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Water Safety for Cub Scouts

Safe Swim Defense - Talk about the tenets of safe swimming, the expectation of having a lifeguard, and always swimming with a buddy.
Boating Fun Booklet - Print this out and pass it out. Tell the Cubs that if they fill it out and return it, they will get a certificate. Review some of the slides on a projector.
Play the Coast Guard's promo video with Bob Seger's In Your Time on the Coast Guard's website.
Have the Cubs try on different life jackets. We showed the proper wearing of them. They played “bumper cars” with them and this gave them a little energy release.
Sea Partners Patch program sheet. If the Cubs answer the questions and do the activities and send it in to the NOAA, they get a patch. The big one is to do a beach cleanup. As it happens, we already had something called America's Waterway clean-up with the National Parks Department planned for next month.

Lessons learned

Start with the Scouting's Safe Swim points and ask a lot of questions that start with “Who knows…?”
Save the handouts until the end so the Scout have something to take home. This will also avoid their trying to fiddle with while you're trying to talk.
Have the Scouts try on life jackets and let them play bumper cars with them. Explain why it was more important than a life ring. It also lets them burn off some energy.
Follow this with an explanation of the Coast Guard and what the Auxiliary does. Afterwards play the video and have questions and answers. We got some good questions from some of the adults present.

David N. Kroening, FSO-CS - Flotilla 05-11, 1st District (Southern Region)