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Tenderfoot Requirement #10 Exercises


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How does your troop handle this requirement?

1. Record your best in the following tests:

 

Current results

Pushups _______

Pull-ups _______

Sit-ups _______

Standing long jump (_______ft _______in)

1/4-mile walk/run _______

 

30 days later

Pushups _______

Pull-ups _______

Sit-ups _______

Standing long jump (_______ft _______in)

1/4-mile walk/run _______

2. Show improvement in the activities listed in requirement 10a after practicing for 30 days.

 

The Scoutmaster in our troop makes the boys keep a log for 30 days. They don't sign off on the requirement unless the scout performs all exercises every day for the 30 days.

 

I'm wondering if this is in line with what other troops do.

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Your SM is adding to the requirements which is not allowed. It does not say practice EVERY DAY. It does not say keep a log. A scout is trustworthy. Encourage them to practice. Maybe have the guys doing the requirement meet 30 minutes before your troop meets and PRACTICE together as a group. Offer this to them. But it still would not be required to be present at this practice to complete the requirement.(This message has been edited by boleta)

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I'll jump on the band wagon with boleta.

 

We take boys out before or after the scout meeting and have them do the beginning test. Before they start we talk about a scout being trustworthy and giving his best effort (we've had a few hold back so they could show improvement). We print off a spreadsheet with the whole thirty days (it usually comes back with only a few entries) and have them write there starting scores on that. We encourage them to do the activities on a daily or every other day basis. After the 30 we have them do it again and record there scores. I think sometimes just the added incentive of "show improvement" provides enough adrenaline.

 

The whole point of the requirement is that they:

- Learn the importance of physically fitness

- Learn the importance of goal setting

- And most important, learn to test themselves in a fun enviornment.

 

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What to do if after 30 days the Scout shows no improvement (because he does not do the execises that particular day) but on day 31 he does?

 

Scout leaders are given much leeway in interpreting the requirements because many of the requirements are vague.

 

Seriously, the big "gotcha" on this requirement always seem to be the pull-ups. Most can't do one at the beginning or one after 30 days. The upper body strength of 10 year olds coupled with our society's ever expanding waist lines makes that requirement tougher and tougher each year.

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31 days is still after 30 days. If he can barely pull-up and then pulls up better, he has shown improvement. It does not say show improvement in every category. Just show improvement. I agree with Herms about the point of this requirement.

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Our Troop policy on this requirement has always been that the Scout show improvement, not in all areas necessarily, but at least in one or two of the areas. Most Scouts do not show improvement in pull-ups or push-ups, but usually show improvement in two or more of the other exercises (walk/run, sit-ups, & long jump).

 

ASM59

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It says to "Show improvement... after practicing for 30 days." (emphasis mine)

It doesn't say "show improvement after 30 days."

When my son did this requirement, we were a bit unsure if he had to:

a) practice for 30 consecutive days, finally showing improvement 30 days later, or

b) practice 30 (perhaps non-consecutive) days and show improvement after whatever period of time that worked out to be, or

c) practice some number of times > 1 in a 30 day period and show improvement after 30 days.

He kept a log and, after failing to practice on consecutive days, decided to run down path (b). After about 20 practice days, we were a month and a half into it and he decided to ask his advancement chair if he was doing the right thing. The Advancement Chair said, "In all my years I've never seen anyone keep a spreadsheet! You pass." I take that to mean that for this particular Advancement Chair, the answer was ©.

I still believe the wording can be interpreted in any of the three ways above. ymmv. I feel sure that this requirement exists to demonstrate to the scout the value of regular exercise, a practice that will help him achieve the Aim of Fitness. For this reason, I don't believe that you can simply do the exercises twice, 30 days apart, and meet this requirement.

About the pullups... He still can't do a pullup. He did modified pullups where he kept his heels on the ground but leaned back from the bar. (When I was in school we called these "girl pullups") He was able to improve quite a bit with these, but not enough to do a real pullup. (This message has been edited by fling1)(This message has been edited by fling1)(This message has been edited by fling1)

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Fling, I interpret the requirement as your item C.

 

We do the initial test at one of their first troop meetings. After the 30 days is up (it could be longer, but a minimum of 30 days), we retest. The boys that don't show improvement know they have to go back and work some more. I don't think that many of the boys actually do any formal program like your son. Most are simply active kids, and will naturally show improvement as they grow. The ones that aren't very active quickly learn the importance of exercising. Which, I believe, is one of the key points of the requirement.

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Biggest blow-up I've ever had with a parent was over this requirement.

Week after week this Scout would come to the meeting a little more overweight and tell us that he hadn't done any practicing on his own since the last meeting. So week after week we would put him through the paces - and he continued to get worse by every measure. After about 2 months, the dad confronted me and demanded signoff. I explained situation and refused to sign - scout wasn't making any effort to show improvement.

Unfortunately, dad was also CC. He waited until I was out of town for a couple of weeks, then rushed son through the SM Conf and BOR. None of the other adults happened to notice that dad had signed off about a third of the Tenderfoot requirements - starting with fitness. (One a side note, 2nd & 1st Class were signed off the same way - all by dad - and nobody noticed. Really sloppy. SM trying to prohibit any adults from signing off on requirements in the future.)

 

Back to the original question, we encourage them to exercise regularly so they will improve and we start re-testing after 30 days. Must improve in all areas to pass requirement. Pull-ups measured in 1/4 increments.

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Show improvement means if you do 1 pull up, you need to do 2. If you complete the 1/4 mile walk/run in 15 seconds you need to complete it in 15.01 seconds. All after 30 days of practice. Nothing says these 30 days must be consecutive. Nor does the Scout have to keep a log for 30 days. Just show improvement in each item. Any more or any less would be adding/subtracting from the requirements!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

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MikeF says:

 

Pull-ups measured in 1/4 increments.

 

That's an interesting approach. I will have to mention that to the ASM who tested my son. He (the ASM) seemed perplexed about what to do when my son improved in every other area, but could still not do 1 pullup after about 30 days. (His solution, without any "help" from me, was that my son had "shown improvement" and passed the requirement. I am not sure whether that was based on "overall improvement" or whether my son actually got his chin closer to the bar.)

 

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