Cub Scout Camp: Swim Test

This week Chance has cub scout camp at Cabrillo Youth Watersports Center in San Pedro, CA.  Today I volunteered. Marina and Ike stayed at my mom's house and played computer games all day. I wish I could afford to send them somewhere this week, so they could do more than watch TV.  Of course, they could READ.  I think Marina is reading right now, actually, she reads a lot. Ike doesn't read.

Total Summer Reading Book Count:
0  Mom
0  Marina (only books she checks out from the library count, not all the ones she buys)
0 Ike
6 Chance

There is probably around 300 kids at camp, divided into groups of 15 or so, called dens.  Chance has two friends form his regular den in his camp den. The other 12 kids are from packs in the surrounding cities.

Chance had a swim test today. The swim test is given one den at a time; and has three levels: blue for advanced swimmers, red for moderate swimmers, and white for non-swimmers.  Chance earned a blue bracelet, so he will be allowed to check out kayaks and rowboats on his own.  He wasn't the strongest swimmer by far, but he qualified.  The kids with red bands have to have adults with them. I think the kids with white bands are only allowed in rowboats with an adult.  The pool is divided into sections as well. The white bands have to stay in the shallow end. The red bands have a red rope showing how far they can swim in the pool. Blue bands have all access.

I was shocked that 6 out of the 15 kids in Chance's group had white bands. Four of the six are overweight. One of the thin ones didn't test because he forgot swim trunks, but he says he can swim. At least two kids were crying. I think some kids think they can swim because they can tread water or dog paddle. Their parents probably think their kids can swim, too.  Then they take a swim test like this and realize that they don't know the names of the strokes or the correct way to do them. Or, in some cases, they can only do them for a little while. Part of the test is distance swimming.

Seven boys earned blue bands; and one hid his bracelet, so I'm not sure what he got. One kid earned a red band and was super excited.  Last summer he had a white band. So even though the boys who had blue bands were really proud, they congratulated and high-fived the kid with the red band.  In other dens, kids with red bands were crying because they wanted the blue bands and the kids with blue bands were getting attitudes of superiority. The adults didn't let that happen in our den. The kid in our den was beaming with pride over his red band; and he wasn't that far from earning a blue one. He couldn't make the distance, but he knew all the strokes.

Anyway, I guess I was surprised twofold. First, I thought Chance could swim a little better than what he did. Second, that there are kids who can't swim.

I met some great people; and I volunteer again on Thursday.  It should be fun.

Here's a pic of Chance showing off his archery equipment.