Boy Scout SAR merit badge

[Майор Хаткевич]

Supposed to.

In reality, given that 15% get to Mitchell, and only 5% to Earhart, I'm going to assume just about 2/3 cadets get stumped by the SDA and never progress past the Mitchell.

[krnlpanick]

I don't know what you are talking about.   You earn merit badges by completeling the requirments. 

That is indeed the way it is supposed to be, however I have personally seen many scouts earn awards just because it was time to do awards and they had worked on some of the requirements so they just award them so they don't feel left out. I'm not saying that every troop or unit is like this - and I am sure there are CAP squadrons that have the same problems, but I have witnessed it firsthand in scouting and it really rubs me the wrong way.

[RiverAux]

CAP around here has helped with the aviation merit badge (I think thats what its called) and maybe one other. 

The press release sort of implies that they will actually be available for doing SAR.

From the end of para 2:

Scouts will learn the fundamentals of SAR, but the badge will not qualify a young person as a trained searcher.

True, but you only gave part of the quote.  This implies it could be something that the troop could do in looking for missing scouts from their own unit or as a community service. 

"The Boy Scouts of America's motto is 'Be Prepared'—which sometimes translates to knowing how to respond in an emergency," said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. "While we are not encouraging our Scouts to practice these new skills independently, we do want them to be ready to lend a hand to the community, and to each other."

[lordmonar]

I don't know what you are talking about.   You earn merit badges by completeling the requirments. 

That is indeed the way it is supposed to be, however I have personally seen many scouts earn awards just because it was time to do awards and they had worked on some of the requirements so they just award them so they don't feel left out. I'm not saying that every troop or unit is like this - and I am sure there are CAP squadrons that have the same problems, but I have witnessed it firsthand in scouting and it really rubs me the wrong way.

As it should!  I know it happens.....but we (assumeing you are/were a Scouter) should not stand for it....just we should not stand for it in CAP or any other organisation.

[krnlpanick]

I am inactive for the past 2 years, but I was Bear and then Webelos leader for my oldest son's den and we worked pretty closely with a BS Troop. I saw it as a Webelos leader working with the BS on joint projects and I saw it when I was a scout myself. I absolutely didn't stand for it and in fact that ended up being the reason I left the pack 2 years ago. The Pack Leader overrode my decision to not graduate a webelos into boy scouts even tho he had only been in the program 2 months and hadn't even completed a quarter of his Webelos achievements. Anyhow, I am ramping up to start scouts with my youngest son and will not stand for it there (or in CAP for that matter) either.

Good on you for not letting it slide either!

[Woodsy]

As an every now and then volunteer at BSA events, I must say, the average scout does not have the maturity and discipline to do SAR.  I fear an operational BSA SAR team would turn into a bigger mission with them lost or worse. 

[lordmonar]

As an every now and then volunteer at BSA events, I must say, the average scout does not have the maturity and discipline to do SAR.  I fear an operational BSA SAR team would turn into a bigger mission with them lost or worse.

Which is why this is not the goal of the SAR merit badge....nor the stated aims of the BSA program.

At most....it would allow individual scouts to assist SAR teams in some form.....maybe in large line search or on trail searches.

No one is suggesting that a BSA troop will be forming SAR teams.  We could expect more Explorer/Ventur Post forming SAR teams....if there is an intrests.....and those come 14-21 age group....so the maturity level is a lot higher.

[bflynn]

an operational BSA SAR team

There are no operational BSA SAR teams.

Your respect for the BSA is underwhelming...as a core value, it should be practiced with everyone, not just within CAP.

[Woodsy]

an operational BSA SAR team

There are no operational BSA SAR teams.

Your respect for the BSA is underwhelming...as a core value, it should be practiced with everyone, not just within CAP.

I'm not implying there are any, just saying I hope they don't take this new badge to the next level.

I have the utmost respect for BSA, I've been a scouter for over 20 years, both as a scout and a leader.  I am simply being objective.  Of course there are exceptions, but there does seem to be a pattern. 

[bflynn]

My mistake for misundestanding then.

You're in the scouting community.  If you have doubts about the scout's ability to navigate and not get lost, then perhaps raising the standard is a good thing...when scouts come to you for a merit badge, make sure they really, really know it.  Encourage other leaders to do the same.

[Woodsy]

Well...  It's not so much them getting lost I'd worry about...  It's more of one of them running off away from the group and getting hurt, stuck, or lost himself, causing the rest of the group to have to refocus their efforts on him.

The military discipline instilled by CAP causes our cadets to have a different attitude towards that type of thing.  I must say, it makes me proud to see a CAP cadet standing beside an average teen. 

That said, I'm looking forward to teaching this merit badge (you better believe I already have several emails out to different scoutmasters offering lol) and may even have a few Cadets join me.  I will definitely use some CAP stuff in the training.

[lordmonar]

Well...  It's not so much them getting lost I'd worry about...  It's more of one of them running off away from the group and getting hurt, stuck, or lost himself, causing the rest of the group to have to refocus their efforts on him.

The military discipline instilled by CAP causes our cadets to have a different attitude towards that type of thing.  I must say, it makes me proud to see a CAP cadet standing beside an average teen. 

That said, I'm looking forward to teaching this merit badge (you better believe I already have several emails out to different scoutmasters offering lol) and may even have a few Cadets join me.  I will definitely use some CAP stuff in the training.

How is that any differnt then our 12 year olds running around on ground team?
Having been a scouter and a CAP squadron commander......I see very little difference between the way we control and keep our charges safe.

As someone said before....Boy Scouts simply spend more time in the field the most CAP cadets and of course there are about 830K scouts...and another 500K adult members.....simple odds will show that YES we are more likely to go looking for Scout then a CAP cadet.

[Spaceman3750]

Skipping over all the junk about finding lost Boy Scouts and whatnot, I think that you can look at this from two angles. Not only is it familiarization training so you can see if you're interested in it, but also provides a little experience so that if the scout does find himself lost, he can now think about how he can make himself easier to find, because he has a basic knowledge of SAR techniques.

[Eclipse]

For starters there's no adult program in the BSA - the majority are just chaperons, receiving little to no training themselves.

Our cadets are always lead by someone who has received training and vetting before being allowed to lead, and cadets are not the
core of our ES.

[caphornbuckle]

Some BSA Troops get tasked to do searches for missing persons.  Most everyone is thinking that search and rescue involves going in the deep woods and trying to find somebody.  It isn't uncommon to look for missing people around neigborhoods and parks.

Now that I think about it, anyone can volunteer to do search and rescue without any qualifications.

[Eclipse]

Now that I think about it, anyone can volunteer to do search and rescue without any qualifications.

They do all the time, and without proper training can actually hinder the search.

[lordmonar]

For starters there's no adult program in the BSA - the majority are just chaperons, receiving little to no training themselves.

Sorry wrong.

Our cadets are always lead by someone who has received training and vetting before being allowed to lead, and cadets are not the
core of our ES.

Sorry wrong again.

[lordmonar]

Now that I think about it, anyone can volunteer to do search and rescue without any qualifications.

They do all the time, and without proper training can actually hinder the search.

Not if the search manager know how to properly coordinate their actions.  That's one point of the SAR Merit Badge....it teachs familurisation skills....so you know NOT to be out just doing your own thing....but enough to actually be helpful to local SAR agency.

Again....something CAP could learn to do.

[ol'fido]

You all do train your cadets in basic survival, SAR skills, and fieldcraft whether they participate actively in ES or not don't you? If not, you should.

[Spaceman3750]

You all do train your cadets in basic survival, SAR skills, and fieldcraft whether they participate actively in ES or not don't you? If not, you should.

It's not part of the CP as written, so no. Cadets are not Boy Scouts.