March 6, 2025

News You Can Use

Safety Moment

Prohibited Activities

Sometimes you just say “no” to an activity when you “know” the program of Scouting America. So, did you “know” there are activities and programs that should NOT be part of any Scouting experience? Or that there are limits for when some activities should be introduced? How you can find out about them and why they are on the “list” are what this safety moment is about.

Prohibited Activities

First, ask this question: Is the activity in a handbook or other current literature of Scouting America?

If it is, great, then you know it is part of Scouting America program.

Wait, it’s not in a Scouting America handbook or literature. Then ask: Does it support the values of Scouting America? If the activity helps to create good conduct, respect for others, and honesty, then most likely it is good to go. (Note: Values do not use fun, exciting, wilder, crazy, or faster as a test, nor do they include “We have always done it.”)

The next test: Is it age appropriate? For instance, by design the program limits the use of throwing knives and tomahawks to youth in Scouts BSA and above, and limits the use of pocketknives in Cub Scouting to Bears and above. A list of age-appropriate guidelines is in the appendix of the Guide to Safe Scouting.

So, the activity you want to do isn’t in the handbook, but you think it supports the values of Scouting America and it appears to be age appropriate. Last test: Is it prohibited or unauthorized? Look at the list of prohibited activities in the Guide to Safe Scouting.

So how does something get on the list? From time to time, cross-functional teams of volunteers and professional staff are asked to evaluate programs or activities to incorporate into Scouting. Sometimes it’s a near miss, social media, or an actual incident that brings an activity forward for review. Other times it’s a request for a new or revised program or merit badge. These requests are reviewed by a team using various risk assessment tools found in the Enterprise Risk Management Committee Guidebook. As of this writing, 22 activities are on the prohibited listing. Prohibitions include failing to deliver program as designed or contained in our literature and common sense restrictions that include extreme sports, pyrotechnics, shooting or throwing at each other, and power tool use. The list is not comprehensive, but it serves as a definitive list of prohibited activities and it offers a broad sense of what is not allowed as a Scouting activity.

In addition, our program literature outlines restrictions or age-appropriate activities. For example, the National Shooting Sports Manual has a list of restricted activities including boomerangs, spears, crossbows, and blowguns; COPE literature restricts belaying.

Finally, there are some activities that may be restricted at the unit level but are allowed as part of a council-level activity. These include all-terrain vehicle and personal watercraft use and the pistol safety and marksmanship program for youth in Scouts BSA. Additionally, certain activities are specifically authorized at the high-adventure bases, such as crossbows at the Summit Bechtel Reserve and reloading ammunition at Philmont Scout Ranch.

Additional Resources

Good News

Eagle Scout, Randall Cress

Will Serve as the Next Guilford District Executive

Read Full Article

Local Scoutmaster, Mike Matzinger

Receives the Silver Antelope Award

Read Full Article

Reminders

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Register for the CSR Volunteer Recognition Lunch by Thursday, March 6.

Use this link to register!

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Register for Wildness First Aid by Tuesday, March 11

Use this link to register!

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Register for Trainer’s Edge by Tuesday, March 11

Use this link to register!

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Order Eagle Brick for your Eagle Scout by April 1

Use this link to register!

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Register for OA Conclave by April 1

Use this link to register!

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Register for Councilwide Program Preview

Use this link to register!

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Register for Character in Action Dinner: Council Banquet

Use this link to register!

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Submit your Tsoiotsi Tsogalii Lodge 30th Anniversary memorabilia pre-order before April 30

Use this link to register!

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Reserve your pack’s campsite for Cub Scout Overnight Camp

Use this link to register!

Featured Events

Wilderness First Aid

Wilderness first aid (WFA) is a course for everyone planning a remote high adventure. WFA focuses on prevention, assessment, and treatment for an ill or injured person in a remote environment where definitive care by a physician or rapid transport is not readily available. This is defined as being two hours or more from a hospital.

The course is delivered in a hybrid model. Learners complete new learning by completing a series of online modules prior. During the practical portion, learners participate in lots of hands-on work and complete a series of outdoor scenarios.

Course topics include:

Action in an emergency
Checking an injured or ill person
Shock and bleeding control
Wound care and bandaging
Heart attack and CPR
Head, brain and spine injuries
Chest injuries
Bone, joint, and muscle injuries
Heat-related emergencies
Cold related injuries
Altitude illness
Water-related emergencies
Abdominal injuries and complaints
Allergies and anaphylaxis
Evacuation
Improving the odds of survival
Prevention

Pre-requisite: Hold a current Basic Life Support Certification card

Dates

Option	Registration Deadline
April 5, 2025	Tuesday, March 11 at 11:59 pm
December 29, 2025	Thursday, November 13 at 11:59 pm

Register Here

Trainer's Edge

Sunday, March 16, 2025

1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Royce Reynolds Scout Service Center

1405 Westover Terrace, Greensboro

Registration closes at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, March 11

Improve your leadership, communication, and training skills.

The purpose of the Trainer’s EDGE course is to provide help and to develop the platform skills of a trainer. Whether you are training in your unit or in one of the advanced leadership development programs, Trainer’s EDGE can help you become more confident and provide you with tools to make your training sessions more engaging. Only practice can polish these skills, but this course is intended to “train the trainer” on behaviors and resources while offering hands-on experience in methods and media.

Register Here

Conclave

An OA conclave is a weekend event for members of the Order of the Arrow (OA) and other Scouts. Conclaves are a chance for fellowship, training, and activities. Over 1000 Scouts and Scouters will attend our conclave! It is a huge event. Many Arrowmen return over and over again due to the amount of fun had at this event.

What happens at a conclave?

Training: Conclaves offer training opportunities from across the section and from National OA guests.
Activities: Conclaves include games, competitions, and shows.
Ceremonies: OA members can participate Pre-Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil ceremonies evaluations.
Awards: Conclaves are the only events where lodges can earn the Spirit Award, the Quest for the Golden Arrow Award, and the Honor Lodge.
Elections: Conclaves include section officer elections.

Why are conclaves important?

Conclaves are a chance to increase knowledge and understanding of the OA program. They also help to inspire Arrowmen to set and commit to higher goals for themselves and their lodges.

Our lodge hosts the conclave every 6 years. You can participate in the conclave in two ways:

Participant: Attend and enjoy all of the fun. This year our spirit theme is Cook Out.

Staff: Provide cheerful service and still enjoy all of the fun

We need at least an additional 150 staff members in the areas of food service, parking and security, and logistics.

Staff members receive a blue staff hat.