Cycling Merit Badge - Boy Scouts of America
NOTE - Cycling (or Swimming, or Hiking) is required for the Eagle Scout rank.
Requirements
1. Show that you know
first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while cycling, including
hypothermia, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, frostbite, dehydration, sunburn,
insect stings, tick bites, snakebite, blisters, and hyperventilation.
2. Clean and adjust a bicycle. Prepare it for inspection using a bicycle safety checklist. Be sure the bicycle meets local laws.
3. Show your bicycle to your counselor for inspection. Point out the adjustments or repairs you have made. Do the following: (a) Show all points that need oiling regularly, (b) Show points that should be checked regularly to make sure the bike is safe to ride, (c) Show how to adjust brakes, seat level and height, and steering post.
4. Describe how to brake safely with foot brakes and with hand brakes.
5. Show how to repair a flat. Use an old bicycle tire.
6. Take a road test with your counselor and demonstrate the following: (a) Proper mounting, pedaling, and braking, including emergency stops, (b) On an urban street with light traffic, properly execute a left turn from the center of the street; also demonstrate an alternate left turn technique used during periods of heavy traffic. (c) Properly execute a right turn. (d) Demonstrate appropriate actions at a right-turn-only lane when you are continuing straight. (e) Show proper curbside and road-edge riding. Show how to ride safely along a row of parked cars. (f) Cross railroad tracks properly.
7. Describe your state’s traffic laws for bicycles. Compare them with motor vehicle laws. Know the bicycle safety guidelines.
8. Avoiding main highways, take two rides of ten miles each, two rides of fifteen miles each, and two rides of twenty-five miles each. You must make a report of the rides taken. List dates, routes traveled, and interesting things seen. (Bicycle must have all required safety features. It must be registered as required by your local traffic laws.)
9. After fulfilling requirement 8, lay out on a road map a 50-mile trip. Stay away from main highways. Using your map, make this ride in 8 hours.
| I am
registered as a counselor for the Cycling Merit Badge. Any Boise-area
Scout who is interested in earning the Cycling Merit Badge should feel free
to contact me, and I’ll be happy to work with you. The BSA has come under fire lately, for their supposed non-tolerance of homosexuals. I have absolutely no problem with belonging to an organization that attempts to exclude from its leadership homosexuals, child molesters, and atheists. (I pledge not to attempt to join their organizations, or whine when I get rejected!) The fact of the matter is, in my 40+ years of associating with the Scouts, I’ve never heard one person suggest that “gays” or anybody else should not be tolerated. However, someone who would choose to be a scout leader and also be a poster-boy for the “gay” community, or a champion of atheism, is crying out for some negative attention. Speaking of non-tolerance, I was contacted by some folks right here in Boise, back around August, 2000. I won’t mention names. They had visited this website looking for information about cycling, and happened upon my Cycling Merit Badge information. They were offended that I voiced my support for Scouts. In one guy’s words - I’ll call him Percy - “The values revealed on [this website] indicate a social irresponsibility and promotion of prejudices, prejudices that have been traced to violent actions.” He complained to another local group, that had a web link to this website, describing bikeboy as a “potentially violent source,” and that the other website was “not promoting an open, safe forum and can be responsible for any violence that may occur against me.” (His intent was to get me to remove any mention of the BSA, or my opinion regarding its membership objectives.) Now, who is intolerant here, I ask? Percy, maybe? Here’s the response I sent to him: Dear “Percy:” I've had a website ... It's primarily intended to share information about one of my passions - bicycling in and around Boise, but I affirm my right to declare my opinions and thoughts on any topic I see fit. I pay for the web space, and last I heard, there's a First Amendment that protects that right. (Are you familiar with the First Amendment, “Percy”?) My statement affirming my support of the Boy Scouts has been construed by you as stating my "support for prejudice against homosexuals and atheists." You also imply, if I'm reading you right, that I may be promoting something other than "non-violent community involvement"? You've probably got me on the prejudice thing. We all have various prejudices - I noticed you conspicuously excluded the child molesters from those whose cause you are supporting. Are you, like me, prejudiced against them? You're obviously prejudiced against the Boy Scouts as presently constituted. I've always felt that the Boy Scouts (which I've been involved with for almost 40 years, as a scout or scouter), has been very up-front in proclaiming itself "God-fearing," and to a lesser degree, heterosexual. Frankly, I find it rather offensive that individuals and groups who can't accept those terms of membership, try to force THEIR values on an existing group. And I rejoice that the Supreme Court affirmed the right of BSA, and every other private group, to choose who they want as their members and leaders. If you feel I'm in some way advocating violence against homosexuals, atheists, or even child molesters, you should go back and re-read my statement. All I'm saying is that I don't have a problem being a member of a group with the standards that the BSA tries to uphold. ... You've suggested my "community involvement" should be stifled because of my stating my opinion. I certainly will not grant you, or anyone else, editorial license over MY website. ... For a long time, I've had the opinion, right or wrong, that the "diversity crowd" is quick to champion the First Amendment rights of anybody who agrees with their viewpoint(s), but is also rather quick to stifle any opinion that doesn't meet with their approval. In other words, diversity is fine, as long as it doesn't diverge from the "politically correct diversity" viewpoint. ... I read things that I disagree with every day, but I will fight for the right of the people who are writing them, be they the Hitler Youth or the Man-Boy Love Association or whatever-it-is, or anything between the two. ... TRUE diversity dictates that I give them their latitude. Speak away! May the First Amendment ALWAYS be there, to keep freedom of expression truly free! |
Email me - ( bikeboy (at) idahospud (dot) net ) (Sorry for no link - blame the spammers!)
