FITNESS, character, and citizenship

[Beavah]

One of the Aims of Scoutin' is to develop fitness. Been thinkin' about this lately. For an aim, it certainly seems to be undervalued.

 

Let's face it, no kid is goin' to develop fitness in a meeting, and especially not if it's only once a week. No kid is goin' to develop any reasonable level of fitness in a weekend per month, either.

 

Aren't we foolin' ourselves? Wouldn't we be better off just sendin' 'em to soccer or hockey? (Don't their parents recognize this, and do this anyway?).

 

When you look at Advancement, only Tenderfoot has a (relatively lame) fitness component. Of the required MB's, Personal Fitness and Swim/Cycle/Hike take a shot, but most kids get the latter in 4 days at camp. When you look at Adult Relationships, most of us aren't exactly great examples. I suppose da Uniform helps, in that you have to stay lean to fit into those gawd awful pants and not look like a turd.

 

Anyone out there really incorporatin' fitness into their programs in a real way, that matches what the kids would get through a rec sports program? If not, why not? Are we really bein' honest about our goals? Should we drop this goal, or get more serious about it?

 

What say yeh?

 

[evmori]

Beavah,

 

Who cares about fitness & character & citizenship! We gotta get better icons, less dorky uniforms & totally rad merit badges! We ain't got time for no other stuff!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[madmike]

there are also a lot of adult leaders who could work to get out of their 3XL Shirt and be a better example for the kids

[scoutldr]

I'll admit it, I'm one of those t**ds. I'm 52 years old, 5'6, 262 lbs, wear a 2XL shirt and 46x29 pants. Both of my sons aged out years ago.

 

I was out camping in the rain and mosquitoes last weekend with my troop, while their young, slim, trim dads sat on their dry butts at home. Now who's the better role model? Don't get me started.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[kraut-60]

As a leader, I believe I should set a positive example. In Nov. 2004, I signed up to go to Philmont in July 2006. At that time I weighed 267lbs. I am 5'10" and was wearing 42" waist pants and a 2xl shirt,...not exactly the example one would hope to be, but I had to start somewhere.

 

By paying my fees for Philmont, I found out that a scouter MUST meet the height/weight guidelines or be DENIED to go on the trail and be sent home. I decided I was going on the trail no matter what.

 

In Feb. 2005 I started a diet and exercise regimen that was heavy on hiking and bicycling. I denied myself ANY snacks after dinner and controlled my intake with portions and no junk food, 8 glasses of water per day....I could start a thread on just the details, but I was determined to be on the trail in Philmont.

 

At the High Adventure physical I took in June this year, I was down to 209lbs, and had my cholesterol where its supposed to be. At the medical recheck at Philmont, I weighed in at 204lbs (7-31-2006).

 

I am now at 200lbs and still losing weight. I had to buy new uniforms ( 36" waist and size L shirts), I'm still hiking, biking, and watching my diet and really feel good about myself. I was really glad to not just have survived Philmont, but actually enjoyed the trek and now I cant wait to return and do a tougher trek.

 

I feel that any scouter can be active and fit, all you need is the proper motivation. I believe the scouts respect me more now than before as I can actually keep up and even out-hike some of them now. Get fit...its great for and great for Scouting to have fit and healthy leaders.

[Venividi]

Good question, and one I thought about how to address/manage when I was a SM.

So many factors to consider - gotta have different expectations for a scout with specific limitations than one without. Not all scouts will excel in fitness any more than all scouts will excel in character or in citizenship. No one joined to have their fitness improved anymore than anyone joined to have their character improved. A troops program can be put together to include a variety of physical activities, just like it can include opportunities for growth in character and citizenship. Fun things that require physical activity (in support of the fitness aim), much in the same manner of having fun activities that require teamwork to support the citizenship aim.

I promoted the PLC to include phyiscal activities on campouts - hikes, biking, canoeing, rock gym - as I suspect most of us do. And a lot is under local unit influence - plan a 5 mile hike once a year, or plan multiple weekend backpack trips, for example. There will be a market for both.

 

And to conclude, let me be the first to say that the expecting or promoting of any scout to participate in any fitness activity beyond what is embedded in the tenderfoot requirement and the personal fitness merit badge would be adding to the requirements, and therefore not allowed (tongue firmly in cheek).

[stevejb]

I am just curious...

What would be some merit badge subjects you would suggest?

 

Steve B

Scoutmaster, Troop 68, CMC

 

_____________________________________________________________

)Beavah,

)

)Who cares about fitness & character & citizenship! We gotta )get better icons, less dorky uniforms & totally rad merit )badges! We ain't got time for no other stuff!

)

)Ed Mori

)Troop 1

)1 Peter 4:10

[madmike]

I dont think the intent of fitness in the scouting concept was for kids to necessarily excel at fitness, but to make an attempt at it and to stay active.

 

Adults can also make an attempt, we dont have to run marathons and complete all of the APP. Trail, but it seems we should stay true to the concept of fitness in some regard.

[emb021]

"I dont think the intent of fitness in the scouting concept was for kids to necessarily excel at fitness, but to make an attempt at it and to stay active. "

 

Actual, fitness doesn't just mean physical fitness. Its also mental, moral, and spiritual fitness.

 

But I have to agree with the poster. We are not trying to turn scouts into jocks, but to instill in them fitness in the sense good eating habits, hygiene, and being physically active. A lot of the things we do in scouting (swimming, hiking/backpacking, cooking, etc) ties in with that.

 

[ManassasEagle]

stevejb- I think Ed was making a funny with the line about the "rad new merit badges". If you read any of the "savescouting.org" threads started by brianbuf, you'd get the joke.

[Fuzzy Bear]

kraut-60

 

You said you could start your own thread on losing weight. I am interested and want to hear more. You have got a customer.

 

FB

 

 

[packsaddle]

shirt - L, belt - 34, inseam - 34, sleeve - 35, weight - 190, height - 6'2", I consider myself to be a little overweight and in OK, but not the best, shape. I can still do a couple of 3-minute rounds on the bag without dying.

And, as if it matters, I can still outrun most of the boys and all of the other leaders (good thing too).

 

I wouldn't depend on merit badges for fitness. Ultimately it comes from the boys and if you do enough hiking, biking, etc. they will figure it out.

However, there was one meeting that seemed doomed for a variety of reasons. I managed to salvage it with a long piece of really heavy rope. I produced it for the boys who immediately began figuring out what they could do. I pointed to a rather high tree branch and bet them they couldn't get it over that branch to make a swing. I let them nearly wear themselves out trying before I showed them how. Then I set up a game in which teams timed each other getting everyone across the 'canyon'. They were completely consumed for the remainder of the meeting and went home exhausted. One of them was a pretty good climber and he showed the others how to climb a rope. Now THAT is a hard task. Anyone over 200# should take it on as a quest and they will quickly understand how hard 5 minutes can be.

At the end of the meeting, I took the rope down. Doesn't take much to get their motors running, and learning as well.

[evmori]

ManassasEagle,

 

Exactly!

[madmike]

like others have said having an active program, more than "car camping", respectable hiking, basic rapelling, caving, etc, should be enough to set the tone that scouting recognizes some level of "fitness"

 

encouraging scouts to do the mile swim at summer camp is also a great fitness test. if you have ever swam a mile you know how hard that is, Its one patch that should warrant a permanent place on the class A uniform.

 

When I was an older scout, when we would go hiking, we would seperate the troop into a fast group and a slow group, that way neither group was forcing the other to go too fast or too slow, we set it up so that we all camped together at night, and I think it worked out well.

[Chippewa29]

When Scouting was started almost 100 years ago, there were very few, if any, sports programs for kids. Also, people were migrating from farms (where there was lots of exercise) to the cities (little or no exercise). Scouting gave young boys the chance to get out in the country and get some exercise (hiking, swimming, etc.) and fresh air. Physical fitness was one of the aims of Scouting and it was one of the few programs to offer that for boys.

 

As sports programs grew, the physical fitness component of Scouting wasn't as necessary as before. Troops used to challenge each other in baseball, football, track, etc. There were many fitness competitions held on the troop and district levels.

 

I still believe it is a huge component of my troops program. The Scouts in my troop love to be active and we do a lot of hiking, biking, swimming, and games that involve running around at troop meetings.

 

An idea that we've been floating around is the idea of holding a district wide fitness championships. Basically, a day event to serve two purposes. First, provide a venue to conduct Tenderfoot fitness testing in the spring. Second, the troops can compete in several fitness events for points, leading to a championship for the winning troop. I'd even like to see an adult division. This idea is still very much in the early discussion stages. However, I think that is a way to keep Scouts interested in physical fitness and develop some troop spirit.