committee member

[britishtee]

I have a scout in our troop whos parents have refused for him to do the water survial skills that are in the first class requirements.

His father says it is not mandatory for that requirement to be done.

Looking at the individual Boy scout record sheet it is listed on there. is he right?

 

[kbandit]

You might want to retitle your post to something like "First class water requirements". Also are you in the US?

[scoutldr]

This is the latest for requirement #9:

 

Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe trip afloat.

Successfully complete the BSA swimmer test.

With a helper and a practice victim, show a line rescue both as tender and rescuer. (The practice victim should be approximately 30 feet from shore in deep water.)

 

It does not indicate that these requirements are optional and may not be modified unless there is a documented handicap and it is approved by the Council. What, exactly does the father object to??

 

(Good point...these are BSA requirements)(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[scoutingagain]

Well the father is correct, if he is referring to the requirement to jump in the water with your clothes on and stay afloat, etc. This requirement was removed in 2005 or 2004 I think. If it is on the record sheet, your using an old record sheet. Take a look at the scout's Handbook or latest Advancement requirements.

 

Ah, I see Sctldr has posted them above. They are the US 1st class swimming requirements.

 

SA

(This message has been edited by scoutingagain)

[britishtee]

I am in the United States.

 

In the first class section of the book Pages 152-163 from 160-161 are survival skills where you jump into water with your clothes on and use them for a flotation device. the father says they dont have to do that requirement at all as part of the first class advancement but on our individual boy scout record sheet it is listed as a requirement. thankyou

 

and i dont know how to change the subject once its up there

[evmori]

He doesn't have to do them for rank, but will for Swimming MB.

[scoutingagain]

Yes those are the requirements I was refering to. They are no longer required for 1st class. You have an old book and an old work sheet. The 2008 Advancement Requirements book will have the most up to date Advancement Requirements.

 

The National Website also posts advancement requirements at http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/firstclass.aspx .

 

You will see as scoutldr posted, the survival skills requirement is no longer a 1st class requirement.

 

SA(This message has been edited by scoutingagain)

[acco40]

Simply type in a new subject line if you wish.

[SctDad]

"You will see as scoutldr posted, the survival skills requirement is no longer a 1st class requirement."

 

 

What has happened to the BSA when the Basic Survival Skills that were once common place have now been eliminated from advancement requirements. What will be next, and Eagle Project plan, and no actual work, tell us how you would survive in the wilderness if you were lost instead of actually practicing, and maybe talk about your 20 night camping, but only go on 3.

 

Scouts was once about the basics. WHat happened????

[Bob White]

A bit of an over reaction don't you think SctDad? At some point were you told that the the advancement requirements would never change? The swimming survival skills aretaught in the swimming merit badge, which by the way is one of the most popular of all the merit badges. So the vast majority of Boy Scouts still learn those skills.

 

This is truly a non-issue.

[evmori]

Maybe a little over reaction but still valid. While swimming is an Eagle required MB, there is are alternates so there is a possibility these basic water skills will never be learned in Boy Scouts by a Scout.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Stosh]

It's all relevant. The Eagle project was ADDED after an extended period of time. It has run for a while and if BSA dropped the Eagle project as a requirement it wouldn't be the end of scouting. As matter of fact Scouting has more years of Eagles without projects than Eagles with. How about going back to 50 nights of camping for the Camping MB? Surely one doesn't have enough real experience by doing only half the work by camping only 20 nights!

 

I surely thought it was the end of scouting when they dropped the really great MB's like Automobiling, Bee Farming, Blacksmithing, Dairying, First Aid to Animals, Interpreting, Masonry, Poultry Farming, and Taxidermy.

 

In the 1911 Handbook for Boys, First Aid, Athletics, Life-Saving, Personal Health, Public Health and 16 other merit badges is all that was needed beyond First Class to earn Eagle. No POR, no Scout Spirit, no service projects, and no time limits were required for Star, Life or Eagle.

 

If one can dig their way through the sarcasm, one can see that over the years the program has grown and developed taking different emphases and redefining itself for the era in which it existed. If something is "dropped" (i.e. Bee Farming) it was so that another area of interest could be added that would be more appropriate to the current era of scouting. I still think the basis ideals of scouting are still there, but they are drawn out through different, more relevent approaches of the current era. If scouting didn't grow and develop, while preserving it's values and traditions, it would have died out years ago.

 

And after 45 years, I don't think I've used my Morse Code skills much even if I did have to learn them for my 2nd Class badge. Do I remember them well enough to use? Yep! Can I find another scout to send a message to? Nope! :^)

 

Stosh

 

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