New American Red Cross/ BSA Partnership

[Bob White]

I just wanted to get the forum back on a real world, positive track. As you may have heard the BSA and the ARC sign what a unique agreement of cooperation earlier this year.

 

Details are just now working their way to councils and we had a very productive meeting with our regions ARC training and education coordinators.

 

This is a very positive step for both organizations with several win win opportunities. One thing I was very happy to hear is that the ARC nationwide now accepts the BSA Lifeguard as fullfilling all requirements for the Red Cross Water Safety and Lifesaving certification. So now when a scout completes his training at summercamp he will get both the BSA and the ARC lifeguard certification.

 

Another real plus is that any scout or scouter can take a select variety of ARC courses and instructor courses for just $5 plus the cost of the book and equipment rental.

 

I don't have the list in front of me but I will post them soon. Your District Training committees should have info very soon.

 

As things progress ARC certification will jive with the various levels of cub and boy scout advancement so that as a scout advances he will complete ARC certified training.

 

What's in it for the ARC? More instructors, better prepared community, greater exposure of services, safer children. This is definitely a good think for everyone.

 

Bob White

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[NJCubScouter]

Does that mean the Red Cross will finally let the First Aid Merit Badge show a red cross instead of that stupid green one?

[Bob White]

I have to believe that both parties found more pressing concerns and higher priorities than thread color, but I'm just guessing.

BW

[NJCubScouter]

Some sense of humor you have there, Bob.

[scoutldr]

Try again...the Green Cross is a registered trademark of the National Safety Council. The Safety MB is a white cross on a green background. Clear as mud, eh?

[NJCubScouter]

Scoutldr says:

 

Try again...the Green Cross is a registered trademark of the National Safety Council. The Safety MB is a white cross on a green background. Clear as mud, eh?

 

That may be, but the First Aid merit badge is a green cross on a red background. And the Webelos Readyman activity badge (introductory first aid) is just a green cross. And my "quip" about the colors was not just my own invention. At one point the American Red Cross DID care about the thread color, and probably still does.

 

The following web site

 

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/scouting/rec.scouting.issues/section-9.html

 

says among other things the following. Sorry for the formatting but that's the way it is.

 

*The American Red Cross (which keeps other organizations and programs

from

using "Red Cross" and the emblematic red cross; the BSA was caught in

this

and

when the ARC threatened to sue the BSA over this, the BSA changed their

First

Aid Merit badge to a GREEN CROSS with a RED background. This is also

why

the

Safety Merit Badge has a WHITE CROSS (instead of "Green Cross for

Safety{tm}",

which is a registered trademark of the National Safety Council) with a

GREEN

background)

 

Of course, now that I read that, it does make you wonder how the BSA can use the green cross for First Aid. Maybe the fact that it is for "first aid" and not "safety" means it is outside the scope of the National Safety Council's trademark. That distinction seems a bit "thin" to me. Or perhaps the red background makes a difference.

 

Why these organizations would bother suing or threatening to sue the BSA over this is another issue. It is not like someone is going to get confused and fail to donate to the Red Cross because the BSA used the international symbol of first aid, a red cross, on a merit badge.

[AnneinMpls]

Does anyone have links to specific information on the agreement between the ARC and BSA?

Thanks!

Anne in Mpls

[Bob White]

Thank You anne for trying to get things back to the priority issue. (I cannot believe people want to discuss thread color!)

 

Here is what the red Cross has posted on their site. Additional details will be available soon through you council's training committee.

http://www.redcross.org/news/hs/firstaid/030212scouts.html

 

Bob

[NJCubScouter]

Bob, I read your first post in this thread (no pun intended). I read the link. I remember this from when it happened, and you have now provided an update as to how the BSA and Red Cross are implementing the agreement through the councils and district training committees. Thanks for the update. It all sounds like a great thing.

 

But what more is there to say about it? And if your post reminded me that the Red Cross once threatened to sue the BSA, can't I say so? (And I didn't even say so at first.) It doesn't take anything away from what you posted. It doesn't prevent others from saying something directly related to the new agreement. It was a tangential comment of the kind that seems to end up in almost every thread in this forum. It's just the way it goes.

 

Or was my mistake in not getting your permission before saying something in this forum?

[buffalo2]

Thanks for bringing this out Bob - it serves a real need... Now how would you propose that we ask our local branch of ARC to come up to speed on it?

And I wondered about the history of thread color myself but maybe thats the nature of this medium...

[Bob White]

Your are welcome to you memories no matter how inconsequential they are to the topic of this thread NJ. But as the originator of the thread I felt uniquely responsible for keeping the focus of the discussion on the actual topic, which is the program benefit to the members of BSA from the new partnership. I would hope that a separate discussion on the devastating effect of the thread color in one out of some one-hundred-and-forty merit badges would deserve it's own thread which someone else can start. This topic of this thread was about the actual program and service benefits, which I hope we can stick to during the course of the discussion.

 

Perhaps you would start a thread about thread in a more appropriate forum such as 'uniforming'.

 

Bob White

[NJCubScouter]

Good grief, Bob. Like I said before, I guess my "error" was in posting something in "your" thread without permission.

[NJCubScouter]

::Sarcasm back on::

 

I guess I also ought to apologize to the thousands of boys who will not get the benefit of this program because a couple of people made some lighthearted remarks about the color of a merit badge.

 

::Sarcasm back off::

[acco40]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of a certain poster for going off topic

 

The recent black-out in the northeast has meant that the Red Cross had many units of blood spoil. If anyone in the area can donate, your actions will be appreciated.

 

It's great that two great organizations can coordinate their programs like the ARC & BSA.

 

 

[LauraT7]

I think i get the gist of this - but I sometimes need things spelled out in one-syllable sentences.... can someone filter out the PR-speak for me?

 

1. - Does this mean that if a scout or scout leader gets his Red cross lifeguard certification, then he is also recognised as being a BSA life guard for the purposes of Safety Afloat and Safe Swim requirements?

 

2.- or does it just mean that if you take the BSA lifeguard training (which I think is a bit more extensive than the red cross requirements) then Red cross recognises you as a RC certified Lifeguard? and allows BSA to act as it's certified instructors?

 

3. -or both?

 

please 'splain it to me?

 

laura