Boy Scouts and Soaring

I just received word from a Venture Scout leader that soaring is no longer an authorized Scouting activity outing here in the US. Does someone have any insight or current policy information? There were formerly some Aviation Explorer Posts organized around soaring.

Frank Whiteley

TSA has flown a bunch of Boy Scouts in the last year, some as recently as a month ago.

It's no good... I think it was a great way of promoting soaring. What has happened that they have withdrawn?

Janusz Kesik Aeroclub Czestochowa, Poland
www.soaring.enter.net.pl

I think there is some confusion with the term 'authorized'. Scouts are still allowed to fly in gliders and powered aircraft as part of a merit badge or achievement activity. Nothing has changed in that regard. Several years ago (IE: 1960's), there were Venture/Explorer Posts that were based on aviation. I don't believe these are as prevalent as they once were, but I believe it's still supported by the BSA. If you're interested in starting Venturing program with an Aviation theme, you can get all of the information you need from the BSA National Council. Their web site is located at www.bsa.scouting.org .

Glenn

We are going to fly some as well, however, it is not a Scouting activity/outing. The leader checked both with the local council and national and soaring is no longer one of the authorized activities. Seriously, compared to rock climbing....

I think it may be that no one has organized soaring as a High Adventure activity.

To further on my earlier comments and an earlier post, I had erroneously assumed that Venture Scouting had replaced Explorer Scouts. It certainly appeared so from what I was finding. Exploring perhaps has outgrown Scouting. I found that Aviation, including gliders, is still an active Exploring activity, but is linked to http://www.learning-for-life.org. Locally, the Exploring office is in our scouting council office, so though they appear to be at arm's length, there is still something there.

However, WRT scout troop activities and trip reports and insurance, soaring appears to be off the map.

Frank

The scope of the allowable activities a Boy Scout troop (in the U.S.) may undertake is limited by the [relatively inexpensive] blanket liability policy offered to a chartered troop through the B.S.A. Nat'l Office. A troop may apply for a specific waiver and add'l insurance coverage through the local B.S.A. Council office for otherwise non-covered activities.

Some troops circumvent policy restrictions by claiming such an activity is a 'family outing' and not a 'troop function'. I personally would not want to be the scout leader who had to explain such semantic gamesmanship during a lawsuit following any unforseen mishap.

I recommend for their own protection that any individual or club giving rides to Boy Scouts ensure that the involved troop indeed has a waiver to their chartered blanket policy through their local council. A general release of liability may not fully protect one if any degree of culpability is discovered (or created) through legal wranglings.