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Buddies in Swimming
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Bear – 3rd Grade
Salmon Run
Elective
Requirement 4

Buddies in Swimming

Bear – 3rd Grade
Salmon Run
Elective
Requirement 4

Buddies in Swimming

Snapshot of Activity

Cub Scouts demonstrate the use of the buddy system, buddy checks, and ability groups.

Travel
4
3
3
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Before the meeting:

  1. Locate a swimming area.
  2. Review BSA Health and Medical Form for each Cub Scout.
  3. Review the Safe Swim Defense and secure the proper Qualified Adult Supervision for the activity.
    All swimming activity must be supervised by a mature and conscientious adult age 21 or older who understands and knowingly accepts responsibility for the well-being and safety of those in their care, and who is trained in and committed to compliance with the eight points of BSA Safe Swim Defense .

During the meeting:

  1. Explain to Cub Scouts that every participant, both youth and adults, are paired with another. Buddies stay together, monitor each other, and alert the safety team if either needs assistance or is missing.
  2. Assign each Cub Scout a buddy who is in their same ability group.
  3. 3. Every 10 minutes, or as needed to keep the buddies together, the qualified adult supervision gives an audible signal, such as a single whistle blast, and a call for “Buddies.”
  4. Buddies are expected to raise each other’s hand before completion of an audible count to 10. Buddies who take longer to find each other should be reminded of their responsibility for the other’s safety.
  5. Once everyone has a buddy, a count is made by area and compared with the total number known to be in the water.
  6. After the count is confirmed, a signal is given to resume swimming.

Additional Resources

Information about buddy boards can be found in the BSA Aquatics Staff Guide found on the Aquatics Resources webpage.

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.