Scouts with DisABILITIES

Cherokee DistrictNE Georgia Council

Alternate Advancement Requirements

Perspective

Quality of Lifeof a youth with a disability

The power of belonging

Mission Aims

Character Development – To build self-reliance, self-discipline, self-confidence and self-respect

Citizenship – To foster love of community, country and world, along with a commitment of service to others and an understanding of democratic principles.

Personal Fitness – To develop social, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual fitness and physical health that will stay with a Scout for the rest of his life.

It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping to instill values in young people, and in other ways to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential. The values we strive to instill are found in the Boy Scout Oath and Law.

Scouting is A Values Based

Program

Rules & Regulations

Clause 20, Article XI, Section 32

Scouting is for all boys……

History

The first Chief Scout Executive, James E. West, had a disability

Scouting has had fully participating members with physical, mental and emotional disabilities since it’s founding in 1910

Advancement

• Self confidence is developed by measuring up to a challenge or a standard

• Peer confidence develops when the same measuring system is used for everyone - when all must meet the same challenge to receive equal recognition

• Confidence in leaders comes about when there is consistency in measuring - when leaders use a single standard of fairness

Building confidence through measurement

On my Honor….

….I will do MY BEST

Expectations

What is a Disability?

• physical or mental

• permanent rather than temporary

• statement by a licensed physician

• statement by an educational administrator

• cannot complete the requirement(s)

What is a Disability?

• Attention Deficit• Autism• Cerebral palsy• Developmental

disability• Down’s syndrome• Emotional disability• Learning disability• Mental retardation• Multiple sclerosis

• Muscular dystrophy• Physical disability• Hearing impairment• Seizures• Speech/language

disorders• Spinal cord injuries• Traumatic brain injury• Visual impairment

Issues

Specialized Troops vs

Mainstreaming

Issues

How we react to a person with disabilities

Issues

Over protective parents

Disinterested parents

Issues

Activities in which

the Scout can not

participate

Issues

Individualized Game Plans

Issues

Encourage Advancemen

t

Resources

ParentsPre-joining Conference

Define abilities/limitationsTransportation

Attend meetingsDiscipline

DietLiving skillsMedication

Emergency procedures

Resources

Professionals

PhysiciansVisiting nurses

EducatorsCounselors

Physical therapistsAgencies

Resources

Older Scouts

Resources

A Scoutmaster’s Guide to Working with Scouts with

DisABILITIES

BSA Publication#33056A

Resources

Scouting for Youth with Physical Disabilities (WW33057B)

Scouting for Youth with Emotional Disabilities (WW32998A)

Scouting for the Learning Disabled (WW33065A)

Scouting for the Hearing Impaired (WW33061A)

Scouting for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WW33063A)

Resources

Handbooks in Braille and on cassette

Closed caption videotapes

Merit badge books on cassetteSpecial Needs Library of Northeast Georgia

Athens-Clarke County Regional LibraryAthens, Georgia

http://clarke.public.lib.ga.us/specialneedslibrary.html

Advancement Guidance

Common Sense

Alternate Requirements

Age

Membership beyond the normal age

Personal Health and Medical Record Form

Determined at unit level

Approved at Council level

Advancement requirements should not be watered down or eliminated for boys with disabilities

The standard for every boy is “Has he done his best?”

Cub Scouts

May be given permission by the Cubmaster and Pack committee to substitute electives for a few of the achievement requirements that are beyond his capabilities.

Cub Scouts

It is best to include the parents in this process of determining substitutions since they are most familiar with their son’s abilities.

Tenderfoot, Second Class,

and First Class Ranks

• written request to Council advancement committee

• explain the suggested alternate requirements in sufficient detail so as to allow the advancement committee to make a decision

• submitted to and approved by the local

council prior to completing alternate requirements.

Tenderfoot, Second Class,

and First Class Ranks

• complete as many of the regular requirements as his ability permits before applying for alternate requirements

• alternate requirements as demanding of effort as the regular requirements

• alternate requirements involving physical activity must be approved by physician

Tenderfoot, Second Class,

and First Class Ranks

• unit leader and board of review must explain that a candidate is expected to do his best in developing himself to the limit of his resources

• decision of the council advancement committee should be recorded and delivered to the Scout and his leader

(NOTE: The substitution of "trip" for "hike" in the footnote to

Second Class requirement 1b does NOT require the procedure listed above. That substitution may be permitted by the unit leaders based on their understanding of the Scout's physical condition. )

Eagle Scout Rank

May be achieved by a Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or qualified* Venturer who has a physical or mental disability by qualifying for alternate merit badges.

This does not apply to individual requirements for merit badges. Merit badges are awarded only when all requirements are met as stated. *must have achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout.

Eagle Scout Rank

The candidate must earn as many of the required merit badges as his ability permits before applying for an alternate Eagle Scout merit badge. The candidate must complete as many of the requirements of the required merit badges as his ability permits

Eagle Scout Rank

The Application for Alternate Eagle Scout Merit Badges must be completed prior to qualifying for alternate merit badges.

The alternate merit badges chosen must be of such a nature that they are as demanding of effort as the required merit badges.

Eagle Scout Rank

Eagle Scout Rank

When alternates chosen involve physical activity, they must be approved by the physician.

The unit leader and the board of review must explain that to attain the Eagle Scout rank a candidate is expected to do his best in developing himself to the limit of his resources.

Eagle Scout Rank

The application must be approved by the council committee responsible for advancement, utilizing the expertise of professional persons involved in Scouting for the disabled.

The candidate's application for Eagle must be made on the Eagle Scout Rank Application, with the Application for Alternate Eagle Scout Award Merit Badges attached.

Varsity Scouts

Varsity Scouts follow the same advancement

policies as Boy Scouts

Venturing/Sea Scouting

Alternate requirements for Venturing/Sea Scout

advancement can be determined at the unit

level Charles Holmes & Brad Harris, BSA National

Venturing/Sea Scouting

Can earn Eagle if they earned First

Class in a Boy Scout or Varsity unit

Alternate merit badge requirements used for Boy

Scouts apply

Summary

Scouting is for all boys……