BSA swimming vs. dropping out

[packsaddle]

Mister T, it's 'Arachnophobia' for fear of spiders and other members of the Arachnida. Sorry, sometimes I just can't resist.

[clemlaw]

>>>> If swimming isn't important enough to be Eagle required, no, ifs, ands, or buts about it, then why the insistence at 2nd class?

[IM_Kathy]

I have dealt with the not knowing how to swim which is easy to solve by teaching the lad...

 

I have dealt with my own son who nearly drowned when he was about 4... the only way to get him into water was using a life jacket or inner-tube... once I got him in the water I taught him all the strokes with the life jacket on him... eventually it got to "ok you can stand here, lets take the jacket and each of us hold it while you float and kick"... eventually he finally would swim in just the shallow end. It wasn't until the summer between web I and web II that he actually jumped into the deepend without any float help because he wanted to try for the red test - he didn't pass but I was so proud of him. Finally after his first full year of scouts he was able to pass the BSA swim test and has earned the swimming MB - he knew he'd never be able to complete lifesaving so he did Emergency Prep. but I'd like him to take lifesaving just to learn the how's and learn exactly what his limitations are.

 

I have 1 scout right now that we are in the middle of getting alternate requirements - this young lad had cancer for a few years of early childhood and has very little muscle and the treatments affected his growth so he may never get much bigger or stronger... in my assessments it would take over 3 years for him to even possibly make it, but even then he may not. We've gotten all the doctor papers - now they are just waiting to hear from council I believe.

 

I do have a couple others that haven't passed, but don't really care as they are just there to go camping and don't care much about rank. And these boys could pass if they worked at it a bit - they just need to learn to pace themselves better

[ScoutNut]

>>"in my assessments it would take over 3 years for him to even possibly make it, but even then he may not. We've gotten all the doctor papers - now they are just waiting to hear from council I believe."

[moosetracker]

ScoutNut - if permenantly wheelchair bound, it is a permenant condition, so he would not have problems getting a Dr's waver.. Then that would go to the Council advancement board, and based on what the Dr. writes they would decide on a fair alternative course. Still may be water related though, if the condition has pool excercises a theraputic.. If water excercises are even not recommended, the board will decide on the alternatives.

[ScoutNut]

There is no question that this is a permanent condition, and the family would have no problem getting the required medical paperwork.

 

The Council Advancement Committee does not choose the alternatives for the Disabled Scout. The Scout, his Scoutmaster, the unit Committee, and his family, all work together to prepare a detailed, specific, list of what accommodations/alternatives the Scout would do to replace specific requirements, and merit badges. This request is then submitted to the District Advancement Committee, along with the other required paperwork, for their approval.

 

The question I had of Kathy was what alternate Merit Badges did they request for their Scout who "has very little muscle and who may never get much bigger or stronger.."? I realize that the Scouts disabilities (and abilities) are different. I was just trying to get an idea of what they felt would work with their Scout.

 

Presenting a hesitant family with a real-world example might help them to decide in favor of Scouting for their challenged son.

 

[IM_Kathy]

scoutnut - the boy has decided to do the hiking badge... if he conditions correctly and progresses his hikes he shouldn't have an issue. But I don't do hiking MB so the biggest question would be if there was a time limit - because he would need to sit and catch breath and drink water along the way.

[qwazse]

Hate to be armchair psychiatrist, but some phobias are treated by immersion therapy. If a waiver really matters, get the opinion of a psychologist with experience sucessfully treating water phobias. The point is not to waive rank, but to find out if the boy has a treatable problem or not.

 

Sencondly, not making rank is a poor excuse for dropping out. The boy needs encouragement to excel in other activities, earning all the non-aquatic MB's he can over the next couple of years while he sorts this swimming thing out.

[sailingpj]

Being afraid of the water is something you just have to get over. It takes time and effort, but that is not a reason not to try. I used to be afraid of the water. I spent a few weeks with my grandparents the summer when I was 7. I wanted to hang out with my cousins in the pool, but I didn't want to go in the water. My grandpa got tired of my whining and threw me in the pool. Now I love the water. I have been told that my form resembles that of a drowning fish, but I consider myself a strong swimmer. In fact I am going to be working on the lifesaving mb for Able soon.

 

The same applies to heights. I used to not even like sitting on high things, then I started riding my bike to school. There was a large bridge on the way to school. Between that and the necessity of climbing masts on occasion I am ok with heights now.

 

Getting over stuff like that isn't hard, you just have to have a reason to do it.

[SeattlePioneer]

Fear of the water is very common, and a rational and reasonable feqar if someone doesn't swim.

 

 

The public pool near me has a wonderful swimming school, and it begins with children who are afraid to get their face wet. They have a sweries of exercises that beginners go through each time to reduce and eliminate their fears as they increase their skills and confidence.

 

One is to to give children the chance to bounce up and down in the water, encouraging them to get deeper in the water and eventually get their head wqet as they develope more confidence. Children proceed at a pace they are comfortable with, with the instructor encouraging them to do a little more.

 

 

My best Scouting and swimming story invoved a Boy Scout who didn;t want to walk out on a dock. He had cerebral palsey, and I talked with the parents about a waiver, but they said he didn;t need one and his doctors wanted to encourage him to swim. Our troop went swimming at a pool 2-3 times/year. The last time we did a troop swim before I left as Scoutmaster, this boy popped up beside me in the pool with a big grin on his face! He had been taking lessons and was getting there in his swimnnming skills.