Have fun, ride safe and respect the outdoors.
Riding an all-terrain vehicle, like one of the Polaris ATVs found at select BSA council camps, is really as simple as following those three steps.
But what about those of us who crave a little more guidance before hopping aboard one of these fun and functional machines?
Polaris and the BSA have us covered with this brief safety video.
Watch for:
- Essential gear for ATV safety
- A reminder to never ride on paved roads except in specific circumstances
- Guidelines on transporting passengers on an ATV
- Advice on trails, speed and supervision
Consider screening the video at a troop or crew meeting, unit committee meeting, adult leader training or summer camp staff training. It’s a quick, effective refresher.
Tune in and win
At around 10 a.m. CT on June 28, Boys’ Life will be broadcasting LIVE on Facebook from a local council camp in Texas.
Learn the latest ATV safety techniques from a certified instructor, watch Scouts demonstrate how to ride a Polaris ATV and win great prizes from Polaris.
Five lucky Facebook Live viewers will win, so be sure to tune in.
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I am glad to see that BSA is not wrapping the Scouts in bubble wrap for everything that they do. The activities that can occur on ATVs have some risk, but so does hiking, climbing, rappelling, white-water rafting, canoeing/kayaking, etc. Until they develop demonstrable responsibility, however, the two safety aspects of all scout activity (Qualified Supervision and Discipline) should be closely observed, and should be continued to whatever degree deemed necessary by the leaders.
This does point up a need to revise and expand Guide to Safe Scouting (GTSS) on some aspects. On the role of usage of power tools, say on an Eagle Project, many power-tool usages are verboten until the age of 18. The use of a table saw, with Qualified Supervision and Discipline is probably safer than many of the high adventure activities. Dremel tools are advertised for usage in Pinewood Derby projects, but Cubs are not allowed to use Dremels.
I am not saying open up the use of power tools willy-nilly to groups of Scouts. But a Scout, working on his Eagle Project, under the Qualified Supervision and Discipline of parents, grandparents, or a family friend, especially a Scout which has used the tools in whatever “Shop” is called nowadays by educators, should be allowed to used the tools, if necessary, on his project, or on merit badges which require some tool usage.
I wold propose that someone appropriate consider addressing this in the next release of GTSS. I would welcome other comments on this, both pro and con (I’d prefer “pro”, but I do recognize there are different perspectives on this).