A positive subject for once - Scouting

[Guest Markwell]

My wife and I came up with an idea while trekking around the Southeast for a cache...

 

I know there's quite a few scouting people out there. Personally, I never got beyond Webloes because of lack of leaders.

 

I would think it would be VERY cool to be able to earn a Geocaching Patch - one that looks like the 4 square logo. Criteria could be 4 finds with one of them being a minimum of 3 terrain or difficulty.

 

Thoughts?

[Guest cache_ninja]

there was a discussion on this subject awhile back on the GEO e-mail list when another person suggested this very same thing. Ultimately, Jeremy made some sort of statement that there would be no "official" relationship with the boyscouts and geocaching.com etc. Obviously, the boy scouts are free to do whatever they want, enjoy geocaching, organize events and such.

And they should be encouraged to do so.

 

People like myself felt that an "official" relationship with the boy scouts would in some ways condone their policies, specifically concerning discrimination based on sexual preference, which I personally find objectionable, as do many others. It should be noted that many people chimed in and disagreed. I do beleive the scouts do a lot of great things, but since this policy has come to light, many people do not wish to support them in any way, including myself...

 

I don't beleive Jeremy owns a copyright to the word "geocaching" so i suppose the scouts are free to create whatever badge they want, but quite many people do not wish to have any official association between them and geocaching.com...

 

take care

c/n

[Guest jeremy]

Yes. A navigation patch where you learn how to use a gps unit would be a nice thing (I think the orienteering patch fits the bill). It could be one optional requirement to achieve the merit badge.

 

Having a geocaching merit badge would be inappropriate in my opinion. It's a game or exercise boy scouts or whoever can use, but doesn't really require it's own badge.

 

Jeremy

[Guest makaio]

There are already some scout troops who do geocaching as a group event (one I'm aware of is in AZ). I'm told they apparently already have a GPS badge to go along with the Compass badge, and use geocaching as a tool to earn the GPS badge. Unsure how much truth there is to this, as it simply secondhand information on my part.

[Guest bob_renner]

The Venture program (for older scouts) has a Ranger award with one requirement on land navigation. I believe one of the items in that is to show that you know how to use a GPSR by setting a waypoint and being able to navigate to it.

 

In the troop I'm associated with, we use it as a aid to teaching basic navigation. We still have maps and compasses but use the GPSR to show where we are and where we have been. We also use geocaching as a fun activity on outings.

 

Bob

[Guest Markwell]

Thanks for the input. Just an uninformed person here - on both scouting (shows that I really didn't make it that far) and the historical discussion on the e-mail list.

 

I'm glad to hear (even secondhand) that some scouting organizations are using Geocaching to enducate the youngsters. I hope that's true for Girl Scouts as well.

[Guest k2dave]

I don't know if Geocaching is badge worthy - as stated it a game. But I can see using Geocaching as a way to earn other badges. As for an official relationship - well it's also up to the Boy Scouts (or Girl Scouts) and I don't think they have asked.

 

As for what Cache Ninja said - (you can tell he's from NYC). The Boys Scouts is a great PRIVATE org. They are allowed to discriminate (these people are trusted with our children for crying out loud!)- They are trying to teach children good values (I doubt you will get it). Also last I heard they adopted 'don't ask don't tell' at least a few troops anyway.

 

Many (i'd say most) people with children (boys) would not want them to go on a overnight or multinight hike with an openly gay leader. Sometimes common sense has to win out over this PC crap.

 

(as you can tell that's a very heated issue for me)

[Guest CaptHawke]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bob_renner:

The Venture program (for older scouts) has a Ranger award with one requirement on land navigation. I believe one of the items in that is to show that you know how to use a GPSR by setting a waypoint and being able to navigate to it.

---

 

Besides all the usual map and compass skills, the land navigation requirements for the Ranger award includes:

"Learn to use a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Demonstrate that you can find a fixed coordinate at night using a GPS receiver."

 

At night, even.

[Guest BigFig]

Let me see if I follow this ... Cache Ninja is from NYC and everyone from NYC is either a queer or a queer lover. And, all gays are pedophiles? Personally, I'd rather leave my son (yes, I have one - finishing his Eagle Scout this month) with Cache Ninja or an "openly gay" leader than someone who is gonna fill his mind with hate.

[Guest jeremy]

STOP! This is way off topic.

 

Jeremy

[Guest BigFig]

Yeah - you are right, it's off topic. Seems like we have been getting off topic a lot lately (I just read the concealed carry thread). I apoligize and will be good for at least a week.

 

BF

[Guest sjs102]

Don't know about the Boy Scouts, but the Girl Scouts have a badge called "Finding Your Way". When my troop earned it this June we added in how to use a GPS after we finished up the compass work. After we had that down we went out and located a cache, and then placed our own. From my perspective, as a leader, while the badge work taught them some really good skills (map reading & compass work), the geocaching made it really fun - and they now had to use the map reading and compass work in addition to the GPS. On top of it all they've really enjoyed following their cache ("East of the Fork and West of the Spoon") this summer. It's made for lots of talk.