Readyman

[K1986]

I wish we had a separate place specifically for Webelos topics within these forums. Anyway, my Webelos group has decided to dive into the Readyman activity pin next. Each month I let the boys (with guidance) plan their activity topics and then give each of them a small job but over all the content is still delivered by myself, the assistant and our den chief. The Readyman activity drives me NUTS, it has for years because my problem with cub scouts is that the content is either way too simple and boring or way over their heads and impossible to teach unless just sitting there and preaching at them for hours. We did Readyman a few years ago at Webelos Woods because I thought it would be a better delivery than I could offer but it was worse, three hours of the boys sitting in chairs being told how to do first aid but being told they should never attempt what they were learning.

 

HELP! How does your group deliver Readyman in an informative yet enjoyable way?

[ScoutNut]

We usually have our local Fire Station Paramedics do it. The Webelos love going to the Firehouse, and the guys are great with the kids.

 

[christineka]

Several of the achievements require the boy to show how to respond. That does not involve sitting in a chair! I would first teach (and probably getting some medical people out), then set up some scenarios (you can get some fake blood if you like) and have the boys show how to treat various injuries. There is some good stuff to look at in the den meeting planning guide.

[dedkad]

Many Webelos activities I have treated with more of a checklist attitude. You heard it, did it, saw it? Then good, you're done. I have been taking a different approach with Readyman because I think it is so important to reinforce it over and over, so the boys will be able to act calmly and correctly in a real emergency. For this reason, I have been dedicating many many meetings to doing the Readyman requirements, and am trying a different approach at each meeting.

 

For the first meeting, I had the boys read the Readyman section ahead of time, then we played Readyman basketball where I would ask questions and for each correct answer, the boy got to step closer to the basket. When all the questions were done, they would shoot baskets. They got points for correct answers and baskets, so whoever had the most points at the end was the winner.

 

For another meeting, I put the boys on the spot with "real-life" scenarios. I cut out pictures of bloody noses, cuts, scrapes, frostbite, burns, ticks, etc.. The boys took turns being a "victim" or a "responder". The responder would step outside while I prepped the victim. Then the responder would have to come in, evaluate the injury based on what he saw and what little the victim told him, and then would have to demonstrate how to treat it. I had first-aid supplies on hand so they could do a "real" treatment, not just tell me about it. I even had a picture of a garter snake to try to fool them into treating a snakebite that wasn't poisonous.

 

For another meeting, I assigned each boy a particular injury, and they had to make a presentation to the den on how to recognize the injury and how to treat it. I gave them free reign on how to do their presentation and encouraged them to make it informative, while still holding the boys' interests. Most importantly, it had to be accurate.

 

For another meeting, we had an EMT come speak to the boys about the "hurry" cases. Then we practiced making stretchers out of a sheet and two long sticks and did stretcher races. The stretchers were not a Readyman requirement, but fun.

 

For another meeting, we did a bike ride and made several stops along the way to talk about bicycle safety.

 

At another meeting, I handed out a drawing where the boys needed to find and circle the things that were unsafe in the kitchen, in order to talk about where accidents are most likely to happen in the home. They also took a brief written true/false first-aid quiz at that meeting.

 

We haven't talked about safe swim yet. Would have liked to have done that with an actual den meeting at a public pool, but I don't think we will have time to get that field trip together in time for our AOL ceremony. We'll just have to talk about it instead.

 

So you can see that it has been a long drawn-out process for me to teach the boys Readyman. How much they are actually learning and retaining is still questionable, but at least we are having fun doing it.

[beardad]

When my son was a Webelos, I had my bro come in. He is an RN. he brought in gnarly pictures of injuries, that were just gross enough to keep the boys interested. he made each boy a little starter 1st aid kit, and then had the boys demonstrate how to do some of the stuff. they seemed to enjoy it. enough that the pack asked me to try and get my brother again, for this year.

[AKdenldr]

Figure out how to add running to it. Like a first aid relay. Fake blood. Be ready to actually use some supplies. Stretcher relays. Local responders, especially if they are about 25 and fit. The Webelos Leader Guide had a great bunch of ideas. Add a first aid segment to something else you are doing, like a hike, or cooking etc... I think there was a first aid baseball trivia game on the web somewhere that I used.

 

This really is one that you can stretch and have a lot of hands on fun.

[Austinole]

Readyman is one that I do multiple times. We have a speaker come in and talk about it and demonstrate it. Then, we have scouts pick from a hat a scenario to perform. One scout is the victim the others are the responders.