Hiking Belt Loop

[Backwoods 10]

My son turned to me one day after considering the belt loops festooning his cub belt announced to me that he wanted to get his hiking belt loop next. He then asked me what he had to do. I believe he guessed something about, mm... walking in the woods on a trail. I searched my memory for the list of loops available and I was amazed at what he had uncovered. THERE ISN'T ONE!!! The Cub Scouts does not have a hiking belt loop. Well I told him and looked at me a little funny, just checking to see if I was pulling his leg (who me?) and I confessed that as bizzare as it may seem there isn't a hiking belt loop available. There are belt loops for table tennis, vollyball, badminten and marbles but not for HIKING!?

 

Well, I told him I would look into it and maybe write a letter or two. So... help me right this injustice! Does anybody have an idea how we can get this to become a reality? Who do I contact at the national level? Is there a committee for this sort of thing (Stupid question that!), who is the go-to guy for sports belt loop recognition? This is a no brainer and I would really like for my son to see it happen before he bridges over to Boy Scouts in 2 years.

 

Yours in Scouting;

-Steve

[ScoutNut 147]

You might try writing to the BSA Cub Scout Division. I would not count on the change being implemented in 2 years or less however.

 

Let your son know that as soon as he bridges to a Boy Scout Troop he can begin working on his hiking merit badge!

 

 

[Kaji 11]

(Although there used to be a hiking belt loop at the Boy Scout level once upon a time...)

[SemperParatus 1]

They are Sport Belt Loops.

 

Is hiking a sport?

 

Its a great recreational pasttime and is a defining activity of scouting, but I don't think it has the competitive element that defines a sport. Just my opinion. But, best of luck on the crusade!

[msnowman 10]

The definition of sport doesn't seem to be a concrete thing sometimes. Marbles and chess are games, but that doesn't make them sports. Hiking isn't really a game, nor does it seem to be a sport by itself. However, if Map & Compass were changed to Orienteering that could encompass hiking (and Orienteering is definately a sport).

 

Good luck on your quest

YiS

Michelle

[Lisabob 13]

Backwoods, good idea. In the meantime though, there are other areas of the cub program where hiking can fit in.

 

If you haven't already done so, check out the requirements for the Outdoor Activities Award (req. #1 is a nature hike):

 

http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/outdoor-activity-award.html

(link to the Virtual Cub Leader's Handbook)

 

There are also BSA historic trails around the country. In NY there are 17 listed as appropriate for cub scouts. I know some are not near your part of the state (though, having done the Niagara Falls one with my son when he was 8, and being from that area of the state myself, let me recommend it to you as a nice weekend summer trip). But several seem like they're within a reasonable distance. Depending on the trail, some involve more actual hiking than others (Portage Trail is a serious hike; Niagara Falls could become a hike if you wanted to, but a lot of it is more focused on historical sites in the area) When my son completed the Niagara Frontier Trail he received a "cool" medal to wear on his red vest and he was very proud of it - way better than a beltloop as awards go.

 

Here's a link to Scouting.org's list of NYS BSA Historic Trails appropriate for Cub-aged scouts. You can contact the councils listed for details about the trail.

 

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/trails/trails.jsp

 

If you end up doing any of these, would you post a commentary? My son and I are looking to do more of these over the next couple of summers, as a fun way for him to get to know NY better (we live out of state now but I still think of NY as "home")

 

And then, many councils sponsor Cub Hikes at their council scout camps. Ours does about 3/year. No beltloop, but always a patch.

 

Happy hiking!

 

Lisa'bob

[ManassasEagle 10]

> "They are Sport Belt Loops."

 

Well, technically they are Academics and Sports

Belt Loops so maybe you could get Hiking in

under "academics"?

[Backwoods 10]

Thanks guys, yes Lisabob we have some historic trails in this region and have done 'em, also the Outdoor activity award (they think it looks sharp!). Yup Kaji, I was a Boy Scout when we earned belt loops for hiking, etc. as part of the advancement process.

 

I see your point SemperParatus about the competitive nature of sports, however, competition is not highlighted in earning the loops and there are other, noncompetitive sports listed like swimming, skating, rollerskating, snow sports, physical fitness, bb gun shooting, archery, and fishing. While each of these can be turned into competitive events, they are not for the purpose of the loop. There are competitive hiking events, but 100 mile cross country endurance races are probably not listed in G2SS for Bear Dens! And his point remains a good one, hiking is a pretty reasonable activity for a scout to want to engage in and be recognized for. His going on hikes both in Den and as Family has led him to want to earn a loop for it, just the same way he earned his baseball loop.

[Vigil-Hiker 10]

At some point for each rank they are suppose to go on a hike with their den or family. On camping electives, there is learning the buddy system and the 10 essentials to go hiking/camping. I know of several cubs who would want to earn such an award.

 

Maybe if they had something for doing a couple of hikes, with some of the camping elective stuff and a little of Leave-No-Trace fundamentals. It may help push the get-out-into-the-outdoors and going camp stuff that seems to be coming from National.

 

We have hiking clubs here and some timed orienteering competitions every fall. One event is an all-day mountain trail competition that goes all the way across the county and passes our local Boy Scout and Girl Scout camps. So in that case, it is a sport.

[jens3sons 10]

There is a patch called a 50 mile patch. You would log your miles until you reached 50 miles and then he would have earned that patch. After another 50 miles, he would receive the 100 mile patch, etc, etc.

 

Check in your local scout shop as well, becuase in our area, three other programs are offered. One is called the Red Caboose Trail, which I believe you need to hike 10 miles of it, and units often break it up, by camping overnight at the one forest preserve that is on the trail. The other is called "Great Adventures", and the boys visit different forest preserves and complete different activities at those forest preserves, and can get a different patch for each activity the complete. The third is visiting a specific area that has trails to it, and when they walk the same trail each season and note the changes on that trail during each of the seasons, they receive a rocker to go around the original patch indicating each season (spring, summer, fall and winter).

 

I know your son was all set for the "hiking belt loop" but there may still be other possibilities, and just some further investigation is needed.

 

 

[fgoodwin 23]

I'm not expert on the history of the various Cub Scout awards, but it is my understanding that the sports BLs were designed to get those boys already active in sports to take an interest in Cub Scouts, by giving them "credit" for what they are already doing.

 

I don't think it was originally the intent to get boys already in Cub Scouting to take an interest in sports (although I agree that's a noble goal).

 

If its true about why sports BLs were developed, that would explain why there is no hiking BL. But I agree that BSA should consider adding one.

[Vigil-Hiker 10]

jens3sons,

 

The 50-miler is not for cub scouts. It is to be completed in a single outing over several days. You are to camp over-night during each stop. It is to completed on foot, canoe, or bicycle carrying your gear and food with you.

 

What cub scout is going to carry 40-50 pounds of tent, pots, sleeping bag, clothes, rain gear, food, water, etc.

 

I earned mine hiking 60 miles in the mountains of Philmont Scout Ranch the day after having stitches take out of my knee. Some of my troop did that trek and went on a 50 mile canoe trip during one week of summer camp - all the gear in the canoes.

 

Not every Philmont trek or week long canoe/bike trip will go the 50+ miles. It is one of those special awards that instills pride in going the extra distance to those who earn it. And there is no 100 miler.

 

 

[Vigil-Hiker 10]

See if there are historic Trails in your area that may qualify for the Historic Trails patch.

 

You need to camp overnight and put in service hours on the trail or historic site, so this needs to be done in a group. I do not remember the distance requirements. There are a set of requirements for cub scouts and another for Boy Scouts for thi award.