The Sweet 16 of BSA Safety describe the measures we should use at all Scouting activities. These steps should be taken by adults on all activities to keep our Scouts safe.
Scouting activities are group activities. It doesn't do much good if the supervisor knows all the rules, regulations procedures but can't communicate those to the participants. And what good is that plan you spent so much time on if you didn't share it with others?
Keeping our Scouts safe is our number one priority as Scouters. The Sweet 16 of BSA Safety describe the measures we should use at all Scouting activities. The first point of the Sweet 16 is Qualified Supervision.
The fifteenth point of the Sweet 16 is CPR Resource. Why take a chance? Encourage some adults in your unit to learn CPR. It’s one of those things you hope you never need, but if you do it could save a life.
Scouts can be instructed in the rules and understand them and still not follow them. Why does this happen? It is not necessarily because the Scouts are trying to be disrespectful. In many cases they are caught up in the fun of the moment. But if they are not following the instructions of the activity supervisor and it has the potential to become unsafe, it is time to step in.
No matter what the situation, you should “Be Prepared” for first aid. Even at den meetings I keep a very small personal first aid kit on hand for dealing with scrapes and small cuts which can occur during games.
We all need to be aware of the physical fitness of our Scouts, no matter what the activity. This is especially true when spending a week at camp when conditions like allergies or asthma can have a negative impact on a Scout’s experience. In extreme cases they can become life threatening.
We’ve seen a lot of crazy weather over the last few months, so hopefully everyone knows to use their heads concerning weather safety. BSA provides a great online course for learning about hazardous weather.
Equipment selection and maintenance covers a lot of different things. You have to make sure the equipment is meant to be used for what you are using it for. For personal gear, like a helmet when biking or skiing or a PFD when boating, the equipment must fit properly. And for gear like camp stoves, you much check it regularly to verify that it is still in working order.
It seems to go without saying that we should follow the law. Clearly we aren’t going to take our Scout unit out and rob a bank – no matter how dire the fundraising needs! But what about that fishing outing coming up? Have we checked into the local licensing regulations and made sure that everyone who needs a fishing license will have one?
Some of the things we do with our Scouts, especially our older Scouts, can be hazardous if you don’t follow the safety rules. It is important not to cut corners when doing activities. There is usually a good reason for the rules.
Basically, this means if you need a permit, get one. When our troop has a fire in the fire ring at our local city park, we are required to get a fire permit from the city. Would anyone say anything if we just built the fire? Probably not, but the permit is required by ordinance so we always get one.
I think this is just something we need to keep in our heads when we are out with our Scouts. Of course, if an area looks unsafe, we wouldn’t let them go there. But we also need to actively look for hazards, like the dead branch that might fall on a tent or the area of the creek that looks OK at first glance but actually has a very deep spot.
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