Aquatic Supervision Courses to be Required?

[SMsteve]

Hello, all.

 

The two new Aquatics Supervision courses (Swimming and Water Rescue, Paddle

Craft Safety) are officially in "pilot" status today. [i have completed both courses, by the way, and recommend them highly.] They are encouraged for unit leaders, but not required. Does anyone have a definitive source stating whether the courses will become required in the future?

 

Thanks.

[dg98adams]

Steve,

Did you take them at a Camp School?

[SMsteve]

I completed the courses at a resident camp, where they were given by a camp school-trained Aquatics Instructor.

[nldscout]

Is this a new national course, because I have never heard of it. Anyone else?

[Gunny2862]

They were teaching it at summer camp, lifeguards and lifeguard counselors exempt.

[shortridge]

Can anyone explain in plain English the difference between the Aquatics Supervisor and Aquatics Instructor positions and what the training for each involves? (I'm not even sure I've gotten the titles correct...) Which one is from NCS?

[BadenP]

SM

I think you got it a little backwards the aquatics guy at your camp just because he went to camp school does not make him a qualified Instructor for adult instruction. He was trained to run an aquatics center at a camp, period. The courses are specialized and designed for those individuals working in the aquatics part of camp only, not the general scouting population. These are not required training courses for scouters now or probably in the future.

[SMsteve]

nldscout,

 

In a word, yes.

 

I first heard about it here: http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0805/d-news.html in an article about BSA Lifeguard training changing to be more focused on training "professional lifeguards at BSA aquatic venues."

 

The new Aquatics Supervision manual comprises all the study material and includes a listing of the requirements. See the manual at http://www.scoutstuff.org (search for item 34346).

 

BadenP,

 

I suggest that you look over the manual, and if you have access to ScoutNET, the Instructor Guide for either course. In order to teach the course, the instructor must be a BSA Aquatics Instructor, a BSA Lifeguard Instructor, or a BSA Swimming & Water Rescue Instructor, and have Council approval (SWR Instructor Guide p. 3). The classroom and other material are plainly geared to applicable for unit leaders.

 

[Gunny2862]

Because this still appears a little confusing the course being discussed is intended to give the responsible party at the unit level a basic familiarity with rescue skills. It does not turn those attendees into lifeguards nor pool operators, nor swimming instructors.

I think it's a great idea but again with the mandatory training they need to be careful how they phase it in or Some Troops may find they can't swim or do other water activities except at camp. When training becomes mandatory, Council's/Districts need to ensure it is available on a regular basis. And every other year may be regular butay not fill the bill.

[BadenP]

Gunny I agree with you, but the way SM presents this training it would be the same training as they receive at camp school which would make them qualified to be certified life guards/ aquatic supervisors which I don't buy National would want on a volunteer level. A modified basic skill course is a whole other matter, that is why I think SM is a little confused and why I think if there is this kind of course for volunteers it will be a very basic skills type.

[SMsteve]

BadenP,

 

Dude, I'm not confused! God love you but I think you are confused!

 

I just want to know if anyone has any definitive source stating whether [Aquatics Supervision: Swimming and Water Rescue], and [Aquatics Supervision: Paddle Craft Safety], will become required for UNIT aquatics activities. The courses are currently "highly recommended for UNIT leaders" (Aquatics Supervision, p. 13) but not required.

 

There IS this kind of course for volunteers it IS very basic skills type! These are the courses in question! Before accusing someone who has completed the courses of being confused, you should at least learn about the courses.

 

Further discussion of exactly what the courses are should perhaps be spun to its own thread. In the meantime:

 

shortridge,

 

BSA Aquatics Instructor is a course offered only in conjunction with a BSA National Camping School. It is the highest level of training, achievement, and recognition for adults in Scouting and is a requirement for aquatics directors at BSA camps.

 

I know of no position titled Aquatics Supervisor. The two Aquatics Supervision courses are to help prepare unit Scouters as Gunny has summarized above. The best summary is on p. 13 of Aquatics Supervision, and the requirements are listed in Appendix 3 of the same.

 

Gunny,

 

You say "when" the training becomes mandatory, not "if." This goes back to my original question. What is your information source, or are you assuming it will be come mandatory? Thanks.

 

[shortridge]

BadenP wrote: the way SM presents this training it would be the same training as they receive at camp school which would make them qualified to be certified life guards/ aquatic supervisors which I don't buy National would want on a volunteer level.

 

NCS is a week-long program, from sunup to sundown and beyond. There's no way that a summer camp could run a similar or equivalent training regimen for unit leaders without pulling them away from their units for the entire time they're there. What sense would that make?

 

Actually, I'd think that local councils would want as many people certified as Aquatics Instructors as they possibly could have. It'd make finding camp staff area directors a whole lot easier.

 

SMsteve,

 

Thanks for the clarifications. I appreciate it.

[Gunny2862]

Okay,

1) I'm not saying any one person is confused - just that with the scant information and many points of view that the topic itself is somewhat confusing.

 

2)(SMsteve my non-answer to your question is here.) My suggestion that it may be becoming mandatory is based on references made by the local Camps Aquatic Supervisor from the most recent session - it is not certain either way, but the way National has been rolling out courses and graduating them into mandatory courses, it would seem likely.

 

3) Completion of the Aquatics Supervision Courses does not(as far as I am aware) create a position of Aquatics Supervisor - just like completion of Weather Hazards doesn't create a title of Weather Hazard Supervisor. These may be offered at NCS but are not NCS courses for creating an Aquatics position.

 

4) What I have seen is the two courses we are discussing looked like they took about an hour to an hour and a half per day for the 5 day camp week ( I don't know actual course time since I didn't attend)

 

5) I still hold that in Troops that do not have the ideal levels of support from the families, that training is on it's way to becoming an overly large burden if we actually want to create Troops that get outdoors and provide the challenging activities we advertise.

 

6) bottom line: NO definite information that I am aware of that the courses will become mandatory - but an awful lot of rumor.

[SMT224]

I took both these courses at summer camp as well, and would be very surprised if they became mandatory! They are excellent courses and we had a great instructor. We spent 2 hrs each afternoon (M-F) on this, and it was a lot of work! We were in the water most days (lake 4 days, pool 1 day), and did all practical work, supplemented by book reading outside of class. These courses went far beyond the principals covered in Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat. I highly recommend, but they are not for everyone.

[Hal_Crawford]

Last spring our troop went canoeing as part of a campout. We had one scout classified as a non-swimmer because he had not taken the swim test within the last year (G2SS says it should be retaken annually). The G2SS also says that a non-swimmer can only be in a canoe with a Life Guard (BSA or other recognized agency). We did not have a Life Guard so the scout could not be in a canoe. As a result, the scout stayed home.

 

The point of this story is that BSA Lifeguard is a difficult certification to earn (as it should be). It seemed a bit much to require this level of training to be with a non-swimmer in a canoe in flat water where everyone is wearing PFDs. Quite frankly we were in shallow water and had the scout fallen in he could have waded to shore. Even in deeper water we had the expertise to fish the scout out of the water.

 

It sounds like this course may fill that gap providing an adequate level of safety for troop outings while not requiring the level of skill and commitment needed for BSA Lifeguard. I hope that is the goal.

 

Hal