PaintBall

[Mrw]

If paintball were a target shooting sport, rather than a shoot each other sport, this would not be an issue. Since that is not the case, we don't play in scouts.

It is not military or anything else - we just don't aim at things other than inanimate targets. It is just that simple.

[wagionvigil]

Why is it that when ever we have a topic discussed that is against nationl policy we have a heated discussion issue? There is NO reason for this. No one can give a good reason why is should be changed. And quite frankly this is not the place to express it. Express it directly to National not here.
Anything in the G2SS is a non issue. When they say written in stone. Well it is. Until the next revision. So live with the rules. Everyone better get ready for the Tour Permit changes coming down the road. If yu don't follow the rules your scouts will be disappointed and you will have very unhappy parents down your neck.

[JazerNorth]

No one is arguing that it should be included, not one person. Everyone is arguing as to why it is not included. There are an infinite number of reasons that can be conjured up, while there are only a few real reasons. Non of us know the real reasons, just trying to guess. The initial post was a valid question of if it was there (he had an old book). Then it moved into whether or not it is OK to tell the scouts to go else where. After that, one person made a personal dig, and after that it has gone down hill. Of course, there are lots of personal digs after that one. Always the one dig that gets the conversation off course, must be a tradition..... humm.

Anyway, this discussion is not longer about paint ball or the G2SS, as it as moved onto other things.

JazerNorth

[FrankJ]

I expect specific bans in G2SS are from specific incidents, which would explain why there are specific bans while similar actions may not be banned. (football is banned, but not Rugby for example)

On to more important stuff: What changes changes are in the pipe for the tour permits? Maybe start as an different thread?

[deweylure]

Gentleman

I think we are getting way off topic and I see respect for other peoples opinion going by the wayside.

the original post was about paintball and the replies about it not being an authorized activity for the BSA is correct.

Dewey Lure

[hacimsaalk]

Gentleman

I think we are getting way off topic and I see respect for other peoples opinion going by the wayside.

the original post was about paintball and the replies about it not being an authorized activity for the BSA is correct.

Dewey Lure

i agree. i just poked me head in on this one. i scrolled to the last page, and what do i see??? a connection between paintball, hitler youth, and terrorists, oh and we cant forget about the cubscout leader that murdered people. paintball isnt permitted in scouts. period

i wont say it isnt absolutely fun however. i play it regularly, with people from scout. WE DO NOT ORGANIZE THROUGH THE TROOP AND WE ARE NOT "SCOUTS" WHEN WE PLAY.

i think that making connections such as mentioned before is a farrrrrrrrrrrr stretch. its almost like saying since terrorists and militants use guns in crimes, and hunters use guns, they are just like terrorists. same thing.

how about getting back on topic, or stop talking

[616kayak]

If it seems you have lots of kids in your troop who want to just start playing paint ball i would suggest making sure they do it safely.
Maybe you have an older scout who plays. There is nothing that says he cant give a safety lesson to the new kids. There are lots of simple things that a new player needs to know that aren't usually taught to them and a safety lesson can help keep a day at the field incident free.

[ASM-142]

If it seems you have lots of kids in your troop who want to just start playing paint ball i would suggest making sure they do it safely.
Maybe you have an older scout who plays. There is nothing that says he cant give a safety lesson to the new kids. There are lots of simple things that a new player needs to know that aren't usually taught to them and a safety lesson can help keep a day at the field incident free.

If this is done in a troop and the boys go out and play paint ball and get hurt the troop would be responsible since they taught the boys about paint ball and its safety.

Paint ball is not allowed in scouting and that is the only message we should be telling scouts.

[FrankJ]

Speaking of being off topic; it doesn't take four pages of comments to say paintball is prohibited because it is banned in G2SS. I see the threads as being more or less a conversation.. I don't see the problem with it wandering a bit if the original question gets answered early in the thread. YMMV

[scoutaholic]

If it seems you have lots of kids in your troop who want to just start playing paint ball i would suggest making sure they do it safely.
Maybe you have an older scout who plays. There is nothing that says he cant give a safety lesson to the new kids. There are lots of simple things that a new player needs to know that aren't usually taught to them and a safety lesson can help keep a day at the field incident free.

If this is done in a troop and the boys go out and play paint ball and get hurt the troop would be responsible since they taught the boys about paint ball and its safety. ...

By that logic, we can't ever do Traffic Safety merit badge either. If I teach them about traffic safety, someone might get hurt in an automobile accident some day and it will be my fault. Oh, and I better not teach knot-tying anymore, because someone might trip on their shoe laces. No more camp fires, because it's possible that Johnny has a younger sibling that might find matches and start a fire.

I'm not saying that we should promote paintball, but let's be reasonable. The extremely remote possibility of being indirectly responsible for a paintball injury is the wrong reason to avoid it.

[evmori]

You are missing the point scoutaholic. Paintball is in the G2SS as a banned activity. Knot tying & traffic safety aren't.

[jr56]

From the number of posts this topic has created, paintball must be a really popular activity, maybe scouting should instate it as an accepted activity.

[riverwalk]

Thank goodness the paintball issue is just a conversation topic, and not in the Program. Since the picture is well "painted" now, I had a Scouting related thought.

wagion mentioned Tour Permits. Could we get a new forum started on the changes described?? That would be worth our collective time.

[cballman]

Ok lets look at the paintball issue a different way. since someone brought up getting rid of the shooting sports badges. look at what they teach in the safety req. always treat a gun as if it is loaded. NEVER point a gun at any person. WOW when out on a paintball field the what are you shooting? WOW you have just broken one of the major safety rules of gun safety. NOW that is why paintball is an unauthorized activity. if you read the G2SS then you will understand why. it states " pointing any type of firearm (including paintball, dye, or lasers) at any individual is unauthorized. NO questions. anyone that has a hunting or shooting background seems to understand that safety is of the utmost importance.

[616kayak]

The G2SS only mentions pointing a paintball gun at someone. It doesnt forbid teaching safty. Its the same as hunting. You cant play but you can talk about how to do it in a safe way.

[ASM-142]

The G2SS only mentions pointing a paintball gun at someone. It doesnt forbid teaching safty. Its the same as hunting. You cant play but you can talk about how to do it in a safe way.

Paintball is the same huniting. They both are not allowed activities. If you wasn to discuss gun safety do it under approved activies such as one of the shooting badges and include that a any type of gun should not be pointed at a person - and that includes a paint ball gun.

[hacimsaalk]

Ok lets look at the paintball issue a different way. since someone brought up getting rid of the shooting sports badges. look at what they teach in the safety req. always treat a gun as if it is loaded. NEVER point a gun at any person. WOW when out on a paintball field the what are you shooting? WOW you have just broken one of the major safety rules of gun safety. NOW that is why paintball is an unauthorized activity. if you read the G2SS then you will understand why. it states " pointing any type of firearm (including paintball, dye, or lasers) at any individual is unauthorized. NO questions. anyone that has a hunting or shooting background seems to understand that safety is of the utmost importance.

i both play paintball, and hunt ( a lot more than play paintball) ever since i was probably 5 or 6 i have had the "treat ever gun like it is loaded" crammed down my throat. i think that people need to look at reality. there is a MAJOR difference between a hunting/target shooting firearm and a paintball gun. it is just common sense that a paintball gun doesnt project a lead ( steel, bismuth, ect) projectile. it is a PAINTBALLgun. basically the only only thing taht is the same between a FIREARM and a PAINTBALL GUN, is the last part of the latter one- GUN. if i were to call it a paintball marker ( as correctly named), would it make you feel allright about shooting it at another person? from what i gather the only thing taht makes people leery of playing paintball is "shooting" the paintball GUN at another person.

another thing is that we KNOW that the projectile coming from the paintball gun ISN'T going to kill, as a firearm projectile would if fired at the same person. a paintball merely bruises, firearms can kill.

so, i guess in short what i am trying to say is that the only thing that gives shooting a paintball gun at people is the last part of it-GUN. maybe in fact, i think everyone should go out and play-it could be an eyeopening experience.

Micah

[hacimsaalk]

include that a any type of gun should not be pointed at a person - and that includes a paint ball gun.

just b/c the G2SS says that pointing Paintball guns at another person is not an approved activity, doesn't make it true for activities outsied of scouting. i feel it would be wrong to teach that it is wrong, in fact, i wouldn't even think about teaching that to scouts. they are independant people, just like me & you, let them decide.

just my $.02

[ASM-142]

include that a any type of gun should not be pointed at a person - and that includes a paint ball gun.

just b/c the G2SS says that pointing Paintball guns at another person is not an approved activity, doesn't make it true for activities outsied of scouting. i feel it would be wrong to teach that it is wrong, in fact, i wouldn't even think about teaching that to scouts. they are independant people, just like me & you, let them decide.

just my $.02

Using this logic you would tell at Scout that while in scouts do not point a gun at anyone but once you leave the meeting it is OK. This is wrong. Teaching in scouts should follow the G2SS.

[616kayak]

If you don't know much about paintball i would suggest reading this article.
It should clarify some of the misconceptions people may have about the sport.

http://www.nppl.tv/site//categories/PAINTBALL/