Older scouts program

[bobbobgb1]

I was wondering if anyone knows if scouts can go paintballing as a scout function.So we can have more scouts stay in them andotdrop out. If it is okay to do?

[hops_scout]

Have you read BSA information regarding this??

 

How about searching? Try that too

[EagleInKY]

What Hops is trying to say is, there is a very straightforward document that we refer to here quite often. It's the Guide to Safe Scouting (aka "G2SS"). If you reference it, you'll find where paintball, lazer tag and other "simulated shooting" sports are prohibited.

 

Here's the link to make it easy on you:

 

http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/index.html

[NJCubScouter]

I'll make it even easier. The Guide to Safe Scouting says:

 

"Pointing any type of firearm (including paintball, dye, or lasers) at any individual is unauthorized."

 

(The next sentence is a very narrow and carefully worded exception that only applies to a particular Venturing program under certain circumstances.)

 

So, no, for a Boy Scout troop paintball is out.

 

One other comment. You say you want to go paintball ing "So we can have more scouts stay in them andotdrop out." I have to wonder, have you really exhausted all of the program options that are permitted within the Boy Scouts? Including "high adventure" for the older boys? And including shooting sports, which I believe all-age Boy Scouts can participate in? (At proper locations and with proper supervision, of course. And that's with real live ammunition, not paintballs -- just at targets, not people.)

[anarchist]

Bobobgb 1,

 

As is clear...G2SS says Paintball is a no no

BSA RULES...not necessarily right but it is the rule.

For NJCubScouter

I will say that for some guys 'high adventure' doesn't hold a candle to paintball. My oldest son joined the/his Troop because of two things...capture the flag at night (not safe) and Paintball. Unfortunately,(perhaps) the Troop seven years ago had a bunch of card carrying, Eagle adult leaders but 'following' the 'stupid' rules was not high on their list of importance...

And My son loved his first paintball game....I am glad to say...(no really in this instance sad to say!) we now have a G2SS regulated troop.

 

The boys still play paintball, but it is not discussed at our meetings, it is not on our calendar and leaders do not go as leaders...they do not do any more than transport their kids...to an event the boys seem to 'live' for. Several of the boys are on regulated teams with organized practices and sponsors...BSA should re-think but it never will.

This stuff really grabs some boys!

My son would pass on a Scout weekend in a heart-beat if it conflicted with a tournament...to him it is simply that much fun. And yes he canoes with us, he caves with us, climbs and w.w. rafts...does sea base etc. but Paintball 'rocks' in his life right now. It does not compare to punching targets or busting skeet.

 

It needs to be said that while I do not 'feed his habit'...I do not support this passion because I have a personal problem with games that have people shooting at people...but I do not stop him from his team play...He also runs, wrestles and plays school soccer...so it seem good enough to allow Paintball.

I do require 'trades' of the sort that scout event 'A' must be attended if paintball weekend 'B' is attended.

(and no I am not a pacifist...I hunt, fish and carry a firearm -licenced of course from time to time)

SO I DO UNDERSTAND THE COMMENT OF ALLOWING MORE BOYS TO STAY....wish BSA could see that also.

[NJCubScouter]

Anarchist, without repeating everything that was said the last time we had a thread on "laser tag," I'll say this in response to your post: Not every activity that teenagers (or their parents or leaders) find interesting or exciting is part of the BSA program. The reasons vary from activity to activity -- in some cases it is based on safety/liability, in some cases on "values," and maybe there are other reasons and combinations of reasons. Although the G2SS does not state a specific reason for banning paintball, laser tag, etc., I think this was pretty well discussed the last time. My interpretation is that the BSA has decided that pointing and discharging a weapon at another human being, even if the weapon only emits a paintball or a laser light, is not something to be trivialized by making it a "sport," at least not within the BSA program." It is a serious business that is part of law enforcement and military training, and at least as far as an organized activity goes, that is where it should remain. (I think this interpretation is supported by the exception to the no-pointing-weapons rule.) Whether the BSA itself would put it the way I put it, I don't know.

[WWBPD]

I know the G2SS says no paintballing...but how about paintball target shooting. Set up a cool cityscape that the scout works his way through with pop-up targets (much like in an old Dirty Harry movie - the one with the bad cops). You could have a police officer come to talk about the split second decisions that need to be made, offer hints, give scouts a glimpse of law enforcement work, maybe expand to Crime Prevention merit badge. I would interpret the G2SS that BSA doesn't want people pointing 'simulated weapons' at each other...but what would be wrong with a cool target round - scouts can certainly fire real weapons at a target (assuming appropriate rules are followed).

 

WWBPD

Deut. 23:13

[Bob White]

WWBPD, I think you need to read the G2SS regagrding firearms again. What you suggest is prohibited unless done in cooperation witha Venturing Law Enforcement Post under the guidelines of the Police fire arms training agenda.

 

 

[WWBPD]

BW - please set me straight...where is a "paintball gun" referenced in Section VIII of G2SS? Are you interpreting it to be a "firearm" which is prohibited except for law enforcement? At best it is an "airgun" - see first paragraph of Section VIII which the G2SS section does not really define and then goes on to say virtually nothing about - except for reference to "air rifle". Or is it a "handgun" which again is not defined although the G2SS discussion goes on to talk about "pistols" - (I presume this is your contention because of your reference to Venturing)? Most paintball guns require too hands and I haven't heard anyone being arrested or having to get a permit to carry one. Paintball is growing in popularity and the BSA hasn't really caught on yet. It is not specifically addressed at all in Section VIII of G2SS - they only categorized "paintball" as a prohibited activity along with laser tag - which would lead me to believe they don't want weapons or simulated weapons being pointed at others...and...that paintball does not reach the level of a firearm discussed in G2SS (otherwise they would have addressed it there). Now I am dead set against kids shooting at each other (or pretending to). But saying a paintball gun is covered under Section VIII when it is not at all referenced is like saying a rubber-band gun is covered as well. I think the BSA needs to provide a little more direction on this one...otherwise we are all left to our own interpretation.

[OldGreyEagle]

When I was at Camp School at Hawk Mountain last June for Shooting Sports we were taught that BSA policy is that Boy Scouts do not shoot at animate or representations of animate objects. They shoot at bulls-eye style targets. This is why rifle ranges and archery ranges are set up with bullseye targets, we dont use silhouette targets of animals or humans. We do not equate fun with shooting the eyes out of an animal target or putting three bullets thorugh the heart on a target representing a human. I don't have any refeence for the above other than it was part of our orientation lecture.

 

Now, the important stuff. Scouts are kids and kids being kids will do paintball. Heck, I want to do paintball. But if your troop is losing kids because you dont do paintball, then you have a problem and its not that you dont do paintball. Its that you dont do fun and exciting stuff that kids want to do, this may be represented by paintball, but there is so much more to do. Let them paintball on their own, and have the troop do the real cool stuff.

[WWBPD]

OGE - where did I say the pop-up targets were to be anything other than circles? I will bet you a penny that twenty years from now, Scout Camps will have paintball walk-through target ranges. Its like the skateboard ramps you are now finding popping up at camps. Our troop does not do paintball (because it is prohibited) but it only comes up about..oh..a dozen times a year. Of course there are a million other great scouting activities other than paintball. Can we have a water balloon fight with dyed water?

[OldGreyEagle]

SInce I am only registered in Muzzle Loading, Rifle, Shotgun and Archery, I do not feel I am competent to answer your water ballon question.

[Bob White]

The G2SS clearly classifies a paintball gun as a "type" of firearm and a restricted type as well.

 

What the rules might be in the future has no bearing oon your responsibility to follow the rules today.

 

 

 

 

 

[WWBPD]

BW - page reference please. Always follow the rules...its my curse in life.

[Bob White]

Section IX classifies paintball with firearms

 

Section VIII sets the regulations for which fire arms members of the BSA are allowed to use. And under what conditions they can be used.

 

While shooting paint guns at still targets is undoubtedly safe under the proper supervision. (it also seems extremely boring when you could be shooting a .22 rifle at greater distance or a shotgun at a flying target instead), it is currently restricted by the BSA.