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What are your favorite Scouting Myths Safety / Risk Management?


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I think that except for people involved in the OA, very few Scouters even know there is an "Area" in the organizational chart between Region and Council. I know it exists but have never seen any actual evidence of it as a Scouter (not counting this forum.) I have known a couple of people who wore the "Regional Committee" committee patch but have never seen anyone wearing Area insignia. I wonder if the BSA could merge the Areas into the Regions and save some money, without sacrificing whatever it is that they do.  Of course, some people in this forum would be happy to do away with National and/or councils as well.   :)

Actually that would be a Section, not an Area. You have Sectional Conclaves. 

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I had a fellow scoutmaster tell me I was breaking some sort of rule because I didn't have a fire bucket outside every tent.  He was being pretty annoying about it so I told him I stopped doing that ba

Maybe "Class A" and "Class B" are myths in your troops, but when the Scoutmaster of my troop uses one of those terms, the Scouts and Scouters know exactly what he means and act accordingly.

Ya didn't think to drop in the "Those that can, do, those that can't, teach?"  Sounds like he's got all the answers, too bad he doesn't understand the questions.   After working all these many years

I come from the generation of my PL picking me up on the way to a Patrol meeting. For an eleven year old, that was so cool.

 

Barry

 

Well, according to the article linked by RichardB, it is ok for scouts to drive other scouts to meetings. 

 

There seems lack of consistency regarding this rule and that is probably what spawns the myths, half-truths, and misinformation. 

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File a tour permit for every meeting outside our meeting place, heard this repeatedly at council trainings and DID it for YEARS.  

 

Our troop is under the mistaken impression that 2 adults are required for 2 scouts to sell popcorn in a grocery store (2 hour shift btw)... This is why my scout never sells anymore.

 

Adults on hike need to hike with the patrol, every darn step of the way.

 

I've seen a pack at day camp making everyone go to the bathroom at the same time because little timmy had to go and two adults had to go with him.  Since they only had two adults .... yep, whole pack misses out on the activity.

 

Saw two cubs attending day camp not with their home pack.  They needed two adults to escort them for the week -- grown cousin and auntie.  Let alone that they were grouped in with other packs (who had adult leaders) and that the whole place is crawling with adults all week.

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Well, hate to derail the thread on one topic.  But as to driving, something to ponder:   http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/01/22/ask-the-expert-can-scouts-venturers-drive-themselves-tofrom-events/

 

Would a good summary be "If transportation is part of the event (i.e., reflected on a tour plan), the scout can't drive (except in the exceptions above).  If transportation is not part of the event, then he can." ?

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Would a good summary be "If transportation is part of the event (i.e., reflected on a tour plan), the scout can't drive (except in the exceptions above).  If transportation is not part of the event, then he can." ?

 

Or, just paraphrasing here, "If transportation is part of the event (i.e., reflected on a tour plan), the scout can't drive (except for when he can).  If transportation is not part of the event, then he can (unless he can't). ;)

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Group showers.  I have heard a variety of different and conflicting statements about prohibitions against scouts using group showers at non-council facilities; campgrounds, YMCA's, park districts, school, etc..

 

The council's campground has changed from group showers to individual shower stalls, so it is not an issue there.

Edited by David CO
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Must be 14 to use a shotgun

No motorcycles allowed on scout property

No running allowed in camp

No open toed shoes allowed at events

No running in camp, how in the world do you even try to enforce that with a straight face, plus, what about running as a fitness activity?  We have several scouts and one or two adults (not yours truly) who get up and run several mornings during the week, does someone actually say to them nope, sorry, no exercising allowed?

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No running in camp, how in the world do you even try to enforce that with a straight face, plus, what about running as a fitness activity?  We have several scouts and one or two adults (not yours truly) who get up and run several mornings during the week, does someone actually say to them nope, sorry, no exercising allowed?

It typically refers to the trails between campsites and program areas. For example, Heritage Reservation is mostly granite, sandstone, and roots. So, injury rates are proportional to the average speed at which youth traverse the grounds. We just try to slow down that average. The one time I didn't tell a youth to slow down (because I was on duty counting boaters at a venturing summit) she promptly fell, and I was then radioing the medic to come to the aquatics area.

 

Nobody yells at someone on a morning jog down the road, or cross cross-country run on the fitness trail, or the athletic field. (E.g., to condition for football Son #1 and his buddies would run the campsite garbage on a heavy cart through the main road of camp to the dumpster -- no problem.)

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No running in camp, how in the world do you even try to enforce that with a straight face, plus, what about running as a fitness activity?  We have several scouts and one or two adults (not yours truly) who get up and run several mornings during the week, does someone actually say to them nope, sorry, no exercising allowed?

I agree with what quazse said, I would just add that in our area, "no running in camp" refers primarily to when the Scouts are in the campsites themselves. Most of the camps we frequent have campsites that are very rocky and/or uneven and running is dangerous. And when the kids are running in the campsites, generally it is not for recreation or exercise, they are just "running around." Obviously if there is an athletic field or a trail that is safe to run on, they can run all they want.

Edited by NJCubScouter
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