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3 yrs in Boy Scouts, Tenderfoot not awarded..


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Hello woodsrunner,

 

 

I didn't say ignore a problem. But I do say don't let it block a boy from earning Tenderfoot for three years!

 

If you want to address physical fitness, FINE! I might start with a weekly pull up contest at troop meetings, with each boys results posted each week on a chart. Do a run around thew block and time boys in how long it takes.

 

There are lots of things you can do about it. Blocking a boy from Tenderfoot is a lousy method, and if they still can't do one after three years I'd say it's a lousy, ineffective method too!

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Yah, SP, is there some responsibility for the boy anywhere in there?

 

I'm not hugely hard-nosed about Tenderfoot requirements, eh. I think for a lad of average fitness, it's perfectly possible to go from 2 to 3 pull ups in a month of effort. So if a boy doesn't manage that, then I reckon da issue was effort, or perhaps appropriate coaching, rather than the requirement.

 

Da issue it seems to me is what about boys who are substantially below average in fitness. In that case, it's goin' to take six months to a year to go from zero to one pull-up, and involve a lot of other fitness activity, weight loss, etc. Depending on your troop, there are two options there, eh? Yeh can be a FCFY troop where getting that far behind his peers would be too discouraging, so yeh reduce/"reinterpret" the requirement in some of the ways described. Or, if boys proceeding at their own pace in a less Advancment-focused troop is your style, then yeh just work harder with him than with other boys and yeh give him the great gift of improved fitness that will pay dividends throughout the rest of his scouting career. He gets Tenderfoot after nine months and everybody really cheers.

 

But three years? Absent a disability, a boy who can't do a pull-up after three years reflects and attitude or approach by the boy more than it does a problem with da program.

 

B

 

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Very well said Beavah!!! I couldn't of said it better myself. I wanted to play professional baseball as a lad growing up. Although I had some natural talent I didn't have a burning desire to work hard at it or the smarts to get me through college. Did I fail???? HECK NO!!! I still played baseball and was talked about but never pursued a career. Partly because I was shy then compared to now and reasons already listed. Not everyone is gonna be the best at everything they do. Just enjoy the ride!!!

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Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.

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If a doctor says there is no chance the boy will gain the upper body strength to do one more pull-up, and the boy agrees, I'll get a waiver.

 

Otherwise, ask the boy who does not grab that bar every day for 30 days straight if he thinks it's fair to the other boys if you cut him some slack.

 

The kid may swim a mile on each stroke (relying on leg strength obviously), hike 5 miles navigating through The Crucible in the dark, know 500 wild plants an animals, can recite The Constitution verbatim, etc ...

 

But if he is not busting hump every day for a month to pull his chin over a bar one extra heave, he's not a Tenderfoot yet.

 

If he has put in 30 days straight with no improvement, then chances are there is some physical impairment. Help him overcome his pride get him to a doc or physical therapist to figure out what's going on in his body and get a waiver for the requirement.

 

How is this complicated?

 

P.S. - I sure do hope the other scouts in the troop would encourage that boy in every way they could think of. They need to learn that not everything comes "easy" for everyone.

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