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[Stosh 3452]

That's why I left the 5% that find it necessary to do "their own thing."

 

BSA has a minimal screening process for its volunteers and thus always leaves the door open for such antics.

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

Sorry I said anything. 

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

Does anybody have an old edition of the Handbook handy? I believe all the MB requirements were in the book. Last night I looked at the oldest one I had handy, the 1959 edition, but they weren't in there, so it would probably have to be at least one edition before that. Or a Requirements book would help. I also looked on the Internet and found a site that had requirements for a few merit badges from 1911, but I don't think that's a reasonable comparison. What would be useful would be to compare the requirements for Canoeing MB from sometime in the 40's through the 60's, to the requirements of today.

 

I have a feeling I know what you will find, and an opinion as to why, but it's probably better to get the actual answer first.

 

If memory serves, only the 1972 edition of the BSHB has all the requirements. The way national changes requirements, think Cooking which changed twice in 3 years, I think the separate requirement book is a goo idea for the most part. Better would be to not change the requirements as often.

[Beavah 205]

"Yeh can "pass" da BSA Canoe MB requirements and still be a danger to yourself and others on the water.  Seen it lots of times :p"

 

Then there's something seriously wrong in your neighborhood, but I seriously doubt that this is the norm around the country.  A boy who has passed his swimmer's test, is wearing a life jacket and knows nothing about canoeing can be in a canoe and is in no danger to himself other others.  

 

Yah, that's only because he's sittin' in a canoe with others who really do know how to canoe, in da middle of a group of youth and adults who really know how to canoe.  If you're followin' G2SS he's also out with trained adult lifeguards and has had 3 hours of closely supervised instruction. 

 

But yah, sure, I'm bein' a bit facetious with my folksy expressions.  That's why I did insert a smiley.    It's really not necessary to start hyperventillatin'.

 

Da only thing I was really commentin' on was that I was struck by @@Tampa Turtle's remark about first doing Canoeing MB and only after that goin' on a canoe trip and "learning by doing".  I think I get what his troop is tryin' to do... they're usin' Canoeing MB as da G2SS mandated preliminary instruction, eh?  That's just not the Scoutin' program in terms of how yeh should use Advancement.  I think he'd find it SO much more fun and the lads would get so much more out of it if he followed da program instead.

 

But yeh pushed my buttons, so I wandered a bit afield.  Let's face it, Canoein' MB at summer camp typically involves only 4 hours of on-water time.  Sometimes less.  I've seen hundreds of lads with the badge who couldn't canoe.  The tales I could tell.   

 

...  and I'll bet yeh dollars to donuts I'd find da same thing in your backyard.  I reckon I probably have.  You're Central Region, right?  

 

This sort of outcome is what yeh get when badges become a one-and-done test of isolated facts and occasional skills taught in a "class", rather than a fun process of learnin'.  Don't shortchange the boys by thinkin' MBs involve teaching them "requirements" to regurgitate.  They don't.  They involve havin' fun teachin' 'em and coachin' 'em on how to canoe by actually canoeing, and then testing them on the requirements.  

 

There's a real difference, and it matters.

 

Beavah

[Stosh 3452]

I have been in 3 troops all with watercraft emphasis.  I have seen hundreds of boys pin-ball their way down whitewater rapids only to spill and come up laughing.  Very few of these hundreds of boys ever take the canoeing MB unless they are required to do so for certain treks, i.e. BWCA requires FC rank and FA, Swimming and Canoeing MB's.  After almost 30 years, no boy has ever so much as been a danger to himself or to others.  Yes they learn to canoe from scout leaders who give as much instruction as they can, but don't require the MB route.  Yes, we have had boys with very few paddling hours do whitewater canoeing.

[Stosh 3452]

It is the trade of lawyers to question everything, yield nothing, and to talk by the hour.

-- Thomas Jefferson

 

A lawyer is a person who writes a 10,000-word document and calls it a "brief."

-- Franz Kafka

 

and of course my favorite:

 

Lawyers are like beavers: They get in the mainstream and damn it up.

-- John Naisbitt, in Megatrends

[TAHAWK 1420]

Got it.

 

 

 

And she's the one with braided armpit hair.

[Beavah 205]

 

Lawyers are like beavers: They get in the mainstream and damn it up.

-- John Naisbitt, in Megatrends

 

LOL!  Yah, @@Stosh, that hits da mark!     I reckon yeh owe me a new keyboard from spittin' my mornin' coffee up all over it!

 

Beavah

[Stosh 3452]

I figured you'd like that one!