BSA - Second Class (swimming requirement)

[pvtjoker]

I have a boy who is a great scout...attends all the meetings/troop events, etc...the only thing keeping him from advancing to Second Class is his refusal (fear based) to learn how to swim.

 

So...whats the easiest way to tell him he is done with advancing in rank because the BSA will not let him advance any further without learning to swim?

 

Even scouts earning the Eagle rank are given alternatives to required merit badges which involve swimming.

 

[Eagle92]

While the nomme de guerre may imply you are a troll, I am going to take you seriously and give you a serious reply.

 

Swimming IS a life skill that can save his life. He needs to learn how to swim, as there is so many opportunities in scouting that do involve the water that he will not be able to participate in.

 

Yes scouting is not suppose to be about the advancement, Scouting is suppose to be about fun and adventure, which he can still get out of the program, save aquatic activities. And I know folks who don't care about advancement and stayed involved until aging out.

 

But if he want to advance, he needs to learn how to swim and, more importantly in my opinion, to float. Both can save his life.

 

Now the key is to get someone who is very knowledgeable and is willing to take the time to work with him. Trust me it may not be a pretty sight, and may dive the instructor nuts. I'm sure I drove mine nuts. But with time and patience, and more importantly practice, he will get it.

 

As you can guess, I'm speaking from expereince. I had that fear as I DID drown, and had CPR done to me to revive me. So I know what he's going through,.

 

Good luck.

[Eagle92]

Forgot to add, Sgt Joker is OK, Sgt Animal Mother and his '60 rocks.

[pvtjoker]

first...thanks for the advice...

 

second...sorry my username didn't meet to ur satisfaction...maybe i should have called myself Eagle86 (my eagle rank year)...then i wouldn't have been immediately judged as a troll...

[shortridge]

From a meta point of view:

 

If one views Scouting (as I do) as an outdoor-based organization that broadens boys' horizons through adventure, swimming is a critical skill. How can a boy go on a canoe trek, sailing expedition or motorboating trip with the rest of his buddies, seeing things he's never seen before and experiencing things he will never experience again, without knowing how to swim?

 

If one views Scouting (as others do) as an organization focused on character-building and other stuffy, boring things, learning to swim is still a critical skill. As you say, your Scout doesn't have some sort of physical block to swimming. He's just scared. Overcoming that fear will build character (ta-dum!). Letting that fear win will be the start of making him think he can just skate by and dodge tough decisions and situations the rest of his life.

 

And you can't get to Eagle without having been Second Class.

[NJCubScouter]

Pvtjoker, who decided that this Scout is "done with advancing in rank"? Now, if you were to tell us the boy is 16 and has been unsuccessfully trying to learn to swim for 5 years, well, maybe. If he's younger than that, there're no way he should be considered "done."

[Oak Tree]

So...whats the easiest way to tell him he is done with advancing in rank because the BSA will not let him advance any further without learning to swim?

 

Well, that sure seems like a loaded question.

 

Surely a boy can figure out by reading his handbook that he needs to be able to swim to advance in rank. Why do you need to tell him anything?

 

Also, the way you phrase it as "the BSA will not let him" seems to come from a different point of view than I'd take. The BSA isn't stopping him from advancing. The BSA has set out some requirements for Second Class. The boy can either complete them or not.

[Eagle92]

Joker,

No disrespect intended. This website seems to have attracted some trolls lately, and sometimes the names give it away. When I saw the name, first thing popping into my head was the movie FULL METAL JACKET and the baracks seen where Joker, Cowboy, and Pyle get their names.

 

That movie actually won me a bet once. After reciting every single line for 20 minutes on my way to NAB Little Creek, the guy who said I couldn't repeat the entire movie gave up and gave me the $5.

 

BTW

 

WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!

[Eagle707]

I know this is a long post so I'll say this up front: I'm an Eagle Scout and an American Red Cross-certified Water Safety Instructor so reading this post shouldn't be a waste of your time.

 

First, I wouldn't tell him "he's done" at all! Instead, I would encourage him to take private lessons to get over his fear of swimming. Yes, private lessons. They may cost more but by removing them from a "conventional" class environment, the instructor can give the Scout his or her full attention and the Scout doesn't have to feel self-conscious about his fear.

 

As far as the facing the fear, it will take an experienced instructor to coax him through it. Make sure this Scout is taking lessons from someone who is an American Red Cross-certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI). WSIs have the skill set and the training to tackle situations like this and do well in them.

 

Also, one bonus point: Eagle92 said it is important to learn how to float. This is 100% for two reasons:

1) If you float you aren't sinking.

2) If you cannot float, you cannot swim. I know someone who trains triathletes and, because of this, makes sure his clients can float before he does anything else. Once you get him to learn how to float, swimming will come faster.

 

Happy Scouting and (hopefully) happy swimming!

[rancest]

I Agree with Eagle707. My son had a fear of any water over his head and refused to even attempt it. We enrolled him in private lesson a week before his summer camp. These lessons got him over his fears and gave him confidance in his ability. Needless to say with in a matter of 2 weeks he went from not wanting to get into water over his head to earning his swimming merit badge. I credit the private lesson with giving him the tools to over come his fear.

[moosetracker]

Agree with Eagle707 also, but would add to look up some of your Merit badge counselors in your district for Swimming/Lifesavings. I am sure it is our policy, but our district will not allow anyone teach these two Merit badges without the Red Cross Water Safety Instructor certification. So I can't say that ALL you MBC's are guaranteed to have that certification (ours are). But, I would imagine you could find a few on your list who do have it.

 

Difference between paying for the lessons & working with the MBC though would be time. With a paid instructor you could meet every day for a week. The MBC might be more like once or twice a month.

 

It is just an idea to look into if the finances for the family are tight.

 

(Must be the season, isnt this our 3rd question on the swimming requirement asked within the last week?)

 

[raisinemright]

That was my son. He was actually scared to get his head wet. We worked on him for years. He got through Tenderfoot rathere quickly but was hung up on 2C. We sat him down and explained that he would never advance and we also spoke of the hazards of not knowing how to swim.

 

Finally, he steeled his nerve and told me to throw him in. It helped that our neighbor had an in ground pool. He finally got over his fear and started jumoing in deep water. He swam the pool and I called another troop leader to my house. I wanted to get it witnessed and signed off before he lost his guts. The next day, he jumped off the diving board.

 

He's now a Life Scout and SPL. He swims well but doesn't really enjoy it. But he doesn't have to like it.

 

Persevere. A couple summers ago, aa family reuinion in Mississippi went tragic when a riverbank collapsed and a whole bunch of kids fell in. Not one person at the picnic knew how to swim. The kids all died. How would he feel if he was in a situation and he was powerless to help?

[FScouter]

"While the nomme de guerre may imply you are a troll, I am going to take you seriously and give you a serious reply."

 

A topic is a topic no matter the source.

[Scoutfish]

"Pvtjoker, who decided that this Scout is "done with advancing in rank"? Now, if you were to tell us the boy is 16 and has been unsuccessfully trying to learn to swim for 5 years, well, maybe. If he's younger than that, there're no way he should be considered "done." "

 

WEll, the boy did by REFUSING to learn or get wet due to his fear.

 

Pvt Joker, If I unerstand your question correctky, you did not ask about any BSA requirements. Sound like you already know them. It sounds like you are asking what to say to a boy to explain to him that HIS OWN refusal to meet this challenge is going to cause his advancement to stiop as far as the rules and requirements in BSA are written.

 

Well, I'd say just that. I wouldn't sugar coat it, I wouldn't try to make it more nicer souinding or make BSA sound like the bad guy.

 

I'd be point blank ( without a mean tone) and say : "Okay, here's the deal, if you do not swim, you will not advance in rank any higher that where you are right now. Youy do not have to drop out nor does this mean you can't camp or go to camp or troop meetings. But it does exclude you from things like canoeing, water activities, and such. It will limit your camping activities too."

 

And maybed somewhere in all that, you can post it as a personal growth challenge or put it as a test to adult hood by overcoming a fear.

[Eagle92]

Fscouter,

 

Yes a topic is a topic and that is why I gave him a serious answer, although I did give a caveat about possible trolling. You know as well as I that we have been getting hit of late with trolls, and it has caused problems. I don't want to be seen as feeding trolls, but as a former swimming and lifeguard instructor, this is a very important topic near and dear to my heart. Plus while it may not have been mentioned as to what is causing the fear, I mention my own fears I initially had due to my actual drowning at 4 or 5.