award will provide that challenge and more.
It may be that this Ranger Award will be as rare as holders of the
Sea Exploring Quartermaster Award, with only a handful each year.
Hope this answers *both questions* even though you may only wanted
*one or the other*! *grinning from ear to ear*
Settummanque!
> Anything and
>everything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
>
>Tom,
>
>who is currently in a "Park Management" program at a local
> community college...
>
>
>"On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my
country
> and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; and
> to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally
> straight." -- the Scout Oath (Promise),
B.S.A.
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas H. Harbold, ASM Troop 321 BAC P.O. Box 1537
> tharbold@ns1.wmdc.edu Westminster, MD 21158
> www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/5129 ICQ # 26466587
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
(c) 1999 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3068
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@server.kaiserslautern.army.mil
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