Paintball

[SpencerCheatham]

I did a search and came up the newest thread over two years old. It stated that paintball was under review. Has anything changed? It is a great game with less danger than so much of what we can do.

 

I feel bad because my son and I play. I take some of the scouts (as friends of my son), but dont want to break the rules and make it a scout trip because of the perception that will give.

 

 

[Basementdweller]

Nothing has changed.....Just take them as a group of friends....Every activity doesn't have to be within scouting, I take my sons friends who happen to be his Patrol members to play laser tag occasionally.

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/Alerts/Paintball.aspx

[Beavah]

Yah, SpencerCheatham. No change. Or, rather, there was a brief change, and then it was reversed.

 

Lasertag is also still unauthorized, and squirt guns have been added to the list as well.

 

Now, as far as I can tell, it is OK to go all Hunger Games and glue paintballs to the front end of an arrow shaft. Then issue everyone a quiver of the things along with a bow, put on your protective gear and have at it in the paintball arena. That would be really fun I'd imagine, and take quite a bit of skill to boot. And because a bow is clearly not a "simulated firearm", it's OK!

 

Beavah

 

 

[Eagle92]

Beav.

 

ROTFMBO. That is awesome!

[sailingpj]

You know, you could get very creative and build catapults as well.

 

That would be hella fun!!

[5yearscouter]

Oh man! what an idea!

Paintballs shot with catapults as patrol competitions, for accuracy, distance, and add in a game of capture the flag, if you are hit with a paintball in the other team's colors you are out and can't grab the flag.

That could be fun!

 

[fred8033]

Hmmmmm.... I had not thought of that one. Paint ball with catapults. Hmmm..... Yeah laser tag is out, but this might be interesting.

[Eagle92]

Trust me, stick with water and catapults. Camp rangers don't like the mess that paintballs make, both the paint and the coverings. Done both and water is better, as well as cooler in the summer.

 

BTW some of the old training materials, specifically the JLTC manual, have directions on how to build a catapult with scout staves and lashings. Just make sure your SM doesn't run marathons when you try to nail him with water, you won't be able to catch him.

[Kudu]

 

Did you know that if paintballs do not impact on a target, they do not necessarily break?

 

When we camped at a youth camp that was rented out to paintball leagues, our Scouts would spend hours carefully harvesting all the "unexploded ordinances," and then use them as hand grenades in Baden-Powell's "Siberian Man Hunt:"

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/activities/games/b-p_snow.htm

 

Other Wide Games:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/games/wide/index.htm

 

Eagle92 writes:

 

BTW some of the old training materials ... have directions on how to build a catapult

 

Here are John Thurman's Gilwell Catapult plans, but they assume a mastery of pioneering skills:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/pioneering/34_catapult.htm

 

A more simple catapult, but still assumes a diagram is enough explanation:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/gear/snowballista.htm

 

Dan Beard's more detailed plans for his "Boys' Ballista"

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/autumn/guns/ballista.htm

 

fred8033 writes:

 

"Yeah laser tag is out"

 

Not necessarily. Simple leadership theory: The spirit of the "law" is to protect Boy Scouts from having bad thoughts, but the letter of the law is based on pointing "fire arms."

 

So where are our indoor Eagles when we really need them? Laser tag is based on infrared technology, not lasers. I'm sure other infrared remote control devices can be hacked to work in a "laser tag" facility.

 

The Den Mothers and Paper Eagles at the Guide to Safe Thinking would have to reword the ban on "laser tag" to include pointing remote control devices at people, thereby treating other human beings like televisions.

 

In the meantime, think like a CEO! Use your Wood Badge skills to break the letter of the law without being arrested

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

[fred8033]

I don't think it's necessary to get legalistic. From what I've seen, people pretty much ignore the Laser Tag rule. Even those on our council shooting sports committee have contempt for the laser tag G2SS ban.

[5yearscouter]

so is a paint ball cross bow a simulated firearm or not?

[Brewmeister]

I looked into this thread because we are considering some type of outing for our Webelos.

 

I was disappointed to again see a cub scouting term (albeit an obsolete one) used as a pejorative description about something that somebody doesn't like about BSA.

[Eagle92]

5year,

 

Check local laws on cross bows. I was told by a Shooting Sports director who is a retired cop that in NC crossbows are illegal for folks under a certain age, I think 16 but don't quote me, to use. I asked b/c l;ast years day camp theme was knights and I own a crossbow and wanted to use that as well.

 

Since the council has a no sheath knife policy, yes I know it's a local thing, I thought it best not to bring Narsil, Anduril, Glamdring, Sting, or any of the others I have access to. But I did get one of Elrond's warriors to show up.

[Tampa Turtle]

Yeah, I was once a Den motha!

[KC9DDI]

Yeah, Brew, I too find it frustrating that a position that I strongly agree with (re-introducing a strong outdoors-based program to Scouting, emphasis on patrols and true youth leadership) gets tarnished by those who can't carry on a polite, coherent conversation on the topic...