Order of the Arrow
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LATEST POSTS
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By Cambridgeskip · Posted
Hello from the U.K…. Been a wee while since I posted round here. Anyway I thought I’d swing by as I’m currently at scouts and it’s all gone a bit American! And I’m stood in a corner with not much to do with the PLs in danger of making me redundant. The scout program here while using the patrol system tends to use it as a way or organising a troop rather than the patrols being totally independent. At the moment however I have all 5 patrols doing their own thing having planned it all themselves. (Some looking a bit more organised than others but that’s teenagers for you) I’m in serious danger of having nothing to do. Two patrols pioneering, one cooking and the others getting creative with photography and clay respectively. A couple of adults are keeping an eye from a distance. The other two have vanished off to tidy up some camping gear. its all looking a bit American! anyway hope everyone is doing well, I must pop by here more often -
By HashTagScouts · Posted
If worrying about there's alcohol and smoking, then our troop would cease to exist- we meet at an American Legion Post, where there is a bar open for members while we are meting in the room next door. Been that way for over 70 years. We're OK for meeting weekly under such conditions, but not to use a range once a year? I could absolutely see having a checklist and stipulations on what is required when using a sportsmens club versus a commercial range- namely, a fully certified instructor must be present. I've never experienced a sportsmens club that would be OK with a member drinking at the bar and then staggering their way out on to the range. Can't speak for anyone else, but at my club, we absolutely will talk with other members if we see them doing anything that is a safety violation, and we absolutely have politely made some folks former members for not following rules. Apply similar requirements for what we do with any facility that would fall under "short term camping" provisions now and the council can have an "approved" list of facilities- it isn't that difficult, and not that time consuming. -
By RememberSchiff · Posted
Offloading liability? As mentioned, the Hawaiian wrongful death was at a scout camp range. I have shot at more than a dozen "commercial ranges" in NH, ME, MA, PA, VA, NV. Their facilities, staff, clientele, firearms, and safety rules vary considerably. I do not know of any uniform safety or business certification for commercial ranges; it is the Wild West regarding calibers, actions, rent/bring. That said, "commercial ranges" usually have a Range Safety officer at the firing line. At local club ranges. often members are their own range safety officer. At those local clubs, Scout shooting activity would reserved the whole range and have their own trained RO's; insurance through the NRA. Commercial ranges make their money from instruction, equipment, sales but mostly from rentals firing their ammo. Odd we could take Cubs camping at only council-approved camps, but we apparently take Scouts to any "commercial range". What the ... IMHO, Councils should partner with local sportmens clubs. Regarding indoor ranges, I have shot at the same range where the Boston Marathon bomber practiced, along-side Philly gang-bangers in PA, and nutjobs firing full-auto in Vegas. Air filtration (lead) at indoor ranges was a concern except at one place. Scary, never been back to any of those places. I can only recommend one indoor range for Scouts but I am not sure they allow youth or reserve range time for outside groups. Commercial outdoor ranges are less common hereabouts - competition (local clubs and free state ranges), worry of a round getting away, noise, range vandalism, real estate costs. My $0.01 for rambling -
Certainly. It shouldn't be 90% indoors. Unless that is what your unit wants from the program. Our troop spends 90 minutes a week in a troop meeting. There is another 90 minute PLC meeting for leadership. That is up to 7.5 hours of meetings a month. The monthly weekend camping trip is 48+ hours. Maybe spend a couple hours working on a merit badge, citizenship or whatever... Still, over 80% of the troop time is outdoors. This is the current program. That's the way I envision it to be. -
This is where we are disconnecting on this issue. In my council there are no BSA approved clubs. This is why I see it differently than you; my council already does not have this, none of the ranges and clubs in my area can pass the BSA inspection.
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