Fingerprinting MB vs. Mile Swim

[evry]

I am proud of my 1st year boy scout and wanted to relay the choice he made while at Woodruff Camp. I was at Camp as an adult leader with our troop.

He was signed up for Fingerprinting MB, a 1 hour class, but I saw him at our campsite with tears coming out of his eyes. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that he had just gotten back from the Fingerprinting MB Class and he had asked the Counselor how long it would take to complete. Since it would take at least 30 minutes, he had decided to cancel the class and instead, go on his 3rd practice for the mile swim (his last chance to qualify). He was saddened because he thought I wanted him to get the MB. I reassured him that his decision was the right one and he would be proud when he completed the mile swim and earned the coveted in our troop "One Miler." His face lit up and he said, "yeah, besides, the Fingerprinting MB is an easy one and I could get it anytime."

He eventually qualified for the mile swim and earned it the following day in 1 hour 5 minutes.....the only one in our Troop from the Scouts that earned it this year.

This summer, my son learned how to make a choice between two alternatives and I think he made the right one. Makes me proud!

[scoutldr]

Congratulations! It is indeed gratifying to see. I gotta comment, though...I think if I were the MB counselor, I could have found a way for him to do both...like had him come see me later in the day and make it up during free time?

[dg98adams]

Been there, done that with my son when he was a new Scout.

 

It is a good choice, to do the mile swim over FP MB.

 

Although, I handle the aquatic needs for our Troop, I have not been to BSA Aquatic camp Skool (youth competitive swimmer, Swim teacher, Council SSD & SA Instructor, & YMCA lifeguard for a long time) and prefer to think the "Mile Swim" is a "camp thing".

 

 

 

 

 

[Buffalo Skipper]

Your son learned a good lesson about choices: that his scout leader supports the decisions he makes. Well done.

 

I know that my scouts enjoyed the Fingerprinting MB (Mel, from England, has a way with the scouts, if she is was still at Woodruff last week). I sure would have been proud if any of them had wanted to go for the Mile Swim instead.

[prof]

Congrats to your son on the miler. Moreover, congrats to both you and him on the lesson he has learned on decision making!

I agree with DG98, the miler is good choice, especially at camp.

Prof

 

[SSScout]

I like his answer, "...I could get it anytime".

But, I gotta say, there's the Mile Swim and there's another Mile Swim...

 

My boy did it in a lake in PA. cold water! Round a triangle of bouys. But when we compared notes, I told him about my MS many moon ago in the Chesapeake Bay, jump into the water from a pier, follow a row boat out to a bouy and back, fighting jelly fish ("Sea Nettles") along the way. My buddy, Don, and I had the old Red Leg desease for a few days after, and got to try all the favorite remedies: alcohol, vaseline, calamine, plain soap and cold water. Mostly, we had to just wait it out.

[shortridge]

Definitely the right choice. Doing the Mile Swim puts you a step above everyone else. Others may be able tos swim faster, do the strokes with more precision, or hold their breath longer - but the Mile Swim, especially as a young Scout, shows you can endure and outlast, far beyond what you think your ordinary limits are. I was almost the last one left in the pool when I did mine at age 11 - but I finished the darn thing!

 

Is Fingerprinting really able to be *earned* in one hour, with no previous research or study on the part of the Scout? Really?(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[CalicoPenn]

Congrats to you for recognizing an opportunity to let your son make his own decision and try out those wings of independence!

 

I'm curious to know how your camp handles the mile swim - I've never heard of having to qualify for it before (other than the standard qualification of being a swimmer), nor have I ever seen practice sessions. Does your camp offer it just once per session? My camp allowed Scouts to do the mile swim any day, any time, as long as the Scout had someone qualified (usually a leader or older Scout) rowing the rowboat and following you on the course (a big triangle from West Camp to Family Camp to East Camp to West Camp), and the waterfront was open. With a two week session, I did it every day both weeks (including the last morning of camp - before breakfast - the waterfront staff in all three camps "opened" just for me - it was a big deal in that "Meatballs" kind of way) and twice on two different days (to make up for the first day and the day we spent river rafting) so I could reach my personal goal of 14 mile swims at camp (I was 14 at the time - and had very supportive Scout leaders and waterfront staffers).

 

If you camp allows multiple mile swims, maybe next year he could do it twice.

 

Calico

 

[desertrat77]

Congrats to the scout! The mile swim is tough to do, and it's truly a camp memory maker.

 

I'm still trying to get used to the idea of the numerous "indoor" MBs like fingerprinting being offered at summer camps.

 

Perhaps it's a way to get more scouts to camp.

 

The scout is right, he can earn FP any time.

 

[BrentAllen]

My son earned his Mile Swim this year as well. I didn't think he would be able to pull it off, since he hadn't done any training, and hadn't been to the pool this year. The only swimming he did before camp was his BSA swim test. I never did the MS when I was a Scout, so I'm very proud of him for toughing it out. 50 minutes.

 

The Mile Swim at Woodruff is a program, not just swimming the mile. They have practices that get longer each day, on Monday thru Thursday. The actual Mile Swim takes place Friday afternoon. In order to swim on Friday, you have to make three practices (one a day) during the week. I think the practice on Monday is around 1/5 mile. Thursday may be around 1/2 mile.

[shortridge]

CalicoPenn,

 

At my local camp, you have to complete two qualification swims to be allowed to do the mile. There's a quarter-mile on Tuesday night and a half-mile on Wednesday night, followed by the mile on Thursday. It's a way of weeding out Scouts who may have just barely made swimmer and are overly developed in their self-confidence, but don't really have the stamina or endurance to do the full thing. There's always next year...

[mbrownkc7]

I laughed thinking about when i was a young boy at camp. There were not any practices and it wasn't an option. I remember our leaders telling us we were taking the mile swim. Our troop was full of a bunch of swimmers from our high school and they wanted everyone to get the patch.

 

My twin brother who was not a good swimmer tells a funny story how Mr. Clayton(my best friends dad) followed him around the pool with a life saving pole for 21 laps so he wouldn't or couldn't quit. He was so pissed off during but that patch was put on the top of his sash. (don't pile on uniform police) He swears the swim took 2 hours but I don't know for sure. Everyone was so proud to have done it after it was over.

 

I think the practices they do now are tough on the boys especially at the camp we attend. They make the boys meet up at the pool at 6am for their practices and if they miss one they are not eligible for the swim. I would like to see them go back to the old days and let them all jump and and have the entire staff down there keeping watch.

 

Congrats to your boy. I still have my patch on my brag board that I use for recruiting at the elementary school and I often tell them this is my favorite badge besides my Eagle badge.

[dg98adams]

The Mile Swim, BSA Patch is NOT worn on the Uniform.

It is worn on the left side of the swim trunks.

 

This award can also be earned and worn by adults.

 

1. Explain how regular exercise contributes to good health and why swimming is one of the best forms of exercise.

 

2. Tell what precautions and procedures a swimmer and escort must follow for distance swimming over open water.

 

3. Under the supervision of a currently qualified certified aquatics instructor, BSA or equivalent, participate in 4 hours of training and preparation for distance swimming (1 hour a day maximum).

 

4. Swim 1 mile over a measured course that has been approved by the trained instructor who will supervise the swim.

 

[mbrownkc7]

 

OMG, did I say not to pile on uniform police.

 

Give it a rest.

 

I thought we were talking about the wonderful achievement of completing the mile swim but thank you for quoting whatever manuals you may have.

 

Just because of your comment, I will purposely ask the two boys completing the mile swim from our troop to put their mile swim patch on their sash above their merit badges. Centered no less. Just for you.

 

LOL!!!

 

 

[dg98adams]

I just grabbed the BSA requirements for Mile Swim from Merit Badge . com, not trying to nit-pic uniform police.

 

The morning practice swims for the mile at our camp happen at 6:30 am (7 am the 1st day) Mon-Thurs, with the final swim on Friday morning, or between lunch dinner, or after 7 pm.

 

I usually get mine in, after the Thursday morning swim 9skipping breakfast), so I can help count laps on Friday.

 

Now that I am over 40 it takes just about 45-50 min.

 

Last year, I got paced by a swim team Scout (11-12) in the last practice swim, then when I started the mile after a short rest, he swam with me but did it in less than 1/2 the time (freestyle with flip-turns).(This message has been edited by dg98adams)