Climbing Merit Badge Age

[tuscarora299]

At Tuscarora, they offer a 13 year age limit,Which means I can do it

[Mrw]

We had an 11 year old who was also tiny for his age (maybe 70 pounds) in the troop when we first did the climbing badge on a camp-out. (Waigonvigil's program at Laurel Caverns).

His biggest problem was getting a small enough harness. He climbed faster than any one and had no fear rappelling.

The bigger guys who had some bulk to move struggled much more than he did.

The ages at our summer camp are to keep the numbers manageable and give the guys something to look forward too at the next years camp. I think only climbing and motorboating have an age limit.

[diamondbackAPL]

our camp has age limits on first aid, cit. in the world, communications, and family life. they recommend canoeing, rowing, shooting sports, climbing, environmental science, and most of the outdoor skills badges for older scouts.

[wagionvigil]

AS most that read this forum know I do alot of climbing programs each year. AFter much research and discussion with many recent Camp school grads and Climbing Directors from all over the country I have decided not to give any partials in Climbing. It will be an all or nothing MB.

[wagionvigil]

this past weekend the age factor reared it ugly head. A troop came with 13 boys under 12 because they could not go caving they just scheduled them for climbing MB. 13 Non badges as none completed the climbing requirements and we no longer do partials on Climbing. The SM was none too happy. His comment was we paid for the Badge then they should get it. Well my daughter went off on that and said Boys are expected to meet the requirements No more no less.

[Mrw]

We came home with one partial and two non-badges the first time we took your class. The partial was only missing CPR and the non-badges did none of the climbing or rappeling - they didn't know how scared they would be and just couldn't do it.

The last time, they all finished, but a bunch of the younger ones did geology, forestry of played Putt-Putt instead. (Their choice).

I don't blame you for not issueing partials anymore. If I were a counselor, I would want to see the boy complete the badge where I could see he knew it and understood the dangers of doing things wrong before I signed off.

[EagleBoy62204]

I dont see a problem, if the boy is fit, and just joined scouting, why cant he do climbing merit badge. it all depends if he can handle and has the upper body strength to do it. if not, then he should wait till he meets that point in his life that he can do it.

the past campout my troop went on, we went on our camps climbing tower, and my brother who is only 4'5'' which is real small for his age (12) and only weighs 64 lbs, he can do the tower which is 30+ feet, with no problem. He looked like spiderman climbing up a wall, alot of the climbers who are pros at the wall couldnt master it the first time as fast as he did. He had alot of people doubting that he would be able to do it or get more than half up because of his size. He proved them all wrong.



If they can handle it, then they should be able to do the tower and the badge. In order to test this even before they get to the wall, really climbing and the other "high adventure" merit badges should have physical tests within the merit badge requirements. Not something extreme like physical fitness m.b. but something along the lines, to see if the boy can handle pulling himself up the wall. This test should be put in place before the requirements that should be done with the councilor, so he knows weither the boy can handle the merit badge.

[wagionvigil]

A lot of the problem is the"fear factor" the second problem is what I call"mommy and daddy Problem" that is the kid has never had to really exert themselves and in some cases I blame the "Do your Best" Attitude which I have also seen in Aquatics MB. I had a boy that could not complete the Swimmer test and yet the leader and the parents tried to insist well he did his best. In Merit Badge work Doing Your Best does not always meet the requirements.
The 3rd and biggest problem is the leaders that do not prepare their scouts for a merit badge.
1. Requiring them to read the Book Before getting a blue card( I have seen troops decide which merit badge they were taking AFTER arrival at LC)
2. Throwing a scout into a merit badge because he was not old enough to do the other activities
3. Not really understanding the Merit Badge the kid is taking or chooses to use this MB as a "Lets See what the Kid is made of" Game.

[wagionvigil]

http://animatedknots.com

found this site
excellent

[MDEagle]

... in some cases I blame the "Do your Best" Attitude which I have also seen in Aquatics MB. I had a boy that could not complete the Swimmer test and yet the leader and the parents tried to insist well he did his best. In Merit Badge work Doing Your Best does not always meet the requirements.

Ah, the Cub Scout motto bleeding over into "Big" Scouts. It's interesting that you bring up aquatics, because First Class Swim Test is what my boy is struggling with now. He's a poor swimmer, but he's working very hard to improve. He knows that "doing his best" won't cut it... he has to accomplish what is required. It's been a struggle, but he's getting better and stronger and more confident. He's the one who is pushing us to get him to the lap pool. When he started, he couldn't make 10 yards. Then he got to 25, then he got to 25 plus 25 of elementary backstroke. Now he's doing 50's. He'll get to 100 soon!

Suppose, God forbid, that he should be on a canoe or raft trip and end up in the water without a preserver... I actually want him to survive. If I advocate a "Do your best" approach to the requirement, I could be putting his life at risk.

So, it may take a while longer... but he's going to EARN that signature, not have it given to him.

[MDEagle]

Sorry, Wagionvigil,

My previous post is about aquatics, and not the Climbing Merit Badge... so it's off-topic.

You can have it deleted if you want. I'd do that myself, but still too new to know how to do it.

[Mrw]

I always told mine that do your best was how they were to approach things, but never let it be good enough if they didn't quite finish or accomplish the task.

Then it would be - Well what can we learn about how to do better the next time? Or maybe "Do your best to improve."

I used to point out that if you are not going to do your best, then there is no point in bothering to do it at all.

[wagionvigil]

Remember to be in a canoe at anytime in the BSA you must be a swimmer.No more with a Life Guard will be allowed.

[ASM-142]

Safety Afloat in the G2SS still allows the lifeguard to be in a canoe with a non-swimmer.

Is this something that is coming that is not yet published?

[wagionvigil]

A friend that went to aquatics school last summer told me this. I will check with him again on it. Sometimes the rules change way before the G2SS etc is updated.

[scubascout]

sometimes, your best just isn't good enough, and it may cost your or someone elses life

[mhjacobson]

It is not the BSA that establishes a minimum age for climbing, it is the climbing certifiication agencies. BSA has gotten out of the liability issues regarding climbing by requiring that a climbing instruction MUST be FIRST certifiied by a nationally recognized climbing oganization and THEN approved by the local BSA Council or Region. Very few councils will approve a person as a climbing MB council who is not certified through this process.

When I looked up the standards of these organizations, I found that they, almost uniformly, have some age guidelines for climbing.

This is sort of a parallel with the BSA G2SS limiting the ability of Cub Scouts to participate in some boating activities.

[scouter01]

I did it at 12, in a rock gym, it was no prblem. I thought it was fun and there was no problems.

[wagionvigil]

12 is ok 10 1/2 and 11 is not. They cannot belay properly.

[scouter01]

at the gym, I would say a mature 8 year old could do it, since it really wasn't hard.