Scout falls from hammock

[bayview]

I understand the "boys will be boys" ideology, but in today's society, if we do not watch more closely, it will become more regulated. Try to shoot a gun at a scout camp, repel down a rock wall, or anything. Because of lack of Scoutmaster monitoring and ignorance, these things are almost not a challenge. Kids do not hold guns anymore, no one actually belays while repelling as the ropes are so anchored and controlled. That is what I am discussing. We can't even take kids deep into the woods on backpacking trips like the unless we have been Wilderness First Responder trained. Water events require a fully certified lifeguard because "boys will be boys" attitude by scout masters.

[Carrico]

Well personally I would blame the sue happy people and the lawyers, not so much the boy woops that's sexist. I mean kids will be kids dang what if they don't identify as kids? Life forms will be life forms mentality. But seriously if my kids were under the supervision of another adult I would like to think they would be keeping a good Eye on them. With that said I'm a father of three and know how fast they can get themselfs in trouble:-) but dam airlifted as a precaution $$$

[Codiak]

May I ask which summer camp? I have given hammock safety courses at Daniel Boone when I was there for the last two years and had good attendance. Problem is not just with the boys but Scoutmasters that think rules are dumb. BSA should create a hammock safety course. I did have a Scoutmaster that allowed his kids to hang in pavilion rafters that were well over 10 feet high. He saw nothing wrong but pointed out that he lost appoints for not having a foreigner and that was a dumb rule.

Safe guide to scouting has several sections that would be applicable:
Under climbing above 6 feet, top rope belay required
Under slack lining a crash pad and no higher than 3 feet
Under general working at heights above 4 feet... under 18 can only use 6 foot ladder and helmet required with full body harness.

ANY camp director worth his salt would have put that activityou to bed fast.

[Dirt Dobber]

It was Camp Buck Toms. Like I said I wasn't at the site it happened. I was at the camp but a long ways away. From what I heard it was a head and neck injury. With the possibilities I listed in the original post it could have been any number of things that caused the fall. May not have been horseplay at all.

Being an ASM myself and having 15 boys at camp it is impossible to watch then like society thinks we should. Most troops have a hard time getting the 2 deep leadership for a week at camp much less more adult help. The adults have meetings to attend at different times of day or maybe helping with a merit badge. The boys will not travel as a group, generally only the buddy system and will be stopping by camp through out the day. Adults may or may not be in camp at that time. So, no it is not possible to be "helicopter" leaders for the boys. These boys are at a minimum 10 1/2 years old. Most being 11+. As dangerous as a scout camp can be, it is time to start letting them grow up without being hovered over all the time.



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[SilvrSurfr]

As a former Scout leader, I can attest to the sheer stupidity of some Scouts. We had some real idiots in my troop, and they were a danger to themselves and others. Some of them did need to be watched all the time and frankly, couldn't be left alone for even a minute. Some kids were heavily medicated due to ADD/ADHD or other behavioral problems. We cancelled trips if we couldn't get enough adult supervision.

[Shug]

Hickery and I were scouts.


We needed to be watched.


Shug

[SilvrSurfr]

As dangerous as a scout camp can be, it is time to start letting them grow up without being hovered over all the time.

When I was a Scout leader, we went through several hours of training on "liability," and the legal aspects of Scouting. Nobody talked about "letting them grow up," just how to avoid liability. I remember the cardinal rule was 1) Never be alone with a Scout. Never, ever, be alone with a Scout, because you're exposing yourself to liability. It certainly wasn't that way when I was a Scout, but if your kid went camping with adult leaders and was harmed in some way, wouldn't you be inclined to sue? Or would you just say, "Boys will be boys" and write it off as a lesson learned.

The rifle and shotgun ranges used to drive me crazy - kids were always pointing loaded weapons at others.

[Dirt Dobber]

I personally am not a sue type person. My son's first year at summer camp involved him getting 20 stitches in his leg just below his knee. Playing frisbee in a grassy area at camp and the rock won. Yes the SM could have made them stop due to the rocks and injury possibility, but it was an accident. Same as the kid falling from the hammock. Accident. They happen.

As for the Rifle range, muzzleloader range and our brand new, wonderful shotgun range , the boys who signed up for them love it.

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[Refreshing]

Yikes. Helicopter rides are not cheap. I hope they had awesome insurance.

...but in today's society, if we do not watch more closely, it will become more regulated.

The idea of someone who doesn't go hiking or backpacking making rules about how my child goes hiking or backpacking terrifies the crap out of me. I like the idea of regulating certain rules (example: leave-no-trace) but I think some rules can get out of hand very quickly.

[Carrico]

They definitely don't need to be hovered over, but definitely need an eye keeped on them. I did most of the most dangerous, stupid things in my life when I was 10-18. But it is a shame that more parients don't take an interest in the BS and its a shame that society has gotten so dumbed down and overly complicated all at once.