1st Class Swimmers Test

[Mrw]

My son earned his cycling badge two months after joining the trroop. He would have been as mad as any one person can get if he had to wait until First Class to finish it.

At that point he had done the requirements many times over and was still mad that when he was 9, his brother had earned a merit badge and all he got for the same amount of work was a Cub sports pin!

[cballman]

it seems to me that some leaders have not yet left cub scouts when they crossover into the scouting program. when in cubs all a child was to do their best and there was no problem with signing off on anything as long as he tried. but then in the Boy Scout program the scout is to COMPLETE the requirement, with no added thing or anything taken away, or as bad as i hate to say this but if a scout did their best but did not complete the required length of the swim test then they MUST do it again. yes it is hard for some kids to jump into water over their head, also in a lake where they cant see the bottom but you or someone else can swim with them and talk them through the test. you wouldnt beleive the look on the scouts face when he completes his swim test the first time. but then again if a scout is afraid of the water then you must take your time to help the scout out. dont get to crictial of a scout who has never been in the water over their head. just take your time and keep up the POSITIVE comments to the scout.

[wagionvigil]

OOH Charlie Your Bad I feel the same way. I was doing swim test for summer camp a couple of winters ago. A scout just could not make the swim test for Beginner told him he was a non swimmer. Boy that mother was in my face(bad move) Well he did his best doesnt that could? she said . I said looking her aquare in the eye at about two inches away( told you it was a bad move) and said NO! It counts for absolutely Nothing. If I passed him and he drowns you will be after me because he did his best not what the requirement said. Then I escorted her to the door of the pool and told her to wait for him in the car.

[WhtHawk]

I'd like to add over-protective parents into the mix. I've seen scouts in their teens that have come to camp and never even been in a swimming pool with out a life jacket.

I've had scouts jump into the water before the guard ask them too, sink, get pulled off the bottom and the first thing out of their mouth was, "when can I do that again?!"

I've had scouts and adults get irriatated that they/their son was not able to pass the swim test.

Also, while there are a lot of "do your best" awards in the Cub Scouts, not all of the critera allow for "doing you best" to be the required preformance level. I can not speak for every area, but at National Camp School, they drilled the fact that things like the Swimming sports loop, and Aquanaut are requirements and that the scouts must meet the preformance level before it is awarded.

[evmori]

While doing your best is a good thing, there are requirements that must be met. And maybe the Scout's best just doesn't meet the requirement yet. In time, it probably will.

Boy Scouts earn their way.

[Mrw]

There is still no discussion here of what we do to help these kids get better. If the only swimming exposure they have is a test at summer camp, then we have put an insurmountable obstacle in front of them. Not all summer camps teach swimming.

What can we, as an organization, do to encourage and make accessible swimming lessons and water safety instruction for these kids?

[wagionvigil]

In our District we have a Swim Month in the Winter. Each Wednesday 5-6 is Webelos Learn to Swim or work on Aquanaut plus swimming Merit Badge for the Boy SCouts
6-7 is Boy SCout learn to swim or take your summer swim test or lifesaving Merit Badge. This is in no way a recreational swim. Once you pass your swim test you are not permitted back.
We charge 1.00 per week to cover the rental of the High SChool Pool.

[evmori]

There is still no discussion here of what we do to help these kids get better. If the only swimming exposure they have is a test at summer camp, then we have put an insurmountable obstacle in front of them. Not all summer camps teach swimming.

What can we, as an organization, do to encourage and make accessible swimming lessons and water safety instruction for these kids?

My district, too, has a winter swim program. It's held at a local high school pool & runs for 6 weeks. A Scout can earn the swimming & lifesaving MB or learn to swim. I staffed this event for 5 years teaching basic strokes to beginners & learners. We had quite a few Scouts improve their swimming skills during this program.

[cballman]

well to help the kids get better is in our troop, the KIDS not parents are supposed to bring either to a leader or an older scout to get the requirements signed off. but does that alays happen NO. now whose fault is it the leaders for being there, the child because he forget his book, or his parents who does not support scouts? when a child is taught responsability at home then it carries over into everyday life at school, scouts, and even sports teams. but then again when you give a child the time does he always take it? it would seem to me that if I ask the same kids over and over to bring me their book and they dont whose fault is it? I was down at the waterfront at summercamp for the last three years and I had to almost force everyone of our troops kids to work on the swimming merit badge. I have given them the chance so if the child dont want to learn then I as a leader cannot force a child to do it. but I can strongly suggest that they do. we need to not change the req. for anybody but get the parents to understand that I am giving my time to help precious little johnny and they could help out at home also.

Just MHO about how to get more help.