Boy Scouts and guns

[UPSmonkey]

I just wanted to start a thread about guns and scouting because I have been involved with them for so long.

[Eric R Shelton]

Hey, I learned to shoot with a single shot bolt action .22 when I was just a Tenderfoot!  I think this is a great thread idea!

[Matt G]

Troop714 30+ years ago.  Shooting .22 single shot and Bows.  I even went squirrel hunting!  Cleaned what we shot and roasted them in a camp stove.  That would never happen today.    

[cwrovers]

4-H also has a shooting program.  They have training/practice sessions and an official shoot from which they enter their target at the fair.  A lot of them are scouts.  I haven't heard of the local scout program promoting riflery.  I'll have to check into it.

cw

[UPSmonkey]

Some scouts never get the chance to fire a rifle now a days. When I was growing up, we were all taught at least the basics of how to use a firearm, we got to see what they do to things (pumpkins and cantelope ect...) and that kind of shocked us into the reality of what they can do, and we all learned to act responsibly with them.  Now I see it from the scoutmaster side and I have learned that the scouts need to be constantly watched and we dont ever take our eyes off them. We have to stand about a foot away, ready to jump them the minute the barrel  starts to swing to the side. Just like my scoutmasters had to until we learned discipline. The NRA and the BSA have a great relationship and great programs if only more people would take advantage of them.

[PhantomSniper]

the first time I Ever shot a gun was on a scout hike. one of our leaders brought along a 38 special and let us shoot at some cans, we all had a great time. and I'm proud to say I'm an eagle scout!

[Eric R Shelton]

Troop 733 for me.  I only made it to 1st Class, though.

Hey Carl, are there any resources for vintage Scout Handbooks or previous editions?  It kinda seems like the new ones have fewer knots and more info about online predators...  So sad...

[UPSmonkey]

I've had the most luck with ebay. I used to have most of the old books but I now use pdf versions for all the different merit badges. Its kind of like a printable worksheet. I like the old ones best though.  I am pretty sure that Kelly (he fills in sometimes) has a stack of them as well, I'll ask him if he knows of any ways to get the old ones.

[easmythcrna]

My first experience with firearms was with my Grandfather. My second experience was through Boy Scouts. I earned my Rifle & Shotgun merit badge at Camp Urland with Troop 601 during summer camp.  I also was lucky enough to get to shoot a .50cal Black Powder rifle at Philmont. Eventually, I even earned my Eagle.

[UPSmonkey]

Eagle Scout's hoody hoo !!!!!!
there seem to be less and less eagle's these days.

[SnowOxx]

My first experience with guns I think was actually when I was in cub scouts. My dad rented a .22 Long rifle and a 9mm handgun at a local shooting range. Ive been hooked since. I got the rifle shooting merit badge and did the following marksmanship tests and got to I think marksmen 1st class or something. Got to Eagle too. Best times as a kid.

[Gail]

This must be a regional thing, my son was in scouting for only a few years (Chicago) but there was never any talk of guns or marksmanship.

Gail

[UPSmonkey]

I think you are right Gail. Out here, the shooting merit badge station (especially during the week long camps) are always over full. Most kids will spend their extra money to shoot and get their merit badge. Its really fun too. Sometimes we will take all the kids there and if they are properly staffed, we get to have a quick break. Most times though, we have to hover over them to make sure they don't point their rifles at anyone.

[SnowOxx]

Im pretty sure it was tied to the NRA in some way. I went to boy scout camp one year and they had a NRA teacher at the range and told me about if I shoot better I can get a higher rank. So thats all I did for the week of camp.

[doggiedoc]

Troop 363 shooting 22s at Camp Thunder Ridge in Southern Utah.  Us Utah boys start early!  I'm the Troop Committee Chairman for our troop here in West Jordan and am working on getting my guys excited about it.  I'm also hoping to take the NRA's training courses that the Great Salt Lake Council puts on to become an instructor.  By the way, as one who lived in Oklahoma for 5 years, I love all the "derogatory" Arkansas comment.   Keep 'em coming!  You guys are great.  Keep up the good work.

[UPSmonkey]

We need more Okie's, doggiedoc. I also have been to Thunder Ridge and I loved it. I'm trying to convince my troop to go down there but everyone else wants to go local, (Maple Dell).   

[N.U.G.U.N.]

There are a handful of memories that plague me...not many, just a few. One was when I was in church and mention to the father of one of the families who's children were being unruly that they reminded me of the "Simpsons".  Only after realizing how much that could have hurt.

Another was when I was a Cub Scout and had a chance to shoot a rifle. Instead I shot my mouth.  I said something to the effect of "Why don't you bring those over so we can shoot you." I had no intention of such. It was a very young child's attempt at humor. Except it WASN'T a funny joke! It wasn't like I'd have ever pointed a gun at someone for real, I was trained not even to point water pistols at other people. I knew better.   I spent that camp session sitting off to the side as the rest of my fellow shouts shot the rifles.  And you know what...that was ABSOLUTELY the right thing. Heck, if my father heard such a thing I think I'd still be incapable of sitting down in a chair. 

There you have it, two of my lifetime regrets regarding opening my mouth...

That said, a few years later I did shoot .22LR as a Boy Scout. Though the rifles were so old and beat up the sights were pretty meaningless.

***

On a side note, I just found out a co-worker's son was shot in the back by a 10 yr old friend with a BB gun this weekend. It just left a red mark. But my co-worker rightly took the gun from the kid. Frankly, if I was the kid's father I'd be whooping his butt. And I would have made him apologize. And I would have told the other father (my co-worker) to keep the BB gun. As my son has no need of it and will not be getting it back.  Then when my child showed himself more responsible, I'd consider replacing it in a year or two.

I actually had a friend who got shot with a BB gun. He got shot in the thumb by his own father. Who just wanted him to feel the air and thought the BB gun empty. But it wasn't, and the BB lodged into my friend's thumb and they had to go to the ER to have it removed.  Oh, I might add that my friend's father was a police officer. *lol*

Lesson learned? Treat EVERY firearm as if it is loaded!

[Chemsoldier]

This must be a regional thing, my son was in scouting for only a few years (Chicago) but there was never any talk of guns or marksmanship.

Gail

Gail, EVERYTHING in scouts is regional.  It is all about the parents willing to be involved and to a limited extent the district and council leadership.  Less than 2% of scouts become Eagles.  Yet that is deceptive, good Boy Scout Troops sometimes have over 25% of their boys making Eagle.

My first time shooting was a .22 rifle at scout camp.  It taught me the basics of shooting and made sure I didnt perceive guns as intimidating or anything.

[N.U.G.U.N.]

Gail, that's because you were in Chicago.  Where "guns" don't exist....  ;-)

[Hartmann]

Believe it or not we had (and may still have, dunno since I moved) an active BSA / marksmanship program in the SAN FRANCISCO Bay Area!  I was an assistant instructor at a public range and along with the head instructor I probably helped 100 scouts get their rifle merit badges. 

The program still exists and I need to get back into being an instructor.