Ask Andy - Issue #12 - May 2003
Andy’s “Scout Trivia” Question: So you
think you’re pretty sharp, do you? Well here’s another “Scout Trivia”
question: Before Philmont Scout Ranch was called Philmont, what was its
name? (Send me your answer and I’ll publish it in June!)
WHAT’S YOUR “H20-Q”? It’s just about time for Scouts
to start taking to the water again – in it and on it. So, this is a
good time to review some Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat points.
Try this quick quiz (you’ll find the answers after the quiz)...
1. Which of these is
NOT a basic objective of Scouting aquatics?
a. To
give boys self-confidence and skill in aquatics
b. To
instruct boys in care or self, equipment, and others
c. To
promote aquatics-related merit badges and advancement to Eagle rank
d. To
develop physical strength and coordination
2. The primary
purpose of a BSA LIFEGUARD is to...
a.
Provide a challenge for older Scouts
b.
Provide protection for unit activities outside of camp
c. Train
aquatics staff personnel
d.
Encourage physical fitness and stamina
3. The ultimate
responsibility for the BSA buddy tag system rests with...
a. The
boy
b. The
aquatics staff
c. The
Scoutmaster
d.
Answers a and c
e.
Answers a, b, and c.
4. When giving a
swimming test, the administrator should...
a. Ask
the Scout if he can swim
b. Test
one boy at a time
c. Keep
Scouts within 10 feet of the pier or dock
d. All of
the above
5. If the water
temperature is 70 degrees, safe water time is no more than 20 minutes.
a. True
b. False
6. 45 minutes is the
recommended time for recreational swims.
a. True
b. False
7. Type II and IV
PFDs are recommended for use in Scouting aquatics.
a. True
b. False
8. When a unit uses
canoes on running waters, a float plan MUST be filed with parents,
the unit
committee, and the local council service center.
a. True
b. False
9. Any Scout may use
a rowboat, but only swimmers may use canoes (no exceptions).
a. True
b. False
10. Everyone who uses
a canoe must wear a PFD (no exceptions).
a. True
b. False
11. The lookout must
be able to see and hear all areas and must be a swimmer.
a. True
b. False
12. A nonswimmer
Scoutmaster can be the QUALIFIED SUPERVISOR for a unit swim,
if he or she is
trained in the Safe Swim Defense and has qualified assistants.
a. True
b. False
13. Buddy checks
happen generally every 10 minutes.
a. True
b. False
14. The maximum water
depth for swimmers is __ feet.
15. Minimum water
depth for diving from a pier, deck, or dock is __ feet.
16. The BSA “methods
of rescue” are, in order:
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
17. The
BSA-recommended lifeguard ratio is 1:____.
18. Hypothermia is...
a. The
rapid taking in of oxygen and blowing out of CO2.
b. A low
body temperature, specifically low body-core temperature.
c. A high
body temperature.
d. What
happens to the body following a serious accident or injury.
AND THE ANSWERS
ARE...
1. “c” (promote
aquatics-related merit badges and advancement to Eagle rank) is NOT
a basic
objective of Scouting aquatics. The others – to give boys
self-confidence
and skill in
aquatics, to instruct boys in care or self, equipment, and others, and
to
develop
physical strength and coordination – are the reasons for Scouting
aquatics.
2. The primary
purpose of a BSA LIFEGUARD is to (b) – Provide protection for unit
activities
outside of camp.
3. The aquatics
staff (b) has ultimate responsibility for the BSA buddy tag system.
That’s not to
say that the Scouts and SM don’t have responsibilities of their own –
but someone has
to have the “last word,” and that’s always the designated staff!
4. When giving a
swimming test, the administrator should (a) ask the Scout if he can
swim, (b) test
one boy at a time, and (c) keep Scouts within 10 feet of the pier or
dock. In other
words, “all of the above.”
5. It’s TRUE
that if the water temperature is 70 degrees, safe water time is no more
than 20 minutes.
6. It’s TRUE
that 45 minutes is the recommended time for recreational swims.
7. It’s TYPE II
and TYPE III PFDs that are recommended for use in Scouting
aquatics,
so “Type II and
IV” would be FALSE.
8. It’s TRUE
that when a unit uses canoes on running waters, a float plan MUST be
filed with
parents, the unit committee, and the local council service center.
9. It’s FALSE
that any Scout may use a rowboat, but only swimmers may use canoes.
A Scout
non-swimmer can be in a canoe, but ONLY when there’s an adult swimmer
in it, too!
10. It’s TRUE
that everyone who uses a canoe must wear a PFD. There are no
exceptions, and
the key word is WEAR! (Yup – even when it’s “flat water”!)
11. It’s FALSE
that the lookout must be able to see and hear all areas and must be a
swimmer. But
this is sort of a “trick question” – Since the lookout never actually
enters the
water, he or she doesn’t have to be a swimmer!
12. It’s TRUE
that a nonswimmer Scoutmaster can be the QUALIFIED SUPERVISOR
for a unit
swim, if he or she is trained in the Safe Swim Defense and has qualified
assistants.
13. It’s TRUE
that buddy checks happen generally every 10 minutes.
14. The maximum water
depth for swimmers is 12 feet. Deeper than this can make
underwater
rescues potentially too difficult.
15. The minimum water
depth for diving from a pier, deck, or dock is 7 feet.
16.
REACH-THROW-ROW-GO are the BSA “methods of rescue” in that exact order.
17. The
BSA-recommended lifeguard ratio is 1:10.
18. Hypothermia is
(b) a low body temperature, specifically low body-core temperature.
So how’d you do?
Got 16-18 right? Then you ought to volunteer to TEACH SSD & SA! Got
13-15 right? You probably just need to brush up with a little review
reading. Less than 13? Time to take or re-take SSD & SA!
Now, on to some
questions...
Dear Andy,
How does the $25.00 unit recharter
fee get allocated? And who pays for the subscriptions to Boy's Life
Magazine—the unit or the Scout’s family? (R.J., Den Leader, North
Jersey)
All
registration fees and Boy's Life magazine subscription fees, including
the unit rechartering fee, go directly to the National Council-BSA in
Irving, Texas. The annual registration fee for individuals is now $10
(this increased for the first time in some seven years to $10 in January
2003) and the Boy's Life annual subscription fee is $9 (the best value
in the world, in my opinion!). The unit rechartering fee is actually
$20 per year (not $25) and pays for the actual registration processing
that takes place at the BSA National office. Your local council keeps
none of this. The National Council puts these funds to
use in support of Scouting research, text writing, training course
development, high adventure base maintenance and a host of other
services provided to all Scouts and Scouters year 'round. On your
second question, in most units the overall annual dues to the unit
itself will cover the annual registration fee, any group insurance, the
Boy’s Life subscription, plus unit activity costs for the year.
Dear Andy,
I’ve been my Troop’s advancement
chairman for some 15 years now, but I’ve never been asked to join the
advancement committee in my district. I’m an expert on the BSA
advancement rules and I should have been asked to be chairman of the
district advancement committee years ago. I’m sure my reputation
precedes me, but nobody so much as gives me a call! How do I get these
people to do what’s right? (K.S., Troop Advancement Chair)
Hey, every district
needs experts, and they also need team players. Would it be true that
you’ve taken training for your position, that you attend district
committee meetings and other district events, that you’ve volunteered to
“teach” what you know at district roundtables and other training events
in your council, that you’ve offered your help to the district committee
as a whole, in any way that they might need help from an active,
involved volunteer? If so, then shame on them for not noticing! But,
if you haven’t been reaching out, extending yourself, showing you’re a
team player and team supporter, and instead you’re expecting them to
take heed of the pearls that fall from your lips when advancement’s the
subject, then...well, you know! Scouting is a pro-active movement, and
I’d suggest that you might want to become more pro-active yourself. I’d
like to hear from you again, after you’ve given this a try!
Dear Andy,
We've got a Senior Patrol
Leader in our Troop that we're having some difficulties with. Lately,
he's become disrespectful of the adult leaders in the troop, doesn’t
have the best interests of the entire troop in mind, and has become
almost impossible to deal with. Recently, he says he has determined
from an unknown source that he is allowed to attend Troop Committee
meetings. As Committee Chair, I am not at all comfortable with that,
nor are most of the committee members. Are you aware of any official
guideline or policy that covers this? By the way, new elections for SPL
are planned to occur shortly. (B.M., Committee Chairman, Mendon, MA)
Oops! What happened to "Scout
Spirit"? Let's start with the good news—your Troop does have junior
leader elections, and you have a committee in operation and not just a
"lone Scoutmaster." Now, thinking about your SPL, if this attitude and
behavior change is quite different and radical from his "former self,"
you may be seeing the displacement of a problem that's happening
elsewhere in his life. Has your SM had a conference with him lately?
He doesn't have to wait till a rank advancement for this—he can
conference with the Scout anytime at all! I'd sure start there, and ask
this Scout about his school life, family life, and so on. This may help
explain his current behavior. As far as attending Troop Committee
meetings, even if it's not "in the book," there's nothing inherently
wrong with having the SPL come to a committee meeting, especially if
he's given a specific role in the meeting. So, why not invite this Scout
to attend for the express purpose of delivering a report to the
Committee on the Troop's activities and long-range program? In other
words, turn a "demand" into an opportunity for leadership and learning!
Dear Andy,
Is “Law Enforcement” the only
Explorer program available these days? Or, are there other
opportunities? (T.T., parent, Mendham, NJ)
Actually, there are a bunch of
opportunities for the 14-21 year old – either male or female in
Exploring. Interested in the U.S. Customs Department? Here’s a
Web site to check out:
http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/careers/customs_ careers/explorer_
program/ explorer.xml
and there are a bunch of others, in Air Exploring, and other careers as
well. Get on the Web and go to for a general search.
Dear Andy,
We have a Life Scout in our Troop
who’s decided not to say the Pledge of
Allegiance. If he still feels this way when he comes up for his Eagle
board, should the board approve him? I note that saying the pledge is
one of the requirements to earn the Scout rank. (B.C.)
Whoa! Free speech n'
all that! To get complicated for a second here, how does he intend to
live up to the Scout Oath: "...duty to God and my country"? Well, I
suppose, if he's clever, he could say, "Well, I'm 'doing my best' to 'do
my duty to God and my country...'" And I suppose that might "count."
But he's also supposed to be a positive example of Scouting and Scout
Spirit! How does he do this? Sounds like a Scoutmaster's Conference is
needed -- right away. What's this Scout's reason or rationale for
refusing? How did he "demonstrate" this, the first time -- was it
diplomatically, or rudely? Does he perform the salute but remain
silent, or does he refuse to salute, as well? Who or what has
influenced him? Has he secretly become a citizen of another country?
(They're excused, you know, but I'm joking here.) Personally, I think a
conference, to understand (and perhaps counsel) this Scout is the most
important thing you can do, and I wouldn't wait or hesitate. Saying
the Pledge, per se, is not a "requirement" for Eagle, but showing Scout
Spirit certainly is. And most Troops begin their meetings with this.
As far as an Eagle Board is concerned, that's their decision and I'd not
try to predict.
Dear Andy,
I just found your column and love
your advice, but you get a knuckle smack on a recent response to a
question about only counseling a merit badge for your own Troop. Your
response was that is not allowed. I agree with the concept of being
inclusive, but on page 11 of the Advancement Policies and Procedures
book it says that you can counsel for just one unit. (S.F., District
Advancement Chair, Chicago, IL)
Yup, I'll take a wrap
on the knucks and 20 lashes with a wet lanyard! You're absolutely
right, and I wasn't! Your were the first, but far from the only Scouter
to point out my goof! If a counselor want to handle just one Troop, he
or she can do that! But, that said, I'd encourage them to broaden their
horizons, for two reasons. First of all, one of the "hidden agendas" to
merit badges is for Scouts to learn how to initiate contact with and
adult they don't know. The second is that it's a lot more fun for the
counselor to work with Scouts from different Troops – variety is the
spice of Scouting, too! So, thanks for writing, and setting me
straight! Keep on reading... and writing, too! After all, I'm "out of
a job" if good folks like you don't ask questions – and keep me straight
from time to time!
Dear Andy,
I’m looking
for the First Aid information as it applies to Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts,
and Venturers. I’m on Wood Badge staff for our council and this is a
staff project we are doing to show the participants how to do their
project. What I want to do is show the differences on how First Aid is
handled and is different between the three Scouting groups. I have
quite a bit of information on this for the Boy Scouts, but haven’t had
much luck finding information about the other two groups on the web.
Any ideas? (J.B., Troop Advancement & Training Chair, Cuba City, WI))
I've done a sort of
basic literature search, and I think you'll want to check out the "Readyman"
activity badge for Webelos Scouts. And, if memory serves, there may be
a few little items in the Wolf and Bear books -- but not a whole lot!
Then, I checked out the Venturing Leader Manual and came up with...ZIP!
Nada! Not a thing! But, when I found the requirement book for the
Venturing RANGER Award, there it was! This rank has significant First
Aid requirements, and you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Dear Andy,
After 15 years of
commissioner service in my local council, nearly five years of service
as Dean of Support Services for the NY-PA College of Commissioner
Science held each year in Syracuse, NY, I've been asked to teach a
Continuing Education seminar on where I think the role of the
Commissioner is headed in the next five years or so. I've seen a few
changes in the Commissioner's job description over the years, and can
pontificate on the "good ol' days" with the best of 'em, but I find my
crystal ball a little cloudy on Commissioner evolution in the near
future. Short of holding a séance and invoking the spirit of B-P, do
you have any insights that would help me get through my class? (D.T.,
Unadilla, NY)
The Redcoats are
coming! The Redcoats are coming! Well, you're asking me to gaze into my
own "crystal ball" here, and mine is pretty fuzzy, too! But, in about
the same time-line as you, I've noticed a few things changing. First,
there seem to be fewer and fewer "council cops n' district detectives"
and a "kinder, gentler" Commissioner seems to be emerging. Younger,
too, which is a good thing! I'm also seeing more women as
Commissioners, and this is good, too! So, where do I see Commissioner
service going? Well, some things will remain the same, like helping
with rechartering, and making visits, and so forth. But I think the
biggest differences in the future will be more philosophical in nature –
Commissioners being more "user-friendly," if you will – more helpful to
the units they serve and with less of a "watchdog" mentality. I think
this happens when we recruit younger people to the corps and use it less
as the "retirement pasture" for our old Scoutmasters, etc. As this
happens, there's something that must happen along with it, and that's
when District Executives stop trying to be the "final answer" when folks
"call Council." When DE's stop answering every and all questions, and
start passing folks over to their UC's, then we'll see some major
changes! When this begins to happen more and more, the "stature" of the
Commissioner will go up, and with it a better "partnership" between
units and their Commissioner, and between DE's and their District
Commissioner counterparts. This can be helped when more Commissioner
training courses, conferences and colleges run sessions titled something
like, "The Professional Staff-Commissioner Staff Connection and How to
Grow It," and then inspire DE's to attend commissioner training along
with their volunteer counterparts.
Happy Scouting!
Andy
Have a question or
problem? Got an idea that will help others? Send an email to
AskAndyBSA@yahoo.com
(Include your town and state, please)
(April 2003)
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