Eliza

> I agree with you! But it is almost December... no outdoor pools here. And these boys are Webelos IIs. Truly, I wish everyone went to summer camp, but that is another story....

Beavah -- thanks! I was writing while you were posting. You answered my question -- and gave me the answer that I had hoped for, which is great! Our pack does not have any swim events, so there is no safety issue. I can copy & paste the G2SS explanations (like "The 75 yards must not be the outer limit of the swimmer's ability....") and send to parents. We have a parent who emailed me "My son earned the swimming pin." "Which one?" "The one in the book." "Can you tell me which requirements, so I can put it in our records?" "All the ones in the book." Not a great conversation,

There are a lot of boys in our den who are decent swimmers -- competitive swimming (at local clubs/leagues, not USA Swimming). Wouldn't it be overly legalistic to say they had to take a BSA test administered by a BSA certified person for the Aquanaut pin? A typical situation would be a parent who says his son can pass the test, or a boy says he could pass it -- he swims regularly in his own pool or competes in a local club. But there is no actual documentation (the way there might be for a boy advancing through a YMCA program, where there is a checklist for each level). I'd like to know w

Oops, I should have put my question more clearly. I was thinking of boys have not passed the BSA Swimmer test at camp or other Scout venue, but still want to use it for one of the Webelos Aquanaut pin requirements. Can a parent give the BSA test? I know that if boys go to camp, they will be tested/retested, so my question is not a safety question, but an advancement/achievement question.

Some background: I help keep track of our Webelos den achievements (busy DL, no ADL). And a lot of requirements are done independently. So, I have been asked how a boy can pass the BSA Swimmer test. In G2SS, it just refers to a test administrator, but some things I've found on the web are stricter, like "A BSA Lifeguard or Red Cross Lifeguard MUST administer this test." Can a conscientious parent with the full guidelines administer this test? Does the rule vary by council? As an aside, when my son went to camp, he said a lot of kids who couldn't swim very well (in his opinion) s

In Requirement # 12 -- "Show in three different ways how your eyes work together..." Does anyone know what the three different ways are? Is it 1-see things in three dimensions? (I guess brain does this - does it count?) 2-adjust for light & dark 3-????? My son is doing this pin on his own, and I could use some help!

"The CM has no say in how/when the Webelos earn their AOL. That is up to the Webelos den leader." ScoutNut -- THANK YOU! I did not realize this. The DL is on the same page as the worried parents. "It might also help if you offered the den leader to take the lead on some of these activities." DL & I have been emailing. I just finished a graphic organizer thingy showing a few paths we could take to get to AOL. Checking out local camping, campfire & hiking venues. Then we can get a group decision. "adding to the requirements and that can't be done." Gary --exactly!

Thank you for the replies. I am glad to hear that other people read the Handbook the same way I do. It is actually the CM who is talking about three required campouts. No campouts = no AOL. I guess my question is about wanting to know what other packs do when boys havent been able to camp out (usually because of reluctant or overscheduled parents). Our pack has a very limited number of campouts, so it is not so easy to catch up with AOL five months away.

Ive heard many people say that boys need three campouts for AOL (2 for Outdoorsman, I for AOl #5). My son has done these, but a number of boys in the pack are not going to be able to do this. It looks to me as though you could do AOL with fewer campouts. AOL #5 says overnight campout or day hike. For Outdoorsman, the requirement is two of the first four requirements if a boy did #1 (camping gear) and #2 (evening activity/campfire), plus the five other requirements, wouldnt that be sufficient? Yes, I know camping is preferable, but I was wondering about boys who been unable to camp

Here's an update -- My son started the Athlete pin again -- partly because I (and son's sibling) needed to exercise too. We went to the track five morning a week about 6 or 6:30 (to beat the heat), timing a quarter mile runs MWF and a 50 yard dash TuTh. My son improved over 30 days and beat his spring times by a decent margin. Competing with his sister made my son run faster! We are still going (to the track (with a week off for Cub Scout camp), as I want to start a lifelong habit of family exercise. So, overall, this has been a great learning experience for all of us. ETA Son r

Rich I think I understand what you are saying. My gut reaction to the belt loop/pin and to the BS merit badge was not as positive as I would have hoped. The BSA seems to focus on the more visible disabilities more than on mental/emotional disabilities. While its great to give kids an understanding of these disabilities, it is just not the whole story. I wish we could get part the image of a well-adjusted boy skiing on one leg (although I do know an adult who wears an artificial leg and skis competitively). I live in an area with (and work with) a lot of children on the spectrum (Asp

Thank you -- this is all such good advice. Snow White -- I will talk to the den leader, should have thought of that. But, even if the den leader is flexible (as I think he will be), I want my son to complete the requirement. dg98adams -- the conditions were not the same. It was cool in early May and hot & humid for the last run. Also, son's early runs were done during track practice, when he was running around and around the track for one hour, 3 times a week. Now he is running practice 5Ks three times a week -- just different. No one else is doing the 1/4 mile now -- and, you ar

Hello, I'm new -- the mother of a Webelos Scout and a pretty active parent volunteer. My son is working on his Athlete pin, and I have a question about requirement # 5 ("Do as many as you can of the following and record your results. Show improvement in all of the activities after 30 days." The list includes curls up, push ups, pull ups, standing long jump, quarter mile walk/run.) My son did his first quarter mile in the middle of track season, with a good time, for him. But, now, he can't seem to beat that time. I see now that he shouldn't have run so fast at first. So, I am wonderi