May-June 2000
"Come on in. The water's fine!" Soon, Scouts everywhere will hear that call as they head for pools and waterfronts to cool off, enjoying one of summer's favorite activitiesswimming.
Every Scout should be a swimmer. It's an important skill that provides basic survival and rescue methods, fun, and exercise. If you have patrols with boys who can't swim, now is a good time for them to learn.
Aquatic staffs at Boy Scout summer camps are specially trained to teach swimming. Other sources of instruction include lifeguards at neighborhood pools, the YMCA, and local chapters of the American Red Cross.
Whenever Scouts swim, the BSA's Safe Swim Defense plan must be followed. A new training video, "Safe Swim DefenseIt Works!" (No. AV-09V029), is available for units to borrow from local Scout council service centers. The tape can be shown during a meeting so Scouts can review the plan's eight points:
Have fun this summer and remember to swim safely. Oh, and don't forget, "Last one in is a rotten egg."
Scott Daniels
Troop program ideas and methods for improving patrol teamwork, adapted from material by the late William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt or from other sources, appear periodically in this column.
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