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Sorry chubsy-ubsy.....no boy scouts for you!

W

Wheezer

Diamond Member
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Larry Armstrong has been volunteering with his local Boy Scout branch for years, chaperoning trips, serving on the council committee, even becoming certified in archery instruction for a day camp.

Larry Armstrong's weight may get him banned from volunteering for the Boy Scouts
Larry Armstrong's weight will exclude him from "high adventure" scouting trips with his sons when the Boy Scouts of America imposes new height/weight requirements next year.


But Armstrong, at 6-foot, 2-inches tall and about 370 pounds, may no longer qualify for some scout outings because he's overweight, part of a new push by the national organization to ensure the scouts and their volunteers are healthy.

A new mandatory weight requirement by the national Boy Scouts of America that will take effect next January has some longtime volunteers concerned they will be left out of trips they've enjoyed with their sons for years.

According to the chart outlined in the national health and medical record form, Armstrong's weight must come down to a minimum of 239 pounds before he'll be allowed on certain "high adventure" trips that take him more than 30 minutes away from emergency care by ground transportation.

"It looks like they're trying to get the perfect person," said Armstrong, who volunteers with Troop 458 out of Chapmansboro, Tenn. "And that's not going to happen."

In Los Angeles, Joshua Godinez faces the same problem. He defined himself as "pretty obese" at 5-foot-6 and 270 pounds.
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no, not the perfect person, just someone who many not be pre-disposed to an exploding heart while on a hiking trail.

Now if he gets a clean bill of health after a check-up and they still refuse him....then there might be a problem, but they are a private club...they can make these rules if they want.
 
LOL! I was thinking of Louie Anderson, the dude that was blackmailed by the guy he asked to disrobe in front of him. He probably shouldn't be attending Boy Scout Camps anyway.
 
WTF, 239 at 6'2". Looks like the majority of the NFL or NBA, or any other athlete for that manner are far to unhealthy to go on hikes with their boys.

After having said that, I'm 6'2" and weigh 190 and feel like I could lose another 10 pounds.
 
Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
Their limit seems maybe a little low, but 370 lbs is huge.
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True. The purpose behind this is very sound, don't want you keeling over or putting yourself and the troop in jeopardy by some of the activities scouting does. But 6'2" at 239, while probably technically obese is not THAT large.
 
Originally posted by: Wheezer
Text

Larry Armstrong has been volunteering with his local Boy Scout branch for years, chaperoning trips, serving on the council committee, even becoming certified in archery instruction for a day camp.

Larry Armstrong's weight may get him banned from volunteering for the Boy Scouts
Larry Armstrong's weight will exclude him from "high adventure" scouting trips with his sons when the Boy Scouts of America imposes new height/weight requirements next year.


But Armstrong, at 6-foot, 2-inches tall and about 370 pounds, may no longer qualify for some scout outings because he's overweight, part of a new push by the national organization to ensure the scouts and their volunteers are healthy.

A new mandatory weight requirement by the national Boy Scouts of America that will take effect next January has some longtime volunteers concerned they will be left out of trips they've enjoyed with their sons for years.

According to the chart outlined in the national health and medical record form, Armstrong's weight must come down to a minimum of 239 pounds before he'll be allowed on certain "high adventure" trips that take him more than 30 minutes away from emergency care by ground transportation.

"It looks like they're trying to get the perfect person," said Armstrong, who volunteers with Troop 458 out of Chapmansboro, Tenn. "And that's not going to happen."

In Los Angeles, Joshua Godinez faces the same problem. He defined himself as "pretty obese" at 5-foot-6 and 270 pounds.
Click to expand...

no, not the perfect person, just someone who many not be pre-disposed to an exploding heart while on a hiking trail.

Now if he gets a clean bill of health after a check-up and they still refuse him....then there might be a problem, but they are a private club...they can make these rules if they want.
Click to expand...


Well, that's always the question, isn't it? The government tells private organizations and businesses all the time that they can't discriminate in their hiring practices. For example, I can't run a business and say I won't hire black people, that's against the law.

Edit, I can see having fat dudes along as possibly being a problem, though. Canoe trips, hiking, wall-climbing...?

 
Are you freaking kidding me?

When I was in the Boy Scouts, a scoutmaster's seniority was determined not by the stripes on his shirt, but by the angle of his belt buckle with respect to the ground. Perfectly parallel and he's the great granddaddy of all scout masters. 😛
 
If he cared about his sons, he'd drop the weight anyway. Dropping about 100 pounds would at least get his BMI down to 35 (from whatever it is now because he's off the chart.)

239 is a silly requirement though for his height. ~275 should be fine, although another 50 would definitely get him to a normal healthy weight.

Edit: Found a chart that puts his BMI at 48. Good gravy.
 
Just looking at that man in the photo makes it pretty clear that he's not suited for the "high adventure" outings. They aren't talking about nature hikes at the local state forest, nor are they talking about an average scout camp. Sending that guy up a rock face or on a 12 mile hike up a mountain is just asking for him to have a coronary.

That said, I do agree that the weight listed is a bit low. I know several people who are very active and very much in shape but who are about 6'0" and in the 230-240 pound range.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Just looking at that man in the photo makes it pretty clear that he's not suited for the "high adventure" outings. They aren't talking about nature hikes at the local state forest, nor are they talking about an average scout camp. Sending that guy up a rock face or on a 12 mile hike up a mountain is just asking for him to have a coronary.

That said, I do agree that the weight listed is a bit low. I know several people who are very active and very much in shape but who are about 6'0" and in the 230-240 pound range.

ZV
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Yep. I'm 6'2 and that dude almost makes two of me right now. When I got at my worst, I was 225lbs and felt like crap after doing anything strenuous. I couldn't imagine going on a "high adventure" trip weighing in at almost 400lbs at his age.
 
If people are wondering what high adventure is, my trip to Philmont when I was 12-13 was over 96 miles, with a pack weight average of 50-60lbs. Hiking time was 8 days walking, with a day of activities at two separate campsites, with one of the activities being a climb up Mt. Baldy. That guy would have killed us on the second day, 12 miles average, with some days being up to 20 miles - he would have croaked after a few miles.
 
awww poor guy.

he can't help it. he likes to eat. he can't help it.
some people can't help it.

he can't help it.
come on guys.
some people just need to eat more.
he can't help it.
poor guy.
 
All my scout masters were pretty damn big, but they knew how to start a fire and all that other stuff. I dont see why it should matter.
 
Originally posted by: shortylickens
All my scout masters were pretty damn big, but they knew how to start a fire and all that other stuff. I dont see why it should matter.
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The problem is that he has a greater chance of keeling over during strenuous activity than people in better shape.

Then the Boy Scouts get sued. And one of the planks for the libel platform will be, "he was obviously in poor physical condition, why was he required to participate in these kinds of activities."
 
When I worked for the scouts, I had to pass a physical to work for them. I see no reason that they should not require that for volunteers, expecially those that are going to participate in the high-adventure programs. You need to be able to swim to go on a river trip...
 
Originally posted by: dougp
If people are wondering what high adventure is, my trip to Philmont when I was 12-13 was over 96 miles, with a pack weight average of 50-60lbs. Hiking time was 8 days walking, with a day of activities at two separate campsites, with one of the activities being a climb up Mt. Baldy. That guy would have killed us on the second day, 12 miles average, with some days being up to 20 miles - he would have croaked after a few miles.
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I did Philmont and that was about how our trip was - thought it was something like 80 miles, but it was also 15 years ago. We also did canoing, rappelling, and rock climbing and a dude like that would have died and probably taken some kids along with him. With all that being said, I would find it unlikely that a guy that big would even be able to train and be accepted for something like Philmont.
 
Originally posted by: dougp
Originally posted by: TallBill
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=6549167&page=1

Related story, so which AT user is this?
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My good friend growing up did this, about 10 years ago.
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Some people who do this annoy me. Maybe because the ones I knew weren't the greatest Scouts. The first was an older boy in my troop when I was a younger boy. He earned 12 merit badges at camp one summer. 9 of them were form his dad. Another was a similar situation, where his father pushed him to earn the badges and practically did them for him.

I earned my Eagle.. Every requirement of every badge. I avoided my dad as my counselor as much as possible, and the one badge I did have to have him be my counselor was the toughest I did.

If this kid and dougp's friend did it by themselves, great for them. They far surpassed the ~30 merit badges I got, and I assume put in more effort than I was able to.

As far as the weight thing goes: I think its a good idea. The camp I work at already has a similar type of thing for our backpacking program. I think a lot of councils also have similar restrictions. Though I will say the restrictions I'm familiar with don't deal with weight at all, but physical fitness.

I don't think that some of you understand what high adventure means though. High Adventure means like what others have described for Philmont. 10 or 12 hours a day hiking/canoeing/etc. I've had to go retrieve leaders from just general hikes who were out of shape at the camp I work at. I think that making sure everyone will be ok on the trip is a great idea, especially if it's a universal requirement and doesn't change from place to place.
 
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