Posted on 05/06/2009 1:59:51 PM PDT by JoeProBono
Larry Armstrong has been volunteering with his local Boy Scout branch for years, chaperoning trips, serving on the council committee, even becoming certified in archery instruction for a day camp. But Armstrong, at 6-foot, 2-inches tall and about 370 pounds, may no longer qualify for some scout outings because he's overweight, part of a new push by the national organization to ensure the scouts and their volunteers are healthy. A new mandatory weight requirement by the national Boy Scouts of America that will take effect next January has some longtime volunteers concerned they will be left out of trips they've enjoyed with their sons for years.
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Having been a BSA leader when my 2 sons were younger (both in their 20’s now), I somewhat agree with this suggestion. There are some activities that would be difficult and possibly impossible for somebody of that size to perform safely. I would only agree on the basis that this is for the large father’s own protection.
If something were to happen to him in the wilderness or while camping and he required a stretcher to get him out, he could not be moved unless there was a really large stretcher and some older stronger Scouts and even so, it would be a challenge.
I'd like to know how, exactly, a private organization proposes to prohibit a grown man from going to publicly accessible locations, particularly when his minor son is at those locations.
The insurance industry speaks....
1. No pancakes
2. No barbecue
3. No weenies grilled over the fire
Tofu rocks!
Yes, of course.
There’s no way this guy should be out on Adventure hikes.
But, start with cases like this, and gradually ramp us to more draconian restrictions, then fatties are gonna feel the full brunt of Rampant Nannyism everywhere.
Just look at how smokers got demonized and ostracised.
you either do not have kids or you do not like spending time with them.
i do not have kids yet. but if they wanted to do this stuff and it gave them useable knowledge, i'd do it too. i guess i am a weirdo.
I don't know if that's really necessary, but I'd hate to see twenty lilliputian Boy Scouts have to drag his mammoth carcass back to civilization when his ticker bangs up against the last Big Mac too many.
Instead of bitching about it, he might want to set a more positive example for the boys.
Definitely, if he suffers an accident or something no one will be able to haul him out.
Let him go on a fishing trip where no hiking is involved, but I sure wouldn’t want him to do something that would put him and the rest of the kids at risk.
He needs to lose weight and get in shape if he wants to do that stuff.
As usual with such topics, it turns into sick junior high jokes. He seems to have much more leadership abilities than many who have posted.
If it were my son, I probably wouldn’t let him go on overnights then, with a bunch of adults I might not know too well along. How do you stop an adult from going with his kid to a National Park??? If something happens, well geez, they rescue people from Mt Everest and other remotet areas, places that are far more isolated than anyplace scouts are likely to go. You can have everyone along perfectly healthy and then have the dining hall collapse on the kids like it did last year. If he wants the risk, it’s on him.
O.K., folks; I’m a District Commissioner, I don’t meet these weight limits, and I’ve been looking into this. Here’s the deal:
For many years the BSA has had a requirement to fill out and maintain medical forms that have a medical history, evidence of a recent medical exam and a waiver so that someone on the trip can take you to a hospital and give permission for you to be treated if necessary. For Scouts and Scouters under 40 that form has had two parts - the waiver and the history was to be updated every year, and the exam every 3 years. For Scouters over 40, you had to have the exam every year as well.
For Summer camp, etc., that was pretty much it. For Philmont and other high-adventure bases you had to fill a special form, and you had to meet certain height/weight requirements because you’d be out in the back country where it would take quite some time to get to you. The idea was a) to reduce the risk to you of having a problem in the first place and b) to reduce the risk to the people who’d have to move you if you did have a problem.
The BSA has essentially made two changes. One is that now everyone has to have an annual exam. The other is that now ANY back country trip falls under the height/weight constraints, not just the ones operated by the BSA’s National Council. However, your weekend trip to the State Park or your week trip to your local Council’s summer camp are unaffected by the new limits.
Take a look at that picture. Say this guy decides to go on the backpacking trip with your kid’s Scout Troop. On day #2, 10 miles in with no road, he goes down. Forget a heart attack. Maybe just a strained knee. He can’t move, it’s 95 degrees out and you’re 8 miles from the next spot to get some water. Now what? You can’t move him. He can’t move. It’s a good 5 hours or more to go get him some water, and that’s if you’re humping. Someone’s going to get hurt. Probably him, possibly you or whoever is having to go and get him some water. Or whoever is foolishly trying to move him.
I remember when I took Lifesaving Merit Badge. We were told that the first obligation in a lifesaving situation was to save yourself. If you couldn’t help the person, don’t kill yourself trying. Again, noting that I currently do not meet the weight requirements and I’ve been on back country outings, I have to say that I don’t see that National is wrong on this.
“for some scout outings”
This policy is only applied to certain strenuous physical activities where adults want to lead boys- wilderness camping, hiking, etc
Weight is just one of the health items that is monitored
It is for the protection of the kids and the adults to ensure they meet fitness standards to engage in some activities
Can you see this guy leading a troop down the Grand Canyon? Out in the wilderness for a 3 day or week long trek?
Dont tell me about the 370 pound guys that can do it. Most can’t or shouldn’t. Believe me most policies like this come about because of someone’s BAD experience.
Pop should drop 150 pounds and apply again.
It's important to note that he already didn't qualify for some Scout outings because he's overweight. Philmont, the 3 Northern Tier bases, Seabase, National Jamboree and others would already have excluded him. What this does is to expand that exclusion to similar outings that are run by local Councils as opposed to National Council.
“...before he'll be allowed on certain ‘high adventure’ trips that take him more than 30 minutes away from emergency care by ground transportation.”
It seems to be about the remoteness of able medical care.
He can still do the activities listed that he’s been doing.
Sorry for the multiple posts. But another inaccuracy; at 6’ 2”, his limit is 252 pounds, not 239. Not that it’ll make much different for him in particular, I’d guess.
Well it sounds to me like they are just worried about a possible medical emergency and how they would get someone that big to safety. I can understand. I mean I have been on some pretty long hikes with the scouts when I was kid. I don't know how you would get someone to safety who weighed nearly 400 pounds if he became incapacitated.
Raucous round of applause for using common sense instead of high emotion! Women who are eight months pregnant can’t go on some Scouting activities, either: who’da thunkit?
This reminds me, I need to find out if either of my sons needs a new health exam this month.
“How do you stop an adult from going with his kid to a National Park”
You don’t
But you don’t charter a medically-defined obese man (or woman) under the umbrella of your organization and its liability and reputation to take a bunch of other people’s kids camping and hiking in a National Park
True. However, there’s a pretty good (although I agree not perfect) correlation between the strenuousness of a typical Scout outing and it’s remoteness. The medical forms already have a section on them that bascially ask “Doctor, are there things this person should not be doing?” and gives examples of the kinds of things Scouts do.
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