Questions about "ACTIVITIES" as used for rank adva

[Hamish17]

My son is new to scouting. I have some questions about ACTIVITIES, requirement 2A - 5 activities for 2nd class and requirement 3 - 5 additional for 1st class.

1 If there is a campout (2 nights) and the troop goes to a museum during this outing, is it one or two activities?

2. If the troops sponsoring organization (a church) is cleaned as a service project is that an activity?

3. If the Scoutmaster hands out information on a merit badge marathon and only two of fifteen scouts sign up and go along with adult leaders, is that and activity?

THANKS

[evmori]

1. 1 activity

2. Yes

3. No

[ICanCanoeCanU]

I would agree except the last one, maybe?

If it's a day with the troop I would say no, kind of like a meeting. If the MB day is at the council level held somewhere other than the normal meeting place and with folks other than your own troop, well then yes, maybe? I can see this one going either way.

[evmori]

I would only say yes to number 3 if it was a Troop activity & not a "if you wanna go here's the info" activity.

[Hamish17]

Thanks for your replies. The Merit Badge Marathon is in the same Council but in a different city and lasts from 8-4:30. Thanks again.

[RWSmith]

3. If the Scoutmaster hands out information on a merit badge marathon and only two of fifteen scouts sign up and go along with adult leaders, is that and activity?

Hamish17,

Only this one has received mixed views, so far... And I think it's due the facts that you emphasised the event was billed as an "if you want to go, fine; if not, fine" activity, plus the fact that only 2 out of 15 Scouts showed... However, and yes, I'm reaching here, but it seems possible these reasons were expressed to you by the SM (or some other UL)? Anyhow, I think those two reasons (unintentionally) misdirected our attention from the other two points you made in the commnet. Reading a bit further into your comment, it seems to indicate that A) the trip was sanctioned by the SM for all Scouts (and was thus, Troop sponsored), and B) the Troop provided both two-deep leadership and transportation to and from the event. If this is true, then the trip would definitely meet the "Troop activity" requirement. JMO.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

Yes, given the details of the event, I would now say yes.

As far as it being a 'go if you wanna" activity, aren't they all? Usually folks are both enthusiastic about going but in the end all activites are go if you want.

[Scouting179]

1) Two; we count a camp and a hike/service project/whatever as two even if done on same weekend. I'd say this is an SM call

2) Yes

3) If the SM/PLC sets it up and adult leaders go, I'd say yes as that makes it a troop supported activity. If it's just "go if you want", I'd say no.

The fact there's not total agreement on this does not surprise me at all.

[wagionvigil]

Alot of what is counted is up to the SM. But you cannot REQUIRE certain things for advancement that the troop does.For instance.You cannot say if you do not attend this you do not advance. A troop must offer more than enough opportunities to advance. A troop I had to deal with tried to make their community parades a requirement for advancement.WEll some of the boys in the troop are in the band and of course you maust perform with your school group as that is a grade. Well the troop leadership tried to keep the boys in the band from advancing because thay did not march in the parade with the troop.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

Scouting 179 - Why would you give credit for a campout AND whatever the activity on the campout is? Isn't that like a student wanting credit for going to school AND going to classes when at school? Seems to me that the campout and whatever takes place on that campout should be 1 activity?

[wagionvigil]

Ok we are going camping Activity 1
While camping those that are SWimmers are going rafting Activity 2a
Those that are not swimmers are going caving activity 2b

[evmori]

Ok we are going camping Activity 1
While camping those that are SWimmers are going rafting Activity 2a
Those that are not swimmers are going caving activity 2b

Don't agree. Based on this logic a Scout going to summer camp an taking water skiing and motorboating could count three activities. Going camping and whatever else happens on that camping trip counts as one activity.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

No I don't agree at all either. Every campout should have an activity of some kind? Other wise scouts are leaving home on Friday returning on Sunday and when their parents ask what did you do, the answer is nothing?

[wagionvigil]

But where does it say it does not? THat is your interpretation of the requirement. And BSA likes to leave some things open ended. BSA ALsl like to use the word Should and not the word Must.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

It doesn't say it does or doesn't anywhere and yes, of course this is interpretation. So are you thinking I'm wrong for not counting it as two?

Someone asked the question and I'm saying that in our troop credit would only be given for the 1 overall activity which would be the campout. Anything done at that campout does not go for extra credit. So how would you treat the above statement about summercamp?

[wagionvigil]

No I am Not. Are you telling me I am wrong if I want to count it? We can intrepret this either way.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

No, I'm not saying your wrong. I don't agree with your thinking and I'm defending what I felt was an attack at me when you asked me where it is written. Adding that BSA uses words like "should" rather than "must".

But you cannot REQUIRE certain things for advancement that the troop does.For instance.You cannot say if you do not attend this you do not advance. A troop must offer more than enough opportunities to advance.

Where does this comment come into play with this thread? No one said the scout was required anywhere ahead of you? These types of comments are what make me feel I need to defend my threads instead of me feeling like someone just dissagrees with me? I don't understand this?

So how do you feel about the summercamp comment? How many credits for activities should a scout earn while attending summercamp?

[wagionvigil]

Summer Camp. Ok camp as a whole is one activity.
AS far as by thread that you posted I have seen troops that so just a certain number of activities that you must attend them all to advance.
Is the pop corn sale an activity? Yes
Lets say a troop has exactly the Number of activities needed for a scout to advance from Second to first this year But if the scout misses just one he must wait until next year to advance, That is what I am getting at. We as scouters must provide a program that has alot of activities so the scouts have alot of opportunities.And having a couple different activities tied together helps with that.IMO
Please do not feel you have to defend your posts I mean no malice in my replies.

[cballman]

ok people foot in mouth time for me. IMHO if ypu go on a campout and there are two different activies one for the older boys and on for the younger then I beleive that it counts as one activity. not two or three because then like was stated in the summer camp then it would apply to more than one activity. so if you count a weekend campout as one activity that is fine but if you count a campout with canoeing and hiking as two or three activitys then it would seem that we wouldnt have to do that many activities throughout the year. so in retrospect one campout = one activity no matter what is goinging on.

[wagionvigil]

OK I agree with Charlie the Bear.