Second Class Requirement 9a

[runintherain]

The Second Class Requirement 9a is one that a number of our scouts are having difficulty getting signed off on. I have spent the better part of the morning calling the local PD and some well known programs that they teach. The PD department says they have had budget cuts and would not be able to help. We have several home schooled scouts and several that joined as older scouts. The schools in our area teach this in the 5th grade.

 

I contacted D.A.R.E but they will only sell their program to Police Officers. Does anyone have any suggestions of a program they have done in Scouting to teach the kids these valuable lessons and help them advance in rank?

[moosetracker]

Second Class - Requirement 9a

Participate in a school, community, or troop program on the dangers of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and other practices that could be harmful to your health. Discuss your participation in the program with your family, and explain the dangers of substance addictions..

 

I had to go read it, because when my son went though it, I think he just missed the older boys of the troop running a program for the younger boys.. I just happen to see a flyer in a store window that was about drug awareness, took him to that and he brought back proof and was signed off.. Both were one night courses..

 

Since then I know scouts have stated they had to be enrolled in a 6th month D.A.R.E. program for the sign-off, so I wanted to see if the requirement had changed.. I don't think it did.. It still could be a one night program the participated in.

 

Therefore your troop could organize their own drug awareness program.. I would be best if they did not just wing it though, but maybe got some information from talking to people they know that have some knowledge, if anyone knows a Dr, nurse, even teachers have some knowledge.. Especially if you talk to a teacher who does the health course at the high school level.. Maybe you could even get them to come into the troop run program to speak.

[shortridge]

Another option would be to connect with a local law enforcement Explorer Post. They'd have the connections and expertise to run that type of program if you wanted to do it troop-wide.

[Eagle732]

Every kid in this area gets a drug awareness program every year through school. I would think most school systems do the same thing. Discuss the program at the dinner table and talk about the dangers, then they get signed off.

[runintherain]

The scouts that go to school in one particular town that we pull from have a 5th grade program. They are able to get it signed off on by bringing their certificate. The rest of the county no longer does it, as they have had budget cuts. They also cut the Police Explorer program in our town.

 

The local PD is willing to let me copy the notebook that they teach it from, so that may be our only option. I was curious what other troops have run into with this.

[ScoutNut]

Maybe these will help -

 

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/#/interactive

 

http://www.cadca.org/

 

http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/

 

http://www.theantidrug.com/

 

 

[runintherain]

Thank You, ScoutNut. I had done a lot of searching, but the resources you came up with are better than what I found.

[Troop24]

Our school districts are still fortunate enough to be providing DARE instruction to our Elementary school age kids. I did a Google search and found this: http://www.thirteen.org/closetohome/pdf/CTHelementary.pdf could be a good source for a troop based program.

[Troop185]

Our older scouts do the program as part of the campfire at Tenderfoot Weekend.

[Eagle92]

At one time the BSA did "Drugs:A Deadly Game" I even saw some of that literature across the pond. It was effective, available via Suppy ( or was it a bin item that your council could order for free) adn I betwould meet the requirement.

 

Also I bet there is a law enforcement officer or two somewhere in your district who would be willing to do a presentation on their own.

[IM_Kathy]

my son's school district does not do the DARE program - they do have other programs throughout many of the grades, but does not have any sort of certificate of completion like the DARE program has. my son's troop hometown has DARE in the school so most of the boys get that through the school. For the boy's that live in our school district or are home schooled we have a parent that is a doctor who does a class as it's needed - which right now we're waiting until next crossovers come over because we have 3 that need it soon, but will have at least 2 more this winter once they cross.

 

in my son's first troop we had a local doctor come in plus a recovering member of the community that got sober as a teen.

[shortridge]

AFAIK, Drugs: A Deadly Game is still available for ordering ... http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/60-060.pdf

[ScoutNut]

I also found this on the Learning For Life site -

 

http://www.learningforlife.org/lfl/resources/99-349.pdf

 

There is an extensive list of resources, and a section on activities to do with the youth. It would be nice if BSA put this over on their BSA site too.

[Stosh]

Annually our troop hosts a DARE officer, police officer, drug counselor, deputy sheriff, or health teacher to come in and fulfill the requirement for us. Some are good, some are not. The best was when the State Highway Patrol's drug sniffing K-9 unit came in and put on a program. The dog was the highlight of the evening.

 

We follow an annual process similar to this with the citizenship requirement and have a town council president/member, school principal, mayor, etc. come in and visit with the boys.

 

Stosh

[John-in-KC]

Contact your State Legislator. As a Constituent, ask for assistance from the State law enforcement education resources (every State has them) to work with the kids in your unit ... even if it's train the older youth in the subject matter as trainers to the 11-13 year olds.

 

The fact of the matter is the current economy means in some places, DARE and GREAT are at risk for budget cuts. Sad, but true.