Be a Registered Air Scout Observer, Explorer Woodsman, Ordinary Sea Scout, or First Class Scout of 15 or over, in excellent physical condition as shown by medical examination. He must run one mile in 7½ minutes, and climb an 18-foot rope, hand over hand in 25 seconds or less. He must whip the ends of a rope of at least ½-inch in diameter, and tie a square knot, sheet bend, bowline, bowline-on-a-bight, two half hitches, clove hitch, clove hitch secured with half hitch, taut line hitch, and Timber hitch.
Finally, he must have the written permission of his parents or guardian, the approval of his Unit leader, and must have earned the following Merit Badges: First Aid, Firemanship, Life Saving, Path-finding, Personal Health, Public Health, Rowing (where necessary), and Safety.
Photo by George Berstrom
SCOUTMASTER’S MINUTE
⚜ Sometimes knowing the right thing to do in an emergency is just as important as having the courage to do it. That’s one reason why in Scouting, First Aid is an essential part of the Scout requirements. For instance, if Second Class Scout Gerald Maley of Cleveland, Ohio, had not practiced his First Aid, his friend would not be alive today. Last November, Scout Maley with his friend Norman were crossing a railroad bridge when the wind blew Maley’s hat off. It landed somewhere in the railroad yard under the bridge and the two boys climbed down to the yard to recover it. They hunted, but could not find it. Suddenly, Norman had an idea. “I’ll bet it’s on top of that box car over there.”
Up he climbed to look for it. Half way up he slipped, tried to save himself and grabbed a live wire which was hanging low.
The shock knocked him to the ground and the Scout ran to help him. Norman lay without moving and the Scout thought at first he was dead. But he had been practicing his First Aid in his Patrol. He immediately started artificial respiration in earnest just as he had practiced it in meeting the week before.